The Washington herald., 1907-02-10
CHAPTER XXI.
Alone With Nature.

When the party returned 10 the train
after Jimmy GraysOn's thrilling defiance
there was an air of relief even joyous
ness. about them all 10 more diplomacy.
no more watching for blows in the dark
no more waiting; now they knew who
their friends were. and they knew equally
Well their enemies. They could strike
straight at Goodnight, Cvayon, and all the
others Only in the heart of nearly every
one of them there was stiU mourning for
the lost leader. for King Plummcr.
whom d gust of passion had led astray.
'WeI," said Hobart. Il thank God that
the split has come at last. Even if We
are beaten out If our boots. I've got that
defiance TO remember, and the picture Of
Jimmy Graysou refusing either to be
browEeaten or cajoied, even though the
price was the Presidency
I'VE know where we stand" said Mr.
Heathcote. land that at least is a gain
As for sylvia. she was thrilling with
pride. Her uucle's high heroism. his su-
pcrb truthuIncss appealed to every quail
lily in IeT womaug soul, and with another
impulse fun as womauly she hated Good
night, Crayon. and their associates with
an her heart, she believed them capable
Of any crime, personal as well as politi-
cal She felt So intensely upon the sub
ject that she wanted to speak Of il 20
somebody else. but Mr.. and Mrs. Grays9n
had Withdrawn TO the drawinR-room, and
all the correspondents were deep in their
work, as 1t would De necessary 90 send
very long dispatches to the great cities
that day.
Harley wrote five OF six thousand
words fun of fire and zeal As usual. he
wrote from the inside and his was not
a bare record of facts: one reading 1t,
though three thousand miles away, was
upon the scene himself; everything PASSED
before him alive. he saw the heroic figure
of the candidate laundering forth his de-
nunciation; he knew all that il cost, the
full penalty and he shared the stern
impulse which such speaker in such a
situation must feel; he, too, saw the as
constituent on the faces of the committee,
astonishment followed by fear and rage,
and he shared also the noble thrill that
must come to man who had lost all
save hnor, but was proud in the losing.
Harley was always "a good writer, but
now as hc wrote he saw every word burn
ing before him, so intense were his feel
ings, and even across the United States
he communicated the same thrill 10 those
who read.
His dispatch brought from his abrupt
editor the one word splendid" and it at
tracted marked attention, not Only
wherever the Gazette went, but where
also went the numerous journals into
which it was copied. Everybody who
read il said, What q magnificent figure
Jimmy GTaysOD is" and the impression
was deepened and widcned by other
writers on the train who were inferior
in powers only to Harley. In this his
day of great disaster the candidate WAS
to find that there were friends who were
truly bound 20 him with hooks of steel. 90
Nor WAS lie ungratefuI The moisture
rose in his eyes when he first heard of
their accounts, and in privacy he cOniidCd
10 his wife that he did not know how to
thank them
IF I were you I should not say any
thing she advised. They will like IL
better if YOU don't
And NE did not.
Now the campaign took on a new phase.
Even in the beginning IL had differed
from any other ever waged in America.
and since the PhiliDsbUrg conference that
difference. already great. increased. IL
was peTmeIteu throughout by the per-
sonaI element, party platforms sank into
the background, and in the foreground
stood the titanic figure Of Jimmy Grayson
fighting single-handed against host OF
foes.
His hero appealed more powerfully than
ever 90 Harley: every sympathy within
him was aroused by this lone figure who
stood like Horatius ut the bridge-the old
smile was always coming 10 him-and
under its influence his dispatches took on
d vivid col0riug and a keen, searching
quality that thrilled all who read And
many other newspapers gave the same
IfeIike impTessiCSL
The inquire OF the candidate. although he
was admittedly beaten man. loomed
larger than eyer TO the whole country,
and his enemies, although counting all
ready the fruits of victory. began 10 feel
a certain awe of him. They showed an
anxiety to keep away from him. even in
what they considered his dying moments
and no speaker dared to meet him on the
platform despite the reColIections of his
defeat at Egmont The opposition often