understood one another
absolutely in regard to the new movement.

It was astonishing in fact how rapidly the light spread.

"Is Rasselyer-Brown with us?" asked someone of Mr. Fyshe a few days
later.

"Heart and soul," answered Mr. Fyshe. "He's very bitter over the way
these rascals have been plundering the city on its coal supply. He says
that the city has been buying coal wholesale at the pit mouth at three
fifty--utterly worthless stuff, he tells me. He has heard it said that
everyone of these scoundrels has been paid from twenty-five to fifty
dollars a winter to connive at it."

"Dear me," said the listener.

"Abominable, is it not?" said Mr. Fyshe. "But as I said to
Rasselyer-Brown, what can one do if the citizens themselves take no
interest in these things. 'Take your own case,' I said to him, 'how is
it that you, a coal man, are not helping the city in this matter? Why
don't you supply the city?' He shook his head, 'I wouldn't do it at
three-fifty,' he said. 'No,' I answered, 'but will you at five?' He
looked at me for a moment and then he said, 'Fyshe, I'll do it; at
five, or at anything over that they like to name. If we get a new
council in they may name their own figure.' 'Good,' I said. 'I hope all
the other businessmen will be animated with the same spirit.'"

* * * * *

Thus it was that the light broke and spread and illuminated in all
directions. People began to realize the needs of the city as they never
had before. Mr. Boulder, who owned, among other things, a stone quarry
and an asphalt company, felt that the paving of the streets was a
disgrace. Mr. Skinyer, of Skinyer and Beatem, shook his head and said
that the whole legal department of the city needed reorganization; it
needed, he said, new blood. But he added always in a despairing tone,
how could one expect to run a department with the head of it drawing
only six thousand dollars; the thing was impossible. If, he argued,
they could superannuate the present chief solicitor and get a man, a
_good_ man (Mr. Skinyer laid emphasis on this) at, say, fifteen
thousand there might be some hope.

"Of course," said Mr. Skinyer to Mr. Newberry in discussing the topic,
"one would need to give him a proper staff of assistants so as to take
off his hands all the _routine_ work--the mere appearance in court, the
preparation of briefs, the office consultation, the tax revision and
the purely legal work. In that case he would have his