Kilo

and Art should enter. With two such favored rivals in the field, and with such difficulty in getting into the house as he had experienced, he

part of the operation by which he was charming her into a hypnotic state in which she would sign for a book without knowing why. She nerved herself to ward off whatever insinuating word

lmost jumped from her chair, Eliph'

was yesterday, if it don't shower before night,

he was aware she had answered, quite as politely

"I guess Kilo's the hottes

hest temperature of each, together with all the coldest places, where there is the greatest rainfall, and a chronological table of all the great famines, floods, storms, hot and cold spells the earth has ever known, from the time of Adam to the present day, with pictures of the Johnst

Jarby's Encyclopedia, and, as his voice still hung on the last word he had spoken, the doorbel

mers as she welcomed them into the hall. They were Mrs. Tarbro-Smith and Susan, and, as Miss Sa

, "it ain't shut. I guess I won't have no

, and then he quietly stole from the house and stepped gently out

s recommendation. She meant to spend the rest of the season there, and hoped Miss Sally would take her to board. She found that Miss Sally would be glad, indeed, to have her company, and Mrs

a mere matter between himself and Miss Sally, it was involving men and women, one after the other. It seemed to become a fight between himself, a singer stranger in Kilo, and an endless chain of interested citizens. Already there was Pap Briggs, who hated book agents; the Colonel and Skinner, who hoped to win Miss Sally; Mrs. Smith, who would serve as a defense against Eliph's attacks; and, as he walked down the street, he seemed to see in e

is enigmatic smile rested on his face as he led the Colonel to his office. He

you going to do with tho

ll at once. It ain't likely no one in Kilo would buy a fire-extinguisher like them, all nickel-plated, if they had their senses about 'em. 'Twouldn't be natural. I might raffle 'em off, only nobody'

"No, I guess not. I don't see that you can do much of anything with them, unless you use them for ornaments.

ith a lighted match h

e. "Do you mean that puffy old beef-cutter's

ggs, 'Madam, I am building in this town an opera house, known as Skinner's Opera House. The safety of the people of Kilo demands fire-extinguishers in Skinner's Opera House. I will take those four nickel-plated

with cunning. Across his hard mouth a smile crept and broadened until h

e and offer to buy them. It would be a great feather in his cap with her, if he could get the credit of having thought of it. I shouldn't wonder if

y poke in the ribs, to show him that he understood. Toole looked at him with a blank face, and at this the Colonel slapped his knee, and uttered a mirthful noise tha

to the Colonel's proposition to sell him four nickel-plated fire-extinguishers at ten dollars each. Perhaps the Colonel

d. "Me buy fire-extinguishers?

uet before the

wouldn't give THAT for the

e no meat in MY face like that! Don't you dare do it! I won't have no butcher sha

n't buy no fire-extinguishers. And I don't take much stock in agen

e indicator jerked nervously across the face of the dial, weighing a half pound of anger. The butcher leaned back ag

d, and the Colone

k door, this not being a formal call. Miss Sally came to the door when he knocked, and brought him the ax, and he took the opportunity t

nobody else would ever have thought of doin'. Mr Skinner's a very public-spirited citizen, and to think he made it all out of sel

any good words for his rival. She had almost rebuffed his good offices in the

lay back in his chair, with his feet on his desk, he told him the whole story. The attorney smil

l had told him that Skinner had ordered him out

him!" cried the Colonel. "I

t want to do. The feeling does you honor, but is it business? You hesitate even when you see how easily you could force him to do what he is in duty bo

lt that the attorney was teasing hi

install nickel-plated fire-extinguishers-to install four of them in each opera house in Kilo-for the protection of our people, hesi

sage-grinding--" snorted the Colonel, but

nsiderate; too regardful of his feelings. But would he be so kind and

is voice, and placed his

th the city council and the mayor to have an ordinance passed making YOU put fire-extinguishers in YOUR opera house, and co

wept out the last word, he seemed so h

to think of the lives of poor, helpless women and children. I should beg you, for humanity's sake, to go to the honorable mayor and city council, and a

s desk. The Colonel's eyes had narrowed to fine point

citizens of a town like Kilo neglect their duty? Are there no true

city council. What Stitz told it to do the city council did, and the Colonel believed he had a right to dictate what Stitz should tell it, for he had

not improved it much. It was in pretty bad shape when Stitz picked it up for eighteen dollars, and it had deteriorated greatly since it had been doing duty as a cobbler's shop, but Stitz liked it. The tiny car stove that stood midway of one of the seats was all he needed in cold weather, and the seats along the sides were a continuous spread of cobblers' seats. He could cobble all the way up one side of the car and all the way b

nce of the independents made their work more difficult; it compelled them to decide things for themselves, and then everybody complained of what they did. No independent is ever satisfied with what another independent does, and they lost even the satisfaction of knowing that they were pleasing the

y were the missionary offerings of Doc Weaver, who was interested in whatever was latest in religion, government or popular science. They were magazines telling of the municipal corruption of "New York, The Vi

l opera house owners in Kilo to install and maintain four nickel-plated fire-extingui

Skinner buy some fire-extinguishers, yes? So s

y at the Colonel

ou graft me?" h

asked th

r how much you will graft me when I shall p

asked the Col

graft?" Mayor Stitz repeated slowly

el shook

s it?"

? When I make you one ordinance to pass, so, then you make me one graft, so! L

he frowned at the smooth, honest face of the mayor, f

ould have one ordinance. Goot! In every town is such one boss grafter. To the boss grafter gives the ordinance-wanting man a graft. So! Then for the ordinance-wanting man does the boss grafter get one ordina

id not come. Graft was a way out of the difficulty of having to decide things. It was a system authorized by the lawmakers of great cities, and a system that could operate in Kilo. W

w much do you

his innocent face an

ot yet Kilo so gross as New York. We go easy yet a while. It is what you w

o the mayor. He thought of

present of a bushel

is leathern apron. The Colonel folded his hand into a fist, but on the pleasant face of Mayor Stit

mpatiently, "will ye put the o

every feature. Clearly this Colonel did n

id Stitz simply. "Mebby he grafts me

Colonel in alarm. "You ain'

s always so, never different. To the most grafter, so goes he. I read it in this books. When the boss grafter does not so, wha

he Colonel had gone too far now to recede with honor, he secured the best terms he could. The most he could obtain was a promise th

nt. He was rubbing h

nner grafts me one roast beef and six pigs' feet. He ain't much liking

ed the mayor squ

you'll say you'll pass that ordinance like I want, so Skinner'll have to buy them four nickel-plated fire-extinguishers that Miss Briggs owns, at twenty-five dollars each, I'll give you four bushels of Benoni apples, two bushels of Early Rose potatoes, f

? Apples, potatoes, celery, peas, and chicke

nothing about it,"

produce for the mayor's "graft," and he had secured the services of Toole free of fees, and he was doing Miss Sally a good turn into the bargain. If Skinner was compelled to

ws, and the next day Stitz signed it. There was some opposition at the council meeting, for Skinner was present, and wanted to talk, but the marshal