is, that or the other addition, consisting, as Bob knew from
yesterday, of farm acreage at front-foot figures. The proportion of this
fake advertising was astounding. One in particular seemed incredible--a
full page of the exponent of some Oriental method of healing and
prophecy.

"Of course, a full-page costs money," replied Baker. "But this is the
place to get it." He pushed back his chair. "Well, what do you think of
our fair young city?" he grinned.

"It's got me going," admitted Bob.

"Took me some time to find out where to get off at," said Baker. "When I
found it out, I didn't dare tell anybody. They mob you here and string
you up by your pigtail, if you try to hint that this isn't the one best
bet on terrestrial habitations. They like their little place, and they
believe in it a whole lot, and they're dead right about it! They'd stand
right up on their hind legs and paw the atmosphere if anybody were to
tell them what they really are, but it's a fact. Same joyous slambang,
same line of sharps hanging on the outskirts, same row, racket, and joy
in life, same struggle; yes, and by golly! the same big hopes and big
enterprises and big optimism and big energies! Wouldn't you like to be
helping them do it?"

"What's the answer?" asked Bob, amused.

"Well, for all its big buildings and its electric lights, and trolleys,
and police and size, it's nothing more nor less than a frontier town."

"A frontier town!" echoed Bob.

"You think it over," said Baker.

IV

But if Bob imagined for one moment that he had acquired even a notion of
California in his experiences and observations down the San Joaquin and
in Los Angeles, the next few stages of his Sentimental Journey very soon
undeceived him. Baker's business interests soon took him away. Bob,
armed with letters of introduction from his friend, visited in turn such
places as Santa Barbara, Riverside, San Diego, Redlands and Pasadena. He
could not but be struck by the absolute differences that existed, not
only in the physical aspects but in the spirit and aims of the peoples.
If these communities had been separated by thousands of miles of
distance they could not have been more unlike.

At one place he found the semi-tropical luxuriance of flowers and trees
and fruits, the soft, warm sunshine, the tepid, langourous, musical
nights, the mellow haze of romance over mountain and velvet hill and
soft sea, the low-shaded cottages, the leisurely attractive p