priate fifty dollars to add a
ladies' dressing-room. Susan's looking up. She'll need it. She's
beginning to powder her nose, and she's bought a new bonnet, thank God!"
said Bob Sasnett with his usual laugh.

When the directors were leaving the bank after indignantly electing Mrs.
Walton to the board, Coleman looked at Sasnett suspiciously.

"Where do you stand in this damn business, anyhow, Bob?" he demanded.

"Oh, I'm not standing at present, Stark, I'm crawling on my umbilicus
same as the rest of you; the only difference is that I retain the charm
and radiance of my countenance."

"When do you purpose to announce your candidacy for representative?"

Sasnett looked at him so quickly that even his smile scarcely veiled the
shrewdness of his glance.

"Waiting for the women to settle Mike Prim," he answered. "If they
don't, you fellows may elect him. Mike's so deep rooted in your affairs
a man couldn't dig him up without soiling his hands."

"Think the women can?"

"Not a doubt of it if they get wise to him, and they are so naively
unscrupulous, bless their hearts, that they'll do some things to
accomplish their purpose a man can't afford to do."

"And if they settle Mike, you'll run on the crinoline ticket, I
suppose?" Coleman answered.

"Can't say yet, Stark; don't want to give myself away, but I'm buying my
collars at the Co-Citizens' Cooeperative League Emporium!" he said,
winking his eye and drawing up the corner of his mouth in a most
offensive manner.

This reference to the women's cooeperative store was far from being a
joke.

The first floor of the old Mosely residence had been divided in half
with a partition. The walls between the rooms on each side had been
fitted up in a modern and expensive manner with shelves and counters,
middle-aisle showcase, and so forth. The right-hand division was a
drygoods and millinery department, with such a display of hats and
finery as never had been seen before in Jordantown. The left division
contained everything necessary to thrifty existence, from horse collars
to hams, sugar and molasses, flour and corn meal.

The upper rooms of the house were used as offices for the female
trustees of the Fund, and for the various committees, of which there
were an amazing number in order that as many women as possible should
have prominent and executive relations to the Co-Citizens' movement.

The whole front of the place was ablaze every night with electric signs.
"_The