He did this at the earnest solicitation of his many
friends, in whose hands he had placed himself,--at least so read his
card of announcement in the _Banner_, our other paper. He did not name
these solicitous friends; but it was an easy suspicion that they were
the Democratic leaders, who thought by this means to draw votes from the
Republican candidate to the advantage of their own, who, otherwise, was
conceded to have no hope of election in a county overwhelmingly
Republican.
It may be told with adequate confidence that Westley Keyts was not of
their number. As to the damage suit, Westley found it unthinkable that
Potts could deteriorate ten thousand dollars worth and still walk the
earth. Indeed, he believed, and uttered a few rough words to express it,
that ten dollars would be an excessive valuation even if Potts were
utterly destroyed.
Being an earnest soul, Westley had taken the Potts affair very
seriously. He made it a point to encounter the Colonel on an early day
and to address him on Main Street in tones that lacked the least
affectation of suavity or diplomatic guile. He had seen diplomacy tried
and found wretchedly wanting. He would have no more of it ever.
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