o juice from his mouth, between his legs, and usually
lodged it in the grate before him. It was evident, however, that many
of his friends had not been so successful, for the grate, the hearth,
and the neighboring floor were spotted with the fluid.

The Honorable Mr. Ele was engaged in conversation with his friend Belch,
who was giving him instructions for the next Congressional session.

"You see, Ele, if we could only send something of the right stamp--the
right stamp, I say, in the place of Watkins Bodley from the third
district, we should be all right. Bodley is very uncertain."

"I know," returned the Honorable Mr. Ele, "Bodley is not sound. He has
not the true party feeling. He is not willing to make sacrifices. And yet
I think that--that--perhaps--"

He looked at General Belch inquiringly. That gentleman turned, beamed
approval, and squirted a copious cascade.

"Exactly," said Mr. Ele, "I was saying that I think if Mr. Bodkins, who
is a perfectly honorable man--"

"Oh, perfectly; nothing against his character. Besides, it's a free
country, and every body may have his opinions," said General Belch.

"Precisely," resumed Mr. Ele, "as I was saying; being a perfectly
honorable man--in fact, unusually honorable, I happen to know that he
is in trouble--ahem! ahem! pecuniary trouble."

He paused a moment, while his friend of the military title looked hard at
the grate, as if selecting a fair mark, then made a clucking noise, and
drenched it completely. He then said, musingly,

"Yes, yes--ah yes--I see. It is a great pity. The best men get into such
trouble. How much money did you say he wanted?"

"I said he was in pecuniary trouble," returned Mr. Ele, with a slight
tone of correction.

"I understand, Mr. Ele," answered the other, a little pompously, and with
an air of saying, "Know your place, Sir."

"I understand, and I wish to know how large a sum would relieve Mr.
Bodley from his immediate pressure."

"I think about eight or nine thousand dollars. Perhaps a thousand more."

"I suppose," said General Belch, slowly, still looking into the blank,
dismal grate, and rubbing his fat nose steadily with his fat forefinger
and thumb, "I suppose that a man situated as Mr. Bodley is finds it very
detrimental to his business to be engaged in public life, and might
possibly feel it to be his duty to his family and creditors to resign
his place, if he saw a promising way of righting his business, without
depending