The Ramrodders | Page 5

infected them had used the poison
well. They had come to laugh; they remained to sulk. And they who
had baited him with the unspeakable Niles understood their business
when dealing with such an old lion as he.
"You need a guardian, you fellows," he said, contemptuously. "Your
mutton marshal just fits you. But I'm going to keep you from buying
the gold brick in politics you're reaching for now."
"Wouldn't it be a good idea, Squire Thornton, to let us run our own
business awhile? You've done it for fifty years." It was still another of
the rebels that spoke.
"If you had come to me like men, instead of playing hoodlums behind a
lunatic and a sheep, I would have talked to you as men. But I say again
you need a guardian."
"We won't vote for you nor none you name. We've been woke up."
The old man threw up both his hands and cracked his fingers into his
palms. "And you're ready to take pap and paregoric from the first that
come along, you infants!"
"You're showing yourself now, Duke Thornton!" shouted Niles.
"You've used us like you'd use school-boys for fifty years, but you ain't
dared to brag of it till now!"
Thornton strode out from among them. He tossed his big arms as

though ridding himself of annoying insects. He had been stung out of
self-control. It was not that he felt contempt for his people. He had
always felt for them that sense of protection one assumes who has
taken office from voters' hands for many years, has begged
appropriations from the State treasury for them, has taken in hand their
public affairs and administered them without bothering to ask advice.
He realized all at once that jealousy and ingratitude must have been in
their hearts for a long time. Now some influence had made them bold
enough to display their feelings. Thornton had seen that sort of revolt
many times before in the case of his friends in the public service. He
had always felt pride in the belief that his own people were
different--that his hold on them was that of the patriarch whom they
loved and trusted.
The shock of it! He kept his face from them as he toiled up the steps of
the old house. Tears sparkled in his eyes, sudden tears that astonished
him. For a moment he felt old and broken and childish, and was not
surprised that they had detected the weakness of a failing old man. He
would have gone into "The Barracks" without showing them his face,
but on the porch he was forced to turn. Some one had arrived, and
arrived tempestuously. It was the Hon. Luke Presson, Chairman of the
State Committee. He stepped down out of his automobile and walked
around the crowd, spatting his gloved hands together, and looking them
over critically. So he came to Thelismer Thornton, waiting on the steps,
and shook his hand.
Mr. Presson was short and fat and rubicund, and, just now, plainly
worried.
"This was the last place I expected to have to jump into, Thelismer," he
complained. "I know the bunch has been wanting to get at you, but I
didn't believe they'd try. I see that you and your boys here realize that
you're up against a fight!"
Ha shuttled glances from face to face, and the general gloom impressed
him. But it was plain that he did not understand that he was facing
declared rebels.

"They've slipped five thousand dollars in here, Thelismer," he went on,
speaking low. "They'd rather lug off this caucus than any fifty districts
in the State."
"I don't believe there's men here that'll take money to vote against me,"
insisted Thornton. "But they've been lied to--that much I'll admit."
"You've been king here too long, Thelismer. You take too much for
granted. They're bunching their hits here, I tell you. There are fifty
thousand straddlers in this State ready to jump into the camp of the men
that can lick the Duke of Fort Canibas--it gives a h----l of a line on
futures! I thought you had your eye out better."
The deeper guile had masked itself behind such characters as Ivus Niles,
and now Thornton realized it, and realized, too, to what a pass his
trustful serenity, builded on the loyalty of the years, had brought him.
That strained, strange look of grieved surprise went out of his face. He
lighted a cigar, gazing at his constituents over his scooped hands that
held the match.
They stared at him, for his old poise had returned.
"This is the chairman of our State Committee, boys," he said, "come up
to look over the field. He says there's a rumor going that Thornton can't
carry his caucus this