er circulation than I want. We lose money on every copy of the
paper that we sell."

Uncle Dan shook his head.

"Is there a chance that you will ever get it back?" he asked.

"Bobby's so used to failure that he doesn't mind," interjected Aunt
Constance.

"Mind!" exclaimed Bobby. "I never minded it so much in my life as I do
now. The _Bulletin_ must win. I'm bound that it shall win! If we come
out ahead in our fight against Stone I'll get all my advertising back,
and I'll keep my circulation, which makes advertising rates."

The telephone bell rang in the study adjoining the dining-room, and
Bobby, who had been more or less distrait all evening, half rose from
his chair. In a moment more the maid informed them that the call was
for Mr. Burnit. In the study they could hear his voice, excited and
exultant. He returned as delighted as a school-boy.

"Now I can tell you something," he announced. "Within five minutes the
_Bulletin_ will have exclusive extras on the street, announcing that
the legislature has just appointed a committee to investigate
municipal affairs throughout the state. That means this town. I have
spent ten thousand dollars in lobbying that measure through, and
charged it all to improvements' on the _Bulletin_. Sounds like I had
joined the ranks of the 'boodlers,' don't it? Well, I don't give a
cooky for ethics so long as I know I'm right. I'd have been a simp, as
Biff Bates calls it, to go among that crowd of hungry law jugglers
with kind words and the ten commandments. I'm not using crossbows
against cannon, and as a result I'm winning. I got my measure through,
and now I think we'll put Stone and his crew of freebooters on the
grill, with some extra-hot coals for my friend De Graff and the other
saintly sinners who have been playing into Stone's hands. I have been
working a year for this, and the entire politics of this town, with
wide-reaching results in the state, is disrupted."

"You selfish boy," chided Aunt Constance. "You have been here with us
for more than an hour, expecting this all the time, and have not
breathed one word of it to us. Don't you trust anybody any more?"

"Oh, yes," replied Bobby easily; "but only when it is necessary."

Agnes smiled across at him in calm content. She had but very little to
say now. She was in that blissful happiness that comes to any woman
when the man most in her mind is reaping his meed of success from a
long and hard-fought battle.

"Spoken like