roperties. "But," said
he to Slater, who called to see him about funds for putting in order
the links of the Bellevale Golf and Boating Club against the coming of
spring, "there's nothing to it. With the preachers exhorting for us
and the wet-goods push and sports plugging enthusiastically, and not a
drop of water spilling from either shoulder, the outlook couldn't be
better. Of course, we have to go through the form of a contest, but
there's no real fight in it."

"I don't see how there can be," said Mr. Slater. "But what's all this
work for?"

"Well," said Alvord, "we've got to keep up the organization, and so we
poll the town. It gives some men employment for a few days that would
be sore if they didn't get it. Then we have to send out the _piece de
resistance_ for keg parties of evenings. The way the petitions come in
for kegs is surprising. A man calls and says his name's Pat Burke, or
Karl Schmidt, and that they've organized a club for the study of public
questions, meeting every night at Jones' Coke Ovens or Webber's Chicken
House, and they expect to have up the mayoralty question for debate
to-night--only he generally calls it the 'morality' question--and could
we send them a barrel of beer? We know that there's only a corporal's
guard, mostly aliens, but we send 'em a pony. Another puts up a spiel
that he's been spending his own money electioneering for Brassfield--he
never had over fifty cents in the world, but he's spent forty
dollars--and he can't stand the financial strain any longer. He's
palpitating with love for Brassfield. He knows where there's
twenty-five votes he can get, if he can have say ten dollars for
booze--he'll leave it entirely to us. We know he's a fake, of course,
but we give him a V. We've got to spend Brass's roll somehow."

"Where's he keeping himself?" asked Slater. "I haven't seen him since
Saturday. Isn't he out shaking hands?"

"No," was the answer. "He'd rather buy what he wants, and not do any
canvassing. It isn't necessary, anyhow. That supper we arranged for
before he was put up will bring him into contact with some of the
strongest lines of influence, and will finish the reconciliation with
Edgington. Then Mrs. Pumphrey's reception and some other affairs will
be all the publicity we'll need. No noise for ours, anyhow. The
gum-shoe is our emblem, and we don't let our right hand know what our
left wing is driving at. 'Gene leaves it all to me, and don't