Evening star., 1922-11-05
! L;ve Political Story
of the Female of the Species
and the Predatory Male

wouldn't be here in Washington
you know that"
You've never fought him because
you've never had to-" she replied.
But that doesn't mean that you won't
when you have to. Now. does it?"
You know it doesn't" said he.
quietly.
That's the worst Of politics." she
you've got to work with
where or anything"
Its not only the worst Of politics."
said Hooper. Its the worst Of life.
But we're here to give Ryerson an
awful run for his money when he
shows his hand. And then I'm going
back home and make my next cam
paign on a clean platform. And I'll
win."
THAT was the first conversation
i that let me see where they stood,
and the thing about 1t that inter-
ested me most. youngster that was.
was that they didn't fool themselves
about anything-they knew their pos
sibilities and their difficulties, and
there was no greatman bunk lurking
in the mind of either of them. That's
the kind that goes far-mark my
words. That's the kind Of Americans
we ought to breed-and don't, always.
Ryerson I'd hitherto known about
only vaguely. He was a state boss of
the old type. He played long, walt
ing game. and he had certain fero-
cious elemental strength that most
men shrank from combating. A
grizzly-b bear sort Of man. morose, vio-
lent. always on the defensive, and as
cunning as grizzly when he at
tackled.
Gathering all this about Ryerson.
and desperately grateful to Geneva
Hooper. you can imagine with what
partisan ardor threw myself into tho
cause of Cyrus Hooper. was his
slave. his pack horse-in SO far as
he'd let me be. Nothing was too much.
nothing too difficult. Old Tammas
Carlyle knew what he was talking
about when he said that great men,
taken up in any way. are profitable
company" Hooper was a great man.
in many ways, and knowing him and
making him my hero. I steadied my
self to work and study and decent
living as nothing else had ever
steadied me.
Via 80 1~1r o.
too. for the appointment to the two
committees made Hooper a man much
talked of, and a man much In demand
by all the various party interests. His
appointment served notice on the
world that it was intended he should
be reckoned with in a big way. His
future was made-if he went right.
Right meant Ryerson's way. Very few
people suspected Hooper Of deter
mined, powerful honesty, and most Of
them would not have trusted him so
much If they had suspected him Of 1t.
Cyrus made no parade Of his inner
self. He went his way. cautiously and
decently, as he always had done, and
very cannily. And, in the meantime,
he and Geneva and I and Junior-a
nice boy the youngster was-lived in
the little, unfashionably. homelike
house in the wilds of Washington. I
had a desk and a decrepit old type
writer in the back parlor-and that
was Hooper's office.
7 WAS sitting there pounding away
one day when the door opened and
Hooper came home from a session
at the House. Through my work,
got the feeling that there was chained
in the room. The place was
filed up with beating waves of violent
human anger and combativeness. My
hands dropped off the keys and
looked up to see Hooper's face, torn
and ravaged by all the emotions, with
which he had so electrically charged
the room, and yet implacably still and
set. He just stood there a minute or
two, and then he lifted his head and
called "Geneva"-and though he didn't
call loud, it went all through the
house.
She came downstairs instantly. She
didn't even stop to lay down her sew-
ing, but carried it in her hands, a piece
Of red stun. like blood-and she held 1t
clasped to her breast In a frightened
way.
"Yes-yes-what is it," she called.
Hooper sat down suddenly. as though
the mere sight Of her had relaxed all
his tension. 1.-THE fights on. Gen." he
said. "Ryerson's here"
"Oh-h," she said, and that warm,
rippling voice Of hers fairly sighed with
relief, "Ryerson! I thought you had
hurt yourself-or were sick" She be-
gan calmly to hunt for her needle in
that piece Of red sewing stun. Wom-
en- are wonderful, say what you will
II expect I'll be sick enough before
the things over" he said. grimly. but
he relaxed, too.
"Tell me about It," she said, drop
ping down on the sofa beside him.
when did he Gomez"
This morning." said Hooper. HE
had a session with Senator Titcomb,
and another with Brush-chairp1an Of
the public lands committeeman then
he came after me. rIe's up to bigger
game than I thought"
what is itr Geneva's lips frightened.
'It's the whole Of the UHland Hills
district" said Hooper. Hes got it all
sewed up in a sack. ready to carry of.
Tho committee has merely to report
favorably on his bill. and hen have
tho whole thing-S0, 900 acres.''
But, Cy." she interposed, 'The can't
get the part where tho settlers are?"
'"Thats the diabolical part Of it.,
honey" said Cy. mot ono Of those