prosecuting attorney, and there was no reason why a man named Routt
should not hold that office. To this end, he had hitched his wagon to
Amos’s star; and he was one of the Congressman’s first lieutenants.

Routt had not attended the meeting at the Rink. He and Wint Chase spent
the evening together. But when he heard what had happened, he uttered
one red-hot ejaculation, then clamped tight his lips and marched off to
find Amos and demand an explanation.He got it. It silenced him. It was observed that he came away from the
Caretall home with a puzzled frown twisting his brow above the smile on
his lips. But he spoke not, neither could word be enticed from him.
Instead, he seemed to put politics off his shoulders, and attached
himself, like a guardian angel, to Wint.That was Wednesday. Wednesday evening, Wint and Routt and Agnes Caretall
spent at Joan Arnold’s home, playing cards. Thursday, the four were
again together, but this time at the Caretall home. Friday evening,
Routt and Wint played pool at the hotel. Saturday evening they went
together to the Chase rally at the Rink. It was a jubilant gathering;
the speakers were exultant; and the elder Chase, again the speaker of
the evening, was calm and paternally promising.Sunday, the four went picnicking in Agnes Caretall’s car. And it was not
until Monday evening that Wint broke away from Routt’s chaperonage. He
spent that evening--it was the eve of election day--with Joan.They were very happy together.

CHAPTER IXHETTY MORFEE

In the meanwhile, a single incident. An incident concerning itself with
Hetty Morfee, Mrs. Chase’s newly acquired handmaiden.Hetty was a girl Wint’s own age. She had been born in Hardiston, had
lived in Hardiston all her life. She and Wint had gone to school
together; they had played together; they had been friends all their
lives.Such things happen in a small town. Wint was the son of Hardiston’s big
man; Hetty was the daughter of a man whom nobody remembered. He had come
to town, married Hetty’s mother, and gone away. Thereafter, Hetty had
been born.Hetty’s mother was the fifth daughter of a coal miner. She was an honest
woman, a woman of sense and sensibility; and Hetty received from her a
worthy heritage. But most of Hetty was not mother but father; and all
Hardiston knew about Hetty’s father was that he had come and had gone.
It was assumed, fairly enough, that he had a roving, rascally, and
irresponsible disposition. Hetty, it had been predicted, would not turn
out well.This prediction had not wholly justified itself. Hetty, in the first
place, was unnaturally acute of mind. In 

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