"If you can drive to Mr. Pettengill's house and wait a few
minutes, I think I'll go over to Eastborough Centre with you. I'm going
to Boston this afternoon, and shall not be back again until Monday
night."

This they consented to do, and after Quincy had obtained certain papers
and had packed his travelling bag, he left word with Mandy that he would
not be back to the house until Tuesday of the following week, and it
might be Wednesday, as he was going to Boston to see his parents.

When they reached Eastborough Centre, Quincy went at once to the post
office; there he found a short letter from Leopold Ernst. It read as
follows:

"Dear Q:--

"Come up and see me as soon as you can; I shall be at home all day
Sunday. Am ready to report on the stories, but have more to say than I
have time to write.

Invariably thine,
LEOPOLD ERNST."

Quincy then crossed the Square and entered the office of the
"Eastborough Express." Sylvester flushed a little as Quincy came in, but
the latter reassured him by extending his hand and shaking it heartily.

"Is the editor in?" asked Quincy.

"No," replied Sylvester, "he never shows up on Saturdays."

"Who is going to report the town meeting?" continued Quincy.

"I am," answered Sylvester. "The editor will be on hand, but he told me
yesterday that he should depend on me to write the meeting up, because
he had a little political work to attend to that would take all his
time. He told me he was going over to see 'Bias Smith on Sunday, so I
imagine that Mr. Smith and he are interested on the same side."

"Well, Mr. Chisholm," said Quincy, "you managed that little matter about
Miss Mason's engagement so neatly that I have something for you to do
for me. I'm going to Boston this afternoon, and shall not be back until
half-past seven Monday night. I'm going over to see Mr. Parsons when I
leave here, and shall arrange with him to supply all our boys with all
they want to eat and drink next Monday."

"Well, the boys, as you call them, will be pretty apt to be hungry and
thirsty next Monday," laughed Sylvester.

"That's all right," said Quincy, "I'll stand the bills."

"How's Parsons going to know which are our boys?" continued Chisholm.
"They ought to have some kind of badge or some kind of a password, or
your enemies, as well as your friends, will be eating up your
provisions."

"That's what I want you to attend to," added Quincy. "I'll arrange with
Parsons that if anybody gives hi