In the Sweet Dry and Dry

. Instead of hurrying out to the suburbs on the 6:17 train, to mow the lawn and admire the fireflies, here he was watching the more dazzling fireflies of the city-the electric signs which were alre

rted. A delicious sense of extravagant adventure possessed him. As a newspaper man, he did not feel at all sure that he was on the threshold of a printable "story"; but as a connoisseur of juleps he felt that very possibly he was on the threshold of ano

o the bonfire of the summer sunset. There was nothing to distinguish number 1316 from its neighbors. He rang the bell, and there ensu

ow upon a tall mirror filled the shadow with broken spangles. Through an open doorway at the rear was the green glimmer of a garden. In front of him was a mahogany sideboard. On its polished

m coat like that which Mr. Quimbleton had worn in the Balloon office, and a similar gray cap with the silver monogram. He glanced at the books. One was T

it said. "Will y

man with profuse white hair and

leak," said the latter.

I fear you have the advantage of me-I w

le. He straightened, ripped off his silver fringe

old Mr. Monkbones of Caraway Street is the same as Virgil Quimbleton of the Happiness Corporation, my life wouldn't be wo

into the garden, a quiet green enclosure surrounded by brick walls and bright with hollyhocks and other fl

of white hoops fixed in the shaven turf. "If so, we must have

a bizarre absurdity in the solemn way Quimbleton beamed out from his frosty and fraudulent shrubbery. Something in the air of the garden, also, seemed to push Bleak toward laugh

ragrant garden I ever smelt. What is that de

?" said Quimbleton, wi

k. "That abounding a

licate b

that breath

lmy exha

tried valiantly to continue. "Precis

no longer, and burst i

ng us. But the fragrance of the garden is something I am ra

leak. "Good heavens, man,

ng is said about using them to irrigate the garden. I have a friend who makes this champagne himself and gives me some of it for my rose-beds. If you spray the

uff of the

uarters. That's why I have to wear this disguise in the garden. I think he's getting a bit suspicious. I

ost feared man in America. It was he whose untiring organization had forced prohibition through the legislatures of forty States-had closed the golf li

gnant contraction of pessimism and misanthropy that I quite won his heart. He accepted an invitation to play croquet with me. That afternoon I prepared the garden with a deluge of champagne. The golden drops sparkled on every rose-petal: the la

t, and Mr. Bleak began to entertain a new respect for this common flower of which he had been unduly inappreciative. Although the trellis screened them from observation, Quimbleton seemed ill at ease. He kept an alert gaze roving about him, and spoke only in whispers. Once, when a bird lighted in the foliage behind them, causing a sudden stir a

sat in a silence broken only by the wiry cheep of sparrows and the distant moan of trolley cars. The arrows of the decumbent sun gilded the ripeni

cried Bleak. "Is som

comes out on his back gallery and enjoys a little sharp-shooting. He's a very good shot, and picks off the grapes that have ripened during the d

beaker of the dandelion wine and they fi

s afternoon. Have you leisure to listen? Good! Please try one of these cigars. If, while I am talking, you should hear any one moving in th

indling a magnifico of re

time is come when we shall have to appear in the open. The last great struggle is on, and it can no longer be conducted in the dark. In the cour

easily; "it was my intention to catc

f false white hair wagg

ny than catching the 9.30. Do me the honor of filling your glass. But be careful not to clink t

dreaming. The cigar on the opposite side of the little table glowed rosil

dent of this afternoon may have caused you to think that what is vulgarly called booze is the chief preoccupation of our society. That is not so. We were organized at first simply to bring merriment an

, sweeping the floors and so on, would be amazed by the sudden appearance of one of our deputies, in the service uniform of gray and silver, equipped with vacuum cleaner and electric baby-washing machine, to take over the domestic chores for one day. The troubles of lovers were under our special care. We saw how much anguish is caused by the passion of jealousy. Many an engaged damsel, tempted to mild escapade in some perfumed conservatory, found her heart chilled by the stern eye of a uniformed C.P.H. agent lurking behind a potted hydrangea. We hired bands of urchins to make faces at evil old men who plate-glass themselves in the windows of clubs. Many a husband, wondering d

with a pinkish brightness as

struggle. You are aware that Chuff and his legions are planning a tremendous parade for to-morrow. You know that it will be the most startling demonstration of its kind ever arrang

"I suppose it is to give publi

sed we set to work to teach people how to brew beverages of their own, in their own homes. As you know, very delicious wine may be made from almost every vegetable and fruit. Potatoes, tomatoes, rhubarb, currants, blackberries, gooseberries, raisins, apples-all these are susceptible of fermentation, transforming their juices into desirable vintages. We specialized on s

e people should memorize it. Now Chuff threatens to forbid singing and the memorizing of poetry. At this moment he has fif

endment to the Constitution. No gooseberries shall be grown upon the soil of the United States, or imported from abroad. Raisins too, since it is said that one raisin in a bottle of grape juice can cause it to bubble

in horrifi

andestine vinous recipes. He solemnly threatens, if this continues, to abolish the printing press. This is to be the Twentieth Amendment. No printing press shall be used in the territory of

peak. He reached for the d

e you. I suppose The Evening Balloon has made its custo

ver the event. One of the stories, dealing with pathetic incidents of the procession, has already been written-

p in the history of journalism. The procession will break up in confusion. All that will be necessary to say can be said in

et of paper, neatly folded, a

?" asked Bleak. "How can y

his host. "Let us go indoors, where

leak opened the paper. It was a sheet of

FOR THE PERPETUA

ddress:

leton, Assoc

araway

ade of the Pan-Antis broke up in confusion. Federal Home for

t stuff?" asked

ed Quimbleton, tearing off h

id Bleak. "I must get