ith Betty for the night. We'll call her up after breakfast and have
them both over to a surprise party."

Penny strolled across to his friend's door. He was disappointed, and he
showed it. He found George sitting on the side of his bed.

"Penny," mused the Young Man in Politics, in his finest mood, "you know
I sometimes think that, perhaps, way down deep, there is something wrong
with our politics. I don't like to be hooked up with Noonan and his
gang. And I don't like the way Noonan and his gang are hooked up with
Wesley Norton and the silk stockings and Uncle Martin and the big
fellows. Why can't we get rid of the Noonan influence? They aren't after
the things we're after! They only furnish the unthinking votes that make
majorities that elect the fellows the big crooks handle. Lord, man, it's
a dirty mess! And why women want to get into the dirty mess is more than
I can see." "What a sweet valedictory address you are making for a young
ladies' school!" scoffed Penny. "The hills are green far off! Aren't you
the Sweet Young Thing. But I'll tell you why the women want to get in,
George. They think they want to clean up the mess."

"But would they clean it? Wouldn't they vote about as we vote?"

"Well," answered Mr. Evans with the cynicism of the judicial mind,
"let's see. You know now, if you didn't know at the time, that Noonan
got Mike the Goat to assess the disorderly houses for the money to buy
your wedding roses from the Y.M.R.C. All right. Noonan's bartender is
on the ticket with you as assemblyman. Are you going to vote for him or
not?"

"But, Penny, I've just about got to vote for him."

"All right, then. I'll tell Genevieve the truth about Noonan and the
flowers, and I'll ask her if she would feel that she had to vote for
Noonan's bartender!" retorted Mr. Evans. "Giving women the ballot will
help at least that much. If the Noonans stay in politics, they'll get no
help from the women when they vote!"

"But aren't we protecting the women?"

* * * * *

"Anyway, Mrs. Remington," said E. Eliot comfortably, "I'm glad it
happened just this way. Without you, they would hold me until after the
election on Tuesday. With you, about tomorrow at ten o'clock we shall
be released. E. Eliot alone they have made every provision for holding.
They have started a scandal, I don't doubt, necessary to explain my
absence, and pulled the political wires to keep me from making a fuss
about it af