e him as
their friend.

As he closed, Ellsworth found himself not dictating, but almost
pleading. The stern gravity of his audience removed the edge of any
arrogance he might have felt. He sat down and in turn passed his hand
across his forehead, as perplexed as had been Barkley before him. Both
grew uneasy. There was a shifting in the seats out in the half-lighted
interior before them, but there came no sound of applause or comment.
Ellsworth leaned over and whispered to his associate.

"There's something up," said he. "We haven't got them going. What's
on their minds? Where's Anderson? He ought to be here. Get him, and
let's nominate him for mayor, or something. This thing's going to
split!"

"I'll go out and find him," whispered Barkley, and so slipped out of
the room.

He did find him, aloof, alone, pacing slowly up and down the street,
the one man needed by both divergent interests, and the one man absent.
"Good God! Anderson," protested Barkley. "What are you doing out here
by yourself? We need you in there. They're like bumps on a log. We
can't get them started at all."

"That's funny," said Dan Anderson.

"Funny! I don't _think_ it's very funny. You are the one supposed to
understand these men, and we want you now to deliver the goods."

"If you will pardon me, sir," said Dan Anderson, facing him with his
hands in his pockets, "I don't exactly like that expression."

"Like it or not," retorted Barkley, hotly. "You belong in there, and
not out here in the moonlight studying over your maiden speech. What
are you afraid of?"

"Of nothing," said Dan Anderson, simply. "Or, of nothing but myself."

"But we need another strong talk to stir them up."

"Go make it, then."

"What's that!" cried Barkley, sharply; "you'll not come in."

"No, I'm done with it."

"Why, damn your soul! man, you don't mean to tell me that you've
flunked--that you've gone back on us?"

Dan Anderson bit his lip, but continued silent.

"You've taken our money!" exclaimed Barkley. "We've hired you, bought
you! We won't stand for any foolishness, and we won't put up with any
treachery, I want you to understand that. Your place is in there, at
the meeting--and here you are standing around as though you were
mooning over some girl."

"I hadn't noticed the moonlight," said Dan Anderson. "As to the rest
of it, the street of this town has usually been free for a man to think
as he pleased."

"You're a trai