d,
come to about $97,347.83 in third debenture ten per cent. certificates,
exclusive of the cost of printing, advertising, and the number we give
away as sample copies."

"Quite a saving," said Alice.

"Yes," said the Hatter. "We save all we can. Economy in real money is
our watchword. We never spend a cent where a bond will serve the
purpose."

[Illustration: "GREETED BY THE COMMISSIONER, THE HABERDASHER"]

By this time Alice and her hosts had reached the building occupied by
the Department of Public Verse, and upon entering its spacious doorway
the party were greeted by the Commissioner, the Haberdasher, to whom
Alice was promptly introduced. He reminded her very forcibly of her old
acquaintance Bill the Lizard, but she was not sure enough on this point
to recall their previous meeting when she had so tactlessly kicked him
up through the chimney flue of the Wonderland Cottage.

"Well, Mr. Commissioner," said the Hatter, "how are you getting along?"

"Pretty well, Mr. Mayor," replied the Commissioner. "We've just finished
the six line couplet for the new Chewing Gum Bonds."

"Good," said the Hatter. "How does it go?"

"Rather neatly I think," said the Commissioner, and he read the
following:

We promise to pay
This bond some day
If of the stuff
We've got enough.
And if we haven't, pray don't despond,
For we'll pay it off with another bond.

"Fine," said the Hatter. "You strike a very lofty note in that. And how
do the new Limericks work?"

"We've finished number 3907 of series XZV," said the Commissioner. "I'll
send for Wiggins who wrote it and let him read it to you himself."

A pressure of an electric button brought the smiling Wiggins into the
office.

"Wiggins, the Mayor would like to hear that new Limerick of yours,"
said the Commissioner.

[Illustration: "IT RUNS THIS WAY, YOUR HONOUR"]

"Thanky sir," said Wiggins. "It runs this way, your honour.

"There was an old lady named Jane
Who sat on a fence at Schoharie.
A rooster came by
And crew like the deuce
But Jane never scared for a cent."

"That's great," said the Hatter. "Don't you think so, Miss Alice?"

"Why yes," said Alice, "but--does it rhyme?"

"Perfectly," replied the Hatter, "that is, under our system. When we
organised this Department to facilitate business and avoid the waste of
time looking for rhymes we legalised such rhymes as Schoharie and cent
and by and deuce. By that act