urned Mr.
Brown meaningly.

Blake flashed a quick look at the other.

"See here--I'll not have her touched!"

Mr. Brown's scanty eyebrows lifted.

"Hello! You seem very tender about her!"

Blake looked at him sternly a moment. Then he said stiffly: "I once
asked Miss West to marry me."

"Eh--you don't say!" exclaimed the other, amazed. "That is certainly a
queer situation for you!" He rubbed his naked dome. "And you still
feel----"

"What I feel is my own affair!" Blake cut in sharply.

"Of course, of course!" agreed Mr. Brown quickly. "I beg your pardon!"

Blake ignored the apology.

"It might be well for you not to see me openly again like this. With
Miss West watching me----"

"She might see us together, and suspect things. I understand. Needn't
worry about that. You may not see me again for a year. I'm
here--there--everywhere. But before I go, how do things look for the
election?"

"We'll carry the city easily."

"Who'll you put up for mayor?"

"Probably Kennedy, the prosecuting attorney."

"Is he safe?"

"He'll do what he's told."

"That's good. Is he strong with the people?"

"Fairly so. But the party will carry him through."

"H'm." Mr. Brown was thoughtful for a space. "This is your end of the
game, of course, and I make it a point not to interfere with another
man's work. The only time I've butted in here was when I helped you
about getting Marcy. But still, I hope you don't mind my making a
suggestion."

"Not at all."

"We've got to have the next mayor and council, you know. Simply got
to have them. We don't want to run any risk, however small. If you
think there's one chance in a thousand of Kennedy losing out, suppose
you have yourself nominated."

"Me?" exclaimed Blake.

"It strikes you as a come-down, of course. But you can do it
gracefully--in the interest of the city, and all that, you know. You
can turn it into a popular hit. Then you can resign as soon as our
business is put through."

"There may be something in it," commented Blake.

"It's only a suggestion. Just think it over, and use your own
judgment." He stood up. "Well, I guess that's all we need to say to
one another. The whole situation here is entirely in your hands. Do as
you please, and we ask no questions about how you do it. We're not
interested in methods, only in results."

He clapped Blake heartily upon the shoulder. "And it looks as though
we all were going to get results! Especially you! Why, you,