Western Senator?" he said plaintively. "My colleague and I received a
document today, signed by two thousand of our constituents, the entire
population of an obscure but determined town, in which we were ordered
to acknowledge the belligerency of the Cubans at once or expect to be
tarred and feathered upon our return. The climate of my State is
excellent for consumption, but bad for nerves. Doubtless most of these
men come of good New England stock, whose relatives 'back East' would
never think of doing such a thing; but the intoxicating climate they
have been inhaling for half a generation, to say nothing of the raw
conditions, makes them want to fight creation."

Senator Maxwell, who had more of the restlessness of youth than the
repose of age, threw back his silver head and gave his little
irritated laugh. "That is it," he said. "It is the lust of blood that
possesses the United States. They don't know it. They call it
sympathy; but their blood is aching for a fight, so that they can read
the exciting horrors of it in the newspapers. You might as well reason
with mad dogs."

"I shall not attempt to reason with my kennel," said Burleigh. "In the
present congested state of the mails this particular memorial has gone
astray."

"The trials of a Senator!" cried Sally Carter. "Petitions and
lobbyists, election clouds, fractious and dishonest legislatures,
unprincipled bosses and the country gone mad!"

"I can give you a list as long as my arm," said Senator March, grimly;
"and you may believe it or not, but it is all I can do to walk in my
Committee-room and I haven't a chair to sit on. I live under a snow-