first time. "You would cause endless trouble. It's not
the way to do it."

"But it's the only way out," stormed Allen. "There's no other way. Dan
told me himself I couldn't speak to Mr. Bassett, and this is the only
thing we could do."

"Will you kindly tell me just what you intended doing?" asked Dan, still
gripping the canoe.

"I'd spoken to the minister here in the village. Marian was going to
spend the night at his house and we were to be married in the morning
as soon as I could get a license."

"You can't get a marriage license in Waupegan; your minister ought to
know that."

"No; but we could have driven over early to the county seat and got it;
I tell you I had it all fixed. You let go of that canoe!"

"Stand by, Sylvia," said Dan with determination.

He steadied himself a moment, stepped into Marian's canoe, and caught up
her paddle.

"Wait here, Sylvia. I'm going to land Allen over there at that dock with
the two white lights, and I'll come back with Marian and we'll take her
home. Flash the light occasionally so I shan't lose you."

A few minutes later when Allen, sulky and breathing dire threats, had
been dropped ashore, Harwood paddled Marian home, Sylvia trailing
behind.

It was near midnight when Sylvia, having hidden Marian's suit case in
Mrs. Owen's boathouse, watched the tearful and wrathful Juliet steal
back into her father's house.

Allen lodged at the inn with Dan that night and, duly urged not to make
a fool of himself again, went home by the morning train.

CHAPTER XXX

THE KING HATH SUMMONED HIS PARLIAMENT

The Great Seal of the Hoosier Commonwealth, depicting a sturdy pioneer
felling a tree while behind him a frightened buffalo gallops madly into
oblivion, was affixed to a proclamation of the governor convening the
legislature in special session on the 20th of November. It was Morton
Bassett's legislature, declared, the Republican press, brought back to
the capital to do those things which it had left undone at the regular
session. The Democratic newspapers proved conclusively that the demands
of the state institutions said to be in dire need were the fruit of a
long period of Republican extravagance, for which the Democratic Party,
always prone to err on the side of frugality, was in no wise
responsible. The Republican governor had caused the legislative halls to
be reopened merely to give a false impression of Democratic
incompetence, but in due season the people wo