ortance. The other party, as she knew, was using
Bruce's friendship for her as a campaign argument against him; not on
the platform of course--it never gained that dignity--but in the
street, and wherever the followers of the hostile camps engaged in
political skirmish. Its sharpest use was by good housewives, with whom
suffrage could be exercised solely by influencing their husbands'
ballots. "What, vote for Mr. Bruce! Don't you know he's a friend of
that woman lawyer? A man who can see anything in that Katherine West
is no fit man for mayor!"

All this talk, Katherine now realized, was in some degree injuring
Bruce's candidacy. With a sudden pain at the heart she now demanded of
herself, would it be fair to the man she loved to continue this open
intimacy? Should not she, for his best interests, urge him, require
him, to see her no more?

She was in the midst of this new problem, when her Aunt Rachel brought
her in a telegram. She read it through, and on the instant the problem
fled her mind. She lay and thought excitedly--hour after hour--and her
old plans altered where they had been fixed, and took on definite form
where previously they had been unsettled.

The early afternoon found her in the office of old Hosie
Hollingsworth.

"What do you think of that?" she demanded, handing him the telegram.

Old Hosie read it with a puzzled look. Then slowly he repeated it
aloud:

"'Bouncing boy arrived Tuesday morning. All doing well. John.'" He
raised his eyes to Katherine. "I'm always glad to see people lend the
census a helping hand," he drawled. "But who in Old Harry is John?"

"Mr. Henry Manning. The New York detective I told you about."

"Eh? Then what----"

"It's a cipher telegram," Katherine explained with an excited smile.
"It means that he will arrive in Westville this afternoon, and will
stay as long as I need him."

"But what should he send that sort of a fool thing for?"

"Didn't I tell you that he and I are to have no apparent relations
whatever? An ordinary telegram, coming through that gossiping Mr.
Gordon at the telegraph office, would have given us away. Now I've
come to you to talk over with you some new plans for Mr. Manning. But
first I want to tell you something else."

She briefly outlined what she had learned the night before; and then,
without waiting to hear out his ejaculations, rapidly continued: "I
told Mr. Manning to come straight to you, on his arrival, to learn how
matters stood