"friend," and felt more bound by it to act the part of a friend than he could have been by any formal pledge. He took quick appraisal of the three committeemen. Hadley was evidently prosperous, pompous and much impressed with his own importance. Ralston had the keen eye and dispassionate smile of the experienced newspaperman, so accustomed to having today's stories contradicted by to-morrow's that he has learned to be slow about committing himself to any side. Selby he had already met! That Selby remembered the fact was quite evident from the look of surprise and suspicion which he cast upon Dr. Underwood's guest. A striking man he was, with a dark narrow face, and a nervous manner. His eye was so restless that it seemed continually flitting from one object to another. His lips were thin, and, in their spasmodic twitching, gave the same sense of nervous instability that his restless eyes conveyed. Burton had an impulse to pick him up and set him forcibly down somewhere, with an injunction to sit still.

"If you have formed any plan of procedure, gentlemen, go ahead," said Underwood. "We stand ready, of course, to assist you in any way possible."

"Sorry you've had an accident," said Ralston, with friendly interest, "I hope it's not serious."

"Oh, no. It interferes with my walking for the present, but I'll be all right in a few days. Those pestiferous little imps, the Sprigg children, threw stones at my nag, and some of them took effect on me. Tormented little wretches! They are bound to be in the fashion if it takes a leg,--my leg, I mean. I told them fire would descend from heaven to burn up children who stoned prophets, but they didn't seem to realize that I was a prophet."

"I hope you may not prove so, in this instance," laughed Ralston.

"Yes, if fire should descend upon them, it might look as though you were responsible," said Hadley, with a ponderous air of perpetrating a light pleasantry. "They say it is dangerous to go up against you, Doctor. Something is apt to happen."

"Oh, laws!" gasped a frightened voice. Mrs. Bussey had been an open-mouthed listener to the conversation.

Underwood turned sharply upon her, perhaps glad of an opportunity to vent his irritation indirectly.

"Mrs. Bussey, while I regret to interfere with the liberty of action which belongs to every freeborn citizen of this great republic, I think we shall have to dispense with your presence at the 

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