midnight
Neither broached a formal reconciliation -- such crude devices fell into disuse early in their marriage ; but the man gave her social hours he could ill afford in the press of the closing session , and presently a tremendous event from the outside patched , if it could not heal , the breach . This was nothing less than the launching of Shelby 's presidential boom . Three factors contributed to this movement : the return of prosperity , the governor 's personality , and the Boss . Shelby won his election in a midnight of universal hard times ; his inauguration saw the dawn ; the legislative session closed amidst a sunrise of splendid promise . By the deathless fallacy which credits or blames the ruling powers for everything , natural or supernatural , Shelby 's party reaped abundantly where it had sown with niggard hand . The governor 's personal deserts were more solid , the public recognizing his retarding ratchet as the cause of the machine 's continence and the lowered tax-rate . Apparently the Legislature bore him no ill will for his curbing hand .