may be. As a friend of this friend of Yorkburg I am authorized to say
that if this issue of fifty thousand dollars' worth of bonds be made
promptly, the like amount of fifty thousand dollars will be at once
deposited by Bartlett, Cramp & Company to the credit of your finance
committee, said amount to be used for the relaying out of the town,
the proper paving of streets, the planting of shade-trees, and the
cleaning up of dirty places."

For a moment there was palpitating silence. No one moved. Eyes were
fixed on her as if ears had not heard aright. The heads of some leaned
forward, the bodies of others leaned back, then the clearing of throats
and the shuffling of feet broke the pause that followed the statement
which had just been heard, and back toward the door Mr. Benny
Brickhouse arose.

"If he ain't the spittin' image of an orange with two peanuts
underneath and one peanut on top, I never seen one," said Mrs. McDougal
in a voice none too low, "and the top peanut ain't got a thing in it.
Just listen at his cambric-needle squeak!"

"Mr. President." The thin, piping tones caused many to look around.
"Mr. President, never before in its history has the council of Yorkburg
heard from its platform such astounding propositions as have been made
before it to-night. The young lady who has made them is doubtless
actuated by high and lofty motives, but it is not to be expected that
she should know what she is doing. It is out of her sphere, sir, the
sphere in which God put woman and meant her to stay--"

"Please, sir, Mr. Chinn, may I ask Mr. Brickhouse if God Almighty told
him He put woman in a sphere, or if a man told him?" and Mrs.