The elder did not reply until he had started the cripple's chair bumping
up the stairs. Then he turned on Thornton. He was not amiable.

"It's time some of the voters with honest convictions got a chance to
attend a caucus in this district, even if they have to be brought from
beds of pain."

Thelismer Thornton did not lose his smile.

"I'd like to have you meet the Rev. Enoch Dudley, evangelist, Luke. This
is Mr. Presson, chairman of the State Committee, elder. Now that you're
getting into politics you'd ought to be acquainted with your chief
priest."

But Rev. Mr. Dudley, not approving the company that the State chairman
was keeping, did not warm up.

"I thank you for your pleasantries, Mr. Thornton," he returned, stiffly.
"I hope your sneers may make you as many votes to-day as they have in
the past."

"Well, they won't," blurted a voice from a knot of men at the foot of
the stairs. "We're getting woke up in this district. And it ain't going
to be an empire any longer."

"I'm rather too humble a man, sir, to associate with the high lords of
politics," Mr. Dudley remarked to the chairman. "The Honorable Thornton
has always been up there. I'm simply one of the plain people."

"And it's time for the plain people to have their innings," declared