Secretary, "take
off that uniform. I'm going to flee in disguise."

"What does your excellency expect me to flee in--dishabille?" stammered
the Military Secretary.

"I don't care what you flee in," said the Governor bluntly; "but I will
not have it said that the Governor of the great State of New York was
seized by a dozen buxom eugenists and hurried away to become the founder
of a physically and politically perfect race of politicians. Get out of
those gold-laced jeans!"

"I'll flee disguised as a chambermaid," muttered the handsome,
rosy-cheeked young Mayor. And he rang for one.

While the Governor and his Secretary were exchanging clothes they heard
the Mayor in the hallway arguing with a large German chambermaid in an
earnest and fatherly manner, punctuated by coy screams from the maid.

By and by he came back to the room, perspiring.

"I bought her clothes," he said; "she'll throw them over the transom."

The clothing arrived presently by way of the transom; the Governor and
the Secretary tried to aid the Mayor to get into the various sections of
clothing, but as they all were bachelors and young they naturally were
not aware of the functions of the various objects scattered over the
floor.

The Governor picked up a bunch of curls attached to a cup-shaped turban
swirl.

"Good heavens!" he said. "The girl has scalped herself for your sake,
John!"

"I bought that, too," said the Mayor, sullenly. "Do you know which way it
goes on, George?"

They fixed it so that two curls fell down and dangled on either side of
his Honour's nose.

Meanwhile the unfortunate Military Secretary had dressed in the top hat
and cutaway of the Governor.

He said huskily, "If I can't outrun them they'll catch me and try to
start raising statesmen."

"It's your duty to defend me," observed the Governor.

"Yes, with my life, but not with my p-progeny--"

"Then you'd better run faster than you've ever run in all your life,"
said the Governor coldly.

At that moment there came a telephone call.

"Lady at the desk to speak to the Governor," came a voice.

"Hello, who is it?" asked his excellency coyly.

"Professor Elizabeth Challis!" came a very sweet but determined voice.

At the terrible name of the new President of the National Federation of
American Women the Governor jumped with nervousness. Anonymous letters
had warned him that she was after him for eugenic purposes.

"What do you want?" he asked tremulously.