The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-07-09
(Continued.)

room a crowd gathered drouho iiAi to congratulate him, but he took put little notice of them. Their praise to him was merely words. Even the contradictions of the ex-Cablnet Minister seemed nothing to him; his eyes were keenly scanning the faces of those present, in order to see some one who had not yet spoken. She came presently, and as Leicester saw her. his heart beat with a great joy. He knew what she thought-it was evident from the look she gave him.
 Forgetful of all else he rushed to her side; he did not speak, but wait ed anxiously for what she might say.
 .I am proud she said in whis- per.
 Are you satisfied?' he asked.
 That is only a suggestion of what feel" was her reply.
 And she spoke the truth. Never did she feel towards him as she did that night. She forgot the impress sion he had first made upon her. for GOt HI the StoEAcSs ShC aA-A AAoe"- - about him. She thought only of her pride in him, and the great future which lay before him. And with it ell came the consciousness that she had caused the change. She was giving him nobler thoughts of life; she was making him realize the great powers which had been lying dor nant. It was something to be proud of To be the means of making a possible great man to realize his greatness, and of bringing into life latent powers of which even he had not been conscious.
 Visions rose before her mind of what he would be. She had read the history of the career of men like the younger Pitt, of John Bright, of lDisraeli, of Gladstone, and she be- iieved that Leicester was equal. to - the best of them. She saw him the Header of a people, voicing their wants, and interpreting their langu- age; she saw him a prophet, reveal ling to the world the deeper mean ings of a nations life. And she was the instrument chosen for his saliva lfion. He had learned to love her. he had declared that if he was to be iaHything but a cynic, scoffer, it must be through her. She was his Inspiration. has lode-star, his hope. IFor her, and with her by his side, he could do anything.
 She believed it now. In her ex- citement she compared his speech with the brilliant orations of the great leaders. She was sure that Lei cester's powers were of the same or der as the powers of Macaulay and Burke. And she-she was the in- etrument used by God to make every thing possible.
 As she walked back to Taviton Grange, her hand resting on his arm, she seemed to be treading on air. Her life seemed enlarged, her pur- pose in living seemed greater. She was willing to forget herself. to sink her own personality. so that the man she had accepted as her husband might be the man God intended him to be.
 John Castlemaine had been at the meeting also, and while not a be- liever in all his political doctrines, was also carried away by the bril- liance of Leicester's speech. He felt proud of his future son-in-law; and he was sure that Olive had done wisely in accepting him as her hus- band.
 So far Leicester had been true to his promise to Olive. He had never touched alcohol since the day he had asked her to be his wife. Sometimes the craving had been terrible, but he had resisted. He had even borne the covert sneers of his acquaintances without retort. What had begun in a grim and unworthy joke had be- come to him the great motive power of his life.
 Indeed, but for one thing, Leices- ter was supremely happy. He could never think of the compact which led to his introduction to her with out shame, and he had a great dread lest in some way it should come to her ears. More than once, after his engagement had become known. he had sought to obtain an interview with Purvis and Sprague and Win field, but for a long time the oppor- tunity which he sought did not come and he was too proud to seek them for the ostensible purpose of speak. ing to them about it.
 One day in February, however, he saw them together. He had come tc his club late one night, and found them alone in the smoking-room. He had spent the evening with Olive and had come back by the last train As may be imagined, neither Sprague nor Purvis felt very kindly towards him. No man looks kindly on g successful rival It angered them al SO when they remembered that ii was through their instrumentality that the engagement had come te pass
 They had been talking about Lei & I~ofora bo rame in I.ika n, o p1