"I’ll tell you," said Denry. "I wanted to be the youngest mayor that Bursley ’s ever had. It was only a kind of notion I had, a long time ago. I ’d given it up, because I knew there was no chance, unless I came before Bloor, which of course I could n’t do. Now he ’s dead. If I could upset old Barlow’s apple-cart I should just be the youngest mayor by the skin of my teeth. Huskinson, the mayor in 1884, was aged thirty-four and six months. I ’ve looked it all up this afternoon." "How lovely if you _could_ be the youngest mayor!" "Yes. I’ll tell you how I feel. I feel as though I didn’t want to be mayor at all if I can’t be the youngest mayor ... you know." She knew. "Oh!" she cried. "Do upset Mr. Barlow’s apple-cart. He’s a horrid old thing. Should I be the youngest mayoress?" "Not by chalks!" said he. "Huskinson’s sister was only sixteen." "But that’s only playing at being mayoress!" Nellie protested. "Anyhow, I do think you might be youngest mayor. Who settles it?" "The Council, of course." "Nobody likes Councillor Barlow." "He ’ll be still less liked when he ’s wound up the Bursley Football Club." "Well, urge him on to wind it up, then. But I don’t see what football has got to do with being mayor." She endeavoured to look like a serious politician. "You are nothing but a cuckoo," Denry pleasantly informed her. "Football has got to do with everything. And it’s been a disastrous mistake in my career that I ’ve never taken any interest in football. Old Barlow wants no urging on to wind up the Football Club. He’s absolutely set on it. He ’s lost too much over it. If I could stop him from winding it up, I might..." "What?" "I dunno." She perceived that his idea was yet vague. II Not very many days afterwards the walls of Bursley sharply called attention, by small blue and red posters (blue and red being the historic colours of the Bursley Football Club), to a public meeting which was to be held in the Town Hall, under the presidency of the Mayor, to consider what steps could be taken to secure the future of the Bursley Football Club.