would be the Brutus.Leary business all over again, but I didn't
believe them. I put my trust in "The." I nominated him for the
Assembly, and he was elected. A year afterwards, when I was
runnin' for re-election as Senator, I nominated him for the
Assembly again on the ticket with me. What do you think
happened? We both carried the Fifteenth Assembly District, but he
ran away ahead of me. Just think! Ahead of me in my own district!
I was just dazed. When I began to recover, my election district
captains came to me and said that McManus had sold me out with
the idea of knockin' me out of the Senatorship, and then tryin' to
capture the leadership of the district. I couldn't believe it. My
trustin' nature couldn't imagine such treachery.

I sent for McManus and said, with my voice tremblin' with
emotions: "They say you have done me dirt, 'The.' It can't be true.
Tell me it ain't true."

"The" almost wept as he said he was innocent.

"Never have I done you dirt, George," he declared. "Wicked
traitors have tried to do you. I don't know just who they are yet, but
I'm on their trail, and I'll find them or abjure the name of 'The'
McManus. I'm goin' out right now to find them."

Well, "The" kept his word as far as goin' out and findin' the traitors
was concerned. He found them all right-and put himself at their
head. Oh, no! He didn't have to go far to look for them. He's got
them gathered in his clubrooms now, and he's doin' his best to take
the leadership from the man that made him. So you see that Caesar
and Leary and me's in the same boat, only I'll come out on top