old man, and his auditors were too
familiar with his peculiarities not to give him his own time. This was
food and drink to his present craving, which during all these years he
had found so little opportunity to indulge. The successes which he had
enjoyed were won by those for whom and with whom he labored. Here was
the hope of a triumph, on the part of one of his own flesh and blood,
which must reflect its brilliancy upon himself. Suppose Jimmie should
some day become an alderman! No wonder that the old man lingered in his
narrative!

"Ye see, ma'm," Riley continued, "Jimmie is th' man th' big fellers give
th' money at 'lection time, an' it's all lift ter him where he puts it.
All that responsibility is his, ma'm, an' that makes him quite a feller
hisself. Th' other men in th' ward sorter looks up ter him, ma'm. An'
thin agin, Jimmie is th' fine speaker an' quick wid his thinkers, ma'm.
That's why I think he'll be th' great man soon."

"It's a fine thing to be given responsibility, Riley, and it's a great
thing to be trusted," Eleanor humored him; "but it is even more valuable
to be a fine speaker and quick with one's 'thinkers.' Has James had
much opportunity to show his ability as an orator?"

"He has, ma'm, as I was just a-goin' ter tell ye. Jimmie come near
makin' a mistake two years ago. Th' Republicans offered him more money
ter come over ter their side an' Jimmie done it. Thin, later, he seen
his mistake an' th' Dimocrats seen theirs, an' Jimmie come back ter his
old roost. Some iv thim who didn't know the true innards iv th'
situation blamed Jimmie, an' at a meetin' th' Dimocrats held--crocus, I
think he called it--some iv them started ter hiss Jimmie when he begun
ter spake. Th' man at th' desk, whatever title he has, thried ter stop
'em, but Jimmie was quicker than any iv 'em. He jumps up on a chair,
Jimmie does, an' waves his arms theatrical like, an' cries out good an'
sthrong, 'Don't mind 'em, Misther Moderator (that's what they call that
feller at th' desk), don't mind 'em, Misther Moderator--as another
gintleman wance said, they know not what they do.'"

"Did James know who the 'other gentleman' was?" asked Mrs. Gorham, with
difficulty suppressing a laugh.

"He may have, ma'm, but I'm not sure," Riley replied, honestly. "Me an'
th' ol' woman allus thried ter bring Jimmie up wid a knowledge iv th'
Scripters, an' I'm hopin' he did know; but I ain't shure, ma'm."

As Riley disappeared into the house