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them to be； and the eager look on his face changed to one of
doubt and of grave disappointment。 When he had reached the
sidewalk he stopped and stood looking back alternately into the
lighted hall and at the hurrying crowds which were dispersing
rapidly。 He made a movement as though he would recall them； as
though he felt they were still unconvinced； as though there was
much still left unsaid。
A fat stranger halted at his elbow to light his cigar； and
glancing up nodded his head approvingly。
〃Fine speaker； Senator Stanton； ain't he？〃 he said。
The young man answered eagerly。 〃Yes；〃 he assented； 〃he is a
great orator； but how could he help but speak well with such a
subject？〃
〃Oh； you ought to have heard him last November at Tammany Hall；〃
the fat stranger answered。 〃He wasn't quite up to himself to…
night。 He wasn't so interested。 Those Cubans are foreigners；
you see； but you ought to heard him last St。 Patrick's day on
Home Rule for Ireland。 Then he was talking！ That speech made
him a United States senator； I guess。 I don't just see how
he expects to win out on this Cuba game。 The Cubans haven't got
no votes。〃
The young man opened his eyes in some bewilderment。
〃He speaks for the good of Cuba； for the sake of humanity；〃 he
ventured。
〃What？〃 inquired the fat stranger。 〃Oh； yes； of course。 Well； I
must be getting on。 Good…night； sir。〃
The stranger moved on his way； but the young man still lingered
uncertainly in the snow…swept corridor shivering violently with
the cold and stamping his feet for greater comfort。 His face was
burned to a deep red； which seemed to have come from some long
exposure to a tropical sun； but which held no sign of health。
His cheeks were hollow and his eyes were lighted with the fire of
fever and from time to time he was shaken by violent bursts of
coughing which caused him to reach toward one of the pillars for
support。
As the last of the lights went out in the Garden； the speaker of
the evening and three of his friends came laughing and talking
down the long corridor。 Senator Stanton was a conspicuous
figure at any time； and even in those places where his portraits
had not penetrated he was at once recognized as a personage。
Something in his erect carriage and an unusual grace of movement；
and the power and success in his face； made men turn to look at
him。 He had been told that he resembled the early portraits of
Henry Clay； and he had never quite forgotten the coincidence。
The senator was wrapping the collar of his fur coat around his
throat and puffing contentedly at a fresh cigar； and as he
passed； the night watchman and the ushers bowed to the great man
and stood looking after him with the half…humorous； half…envious
deference that the American voter pays to the successful
politician。 At the sidewalk； the policemen hurried to open the
door of his carriage and in their eagerness made a double line；
through which he passed nodding to them gravely。 The young man
who had stood so long in waiting pushed his way through the line
to his side。
〃Senator Stanton；〃 he began timidly； 〃might I speak to you a
moment？ My name is Arkwright； I am just back from Cuba； and
I want to thank you for your speech。 I am an American； and I
thank God that I am since you are too； sir。 No one has said
anything since the war began that compares with what you said to…
night。 You put it nobly； and I know； for I've been there for
three years； only I can't make other people understand it； and I
am thankful that some one can。 You'll forgive my stopping you；
sir； but I wanted to thank you。 I feel it very much。〃
Senator Stanton's friends had already seated themselves in his
carriage and were looking out of the door and smiling with mock
patience。 But the senator made no move to follow them。 Though
they were his admirers they were sometimes skeptical； and he was
not sorry that they should hear this uninvited tribute。 So he
made a pretence of buttoning his long coat about him； and nodded
encouragingly to Arkwright to continue。 〃I'm glad you liked it；
sir；〃 he said with the pleasant； gracious smile that had won him
a friend wherever it had won him a vote。 〃It is very
satisfactory to know from one who is well informed on the
subject that what I have said is correct。 The situation there is
truly terrible。 You have just returned； you say？ Where were
youin Havana？〃
〃No； in the other provinces； sir；〃 Arkwright answered。 〃I have
been all over the island； I am a civil engineer。 The truth has
not been half told about Cuba； I assure you； sir。 It is massacre
there； not war。 It is partly so through ignorance； but
nevertheless it is massacre。 And what makes it worse is； that it
is the massacre of the innocents。 That is what I liked best of
what you said in that great speech； the part about the women and
children。〃
He reached out his hands detainingly； and then drew back as
though in apology for having already kept the great man so long
waiting in the cold。 〃I wish I could tell you some of the
terrible things I have seen；〃 he began again； eagerly as Stanton
made no movement to depart。 〃They are much worse than those you
instanced to…night； and you could make so much better use of them
than any one else。 I have seen starving women nursing dead
babies； and sometimes starving babies sucking their dead mother's
breasts； I have seen men cut down in the open roads and while
digging in the fieldsand two hundred women imprisoned in one
room without food and eaten with small…pox； and huts burned while
the people in them slept〃
The young man had been speaking impetuously； but he stopped as
suddenly； for the senator was not listening to him。 He had
lowered his eyes and was looking with a glance of mingled
fascination and disgust at Arkwright's hands。 In his earnestness
the young man had stretched them out； and as they showed behind
the line of his ragged sleeves the others could see； even in the
blurred light and falling snow； that the wrists of each hand were
gashed and cut in dark…brown lines like the skin of a mulatto；
and in places were a raw red； where the fresh skin had but just
closed over。 The young man paused and stood shivering； still
holding his hands out rigidly before him。
The senator raised his eyes slowly and drew away。
〃What is that？〃 he said in a low voice； pointing with a gloved
finger at the black lines on the wrists。
A sergeant in the group of policemen who had closed around the
speakers answered him promptly from his profound fund of
professional knowledge。
〃That's handcuffs； senator；〃 he said importantly； and glanced at
Stanton as though to signify that at a word from him he would
take this suspicious character into custody。 The young man
pulled the frayed cuffs of his shirt over his wrists and tucked
his hands； which the cold had frozen into an ashy blue； under his
armpits to warm them。
〃No； they don't use handcuffs in the field；〃 he said in the same
low； eager tone； 〃they use ropes and leather thongs； they
fastened me behind a horse and when he stumbled going down the
trail it jerked me forward and the cords would tighten and tear
the