"Move we adjourn," said another voice. "Wait--wait!" cried the chairman. "We must elect our officers for the coming year." "Move the same officers be continued," said the last speaker. "Second the emotion," said the tall man. It was carried, unanimously but without emotion. Then Jarrod arose to his feet, to the evident surprise of the assemblage. "Mr. President and ladies and gentlemen," he began, in his rich, resonant voice. The president bowed. "Mr.--er--er" "Jarrod." "Mr. Jarrod has the floor." "I am a newcomer here," said Jarrod, "and have recently bought the cottage known as 'Lake View.' With that property I acquired an equity in all the parks and highways of Tamawaca; but I find that some one has usurped portions of those parks and highways and erected cottages and other buildings upon them. Those buildings must be removed, and the public lands be restored to the public. I move you that your president be instructed to appoint a committee of five cottage owners, who will be authorized to take any necessary legal steps to enforce the removal of all buildings now upon public grounds, and the restoration of all public lands illegally sold and deeded to individuals." Had a bomb been exploded in their midst the cottagers could not have been more astonished. They gaped at Jarrod in open-mouthed amazement, and were silent as bridge players struggling for the odd. "Second the emotion," suddenly yelled Geo. B. The chairman wiped his brow and looked worried. He repeated the motion and asked for remarks. No one responded. Then he put the motion to vote, and the people shouted "Aye!" with an enthusiasm the old Auditorium had never heard before. For dimly they realized that at last a leader had come among them, and proposed to do the thing they should have done themselves years before. "I appoint on this committee," said the chairman, "Mr. Jarrod; Colonel Kerry; Judge Toodles; Mr. Wright and Mr. Teekey." "Move we adjourn!" cried a voice. This time the motion carried, and the meeting adjourned. CHAPTER VIII. SOMETHING DOING. Wilder couldn't sleep that night. "Something queer happened at the meeting," he told Nora. "I can't understand exactly what it means, just yet; but I'll find out before I need another shave." So on Sunday afternoon he walked up to Lake View and interviewed Mr. Jarrod as follows: "Tell me, dear boy, what's the joke? It was awfully funny, and I laughed as much as anybody. But what's your idea? Just to guy the people?" "My idea," said Jarrod, calmly, "is to sue you and Easton in the courts and make you vacate wherever you've taken possession of public property." "What! Sue me!" "Exactly; you and Easton." Wilder's merry face grew thoughtful. "Do you mean it?" he asked, a bit uneasily. "Certainly." Wilder thought again. Then he laughed.