use, but which had thus far served only as a footstool; and as he did
so he winked at young Armitage, whose face was a fiery flame, and
whose hands, wet with perspiration, were twisting in nervous knots a
handkerchief of highly colored border.

Little by little routine matters were disposed of, and, finally, there
being no further excuse for delay, the call for new business was made
and Mr. Milligan arose. With fingers in the armholes of his vest, with
shoulders back and chest expanded, he bowed with smiling eyes to the
platform, to the crowded room, to the ladies at his right, and as he
bowed there was stir and rustle and the straining forward of necks and
heads.

"Mr. President"--his heels were lifted from the floor and he balanced
himself on tiptoe--"Mr. President, members of the Yorkburg Council,
fellow-citizens, and ladies"--again he bowed profoundly--"a
distinguished honor has been bestowed upon me to-night, and as long as
life shall last I will look back upon this occasion as the proudest
moment of my life. We have met to-night not only to do our plain duty as
citizens of a noble town, but to look with far-seeing eyes into that
great future which stretches endlessly and forever on, and which can be
made as beautiful as--er, as--er the New Jerusalem or--er, or--er
Richmond or New York. We must show the watching world that we citizens
of old Yorkburg"--his right hand made a wide inclusive sweep--"we
citizens are awake, are up and looking around. We are no longer dead
poor. Money is nine-tenths of much in life, but the other tenth is a
busting big part. It's made of sense and hustle, and it's up to us to
prove it! We've been excusin' of ourselves by saying poverty has
paralyzed us, and we couldn't do this and we couldn't do that, because
we didn't have the cash. Well, I'm here to say it ain't so. What we've