As David questioned the major his jaw squared itself determinedly. There
was a rather forceful sort of man appearing under the nonchalant David
whom his friends had known for years. A wild pride stirred in Phoebe to
such an extent that she caught her breath while she waited for the
major's reply.
"Yes, David," answered the major as he looked up at him with his keen old
eagle eyes, "I think you are. You've had everything this nation can give
you in the way of fighting blood from Cowpens to Bull Run, and when you
speak in a body legislative your voice can be but an echo of the men who
sired you, statesmen, most of them; so it is to you and your class we
must look for clean government. It is your arraignment of the mayor and
the judge on the hay-market question that has made every decent
organization in the city look to you to begin the fight for a clean-up
reorganization. They have all rallied to your support. Show your colors,
boy, and, God willing, we will smash this machine to the last cog and get
on a basis of honest government."
"Then here goes the hottest fight Davie knows how to put to them! And
it's going to be an honest one. I'll go before the people of this city
and promise them to enforce law and order, but I'll not _buy_ a vote of a
man of them. That I mean, and I hereby hand it out to you two
representatives of the press. From now on 'not a dollar spent' is the
word and I'm back of it to make it go." As he spoke, Kildare turned to
Phoebe and looked at her as man to man with nothing in his voice but the
cool note of determination. It was a cold dash for Phoebe but the
reaction brought hot pride to her eyes.
"Yes, David," she answered, "you can and you will."
The determination in her voice matched that in his, and her eyes met his
with a glance in which lay a new expression--not the old tolerant
affection nor the guarded defense, but one with a quality of comradeship
that steadied every nerve in his body. Some men get the like from some
women--but not often.
"They will empty their pockets to fight you," the major continued
thoughtfully. "But there is a deal of latent honesty in human nature,
after all, that will answer the right appeal by the right man. A man
calls a man; and ask a crook to come in on the straight proposition, two
to one he'll step over the line before he stops himself. This is an
independent candidacy--let's ask them all in, without reference to age,
color or 'previous condition of servitude'--in the broadest sense."