this and that, and couldn't come to any conclusion. We didn't want to keep
on with a losing fight if there was any way to put up a winner, though of
course we all recognized that Mr. Harkless would want us to support Kedge
to the death, and that's what he'd do if he was on the ground. But Miss
Sherwood mentioned that she'd had one note since his last illness began,
and he'd entrusted her and her associates on the paper with the entire
policy, and she would take the responsibility for anything we determined
on. Mr. Smith said the only thing to do was to give up Halloway and get a
man that could beat McCune; Kedge would recognize it himself, that that
was the only thing to do, and he could retire gracefully. Miss Sherwood
said she was still more or less a stranger, and asked what man we could
find who was strong enough to do it by popularity alone and who was also a
man we wanted; somebody that had worked a good deal, but had never had any
office. It was to such a man she could promise the 'Herald's' support, as
for a time the paper was being operated almost independently, it might be
said, of Mr. Harkless. Well, I expect it came to all of us at the same
time, but it was Mr. Bence here that said it first."

Mr. Bence was the gentleman who had walked about saying "A glorious
conception," and he now thrust one hand into his breast and extended the
other in a wide gesture, and looked as impressive as a very young man with
white eyebrows can look.

"The name of Harkless," he said abruptly, "the name of Harkless will sweep
the convention like the fire of a Western prairie; the name of Harkless
will thunder over their astonished heads and strike a peal of joy bells in
every home in the district; it will re-echo in the corridors of posterity
and teem with prosperity like a mighty river. The name of Harkless will
reverberate in that convention hall, and they shall sit ashamed."