when they have money in
their pockets. Let me tell you, Janice," he added earnestly, "I
believe that if these fellows had it to vote on right now, they'd vote
'no license' for Polktown--yes, ma'am!"

"Oh! I wish we could _all_ vote on it," cried Janice. "I am sure more
people in Polktown would like to see the bar done away with, than
desire to have it continued."

"I guess you're right!" agreed Bowman.

"But, of course, we 'female women,' as Walky calls us, can't vote."

"There are enough men to put it down," said Bowman, quickly. "And it
can come to a vote in Town Meeting next September, if it's worked up
right."

"Oh, Frank! Can we do that?"

"Now you've said it!" crowed the engineer. "That's what I meant when I
wondered if you had begun your campaign."

"_My_ campaign?" repeated Janice, much flurried.

"Why, yes. You intimated the other night that you wanted the bar
closed, and Walky has told all over town that you're 'due to stir
things up,' as he expresses it, about this dram selling."

"Oh, dear!" groaned Janice, in no mock alarm. "My fatal reputation!
If my friends really loved me they would not talk about me so."

"I'm afraid there is some consternation under Walky's talk," said
Bowman, seriously. "He likes a dram himself and would be sorry to see
the bar chased out of Polktown. I hope you can do it, Janice."

"Me--_me_, Frank Bowman! You are just as bad as any of them. Putting
it all on my shoulders."

"The time is ripe," went on the engineer, seriously. "You won't be
alone in this. Lots of people in the town see the evil flowing from
the bar. Mrs. Thread tells me her brother would never have lost his
job with Massey if it hadn't been for Lem Parraday's rum selling."

"Do you mean Jack Besmith?" cried Janice, startled.

"That's the chap. Mrs. Thread is a decent little woman, and poor Benny
is harmless enough. But she is worried to death about her brother."

Janice, remembering the condition of the ex-drug clerk when he left
Polktown for the woods, said heartily: "I should think she would be
worried."

"She tells me he tried to get back his job with Massey on Friday
night--the evening before he went off with Trimmins and Narnay. But I
expect he'd got Mr. Massey pretty well disgusted. At any rate, the
druggist turned him down, and turned him down hard."

"Poor fellow!" sighed Janice.

"I don't know. Oh, I suppose he's to be pitied," said Frank Bowman,
with some disgust.