himself can't say a word against it. We must win over the almighty dollar and make it fight our battles. They say we 're ruining Apsleigh. We must answer them with the logic of growth. If it were two thousand miles west the whole country would ring with its attractions, and its population would double in five years. New England enterprise and capital have overlooked it because it 's right at home. We can boom it with solid facts, for the public good and the triumph of a righteous cause, instead of a money-making syndicate."

"That's something worth thinking of!" exclaimed Harnett.

"It's something worth doing," replied Craigin. "You've been all over this country; did you ever see a prettier place?"

"No," said Harnett, "I never did."

"Places," continued Craigin, "that can't compare with it have been made famous. It's near centers of business; taxes are low, and can be cut down a third. If its advantages were known, rich men would come here to live and to invest money. It's one of the few places in the United States where the benefit of longfreight rates is n't offset by increased cost of production incident to large cities."

"I know our position gives us long rates," remarked Harnett, "but I 've no idea what the difference is." "From ten to twenty per cent.," said Craigin, "and public attention has never been called to it."

"It's at least three per cent. a year on the capital in my business," said Basil Hunt, a manufacturer of fine furniture. "Hard-wood timber 's another item. It's the best point I know of for certain industries, and

they 're industries that employ the best class of help. I don't see why your idea might n't be carried out on a large scale, Mr. Craigin, if we could once get started."

"There's where we have an advantage," replied Craigin. "Just now there 's an epidemic of booms, money-making schemes, most of 'em fakes. Ours will be a novelty. Our position will be that the liquor interest, to carry its point, is trying to cripple the town, and we, to carry ours, are giving it a prosperity it never dreamed of. Men will talk about it. Great newspapers and magazines will discuss it as a social problem and write up the town as a matter of public interest. When the city starts into new life, property doubles in value, everybody 's making money, and it's understood that prohibition has brought it about, where will the almighty dollar be?"

"On the side where it 's to be made, every time," said Hunt.

We

"Yes, and that is n't all. When border ruffians undertook to dragoon Kansas into slavery, the best men in the North flocked there and made homes. shall get the same class of people here. We must have attractive and self-supporting clubs to take the places of the saloons. We must educate all the time. We must have a county organization with branches in every town. We must have a system of quietly getting at how every man in the county stands, and if he 's on our side, what kind of work he 's best fitted for. We must make our men a trained and disciplined army, and then-then we must fight our fight."

"Nd haow?" asked John Rogers Jones.

"The liquor interest must be smitten at the polls by

an organization more perfect than its own, officials who have been false to their oaths of office must give place to those who will be true, and the path of duty must be the path to public honors."

"We're a pretty small band to undertake such great things," remarked Dr. Bradford.

"Did n't Christ send twelve humble men to preach the gospel to the world?" inquired Craigin.

"But they had a divine mission."

"If it is n't a divine mission to lift this curse, in God's name, what is? No matter! Mohammed was a camel-driver. Buddha wandered in poverty and alone. Doctor, what 's the text about the ten righteous men who could have saved Sodom? Is Apsleigh worse than Sodom? We differ about the inspiration of the Bible, but the lesson 's the same. Ten righteous men with fearless hearts and long, cool heads can save any city, for they will be a nucleus around which thousands will rally. I 've heard of a knight who stood with a few companions and held a pass against a host until the king and his army came. He died, but he saved the nation. Gentlemen, if you 'll stand with me, life or death, we 'll hold the pass till Apsleigh is saved, till the king and his army come-the king that is the people, the army that is ballots."

"By God's help, we ten will hold the pass with you!" cried Bradford.

Not a man hung back.

"We'll call our organization what it is," said Harnett: "the League for the Public Weal; and may its influence spread from county to county and from State to State until this great curse is lifted from the land!"

II

THE BILL

HE suppression of the pocket-bottle trade and the dives was a mere matter of vigilance and energy. The defendants had no standing in the community, and, as they violated the federal revenue law as well as the State prohibitory law, Uncle Sam helped hunt them down and laid his heavy hand upon them.

In the mean time a license bill was introduced before the legislature. The Democratic State convention had declared for license. According to time-honored precedent, the Republican State convention made adhesion to the prohibitory law a test of party loyalty. Many Democrats, however, believed in prohibition, many Republicans in license, and it was doubtful how far party platforms would control. Both houses of the legislature were Republican by narrow majorities. The judiciary committee was evenly divided. The sachem of the Democracy advocated license, on the ground that prohibition had never been intended as anything but political hypocrisy whereby Republicans were to have votes, cranks law, and the people whisky.

He was able and eloquent, and his voice was potent beyond the councils of his tribe. But Denman was the one man in the State without whom the passage of the bill was impossible. Others made speeches; he furnished brains and money. The anti-liquor men were also organizing as never before. On that side, as on the other, the Apsleighshire delegation to the third house had come to the front. The bill was discussed everywhere, at all hours.

"It's a

"It is n't a question of morals," said one. question of finance. The State's full of summer hotels. There 's millions invested in 'em. Their guests spend millions every year among our people. If they 've got to submit to boarding-school rules they won't come."

"I know a first-class summer hotel," replied Harnett, "that's always full the season through, and you can't get a glass of wine there for love or money." "Owned and filled by some religious organization, is n't it?"

"No; and it 's one of the best-paying properties on the coast. The landlord says he won't have liquor or disreputable women about, because they drive away the best class of patrons."

"Any man who classes liquor and disreputable women together 's a fanatic. I've no doubt there 're fanatics enough to make a few hotels for fanatics pay, but prohibition enforced would bankrupt the State all the same."

"The money, time, and life drink costs would double its valuation in ten years; would that bankrupt it?" inquired Craigin.