er the style in which the managers frame their
advertisements.

[Illustration: THE "LEADING HEAVY." "But--soft! I must dissemble!"]

_Wanted._--A First Old Man. Also A Leading Heavy.

He proposes "Byrton--Captain Byrton. He was in a dragoon regiment."

_Happy Thought._--Good for "Leading Heavy."

Milburd's man is Byrton. Mine is Soames. I have an instinctive dislike
to Byrton, I don't know why, perhaps because I perceive a certain amount
of feeling against Soames.

_Boodels' Proposal._--That we should meet once a week to determine whose
invitations should be renewed, and whose _conge_ should be given.

_As President_ I say, "Well, but I can't tell our guests that they must
go."

Cazell strikes in, "I tell you what we ought to do--only ask everyone
for a week, and then, if we like them, we can ask 'em to stop on."

_Agreed._--That we take these matters into weekly consideration.

Milburd wishes to know who is to order dinner every day.

_Happy Thought._--Take it in turn, and I'll begin as President.

Boodels, when this has been agreed to, says that we ought to have good
dogs about and outside a large house like that.

I tell them that there is one--a very fierce beast.

Boodels says he's sure I must be mistaken, as they went all over the
house, and there was only a little snarling, growling puppy making darts
at a mouse, or a rat, which he saw moving behind some door which was
locked.

[_Happy Thought._--Keep the facts to myself. Only a Puppy! and I thought
it was a mastiff! [Good name, by the way, for a novel--_Only a Puppy_.]
If I'd shaken that door again, then they could have let me out.]

We've all got dogs, except myself. I have, I say, my eye on a dog. I
remember some one promising me a clever poodle a year ago. Will think
who it was, and call on him.

Cazell is of opinion that we ought to wear some peculiar sort of dress,
and call ourselves by some name.

_Happy Thought._--Why not be an Order?

Someone is just going to speak, when I beg his pardon, and say, "Look
here!" I am

[Illustration: STRUCK BY A HAPPY THOUGHT.]

CHAPTER VII.

THE NEW ORDER.

A BROTHERHOOD--SIMPLICITY--A DIFFICULTY MET--ILLUSTRATIONS--
PROCEEDINGS--INTERVIEW--QUESTION--ANSWER--MODELS--PETITS FRERES--
TERMS--RULES AND REGULATIONS--THE SCHEME DISMISSED--THE LIST
SETTLED.

Apropos of the Home for Chaperons.

_The Happy Thought._--Why not start a new Brotherhood?

A socia