which he was remarkable. But, following the clew suggested by his
visitor, he was able to say promptly and gayly:--

"I don't know why I should forget Tony Shear or the Marysville
boys," turning with a half-confiding smile to the other visitors,
who, after the human fashion, were beginning to be resentfully
impatient of this special attention.

"Well, no,--for I've allus said that you took your first start from
Marysville. But I've brought a few friends of our party that I
reckoned to introduce to you. Cap'n Stidger, Chairman of our
Central Committee, Mr. Henry J. Hoskins, of the firm of Hoskins and
Bloomer, and Joe Slate, of the 'Union Press,' one of our most
promising journalists. Gentlemen," he continued, suddenly and
without warning lifting his voice to an oratorical plane in
startling contrast to his previous unaffected utterance, "I needn't
say that this is the honorable Paul Hathaway, the youngest state
senator in the Legislature. You know his record!" Then,
recovering the ordinary accents of humanity, he added, "We read of
your departure last night from Sacramento, and I thought we'd come
early, afore the crowd."

"Proud to know you, sir," said Captain Stidger, suddenly lifting
the conversation to the platform again. "I have followed your
career, sir. I've read your speech, Mr. Hathaway, and, as I was
telling our mutual friend, Mr. Shear, as we came along, I don't
know any man that could state the real party issues as squarely.
Your castigating exposition of so-called Jeffersonian principles,
and your relentless indictment of the resolutions of '98, were--
were"--coughed the captain, dropping into conversation again--"were