y I agree vith the chutche."

"That is," said the girl, "like the judge, you'll 'risk it.' Very
brave of you both to 'risk' so much! As for me, I must ask for time to
think over my own proposal, before I undertake to entrap this prominent
business man at my apartments. I'm not so sure that I'll 'risk' it.
And yet it seems the only way!"

Speaking of traps: The emissaries of the retail liquor dealers'
association were engaged in a trapping enterprise of their own in the
Turkish room at Tony's, at this very crucial moment. Fatty Pierson,
and two fellow retailers, gentlemen of smooth-shaven face, ample girth,
and that peculiar physiognomy which seems fitted to no artistic setting
except a background of mirrors and glasses, and a plain foreground of
polished wood, were arranging for a police policy to their liking,
during the Brassfield administration.

"Colonel McCorkle," said Fatty, "is a mighty good man, and, while a
church member, seems to be liberal. On the other hand, you're well
known to be broad in your views, and you do things"--here Fatty's arm
took in the bottles and the cigars with a sweeping gesture--"that he
don't. You've got property rented for saloon purposes. We know you're
a good man, Mr. Brassfield, but in such matters we saloon men have
learned to be careful. A police force can make our business profitable
or put us all dead losers, just as they're steered by the mayor. Now,
what would be your policy?"

"I should expect," said Mr. Brassfield, "to give the city a good,
conservative, business administration, and to make my oath of office my
guide."

"Good!" said Fatty. "But we've all heard that before. Colonel
McCorkle, or the Reverend Absalom McCosh, would say _that_."

"Well," said Brassfield, "now, definitely, what do you want? Anything
reasonable and not contrary to law, you have only to ask for."

I wonder if burglars, in arranging their business, stipulate that
nothing "contrary to law" is to be done!

"Exactly," replied Fatty. "But now as to reasonableness: when the hour
for closing comes, our customers bein' gathered for social purposes, it
seems abrupt to fire 'em all out when the clock strikes. Now, when a
policeman comes along after hours an' finds one of us with a roomful of
customers discussin' public questions, we don't want to turn up in
court next morning. See?"

"I see," said Brassfield. "My view of the function of the saloon is
that it is a sort of club for th