lief.

She amazed Helen by suddenly darting towards her and putting her arm
around her. "Why you poor little lonesome thing," she cried, "you must
learn to paddle; I will teach you myself. Now, good-bye, I think we
are going to be real good friends." She kissed Helen warmly and
tripped out, singing a gay song, and leaving her late hostess standing
amazed in the middle of her dishevelled room.

CHAPTER IX

"DEAF TO THE MELODY"

Autumn painted Algonquin in new and splendid tints. She coloured the
maples that lined the streets a dazzling gold, with here and there at
the corners, a scarlet tree for variety or one of rose pink or even
deep purple. And when the leaves began to fall the whole world was a
bewildering flutter of rainbows. The November rains came and washed
the gorgeous picture away, and the artist went all over it again in
soberer tints, soft greys and tender blues with a hint of coming frost
in the deep tones of the sky.

October was almost over before the busy, bustling Lawyer Ed had a
chance to think of the promise he had made in the summer to Old Angus,
and he called J. P. Thornton and Archie Blair and Roderick together
into his office one bright morning to enquire what could be done about
getting a local option by-law for Algonquin submitted on the next
municipal election day.

The general consensus of opinion was that they were too late for the
coming election on New Year's; but that they must start an educational
campaign immediately to stir up public opinion on the subject of
temperance. And they would get their petition ready for the spring and
march to victory a year from the coming January.

J. P. Thornton, who was the most energetic man on the town council, was
busy getting a drain dug through Willow Lane to carry off the disease
breeding stagnant waters that lay about the little houses. And he
declared in a fine oratorical outburst, that if they started this
temperance campaign early, and dug deep enough, by a year from the next
election day, they would have such a trench projected through Algonquin
as would carry away in a flood all the foul, death-breeding liquid that
inundated their beautiful town, and pour it into the swamps of oblivion.

Lawyer Ed gave a cheer when he was through, and Archie Blair quoted
Burns:

"_Now, Robinson, harrangue na mair,
But steek your gab forever,
Or try the wicked town of Ayr,
For there they'll think you clever._"

For thou