ience," he exclaimed. "I was down this
afternoon at your church committee, and I tell you I had a circus.
There was a big chap there from the wild and woolly, and he made 'em
sit up. Why, you know him, I guess. He's that 'Varsity football chap
the fellows used to rave about."

"Oh, yes, I know," said Brown. "Macgregor. Shock, we used to call him."

"Yes, of course. I remember I saw him last year at the McGill match."

"Well, what was up?" said Brown, scenting something good. "Let us have
it. Do the reporter act."

"Well, it's good copy, let me tell you, but I don't want to allow my
professional zeal to obliterate my sense of the decencies of polite
society."

"Go on," said Brown, "I want to hear. You know, I played quarter behind
him for three years, and Miss Fairbanks is interested, I know."

"You did? Well, if he bucked up as he did this afternoon, you must have
had good hunting. Well, then, when that committee met you never saw a
more solemn-looking bunch in your life. You would think they had all
lost their mothers-in-law. And when they broke up they didn't know but
they were standing on their heads."

"What was the matter?"

"Oh, there was a big deficit on, and they had to go up to your big
council--conference--what do you call it in your pagan outfit?
Assembly? Yes, that's it--and take their medicine. Twenty thousand
dollars of a debt. Well, sir, on the back of all that didn't their
Grand Mogul--archbishop--you know, from the West--no, not
Macgregor--their chief pusher. Superintendent? Yes--come in and put an
ice pack on them in the shape of a new scheme for exploration and
extension in the Kootenay country, the Lord knows where, some place out
of sight. Well, you ought to have heard him. He burned red fire, you
bet. Pardon my broken English, Miss Fairbanks."

"Go on," said Helen, "I like it," and Brown gave himself a little hug.

"I am glad you do," continued Tommy, "for it is bad enough to write
copy without having to speak it. Well, the war began, some in favour of
the scheme, some against, but all hopeless in view of the present state
of finances. Better wait a little, and that sort of talk. Then, let's
see what happened. Oh, yes. The question of the man came up. Who was
the man? The Superintendent was ready for 'em. It was Macgregor of some
place. Frog Lake? No, Loon Lake. Then the opposition thought they had
him with a half-nelson. Old Dr. Macfarren jumped on to the chief with
both feet. His man