be served in ten minutes?"

"Why not, indeed!" said Brassfield. "George, tell Mr. Alvord and Mr.
Edgington that I'll see them in the morning!"

XIX

THE ENTRAPPING OF MR. BRASSFIELD

Ol' Mistah Wolf is a smaht ol' man,
An' a raght smaht man is he;
He take all the meat fum the trap an' he eat
Not a mossel dat poisoned be!
He laff at the snaiah, an' he nevah caiah
When de niggah wake fum his nap;
_But he foller the trail o' little Miss Wolf
Raght inter the jaws o' the trap!
But he foller the scent o' little Miss Wolf
Kerslap in the deadfall trap!_
--_"Hidin'-Out" Songs_.

From a room adjoining that in which Madame le Claire had won her
seeming victory over Mr. Brassfield's caution, emerged hastily that
young woman's accomplices--her father and Judge Blodgett--who had
shamelessly listened to the whole conversation. With more of haste
than seemliness they sped before Le Claire and her captive, and by
vigorous expletives put the patient Aaron into unwonted motion in the
procuring of the "little supper" which they had heard Clara promise to
the candidate for mayor. Then, in a chamber farthest from the door,
and well sheltered by draperies, they sat them down and waited for
their prey.

"He's hooked!" said the judge, "hooked well; and I'll gamble she lands
him. She's a brick, Professor."

"So!" answered the other. "Ant now, if she vill only--what you call:
reel him, blay him--until ve can get the data ve vant----"

"To blazes with the data!" exclaimed the judge. "I'm for getting him
back into the Amidon state and respectability, data or no data, before
some one else tolls him off into the poisonous swamp of popularity.
Why, I tell you, Professor--hark! There they come! Lay low, now!"

The professor grasped his note-book, the judge the arms of his chair,
as the door opened, and in the front room they heard Madame le Claire's
voice joining in companionable chat with that of Brassfield.

"Oh, how slow Aaron is!" she said. "And I'm so hungry. Aren't you?"

"Not so much so as I was," said he. "Sweets take away the appetite.
I'd rather call the supper off, and exclude Abraham--or whatever his
name is: much rather."

"Selfish!" she reproved very severely. "And I just in from a two
hours' walk. _I_ haven't eaten any sweets----"

"Nor I," said he. "May I have just a little taste?"

"Mr. Brassfield! Don't make me sorry I invited you h