en of Verden who had joined the reform movement. Not a single member of
the Verden Club, with the exception of Rogers, was lined up with those
making the fight for direct legislation. Even those who had no financial
interest in the Transcontinental or the public utility corporations
supported that side from principle.

James himself had thought a long time before casting in his lot with the
insurgents led by his cousin. He had made tentative approaches both
to Frome and to Edward B. Merrill. Both of these gentlemen had been
friendly enough, but James had made up his mind they undervalued his
worth. The way to convince them of this was to take the field against
them.

He smiled now as he swung along the avenue. Both Frome and Merrill--yes,
and Big Tim too, for that matter!--knew by this time whether they had
made a mistake in sizing him up as a raw college boy with his eye teeth
not cut.

A passing electric containing two young women brought his gloved hand to
his hat. The long slant eyes of the lady on the farther side swept
him indolently. In answer to her murmured suggestion the girl who was
driving brought the machine round in a half circle which ended at the
edge of the curb in front of Farnum.

The lawyer's hat came off again with easy grace. The slim young driver
leaned back against the cushions and merely smiled a greeting, tacitly
yielding command of the situation to her cousin, an opulent young widow
adorned demurely with that artistic touch of mourning that suggests a
grief not inconsolable.

"Good morning, Miss Frome--Mrs. Van Tyle," James distributed impartially
before turning to the latter lady. "Isn't this a day to be alive in? Who
says it always rains in Verden?"

"I do--or nearly always. At least it finds no difficulty in giving a
good imitation," returned the young woman addressed.

"A libel--I vow a libel," Farnum retorted gaily. "I was just going to
hope you might be tempted to forget New York and Vienna and Paris to
pay us a long visit. We're all hoping it. I'm merely the spokesman." He
waved a hand to indicate the busy street black with humanity.

A hint of pleasant adventure quickened the eyes of the young widow who
surveyed lazily his well-groomed good looks. She judged him a twentieth
century American emerging from straightened circumstances and eager to
trample even the memory of it under foot.

"Did the Chamber of Commerce appoint you a committee to hope that I
would impose on my rel