“This is goin' to be a meMOriable town meetin'!” declared Sylvanus Cahoon, with unction, rising from the settee to gaze about him over the heads of the voters in the townhall. “I bet you every able-bodied man in Bayport 'll be here this forenoon. Yes, sir! that's what I call it, a me-MO-riable meetin'!” “See anything of Cy?” inquired Josiah Dimick, who sat next to Sylvanus. “No, he ain't come yet. And Heman ain't here, neither. Hello! there's Tad. Looks happy, seems to me.” Captain Dimick stood up to inspect Mr. Simpson. “Humph!” he muttered. “Well, unless my count's wrong, he ain't got much to be happy about. 'Lonzo Snow's with him. Tad does look sort of joyful, don't he? Them that laughs last laughs best. When the vote for school committee's all in we'll see who does the grinnin'. But I can't understand--Hello! there's Tidditt. Asaph! Ase! S-s-t-t! Come here a minute.” Mr. Tidditt, trembling with excitement, and shaking hands effusively with everyone he met, pushed his way up the aisle and bent over his friend. “Say, Ase,” whispered Josiah, “where's Whit? Why ain't he on hand? Nothin's happened, has it?” “No,” replied the town clerk. “Everything seems to be all right. I stopped in on the way along and Cy said not to wait; he'd be here on time. He's been kind of off his feed for the last day or so, and I cal'late he didn't feel like hurryin'. Say, Joe, now honest, what do you think of my chances?” Such a confirmed joker as Dimick couldn't lose an opportunity like this. With the aid of one trying to be cheerful under discouragement he answered that, so far, Asaph's chances looked fair, pretty fair, but of course you couldn't always sometimes tell. Mr. Tidditt rushed away to begin the handshaking all over again.