ly paused to muse upon it, though
not at all unpleasantly.

"Suppose that we say twenty-five hundred," resumed Mr. Squinch. "That
will give each of the five of us five hundred dollars apiece. At that
rate I'd venture to speak for both Grout and Christmas."

"We three have a majority vote," suggested Doc Turner. "However, it's
easy enough to see them."

"Need we do so?" inquired Mr. Squinch, in slow thought. "We might--"
and then he paused, struck by a sudden idea, and added hastily: "Oh,
of course, we'll have to give them a voice in the matter. I'll see
them to-night."

"All right," assented Doc Turner, rising with alacrity and looking at
his watch. "By the way, I have to see a man. I pretty near overlooked
it."

"That reminds me," said Mr. Fester, heaving himself up ponderously and
putting on the hat which should have been square, "I have to
foreclose a mortgage this afternoon."

Mr. Squinch also rose. It had occurred to all three of them
simultaneously to go privately to the two remaining members and buy
out their interest in the list for the least possible money.

J. Rufus found the full board in session, however, when he walked into
Mr. Squinch's office on the following afternoon. Mr. Grout was a
loose-skinned man of endless down-drooping lines, the corners of his
eyelids running down past his cheek-bones, the corners of his nose
running down past his mouth, the corners of his mouth running down
past his chin. Mr. Christmas had over-long, rusty-gray hair, bulbous
red ears, and an appalling outburst of scarlet veins netted upon
his copper-red countenance. Notwithstanding their vast physical
differences, however, Wallingford reflected that he had never seen
five men who, after all, looked more alike. And why not, since they
were all of one mind?

By way of illustrating the point, Mr. Grout and Mr. Christmas, finding
that the list in question had some value, and knowing well their
former partners, had steadfastly refused to sell, and the five of
them, meeting upon the common ground of self-interest, had agreed to
one thing--that they would ask five thousand dollars for the list, and
take what they could get.

When the price was named to him, Mr. Wallingford merely chuckled, and
observed, as he turned toward the door:

"You are mistaken, gentlemen. I did not want to buy out your
individual businesses. I am willing to give you one thousand dollars
in stock of my company, which will be two shares each."

T