flitted across Perner's face.

"I guess the Colonel did it," he said. "He put a line in one of the
papers last night for a few girls to help him. I suppose this is the
result."

"Do you call this a few?" gasped Livingstone.

"Well, of course we couldn't tell just how many would come. That paper
must have a good many readers. We don't have to take 'em all, you know."

Livingstone stared at the gathering of the clans helplessly.

"No," he commented; "I should think not." Then a moment later he added
thoughtfully: "I suppose all these girls have to work to live. Let's
take all of them we can, fellows."

And Van Dorn asked hopelessly:

"How are we going to get up-stairs?"

They worked their way through, at last, to the Colonel's room above. It
was filled to the edges, as were the halls and stairways outside. The
Colonel was already at his desk--his white hair tossed in every
direction and a hunted look in his eyes. About him billowed the eager
applicants, crowding and forcing their way toward the sheet of paper
upon which he was having each write her name and address, both to show
the style and rapidity of penmanship, and as a means of finding the ones
selected. The friends watched the proceedings for some moments with
interest. The girls regarded them curiously. Some of them whispered to
each other and giggled. Van Dorn wedged his way to the Colonel's elbow
and said in a subdued voice:

"Well, Colonel, this beats Gettysburg, doesn't it?"

The Colonel affected a great self-possession.

"Oh, this is nothing at all," he laughed. "I've been through this all my
life. Once I engaged five hundred girls. I won't be able to get more
than a dozen good ones out of this crowd."

"A dozen! I should think you could get a million!"

The Colonel tipped over an ink-bottle to show his superior calmness,
and a black-eyed, rosy-cheeked girl jumped back with a tiny scream. The
friends made their way to the room above, where, several hours later,
Colonel Hazard joined them, somewhat pale and worn. He had sifted out
ten good girls, he told them, after careful examination of the throng.
It was learned later that he had locked the doors below as soon as
possible to keep out the hordes that continued to come. Indeed, girls
came singly and in groups all day. Those engaged were familiarizing
themselves with the books in which names were to be entered. On
to-morrow the first advertising was to appear. Barrifield, who was
temporarily a