"You have given out that you are going to make your grandson our next
representative."

"And this ain't a dynasty!" roared Mr. Niles.

"Is there anything the matter with my grandson?" But Davis did not
retreat before the bent brows of the district god.

"The trouble with him is, that he's your grandson."

"And what fault do you find with me after all these years?" There was
wrathful wonderment in the tone.

"If you're going to retire from office," returned Mr. Davis, doggedly,
"there's no need of raking the thing over to make trouble and hard
feelings. I've voted for you, like my folks did before me. You're
welcome to all those votes, Representative Thornton, but neither you nor
your grandson is going to get any more. And as I say, so say many others
in this district."

"No crowned heads, no rings in the noses of the people," declared Niles,
yanking the cord and producing a bleat of fury from his emblematic
captive.

"I don't stand for Niles and his monkey business," protested Davis. "I'm
on a different platform. All is, we propose to be represented from now
on; not _mis_-represented!"

Something like stupefaction succeeded the anger in the countenance of