n
Rockies, and on the other hand, of a double fistful of government
bonds. Mr. Mix didn't dare to tease her about the gift, but he did
dare to tease her about the journey, and eventually she relented.

"I'll tell you," said Mirabelle, archly. "We're going to the
convention."

Mr. Mix looked blank. "Convention?"

She nodded proudly. "The national convention of reform clubs, in
Chicago. Aren't you surprised?"

Mr. Mix swallowed, and made himself smile, but it was a hazardous
undertaking. "Surprised? I--I'm--I'm knocked endways!"

"You see," she said, "we'll be married on the fourth and be in Chicago
on the sixth and be home again on the fourteenth and the Council won't
vote on the amendment until the sixteenth. Could anything have been
nicer? Now, Theodore, you _had_n't guessed it, had you?"

"Guessed it?" he stammered. "I should say not. I don't see how you
ever thought of it. It's--why, I'm paralyzed!"

"You could be a little more enthusiastic without hurting yourself
any," she said suspiciously.

"I was thinking. I used to fancy I was pretty good at making plans
myself, but this beats _me_. The way those dates all dovetail like the
tiles on a roof. I never heard of anything like it. Only--well, if you
_will_ be so quick at reading my mind, I was wondering if we ought to
leave town before the Council meets."

"That's mighty unselfish of you, Theodore, but you said only a couple
of days ago you'd done all you could. And the Exhibitors'll still be
working--"

"I don't believe they'll work any too hard. It's taken too long to get
under way. If the amendment passes, you see they'll only have the
advantage of six weeks of fair competition. I mean, Henry'd lose only
six weeks of his _un_fair competition. And then we've got to see about
getting new quarters for the League, when our Masonic Hall lease runs
out, and--"

"But our advertising'll be running just the same, and the League'll
still have its public meetings, and all. And everywhere I go I hear
the same thing; the people really want this passed. And _any_body can
find us a new hall. I'll appoint somebody. No, you're just as
unselfish as you can be, but we'll be back in time. Truly, Theodore,
didn't you guess?"

Much of the jauntiness had gone out of Mr. Mix, but he consoled
himself with the certainty that in another two months, he would be in
a position to become masterful. The week in Chicago would bore him
excessively, but after all, it was only a sma