he snare drum?"

"Don't forget the poker fiends and the movie fans," I puts in.

Mrs. Bill writes that down. "We will have to begin by electing ourselves
an organizing committee," says she, "and we will need a small printing
fund."

"I'll chip in ten," says Mr. Blake.

"So will we," says Vee.

"And I am sure Bill will, too," says Mrs. Fairfield, "which will be
quite enough to print all the cards we need. And tomorrow evening we
will get together in our apartment and make out the questionnaire
complete. Shall we?"

So when we left to catch a late train for Long Island it looked like
West Hundred and Umpty Umpt street was going to have something new
sprung on it. Course, we didn't know how far these two young couples
would get towards reformin' New York, but they sure was in earnest,
'specially young Mrs. Bill, who seems to have more or less common sense
tucked away between her ears.

That must have been a week or ten days ago, and as we hadn't heard from
any of them, or seen anything in the papers, we was kind of curious. So
here yesterday I has to call up Lucy Lee on the 'phone.

"Say," says I, "how's that block sociable progressin'?"

"Oh, perfectly wonderful!" says Lucy Lee. "Why, at our first meeting, in
a big dance hall, we had nearly 300 persons and were almost swamped. But
Esther is a perfect wizard at organizing. She got them into groups in
less than half an hour, and before we adjourned they had formed all
kinds of clubs and associations, from subscription dance clubs to a Lord
Dunsany private theatrical club. Everyone in the block who didn't turn
out at first has been clamoring to get in since and it has been keeping
us busy sorting them out. You've no idea what a difference it makes up
here. Why, I know almost everybody in the building now, and some of them
are really charming people. They're beginning to seem like real
neighbors and I don't think we shall ever pass another dull evening
while we live here. Even folks across the street have heard about it and
want Esther to come over and organize them."

So I had quite a bulletin to take home to Vee.

"Isn't that splendid!" says she.

"Anyway," says I, "I guess you started something. If it spreads enough,
maybe New York'll be almost fit to live in. But I have my doubts."

CHAPTER II

WHEN HALLAM WAS RUNG UP

It ain't often Mr. Robert starts something he can't finish. When he
does, though, he's shifty at passin' it on. Yes, I'll say he