On his coat lapel were four old-fashioned
Blaine badges. Incessantly he fanned himself.

"It can't be they ain't going to nominate him to-day?" he asked rather
than asserted, his voice breaking on the higher notes, the mere wreck of
a voice.

"Oh, maybe later," the girl reassured him.

"Well, I wanted to attend a Republican convention once more before I
died. Your ma would have it I wasn't strong enough; but I knew better;
you and I knew better; didn't we, Jenny?"

She made no answer except to pat his thin, ribbed brown hand with her
soft, white, slim one; but there was a world of sympathy in the gesture
and her silent smile.

"I wonder what your ma said when she came down-stairs and found the
letter, and us gone," he cackled with the garrulous glee of a child
recounting successful mischief; "made me think of the times when you was
little and I stole you away for the circus. Once, your pa thought you
was lost--'member? And once, you had on your school dress and you'd tore
it--she did scold you that time. But we had fun when they used to let me
have money, didn't we, Jenny?"

"Well, now I earn money, we have good times, too, grandpa," said Jenny,
smiling the same tender, comprehending smile.

"We do that; I don't know what I would do 'cept for you, lambie, and
this is--this is a grand time, Jenny, you look and listen; it's a great
thing to see a nation making its principles and its president--and such
a president!"

He half turned his head as he spoke, with a mounting enthusiasm, thus
bringing his flushing face and eager eyes--no longer dim--into the focus
of his next neighbor's bright gray eyes. The neighbor was a young man,
not very young, but hardly to be called elderly, of an alert bearing and
kindly smile.

"I think him a pretty fair man myself," said the other with a jocose
understatement; "I come from his town."

What was there in such a simple statement to bring a distinctly anxious
look into the young girl's soft eyes? There it was; one could not
mistake it.

"Well!" said the old man: there was a flattering deference in his voice.
"Well, well. And--and maybe you've seen him lately?" The quavering
tones sharpened with a keener feeling; it was almost as if the man were
inquiring for some one on whom he had a great stake of affection. "How
did he look? Was he better, stronger?"

"Oh, he looked elegant," said the Ohio man, easily, but with a
disconcerted side glance at the girl whose eyes were implo