on't want to see you nor hear of you for another year, and you
needn't send any one to me to fix it, because it can't be fixed. Now
beat it. I'm busy!"

The man, much crestfallen, "beat it." Bobby was thankful that there
was no one else waiting when it was his turn to approach the Mogul.
Stone shook hands cordially enough.

"Mr. Stone," inquired Bobby, "how does it come that the Brightlight
Electric Company was not offered a chance to come into this new
consolidation?"

"How should I know?" asked Stone in reply.

"It is popularly supposed," suggested Bobby, smiling, "that you know a
great deal about it."

Mr. Stone ignored that supposition completely.

"Mr. Burnit, how much political influence do you think you could
swing?"

"Frankly, I never thought of it," said Bobby surprised.

"You belong to the Idlers' Club, you belong to the Traders' Club, to
the Fish and Game, the Brassie, the Gourmet, and the Thespian Clubs.
You are a member of the board of governors in three of these clubs,
and are very popular in all of them. A man like you, if he would get
wise, could swing a strong following."

"Possibly," admitted Bobby dryly; "although I wouldn't enjoy it."

"One-third of the members of the Traders' Club do not vote, more than
half of the members of the Fish and Game and the Brassie do not vote,
none of the members of the other clubs vote at all," went on Mr.
Stone. "They ain't good citizens. If you're the man that can stir them
up the right way you'd find it worth while."

"But just now," evaded Bobby, "whom did you say I should see about
this consolidation?"

"Sharpe," snapped Stone. "Good day, Mr. Burnit." And Bobby walked away
rather belittled in his own estimation.

He had been offered an excellent chance to become one of Stone's
political lieutenants, had been given an opportunity to step up to the
pie counter, to enjoy the very material benefits of the Stone style of
municipal government; and in exchange for this he had only to sell his
fellows. He knew now that his visit to Sharpe would be fruitless, that
before he could arrive at Sharpe's office that puppet would have had a
telephone message from Stone; yet, his curiosity aroused, he saw the
thing through. Mr. Sharpe, upon his visit, met Bobby as coldly as the
January morning when the Christmas bills come in.

"We don't really care for the Brightlight Electric in the combination
at all," said Mr. Sharpe, "but if you wish to come in at a valuation