"Say, if you had to read a paper before a big convention, would
you start in with the funny stories or just kind of scatter 'em all
through?" He asked Howard Littlefield for a "set of statistics about
real-estate sales; something good and impressive," and Littlefield
provided something exceedingly good and impressive.

But it was to T. Cholmondeley Frink that Babbitt most often turned. He
caught Frink at the club every noon, and demanded, while Frink
looked hunted and evasive, "Say, Chum--you're a shark on this
writing stuff--how would you put this sentence, see here in my
manuscript--manuscript now where the deuce is that?--oh, yes, here.
Would you say 'We ought not also to alone think?' or 'We ought also not
to think alone?' or--"

One evening when his wife was away and he had no one to impress, Babbitt
forgot about Style, Order, and the other mysteries, and scrawled off
what he really thought about the real-estate business and about himself,
and he found the paper written. When he read it to his wife she yearned,
"Why, dear, it's splendid; beautifully written, and so clear and
interesting, and such splendid ideas! Why, it's just--it's just
splendid!"

Next day he cornered Chum Frink and crowed, "Well, old son, I finished
it last evening! Just lammed it out! I used to think you writing-guys
must have a hard job making up pieces, but Lord, it's a cinch. Pretty
soft for you fellows; you certainly earn your money easy! Some day when
I get ready to retire, guess I'll take to writing and show you boys how
to do it. I always used to think I could write better stuff, and more
punch and originality, than all this stuff you see printed, and now I'm
doggone sure of it!"

He had four copies of the paper typed in black with a gorgeous red
title, had them bound in pale blue manilla, and affably presented one to
old Ira Runyon, the managing editor of the Advocate-Times, who said yes,
indeed yes, he was very glad to have it, and he certainly would read it
all through--as soon as he could find time.

Mrs. Babbitt could not go to Monarch. She had a women's-club meeting.
Babbitt said that he was very sorry.

III

Besides the five official delegates to the convention--Babbitt,
Rountree, W. A. Rogers, Alvin Thayer, and Elbert Wing--there were fifty
unofficial delegates, most of them with their wives.

They met at the Union Station for the midnight train to Monarch. All
of them, save Cecil Rountree, who was such a snob that he