with gratification, thought the sum
named might possibly suffice.

"Good!" said Alvord. "And now come up and see the next mayor."

"What's de use?" asked Zalinsky. "Don't we know him all right? Ain't
it all fixed? I want to git busy wit me end of deliverin' de goods."

"Mr. Brassfield's views on labor----" began Alvord, but Sheehan
interrupted him.

"Your word goes wid us!" said he. "Ye've convinced us Brassfield's the
laborin' man's frind. What say, Zalinsky?"

"So!" said Zalinsky. "Ve better git to work over in de fourt' ward."

"They didn't come up," said Alvord, returning to the Turkish room.
"The figures on that card seemed to convince 'em. Now for the saloons
and their end of the vote."

"What do _they_ want?" asked Brassfield.

"Why," said Alvord, "it's the policy of the office more'n anything else
they want assurances on. I've sent for Fatty Pierson and his fellow
members of the retail liquor dealers' association, and they'll be here
by the time we dispose of this steak. I must be counted in on the
dinner--I forgot mine."

While Alvord, greatly rejoiced at the sudden restoration of his friend
to the possession of those qualities which made him so useful and
reliable in all business projects, and promised so well for the future
of Bellevale under his wise, conservative and liberal administration as
mayor, was cozily discussing the dinner in the Turkish room at Tony's,
awaiting the arrival of Mr. Fatty Pierson and his committee, there was
a council of the hypnotic board of strategy at the Bellevale House.
The board consisted of Judge Blodgett, Professor Blatherwick, and
Madame le Claire. The matter under consideration was how to return
Brassfield to his much-to-be-desired nihility: how to recover Amidon
from his relapse into occultation.

"I can never forgive myself for allowing it!" cried Madame le Claire.
"And yet, how could I help it? His clerk came running in with a
telegram, or something of the sort, and Mr. Amidon rushed away with
him. What would this man have thought and said, if I had subjected his
employer to the treatment necessary to restore him--put him into the
cataleptic state, and then into the normal, by passes and
manipulations!"

"Just now," answered the judge, "when he seems to be doing the meteor
act in local politics, such an occurrence in public might be
misconstrued in non-hypnotic circles, and commented on. Passes and
manipulations are not thoroughly understood