u're cheerful!"

"I tries ter be, sah!" she laughed, swinging herself through the door.

The President threw his big hands behind his head, leaned back, and
laughed until his giant frame shook.

The dignified and solemn Secretary of the Treasury scowled, rose, and
stalked from the room.

"Sorry I couldn't talk longer, Chase."

"It's all right," the Secretary replied, with a wave of his hand.

The President found his wife alone.

"I hope nothing serious, Mother?" he said tenderly.

"I've a miserable headache again. Why were you so long?"

"I was with Governor Chase."

"And what did the old snake in the grass want this time?"

The President glanced toward the door uneasily, sat down by her side and
touched her hand:

"You should be more careful, Mother. Servants shouldn't hear you say
things like that----"

The full lips came together with bitter firmness:

"I'll say just what I think when I'm talking to you, Father--what did he
want?"

"He offered his resignation as my Secretary of the Treasury."

His wife sprang up with flashing eyes:

"And you?"

"Refused to accept it."

"O my Lord, you're too good and simple for this world! You're a babe--a
babe in the woods with wolves prowling after you from every tree and you
won't see them! You know that he's a candidate against you for the
Presidency, don't you?"

"Yes."

"You know that he never loses an opportunity to sneer at you behind your
back?"

"I've heard so."

"You know that he's hand in glove with the conspirators in Congress who
are trying to pull you down?"

"Perhaps."

"You know that he's the greatest letter writer of the age? That he
writes as many letters to your generals in the field as old Winter--that
he writes to every editor he knows and every politician he can
influence, and that the purpose of these letters is always the same--to
pull you down?"

"Possibly."

"You have this chance to put your foot on this frozen snake's head and
yet you bring him into your house again to warm him into life?"

"Chase is a great Secretary of the Treasury, my dear. The country needs
him. I can't afford to take any chances just now of a change for the
worse."

"He has no idea of leaving. He's only playing a game with you to
strengthen himself--can't you see this?"

"Maybe."

"And yet you submit to such infamy in your own Cabinet?"

"It's not a crime, Mother, to aspire to high office. The bee is in poor
Chase's bonnet. He can't help i