nued Mr. Grayson, in a perplexed tone. "The
tariff has not been a real issue in this campaign. Now why does he
congratulate me on my silence?"

Harley did not speak and Jimmy Grayson's face grew grave.

"I am sorry that we have not been able to keep fully informed about the
campaign in the East," he said. "I am bound to assume from this that the
tariff issue has been raised there, and if a fight is to be made upon it
I, as the head of the ticket, must do my share."

Then Harley confessed, and in doing so relieved his conscience, in which
he was wise, both from the moral and prudential points of view, because
the truth about the situation could not be hidden any longer from the
acute mind of Jimmy Grayson. He concealed nothing, he showed that he was
the leader of the conspiracy, and he described their devious attempts,
with their relative success and failure.

"Harley," said the candidate, when the tale was told, "I am more than
ever convinced that you are my sincere friend. You would not have done
this if you were not. It was a mistake, but you certainly meant well."

"I did it because I thought I could help."

"I know it, but I repeat that it was a mistake. Such an important matter
could not be kept permanently in the background. It was bound to come
forward, and with all the greater force because it had been restrained
so long. I don't think any harm has been done, but I'll have to take the
management of it into my own hands now."

He smiled again with such frankness and sincerity that Harley's feelings
were not hurt by his words, but he quickly realized the truth of his
assertion about the increased force of the disclosure because it had
been kept back so long. Now the avalanche struck them. When Harley left
the state-room, Churchill came to him.

"Harley," he said, "the _Monitor_ has telegraphed me to get a thousand
words from Mr. Grayson, if I can, on the tariff issue. My first duty is
to my paper, and I am bound to obey these instructions."

"It's all right, he knows now; go right in to see him; but I am sure he
won't talk to you about it; he isn't ready yet."

Three or four more correspondents received instructions of the same
character, and in addition there was a rain of telegrams for Jimmy
Grayson himself and for his party associates. It seemed that the issue
had suddenly culminated in the East, and the candidate would be bound to
speak. But the telegrams to Mr. Grayson were of a varying nature; many