rather rub my hand over that silky brown
head of his than over a king's. God knows when I'll see him next,
though----" and Mrs. Flynn's face worked and she dashed from the room.

After the wonderful supper which Mrs. Flynn at last produced, Jim
exerted himself, with Uncle Denny's help, to entertain the Secretary.
Young Mr. Allen went to call on the cement engineer, who was an old
friend. It was not difficult to amuse the Secretary. He was as
interested in details of the life on the Project as a boy of fifteen.
Uncle Denny sent him into peals of laughter with an Irish version of
Henderson's stories, and Jim's story of Iron Skull moved him deeply.

It was drawing toward nine o'clock when once more Bill Evans' rattle of
gasolene artillery sounded before the door. A familiar voice called,

"Good-night, Bill!" and Penelope came into the room.

The men jumped to their feet and Uncle Denny hurried to take her bag.
Jim did not seem able to speak. Pen shook hands with the Secretary.

"You are here, Mr. Secretary," she said. "I'm so glad!"

"So am I," said the Secretary, smiling appreciatively at Pen. In her
traveling suit of brown, with her shining hair and her great eyes
brilliant while her color came and went, Pen was very beautiful. She
turned from the Secretary to Jim and shook hands with him, with
deepening flush.

"Hello, Still!" she said.

"Hello, Penelope!" replied Jim.

"Pen!" cried Uncle Denny breathlessly. "What's the news? As I promised,
I've not been near the telephone, nor have I said a word here, though
it's most suffocated me."

"Fleckenstein is defeated," said Pen.

"Oh, thank God for that!" cried Jim.

"How did it happen?" asked the Secretary.

Uncle Denny began to walk the floor. Pen answered. "A week ago, Mr.
Secretary, a farmer named Marshall at a Fleckenstein meeting suggested
that a petition be sent you to keep Mr. Manning here."

Uncle Denny interrupted. "Mrs. Saradokis here already had telegraphed us
to do that same thing, Mr. Secretary, but we were glad to have the
farmers get the same idea."

"That isn't important, Uncle Denny," said Pen. "Marshall himself wrote
the petition. The farmers' wives caught the idea as eagerly as their
husbands and you will find in many cases the signatures of whole
families. Of course no man was going to petition for Mr. Manning, and
then vote for Fleckenstein. So he was defeated. Here is the petition,
Mr. Secretary."

Pen drew from her suitcase a fold o