A HOUSE-BOAT ON THE KANKAKEE Harwood's faith in Bassett as a political prophet was badly shaken by the result of the campaign that fall.

About half the Democratic candidates for state office were elected, but even more surprising was the rolling-up of a good working majority in both houses of the General Assembly.

If Thatcher had knifed Bassett men or if Thatcher men had been knifed at Bassett's behest, evidence of such perfidy was difficult to adduce from the returns.

Harwood was not sure, as he studied the figures, whether his party's surprising success was attributable to a development of real strength in Thatcher, who had been much in evidence throughout the campaign, or whether Bassett deserved the credit.

He was disposed to think it only another expression of that capriciousness of the electorate which is often manifested in years when national success is not directly involved.