have been truthful, although the copy and proof before
him might not have borne him out. The near fact was that the speech
was composed and written by one Expectant Dobbs, a poor retainer of
Gashwiler, and the honorable member's labor as a proof-reader was
confined to the introduction of such words as "anarchy," "oligarchy,"
"satrap," "palladium," and "Argus-eyed" in the proof, with little
relevancy as to position or place, and no perceptible effect as to
argument.

The stranger saw all this with his wicked left eye, but continued to
beam mildly with his right. Removing the coat and waistcoat of Gashwiler
from a chair, he drew it towards the table, pushing aside a portly,
loud-ticking watch,--the very image of Gashwiler,--that lay beside him,
and, resting his elbows on the proofs, said:

"Well?"

"Have you anything new?" asked the parliamentary Gashwiler.

"Much! a woman!" replied the stranger.

The astute Gashwiler, waiting further information, concluded to receive
this fact gaily and gallantly. "A woman?--my dear Mr. Wiles,--of course!
The dear creatures," he continued, with a fat, offensive chuckle,
"somehow are always making their charming presence felt. Ha! ha! A man,
sir, in public life becomes accustomed to that sort of thing, and
knows when he must be agreeable,--agreeable, sir, but firm! I've had my
experience, sir,--my OWN experience,"--and the Congressman leaned back
in his chair, not unlike a robust St. Anthony who had withstood one
temptation to thrive on another.

"Yes," said Wiles impatiently, "but d--n it, she's on the OTHER SIDE."

"The other side!" repeated Gashwiler vacantly.

"Yes, she's a niece of Garcia's. A little she devil."

"But Garcia's on our side," rejoined Gashwiler.

"Yes, but she is bought by the Ring."

"A woman!" sneered Mr. Gashwiler; "what can she do with men who won't be
made fools of? Is she so handsome?"

"I never saw any great beauty in her," said Wiles shortly, "although
they say that she's rather caught that d----d Thatcher, in spite of
his coldness. At any rate, she is his protegee. But she isn't the sort
you're thinking of, Gashwiler. They say she knows, or pretends to know,
something about the grant. She may have got hold of some of her uncle's
papers. Those Greasers were always d----d fools; and, if he did anything
foolish, like as not he bungled or didn't cover up his tracks. And with
his knowledge and facilities too! Why, if I'd--" but here Mr.
Wiles stoppe