Part 56 (2/2)
The President found his wife alone.
”I hope nothing serious, Mother?” he said tenderly.
”I've a miserable headache again. Why were you so long?”
”I was with Governor Chase.”
”And what did the old snake in the gra.s.s want this time?”
The President glanced toward the door uneasily, sat down by her side and touched her hand:
”You should be more careful, Mother. Servants shouldn't hear you say things like that----”
The full lips came together with bitter firmness:
”I'll say just what I think when I'm talking to you, Father--what did he want?”
”He offered his resignation as my Secretary of the Treasury.”
His wife sprang up with flas.h.i.+ng eyes:
”And you?”
”Refused to accept it.”
”O my Lord, you're too good and simple for this world! You're a babe--a babe in the woods with wolves prowling after you from every tree and you won't see them! You know that he's a candidate against you for the Presidency, don't you?”
”Yes.”
”You know that he never loses an opportunity to sneer at you behind your back?”
”I've heard so.”
”You know that he's hand in glove with the conspirators in Congress who are trying to pull you down?”
”Perhaps.”
”You know that he's the greatest letter writer of the age? That he writes as many letters to your generals in the field as old Winter--that he writes to every editor he knows and every politician he can influence, and that the purpose of these letters is always the same--to pull you down?”
”Possibly.”
”You have this chance to put your foot on this frozen snake's head and yet you bring him into your house again to warm him into life?”
”Chase is a great Secretary of the Treasury, my dear. The country needs him. I can't afford to take any chances just now of a change for the worse.”
”He has no idea of leaving. He's only playing a game with you to strengthen himself--can't you see this?”
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