He had a way
of making loyal friends. A train of them had followed him through years
of more or less continuous defeat and now they were rejoicing in the
prospect of reward.
He was explaining this to Alice. Trying to at least. "One has to pay his
debts," he told her. "These men have worked for me as hard as any
factory slaves. And without any definite certainty of compensation. Do
you remember young Waters who came here last December to congratulate
me? Yes, of course, he was Benito's clerk. I'd forgotten that. Well,
what did that young rascal do but grow a beard and hire out as a waiter
in the Magnolia Hotel. He overheard some plots against me in a corner of
the dining room. And thus we were prepared to checkmate all the
movements of the enemy.... I call that smart. I'll see that he gets a
good berth. A senate clerkship. Something of the sort."
"When do you leave?" asked Alice quickly.
"Tomorrow.... Gwin is going also. I'll stop over in New York." He smiled
at her. "When I left there I told my friends I'd not return until I was
a senator. Eight years ago that was.... And now I'm making good my
promise." He laughed boyishly.
"You're very happy over it, aren't you, Dave?" she said with a shadow of
wistfulness.
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