revelation of personality:

"I have faith in affirmative men like Stanton. They stand between a
nation and perdition. He has shown a loyalty to the Union that rose
above his own partisan creed of a lifetime. I like that kind of a man."

"He'll run away with the whole concern," was his friend's laconic reply.

The President's big generous mouth moved with a smile:

"Well, we may have to treat him as they sometimes did a Methodist
minister I knew out West. He was a mighty man in prayer and exhortation.
At times his excitement rose to such threatening heights the elders put
brick bats in his pockets to hold him down. We may be obliged to serve
Stanton the same way----"

He paused and laughed.

"But I guess we'll let him jump awhile first!"

The men who knew the inner secrets of Stanton's relations to McClellan
watched this drama with keen interest. Had he gone into the Cabinet to
place the General in supreme power in a moment of crisis? Or had he at
heart deserted the Commander with the intention of using the enormous
power of the War Department to further a scheme of equal daring for
himself? They could only watch the swiftly moving scenes of the war
pageant for their answer.

One fact was standing out each day with sharp and clean cut
distinctness, a struggle of giants was on beneath the surface. Startling
surprise had followed startling surprise during the past months. Men
everywhere were asking one another, what next? The air of Washington was
foul with the breath of passion and intrigue. Purposes and methods were
everywhere assailed. Men high in civil life were believed to be plotting
with military conspirators to advance their personal fortunes on the
ruins of the Republic.

Around two men were gathering the forces whose clash would decide the
destiny of the Nation--the struggle between the supremacy of civil
authority in the President, and the war-created strength of the Military
Commander represented by McClellan. Could the Republic survive this war
within a war?

CHAPTER XII

LOVE AND PRIDE

Betty Winter had found her fierce resolution to blot John Vaughan from
her life a difficult one to keep. The first two weeks were not so hard.
Every instinct of her pure young girlhood had cried out against the
conceit which had imagined her conquest so easy. The memory of his arms
about her crushing with cruel force, his hot lips on hers in mad,
unasked kisses brought the angry blood mounting to her che