tone with her?"

"Better be careful," I cautioned. Mrs. Potts was not a person that one
should adopt a tone with except after long and prayerful deliberation.

"Oh, I've considered it long enough--in fact I've considered a lot of
things. That woman has bothered me in more ways than one, I tell you
frankly. She's such a fine woman, splendid-looking, capable, an
intellectual giant--one, I may say, who makes no common errors--and
yet--"

"Ah! and yet--?" There was then in Solon's eyes that curious reserve I
had before noted--a reserve that hinted of some desperate but still
secret design.

"Well, there you are."

"Where?"

"Well--she seems to me to be a born leader of men."

"I see, and you?"

"Oh, nothing--only I'm a man. But something has got to be done. We must
use common sense in these matters."

It was early evening a week later when I again saw Solon; one of those
still, serene evenings of later summer when the light would yet permit
an hour's play at the game. I heard a step, but it was not she I longed,
half-expected, and wholly dreaded to see. Instead came Solon, and by his
restored confidence of bearing I knew at a glance that something had
been done or--since he seemed to be hurried--that he was about to do it.

"It's all over, Cal--it's fixed!"

"Good--how did you fix it?"

"Well--uh--I adopted a tone."

"That was brave, Solon. No other man on God's earth would have dared--"

"A tone, I was about to say--" he broke in a little uncomfortably, I
thought--"which I have long contemplated adopting. If I could tell you
just how that woman has impressed herself upon me, you'd understand what
I mean when I say that she has _powers_. But I suppose you can't
understand it, can you?" His tone, curiously enough, was almost
pleading.

"It isn't necessary that I should. I can at least understand that you
are the Boss of Little Arcady once more."

"Boss of nothing!--that's all over. Cal, I've abdicated--I'm not even
Boss of myself."

"Why, Solon--you can't possibly mean--"

"I do, though! Mrs. Potts is going to marry me and--uh--put an end to
everything!"

With this rather curious finish he held out his hand expectantly.

"Well, you certainly _did_ something, Solon."

"We have to use common sense in these matters," he said with an effort
to control his excitement. But, looking into his eyes, I saw reason to
shake him warmly by the hand. What was my own poor opinion at a crisis
like this? Certainl