pose the sound was so big that it could be heard in every part of
greater New York. Suppose at the sound every policeman in greater New
York was shot dead in his tracks--"

Bubbles's hair began to bristle. "Say," he cried in his excitement, "the
straw hats--the soft straw hats that Blizzard makes and don't
sell--they're the white cockades!"

Mr. Blicker guffawed. Mr. Lichtenstein rose and paced the room.

"And that proves," he exclaimed, "that nothing is to happen when you and
I are wearing straw hats--but in winter. Bubbles, you're a bright boy!"

"You are both so bright," said Mr. Blicker, "you keep me all the time
laughing."

"Well," said Mr. Lichtenstein, "that may be, but suppose you tell me why
Blizzard makes straw hats and don't sell 'em. Tell me why he's dug such
a great hole under his house with a passage leading to the river, and
ships. Tell me why O'Hagan is drilling men in the West. Tell me why
Blizzard has gone out of the white-slave business. It fetched him in a
pretty penny."

"I think I can answer the last question," said Bubbles.

"Do then."

"I think," said the small boy, "that he's got some good in him
somewhere, and I know he's dead gone on my Miss Ferris. I think he's
ashamed o' some o' the things he's done."

Mr. Lichtenstein considered this at some length. Then he said: "Well,
that's possible. But it's an absolutely new idea to me. Blizzard
_ashamed_? Hum!"

XXXI

"True that policemen take money in exchange for protection? True that
they practise blackmail and extortion? Of course it's true. Whenever a
big temptation appears loose in a city half the people who get a look at
it trip and fall. Oh, I'd like to reform this city, Miss Barbara--and
this country. I'd like to be dictator for six months."

"Who wouldn't?" said Barbara. "But what would you do? Where would you
begin?"

"I should be drastic at first," said the legless man, "and kind later.
I'd begin," he went on, his eyes smiling, "with a general massacre of
incompetents--old men with too little money, young men with too
much--old maids, aliens, incurables, the races that are too clever to
work, the races that are too stupid, habitual drunkards, spreaders of
disease, the women who abolished the canteen, the women who wear
aigrettes. After that I should destroy all possibilities of graft."

"How?" asked Barbara.

"Why," said he, "the simplest way in the world--legalize the business
that now pays for protection. Ther