The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-09-23

l l Sudlt uoI CohSEdlui0lC Joo' SAS said gravely. II paid you better com pliment while you were speaking. Are you ready to say. Now let me die?"
 "No," he answered with equal gray ity. ''I am ready to say. Now let me live.' I have met you at last"
 She raised her hand protestingly. 'Please don't spoil my impression Of you. You were wonderful. l have heard of orators swaying audiences to their will. but never before realized what it means. My brother tells me | you saved Mfr. McAdoo from defeat" | Paul took a keen pleasure in his honesty as he resisted temptation and answered lightly: "Oh. no! The result would have been the same without my speech. 1t was such an absurdly impossible trick. that of bribing Hem enway off and buying up his delegates. | It's success depended upon their catch i ing Bob mapping. They didn't know 1 the old fellow. All did was to fur nish a reason for an action already determined upon."
 "Ahr she said regretfully. y'Then it was all planned beforehandY Every step!"
 "Even to your speech?" He nodded smilingly. "You know, Mrs. Gilbert. there never was speech worth giving that wasn't prepared be- forehand. Every word of that speech was written out and memorized verba- tim" I
 "Then all those burning words were a. sham, all that display of splendid passion a theatrical trick to save a man not worthy
 "No, nov' he broke in eagerly. "Al I said was true-true as life and death. And Bob-you don't know him. He is magnificent, worthy of"-
 Spare me-" she impatiently inter rupted. "I heard that once before-in your speech. am frankly disappoint- ed Isbelieved you a genuine master spirit. compelling us to see the truth. Now, see you are only clever actor, tricking Us into ignoring the truth" She drew deep breath. @
 Please don't go yet" he begged. , 'I have something to say to you. Do you believe in pre-existences?" Decidedly not. I'm fairly healthy. And, besides. the present existence l demands all my attention" .What would you say if I were to tell you that although have just met you and have seen you but twice be- fore so far as can remember seem to have known you always" | She shrugged her shoulders again, a fashion she had 'T'm sorry-you will forgive me, MT. Remington ?ePm not deeply impressed-and bit incredu- lous."
 .T didn't expect you to be impressed" !" he answered quietly, "and I'm not pro- 1 posing-yet But. Mrs. Gilbert'-his head went up, eyes flashing-"Pm not sentimental fool am to be taken seriously"
 Why don't you go on the stageT she feered-
 Paul looked at her uncertainty for a moment; then his gravity was cast aside as cloak. He made some incor- sequent answer and promptly led the talk into other and lighter channels, whither she followed him carelessly. She was not quite free from the spell he had woven about her during his speech. Something in the man broke down her habit of cold indifference to men, and put her on her mettle. She strove to meet his occasional witty sallies in kind. sometimes with a suc- cess that delighted them both. Once, when their sbadinage assumed more personal tone. she protested.
 Were talking as though we were old friends" she said.
 "Of course,'' he responded calmly, i've are. That was written long ago."
 "You have many friends?" she l Queried curiously.
 'I have been lucky in the matter of friends"
 And do you give them all the same romantic appreciation and return you | professed for MT. McAdoo. or was that part of the play acting too? can't see what you find in common with one who, my brother tells me. is typical of the very worst in our poll. tics"
 T forgot you are of the enemy" he laughed and added more soberly "Your brother is wrong. There may have been regrettable things in Bob's earlier career. But in the six years i I have known him have seen little of the dirty politician. His victories have been won chiefly by his courage and resourcefulness and the fact that men. whether they like him or not. in | stinctively trust him and follow him. If he has resorted to questionable tao tics it has been only to meet similar methods of the opposition. And his victories have been very much to the advantage of this city"
 And to the advantage of his loyal friend. suppose" she suggested in quiringly. "You are no doubt-Pm very ignorant of politics-some one very important, a high officer, con gressman. at least?"
 "Oh, no. I'm only a senator of the common or garden variety. very un Important member of our state legis lature" | "While he has become boss" she added. Tt seems"-
 Don't, Mrs. Gilbert, I beg of you, he interrupted gravely. Ut would be disloyal for me to listen to such sug-