l
appearance of hampering the administration with importunities and
complaints of a personal nature."

"A man of your reputation," said Mr. Leet, "should certainly have the
strongest kind of a pull at the City Hall."

"You may not believe it," said I, "but I do not know a man in the City
Hall. I visit the place but twice a year, and my dealings on those
occasions are restricted to a haughty young foreigner, who graciously
permits me to pay him the amount of my water tax and then waves me to
another foreigner who in turn waves me to the door. No, I have no
influence at the City Hall, and as I was telling Editor Woodsit last
week--"

"Do you know Editor Woodsit?" asked Mr. Leet, interrupting me.

"Indeed I do," said I; "he has promised to print my essay on the
nebular hypothesis of Professor Lecouvrier as soon as his contract with
the monometallist college professors expires. He is one of the most
intimate friends I have."

"Then he is just the one to fix that City Hall matter for you," said
Mr. Leet. "Woodsit is the most potent political influence in the midst
of us."

It was hard to understand why a potent political influence should be
invoked in order to secure the tapping of a water main. However, I
determined to enlist the cooeperation of my journalistic friend. Twenty
or thirty people were waiting outside Editor Woodsit's door. This
number included noted clergymen, poets, authors, politicians, jurists,
merchants, etc., etc. By some means or another, Editor Woodsit learned
I was among the waiting throng, and he sent for me to come in. His
private office is spacious and elegantly furnished. The walls are hung
with splendid tapestries and costly oil paintings. Over Editor
Woodsit's desk appears the legend, "The Pen Is Mightier Than the
Sword." Near the desk are rows of nickel-plated tubes, about six feet
in height and two feet in diameter; the lids or covers to these tubes
are opened by means of a keyboard in front of the editor. The tubes
themselves contain the heads of the departments of the State and
municipal governments.

"What you tell me pains me deeply," said Mr. Woodsit, after he heard my
story. "But there is no need of going to the City Hall about it; the
matter can be attended to here. I never trifle with underlings when
the responsible heads are at hand."

Editor Woodsit reached over and touched a button on the keyboard; it
was button No. 9. Immediately the lid or top of tube No.