vement for a few moments came to a
pause. Hosie opened the door and stepped out.

"Hello! what are we stopping here for?" demanded Bruce. "This is the
Court House. I thought you said we were going home?"

"So we are, so we are," Old Hosie rapidly returned, an agitation in
his manner that he could not wholly repress. "But first we've got to
go into the Court House. Judge Kellog is waiting for us; there's a
little formality or two about your release we've got to settle with
him. Come along." And taking his arm Old Hosie hurried him into the
Court House yard, allowing no time for questioning the plausibility of
this explanation.

But suddenly Bruce stopped short.

"Look at that, won't you!" he cried in amazement. "See how the front
of the yard is lighted up, and see how it's jammed with people! And
there goes the band! What the dickens----"

At that moment some one on the outskirts of the crowd sighted the
pair. "There's Bruce!" he shouted.

Immediately there was an uproar. "Hurrah for Bruce! Hurrah for Bruce!"
yelled the crowd, and began to rush to the rear of the yard, cheering
as they ran.

Bruce gripped Old Hosie's arm.

"What's this mean?"

"It means we've got to run for it!" And so saying the old man, with a
surprising burst of speed left over from his younger years, dragged
his nephew up the walk and through the rear door of the Court House,
which he quickly locked upon their clamorous pursuers.

Bruce stared at his uncle in bewilderment.

"Hosie--Hosie--what's this mean?"

The old man's leathery face was twitching in a manner remarkable to
behold.

"Drat it," he grumbled, with a quaver in his voice, "why don't you
read the _Express_ and keep up with the news!"

"What's this mean?" demanded Bruce.

"Well, here's a copy of your old rag. Read it and see for yourself."

Bruce seized the _Express_ the old man held out to him. Up in one
corner were the words "_Election Extra_," and across the top of the
page ran the great headline:

"BRUCE TICKET SWEEPS CITY"

Bruce looked slowly up, stupefied, and steadied himself with a hand
against the door.

"Is--is that true?"

"For my part," declared Old Hosie, the quaver in his voice growing
more prominent, "I don't believe more'n half I see in that dirty
sheet!"

"Then--it's true?"

"Don't you hear them wild Indians yelling for Mayor Bruce?"

Bruce was too dazed to speak for a moment.

"Tell me--how did it happen?"

"Oh, read your old rag