e against them."

Lyons sat down, having given everyone in the room, with the exception of
a few discerning spirits on the other side, the impression that he had
intended to be pre-eminently fair, and that he had held out the olive
branch when he would have been justified in using the scourge. The
inclination to make friends, to smooth over seamy situations and to
avoid repellent language in dealing with adversaries, except in
corporation cases before juries and on special occasions when defending
his political convictions, had become a growing tendency with him now
that he was in training for public office. Selma did not quite know what
to make of it at first. She had expected that he would crush their
opponents beneath an avalanche of righteous invective. Instead he took
his seat with an expression of countenance which was no less benignant
than dignified. When the hearing was declared closed, a few minutes
later, he looked in her direction, and in the course of his passage to
where she was sitting stopped to exchange affable greetings with
assemblymen and others who came in his way. At his approach Mrs. Earle
uttered congratulations so comprehensive that Selma felt able to refrain
for the moment from committing herself. "I am glad that you were
pleased," he said. "I think I covered the ground, and no one's feelings
have been hurt." As though he divined what was passing through Selma's
mind, he added in an aside intended only for their ears, "It was not
necessary to use all our powder, for I could tell from the way the
committee acted that they were with us."

"I felt sure they would be," exclaimed Mrs. Earle. "And, as you say, it
is a pleasure that no one's feelings were hurt, and that we can all part
friends."

"Which reminds me," said Lyons, "that I should be glad of an
introduction to Mrs. Taylor as she passes us on her way out. I wish to
assure her personally of my willingness to further her efforts to
improve the quality of the school board."

"That would be nice of you," said Mrs. Earle, "and ought to please and
encourage her, for she will be disappointed, poor thing, and after all I
suppose she means well. There she is now, and I will keep my eye on
her."

"But surely, Mr. Lyons," said Selma, dazed yet interested by this
doctrine of brotherly love, "don't you think our school committee
admirable as it is?"

"A highly efficient body," he answered. "But I should be glad to have
our opponents--mistaken as