reflected　that　this　would　involve　confessions　and　confidences　on　my　part；
  since　there　was　a　whole　side　of　my　life　of　which　Maude　knew　nothing。　　I
  had　convinced　myself　long　ago　that　a　man's　business　career　was　no　affair
  of　his　wife's：　I　had　justified　that　career　to　myself：　yet　I　had　always
  had　a　vague　feeling　that　Maude；　had　she　known　the　details；　would　not　have
  approved　of　it。　　Impossible；　indeed；　for　a　woman　to　grasp　these　problems。
  They　were　outside　of　her　experience。
  Nevertheless；　something　might　be　done　to　improve　our　relationship；
  something　which　would　relieve　me　of　that　uneasy　lack　of　unity　I　felt　when
  at　home；　of　the　lassitude　and　ennui　I　was　wont　to　feel　creeping　over　me
  on　Sundays　and　holidays。。。。
  XX。
  I　find　in　relating　those　parts　of　my　experience　that　seem　to　be　of　most
  significance　I　have　neglected　to　tell　of　my　mother's　death；　which
  occurred　the　year　before　we　moved　to　Grant　Avenue。　　She　had　clung　the
  rest　of　her　days　to　the　house　in　which　I　had　been　born。　　Of　late　years
  she　had　lived　in　my　children；　and　Maude's　devotion　to　her　had　been
  unflagging。　　Truth　compels　me　to　say　that　she　had　long　ceased　to　be　a
  factor　in　my　life。　　I　have　thought　of　her　in　later　years。
  Coincident　with　the　unexpected　feeling　of　fruitlessness　that　came　to　me
  with　the　Grant　Avenue　house；　of　things　achieved　but　not　realized　or
  appreciated；　was　the　appearance　of　a　cloud　on　the　business　horizon；　or
  rather　on　the　political　horizon；　since　it　is　hard　to　separate　the　two
  realms。　　There　were　signs；　for　those　who　could　read；　of　a　rising　popular
  storm。　　During　the　earliest　years　of　the　new　century　the　political
  atmosphere　had　changed；　the　public　had　shown　a　tendency　to　grow　restless；
  and　everybody　knows　how　important　it　is　for　financial　operations；　for
  prosperity；　that　the　people　should　mind　their　own　business。　　In　short；
  our　commercial…romantic　pilgrimage　began　to　meet　with　unexpected
  resistance。　　It　was　as　though　the　nation　were　entering　into　a　senseless
  conspiracy　to　kill　prosperity。
  In　the　first　place；　in　regard　to　the　Presidency　of　the　United　States；　a
  cog　had　unwittingly　been　slipped。　　It　had　always　been　recognizedas　I
  have　saidby　responsible　financial　personages　that　the　impulses　of　the
  majority　of　Americans　could　not　be　trusted；　that　thesewho　had　inherited
  illusions　of　freedommust　be　governed　firmly　yet　with　delicacy；　unknown
  to　them；　their　Presidents　must　be　chosen　for　them；　precisely　as　Mr。
  Watling　had　been　chosen　for　the　people　of　our　state；　and　the　popular
  enthusiasm　manufactured　later。　　There　were　informal　meetings　in　New　York；
  in　Washington；　where　candidates　were　discussed；　not　that　such　and　such　a
  man　was　settled　upon；it　was　a　process　of　elimination。　　Usually　the
  affair　had　gone　smoothly。　　For　instance；　a　while　before；　a　benevolent
  capitalist　of　the　middle　west；　an　intimate　of　Adolf　Scherer；　had　become
  obsessed　with　the　idea　that　a　friend　of　his　was　the　safest　and　sanest　man
  for　the　head　of　the　nation；　had　convinced　his　fellow…capitalists　of　this；
  whereupon　he　had　gone　ahead　to　spend　his　energy　and　his　money　freely　to
  secure　the　nomination　and　election　of　this　gentleman。
  The　Republican　National　Committee；　the　Republican　National　Convention
  were　allowed　to　squabble　to　their　hearts'　content　as　to　whether　Smith；
  Jones　or　Brown　should　be　nominated；　but　it　was　clearly　understood　that　if
  Robinson　or　White　were　chosen　there　would　be　no　corporation　campaign
  funds。　　This　applied　also　to　the　Democratic　party；　on　the　rare　occasions
  when　it　seemed　to　have　an　opportunity　of　winning。　　Now；　however；　through
  an　unpardonable　blunder；　there　had　got　into　the　White　House　a　President
  who　was　inclined　to　ignore　advice；　who　appealed　over　the　heads　of　the
  〃advisers〃　to　the　populace；　who　went　about　tilting　at　the　industrial
  structures　we　had　so　painfully　wrought；　and　in　frequent　blasts　of
  presidential　messages　enunciated　new　and　heretical　doctrines；　who
  attacked　the　railroads；　encouraged　the　brazen　treason　of　labour　unions；
  inspired　an　army　of　〃muck…rakers〃　to　fill　the　magazines　with　the　wildest
  and　most　violent　of　language。　　State　legislatures　were　emboldened　to　pass
  mischievous　and　restrictive　laws；　and　much　of　my　time　began　to　be
  occupied　in　inducing；　by　various　means；　our　courts　to　declare　these
  unconstitutional。　　How　we　sighed　for　a　business　man　or　a　lawyer　in　the
  White　House！　　The　country　had　gone　mad；　the　stock…market　trembled；　the
  cry　of　〃corporation　control〃　resounded　everywhere；　and　everywhere
  demagogues　arose　to　inaugurate　〃reform　campaigns；〃　in　an　abortive　attempt
  to　〃clean　up　politics。〃　　Down　with　the　bosses；　who　were　the　tools　of　the
  corporations！
  In　our　own　city；　which　we　fondly　believed　to　be　proof　against　the
  prevailing　madness；　a　slight　epidemic　occurred；　slight；　yet　momentarily
  alarming。　　Accidents　will　happen；　even　in　the　best　regulated　political
  organizations；and　accidents　in　these　days　appeared　to　be　the　rule。　　A
  certain　Mr。　Edgar　Greenhalge；　a　middle…aged；　mild…mannered　and
  inoffensive　man　who　had　made　a　moderate　fortune　in　wholesale　drugs；　was
  elected　to　the　School　Board。　　Later　on　some　of　us　had　reason　to　suspect
  that　Perry　Blackwoodwith　more　astuteness　than　he　had　been　given　credit
  forwas　responsible　for　Mr。　Greenhalge's　candidacy。　　At　any　rate；　he　was
  not　a　man　to　oppose；　and　in　his　previous　life　had　given　no　hint　that　he
  might　become　a　trouble　maker。　　Nothing　happened　for　several　months。　　But
  one　day　on　which　I　had　occasion　to　interview　Mr。　Jason　on　a　little　matter
  of　handing　over　to　the　Railroad　a　piece　of　land　belonging　to　the　city；
  which　was　known　as　Billings'　Bowl；　he　inferred　that　Mr。　Greenhaige　might
  prove　a　disturber　of　that　profound　peace　with　which　the　city
  administration　had　for　many　years　been　blessed。
  〃Who　the　hell　is　he？〃　was　Mr。　Jason's　question。
  It　appeared　that　Mr。　G。's　private　life　had　been　investigated；　with
  disappointingly　barren　results；　he　was；　seemingly；　an　anomalistic　being
  in　our　Nietzschean　age；　an　unaggressive　man；　he　had　never　sold　any　drugs
  to　the　city；　he　was　not　a　church　member；　nor　could　it　be　learned　that　he
  had　ever　wandered　into　those　byways　of　the　town　where　Mr。　Jason　might
  easily　have　got　trace　of　him：　if　he　had　any　vices；　he　kept　them　locked　up
  in　a　safe…deposit　box　that　could　not　be　〃located。〃　　He　was　very　genial；
  and　had　a　way　of　conveying　disturbing　factswhen　he　wished　to　convey
  themunder　cover　of　the　most　amusing　stories。　　Mr。　Jason　was　not　a　man
  to　get　panicky。　　Greenhalge　could　be　handled　all　right；　onlywhat　was
  there　in　it　for　Greenhalge？a　nut　difficult　for　Mr。　Jason　to　crack。　　The
  two　other　members　of　the　School　Board　were　solid。　　Here　again　the　wisest
  of　men　was　proved　to　err；　for　Mr。　Greenhalge　turned　out　to　have　powers　of
  persuasion；　he　made　what　in　religious　terms　would　have　been　called　a
  conversion　in　the　case　of　another　member　of　the　board；　an　hitherto
  staunch　old　reprobate　by　the　name　of　Muller；　an　ex…saloon…keeper　in
  comfortable　circumstances　to　whom　the　idea　of　public　office　had　appealed。
  Mr。　Greenhalge；　having　got　wind　of　certain　transactions　that　interested
  him　extremely；　brought　them　in　his　good…natured　way　to　the　knowledge　of
  Mr。　Gregory；　the　district　attorney；　suggesting　that　he　investigate。　　Mr。
  Gregory　smiled；　undertook；　as　delicately　as　possible；　to　convey　to　Mr。
  Greenhalge　the　ways　of　the　world；　and　of　the　political　world　in
  particular；　wherein；　it　seemed；　everyone　was　a　good　fellow。　　Mr。
  Greenhalge　was　evidently　a　good　fellow；　and　didn't　want　to　make　trouble
  over　little　things。　　No；　Mr。　Greenhalge　didn't　want　to　make　trouble；　he
  appreciated　a　comfortable　life　as　much　as　Mr。　Gregory；　he　told　the
  district　attorney　a　funny　story　which　might　or　might　not　have　had　an
  application　to　the　affair；　and　took　his　leave　with　the　remark　that　he　had
  been　happy　to　make　Mr。　Gregory's　acquaintance。　　On　his　departure　the
  district　attorney's　countenance　changed。　　He　severely　rebuked　a
  subordinate　for　some　trivial　mistake；　and　walked　as　rapidly　as　he　could
  carry　his　considerable　weight　to　Monahan's　saloon。。。。　　One　of　the　things
  Mr。　Gregory　had　pointed　out　incidentally　was　that　Mr。　Greenhalge's
  evidence　was　vague；　and　that　a　grand　jury　wanted　facts；　which　might　be
  difficult　to　obtain。　　Mr。　Greenhalge；　thinking　over　the　suggestion；　sent
  for　Krebs。　　In　the　course　of　a　month　or　two　the　investigation　was
  accomplished；　Greenhalge　went　back　to　Gregory；　who　repeated　his　homilies；
  whereupon　he　was　handed　a　hundred　or　so　typewritten　pages　of　evidence。
  It　was　a　dramatic　moment。
  Mr。　Gregory　resorted　to　pleading。　　He　was　sure　that　Mr。　Greenhalge　didn't
  want　to　be　disagreeable；　it　was　true　and　unfortunate　that　such　things
  were　so；　but　they　would　be　amended：　he　promised　all　his　influence　to
  amend　them。　　The　public　conscience；　said　Mr。　Gregory；　was　being　aroused。
  Now　how　much　better　for　the　party；　for　the　reputation；　the　fair　name　of
  the　city　if　these　things　could　be　corrected　quietly；　and　nobody　indicted
  or　tried！　　Between　sensible　and　humane　men；　wasn't　that　the　obvious　way？
  After　the　election；　suit　could　be　brought　to　recover　the　money。　　But　Mr。
  Greenhalge　appeared　to　be　one　of　those　hopeless　individuals　without　a
  spark　of　party　loyalty；　he　merely　contin