o furnish funds
for the handling of the Rookeries situation. Since Dr. Surtaine designed
to reveal as little as possible to his colleagues, he naturally began
his speech with the statement that he would be perfectly frank with
them.

"There's more sickness than there ought to be in the Rookeries
district," he proceeded. "It isn't dangerous, but it may prove
obstinate. Some sort of malarious affection, apparently. Perhaps it may
be necessary to do some cleaning up down there. In that case, money may
be needed."

"How much?" somebody asked.

"Five thousand dollars ought to do it."

"That's a considerable sum," another pointed out.

"And this is a serious matter," retorted the chairman. "Many of us
remember the disastrous effect that rumors of smallpox had on Old Home
Week, some years back. We can't afford to have anything of that sort
this time. An epidemic scare might ruin the whole show."

Now, an epidemic to these hard-headed business men was something that
kept people away from their stores. And the rumor of an epidemic might
accomplish that as thoroughly as the epidemic itself. Therefore, without
questioning too far, they were quite willing to spend money to avert
such disaster. The sum suggested was voted into the hands of a committee
of three to be appointed by the chair.

"In the mean time," continued Dr. Surtaine, "I think we should go on
record to the effect that any newspaper which shall publish or any
individual who shall circulate any report calculated to inspire distrust
or alarm is hostile to the best interests of the city."

"Well, what newspaper is likely to do that?" demanded Leroy Vane, of
the "Banner."

"If it's any it'll be the 'Clarion,'" growled Colonel Parker, editor of
the "Telegram."

"The newspaper business in this town is going to the dogs since the
'Clarion' changed hands," said Carney Ford, of the "Press," savagely.
"Nobody can tell what they're going to do next over there. They're
keeping the decent papers on the jump all the time, with their
yellowness and scarehead muckraking."

"A big sensational story about an epidemic would be great meat for the
'Clarion,'" said Vane. "What does it care for the best interests of the
town?"

"As an editor," observed Dr. Surtaine blandly, "my son don't appear to
be over-popular with his confreres."

"Why should he be?" cried Parker. "He's forever publishing stuff that
we've always let alone. Then the public wants to know why we don't get