“Look here,” said Caleb, pointing out of the study’s north window, which commanded a view of exclusive Pompton Avenue and its almost equally fashionable cross streets, “how would you figure up the population of that district?” “The Silk-Sockers? You know’s well as me. Thirty-eight hundred in round numbers.” “And over there?” pointing east. “Th’ business districk? An easy 12,000.” “Say 16,000 in both. S’pose they are all for the young Standish. Now look here.” He crossed the long room and ran up the shade of one of the south windows. The great marble house stood on the edge of a hill-crest, overlooking a distant vista of mean, winding streets, dirty, interminable rows of tenements, factories and small shops. Through the centre, like a huge snake, the tracks of the C. G. & X. wound their way, and over all a smeared pall of reek and coal smoke brooded like some vast bird of prey. Coal yards, docks, freight houses, elevators, shanties—and once more that interminable sea of dingy, squalid domiciles. “What’s the population down there, Billy?” “Hundred’n ten thousand, six hundred an’—” began Shevlin glibly. “An’ every soul of them solid for you, Boss. Sixteen thousand to hundred-’n’-ten-thous——” “That’s right. So as long as the youngster’s content to speak his little pieces here in Granite, I’ve stood by and let him talk. It would be time enough to put in a spoke when he started across country. But this blowout to-night is different. The stories of it will get in the Boston and Philadelphia and New York papers. So——” “Well?” “So there won’t be any meeting?” “If you say so, it goes. Will I give the boys the office to rough-house the joint?” “And have every out-of-State paper screeching about ring rule and rowdyism? Billy, you must have been born more ignorant than most. You never could have picked up all you don’t know, in the little time you’ve lived.” Shevlin looked duly abashed and awaited further orders. “I hear the gas main that serves Snyder’s Opera House isn’t in very good order,” resumed the Boss. “I shouldn’t wonder if all the lights went out just as the meeting opens to-night. That’ll mean a lot of confusion. And my friend, Chief Geoghegan, being a careful man, will disperse the crowd to prevent a riot, and to keep pickpockets from molesting those pure patriots. I want you to see Geoghegan and the gas company about it, right away. But look here, there mustn’t be any rough-house or disorder. Tell the boys to keep away. I’ll have work enough for them to do when Standish takes the road.” Billy Shevlin, a great light of joy in his little beady eyes, departed on his mission, while Caleb, summoning Anice Lanier, set about his daily task of dictation. His always large mail was still more voluminous during the past week or so, and he had been forced to double his staff of stenographers. He and his secretary toiled steadily for three hours to-day, then laid aside the remaining work until later on.