There was the instinct that what she knew, if saved,
might in some way serve her when they two fought their battle. And
there was the thrilling dream of waiting till she had all her evidence
gathered and then bringing it triumphantly to him--and thus enable him
through her to conquer.

"I'm afraid I can't give you the proof for a while yet," she replied.

She saw that he was impatient at the delay, that he believed she would
discover nothing. She expected the outbreak that very instant. She
expected him to demand that she turn the case over to the Indianapolis
lawyer he had spoken to her about, who _would_ be able to make some
progress; to demand that she give up law altogether, and demand that
as his intended wife she give up all thought of an independent
professional career. She nerved herself for the shock of battle.

But it did not come.

"All right," he said. "I suppose I'll have to wait a little longer,
then."

He got up and paced the floor.

"But I can't let Blake and his bunch go on saying those things without
any kind of an answer from me. I've got to talk back, or get out of
the fight!"

He continued pacing to and fro, irked by his predicament, frowning
with thought. Presently he paused before her.

"Here is what I'm going to say," he announced decisively. "Since
I cannot tell the whole truth, I'm going to tell a small part
of the truth. I'm going to say that the condition of the water
is due to intentional mismanagement on the part of the present
administration--which everybody knows is dominated by Blake. Blake's
party, in order to prevent my election on a municipal ownership
platform, in order to make sure of remaining in power, is purposely
trying to make municipal ownership fail. And I'm going to say this as
often, and as hard, as I can!"

In the days that followed he certainly did say it hard, both in the
_Express_ and in his speeches. The charge had not been made publicly
before, and, stated with Bruce's tremendous emphasis, it now created a
sensation. Everybody talked about it; it gave a yet further excitement
to a most exciting campaign. There was vigorous denial from Blake, his
fellow candidates, and from the _Clarion_, which was supporting the
Blake ticket. Again and again the _Clarion_ denounced Bruce's charge
as merely the words of a demagogue, a yellow journalist--merely the
irresponsible and baseless calumny so common in campaigns.
Nevertheless, it had the effect that Bruce intended