show P. C. Frome and
Ned Merrill that he was a very valuable man.

How? Why, by fighting the corporations! Wasn't that the way that all the
big men got their start nowadays as lawyers? As soon as they discovered
his value Frome and his friends would be after his services fast enough.
James was no radical, but he believed Jeff knew what he was talking
about when he predicted an impending political change, one that would
carry power back from the machine bosses to the people. The young lawyer
decided to ride that wave as far as it would take him. He would be a
tribune of the people, and they in turn would make of him their hero.
With the promised backing of the _World_ he would go a long way. He knew
that Jeff would fling him at once into the limelight. And he would make
good. He would be the big speaker for the reform movement. Nobody in
the state could sway a crowd as he could. James had not the least doubt
about that. It was glory and applause he wanted, not the drudgery of
dirty ward politics.

Part 3

Under Jeff's management the _World_ had at once taken the leadership in
the fight for political reform in the state. He made it the policy of
the paper to tell the truth as to corruption both in and out of his
own party. Nor would he allow the business office, as influenced by the
advertisers, to dictate the policy of the paper. The result was that
at the end of the first year he went to the owner with a report of a
deficit of one hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars for the twelve
months just ended.

Captain Chunn only laughed. "Keep it up, son. I've had lots of fun out
of it. You've given this town one grand good shaking up. The whole state
is getting its fighting clothes on. We've got Merrill and Frome scared
stiff about their supreme court judges. Looks to me as if we were going
to lick them."

The political campaign was already in progress. Hitherto the public
utility corporations of Verden had controlled and practically owned the
machinery of both parties. The _World_ had revolted, rallied the better
sentiment in the party to which it belonged, and forced the convention
to declare for a reform platform and to nominate a clean ticket composed
of men of character.

Jeff agreed. "I think we're going to win. The people are with us. The
_World_ is booming." It's the advertising troubles me. Frome and Merrill
have got at the big stores and they won't come in with any space worth
mentioning."

"Damn the