Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-07-24

ings upon hss pose. On the contrary, he had grown in dignity through the custom of deference. The people passing us looked admiration at him. had new sense of the elevation of the presidential office. Often it takes the trained and searching eye to de tect in the majestic facade the evil dences that the palace has degen- erated into rookery for pariahs.
 'T have done what thought for the best" he answered, never more di- rect and manly in manner. T have always been afraid, been on guard. l lest my personal fondness for you should betray me into yielding to you
 when ought not Perhaps have erred at times, have leaned back
 ward in my anxiety to be fair. But had and have no fear of your not un- | derstanding. Our friendship is too long established, too we'll founded" And I do not doubt that he believed himself; the capacity for self-decep- ton is rarely short of the demands upon it.
 IL IuudtC USSdu. ! was going to say it was unfortunate that no such anxieties had ever re- strained him from yielding to Good rich. But I hadn't the heart. h. stead I finished my sentence with: However, it's idle to hold post mortem on this case The cause of death is unimportant. The fact of 1t is sufficient No doubt you did the best you could, MT. President"
 My manner was that of finality, It forbade further discussion. He aban- doned the f1nesse of negotiation.
 Harvey, ask you, as a personal favor, to help me through this crisis" he said. ''I ask you my friend and my dead wlfe's friend"
 No depth too low. no sentiment too sacred! Anger whirled up in me against this miserable. short-sighted self-seeker who had brought to a eli max of spoliation my plans to guide the strong in developing the resources of the country, And I turned upon him, intending to overwhelm him with the truth about his treachery, about his attempt to deSroy me. For was now safe from his and Goodrichs ven geance-they had destroyed them selves with the people and with the party. But glance at him and how could strike man stretched fin agony upon his death-bed? If I could help you, I would" said I.
 "You-you and together can get convention that will nominate me-" he urged, hope and fear jostling each other to look pleadingly at me from his eyes.
 Possibly" said. "But-of what use woulc that be?'
 He sank back in the carriage, vel. low-white and with trembling hands and eyelids. Then you don't think l could be elected?" he asked in a broken. breathless way.
 For answer I could only shake my head. No matter who is the nom inee," l went on, after a moment ] "our party can't win" I half-yielded {. to the impulse of sentimentality and turned to him appealingly. James," said I, why don't you-right away before the country sees you are to be | denied nomination-publicly an. nounce that you won't take it in any circumstances? Why don't you de- vote the rest of your term to regain i ing your lost-popularity? Every day has its throngs of opportunities for the man in the White House. Break boldly and openly with Goodrich and | his crowd"
 l saw and read the change in his ! face. My advice about the nomina- tion straightway closed his mind against me: at the mention of Good rich, his old notion of my jealousy re- vived. And l saw, too, that contact with and use of and subservience to corruption had so corrupted him that he had no longer any faith in any method not corrupt. In an instant I realized the full folly of what was > doing. I felt confident that by pursu- ing the line I had indicated he could ' so change the situationf in the next few months that he would make it i'm. possible for them to refuse to renom- mate him. might make it possible for him to be elected. But even if be ! had the wisdom to listen, where would he get the courage and the steadfastness to act? I gave him up finally and forever.
 A man may lose his own character and still survive. and even go fir. But if he lose belief in character as force, he is damned. He could not survive in a community of scoun- drels.
 Burbank sat motionless and with closed eyes for long time. watched the people in the throng of carriages-hundreds of faces all turned toward him. all showing that mingled admiration. envy and awe which humanity gives its exalted great. The president! The presi. dent" heard every few yards in excited undertones. And hats were lifted, and once a crowd of enthus- iastic partizans raised a cheer.
 The president" I thought. with mournful irony. And I glanced at him.
 Suddenly he was transformed by an expression the most frightful I have ever seen. It was the look of de- spairing. weak. vicious thing. cor nered. giving battle for its life-like a fox at bay before a pack of huge