_
man asked H. R. He had of late been trying to elevate the tone of the
magazines with real fiction; which they refused to print.

"Those who fell through thirst will be fed later," H. R. answered.

"And those that wouldn't be searched? They looked mighty hungry to me."
He was an expert in hunger. It drove him out of Literature.

"We'll sell the left-over meals to them at cost. We are intelligent
philanthropists. We shall now have a beer, gentlemen, and let us pass
on."

That beer had taken on a subtle quality of exclusiveness. All the
reporters drank with gusto.

XXIII

At eight sharp the main entrance of the Garden was thrown open. The
reporters promptly noted that the crowd of sight-seers exceeded the
number of the hungry. It restored their belief in republican
institutions.

As each ticket-holder presented his ticket he demanded the instant
return of the ten-thousand-dollar coupon. Even the skeptics who knew
they'd never get the ten thousand dollars did this.

The coupon-holder was then ushered into the superintendent's office, in
which sat the Mayor of New York, the presidents of seven banks, the
proprietors of six hotels, one United States Senator, H. R., and the
reporters.

Behind them was a large frame inclosing stretched white oil-cloth.
Printed thereon in large black letters was this:

YOU WILL BE ASKED ONE QUESTION. YOU WILL HAVE TEN SECONDS IN
WHICH TO ANSWER. BRAIN-CAPACITY IS MEASURED BY THE QUICKNESS
OF PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION. IF YOU CAN'T ANSWER IN TEN
SECONDS, YOU ARE NOT ENTITLED TO THE $10,000 IN CASH.

As the first coupon-holder entered H. R. rose and took from his pocket a
huge roll of bills, all yellow-backs. He carelessly peeled off one of
them and with a bow handed it to the Mayor.

Everybody sat up straight. His Honor looked at it. It was for ten
thousand dollars. He nodded and then silently passed it to a bank
president, who in turn examined it, nodded, and passed it on to a
colleague. The reporters pressed forward.

"Experts in all kinds of small change," smiled H. R., pointing to the
bankers.

The reporters' eyes followed the return of the ten-thousand-dollar bill
to the Mayor. They also decided that H. R.'s roll was the most
impressive demonstration of brute strength ever seen in New York.

Then H. R. asked his question, slowly, distinctly, enunciating carefully
and smiling the while:

"What is it we have all heard about from earliest chil