He did his duty in the public service, and became devotedly attached to the organization which he felt had given him his chance in life.

When I knew him he was already making his way up; one of the proofs and evidences of which was that he owned a first-class racing trotter--"Alice Lane"-- behind which he gave me more than one spin.

During this first winter I grew to like Joe and his particular cronies.

But I had no idea that they especially returned the liking, and in the first row we had in the organization (which arose over a movement, that I backed, to stand by a non-partisan method of street-cleaning) Joe and all his friends stood stiffly with the machine, and my side, the reform side, was left with only some half-dozen votes out of three or four hundred.

I had expected no other outcome and took it good-humoredly, but without changing my attitude.
Next fall, as the elections drew near, Joe thought he would like to make a drive at Jake Hess, and after considerable planning decided that his best chance lay in the fight for the nomination to the Assembly, the lower house of the Legislature.