"Humph! well named," said Van Dorn, while the others uttered various exclamations. "Well, I'm sorry for Bessie, but I'm afraid she'll be disappointed." Perner selected another letter. "This is from a boy," he commented; "his name is Robert Bright. You wouldn't suspect it, however, from his communication. "GENTLEMEN: Here are ure twentie naims. Now send mi five dollers, and dont be so slo about it or i will have the polese on ure track. I have ben foold one or twise by advertisment fellers but this time i mean to have wat is coming." The exclamations that followed this possessed an added degree of emphasis. Perner picked up a third letter. "From a woman," he said. "GENTLEMEN: I am sending the twenty names, and you don't know how grateful I am or how happy it makes me to be able to earn money for my little family, who are in need of the necessaries of life. I hope you can send me the five dollars to-night, and I am sure Heaven will reward you for your great undertaking." Nobody uttered a word for some moments. Then Livingstone said: "Do you suppose there'll be many letters like that?" And Van Dorn growled: "Some people haven't got the sense they were born with. That advertisement was as clear as sunlight." "It was," said Perner; "I wrote it myself." Nevertheless, they made up the five dollars between them and mailed a check for it on their way to dinner. The next morning there were more answers in the big mail-box. The bottom was quite covered with postal cards containing lists of twenty names each. Also, there was a letter from the man of the rolled-up sleeves, stating that he was prepared to run some twenty thousand copies of the paper, and would start the press upon receipt of a check for the amount. This was a severe blow, but as the amount was comparatively small it was not fatal. Besides, they had grown somewhat accustomed to such things. They were not even surprised when their landlord, who, with his family, occupied apartments in the rear, came in to demand his rent in the middle of the month--a thing he had never dreamed of doing since the first year of their occupancy. Not that he was at all afraid, he said, but he was only a poor man who sublet to them, and had met with ill fortune. Later, the Colonel came up with still further strange letters, though none so pathetic as the one of the night before. However, there were other complications. People in small villages were sending lists containing the same names. Some of the lists were almost identical. When Perner realized this he scowled anxiously, and lay down on the couch to think. "Good heavens! fellows," he exclaimed, "we'll ruin the nation!" "What's the matter? What do you mean?" asked Van Dorn.