Flora yawned. "Well, I guess we earn our money, what with skeptics and all. Now, if you have any of these reporters come in you can get rid of them easy—but we can’t. We’ve got to make good for the sake of the rest of the crowd, unless they get so gay with us that we can fire ’em out." "That’s right. I never bother with skeptics; what’s the use? I don’t want their money enough to risk their jumpin’ up and gettin’ on to the game. No, sir! When any of these slick chaps that look like newspaper men or sports, come in, I just do a few lines and then tell ’em conditions ain’t satisfactory and let ’em go. It ain’t no use takin’ chances." "You’re in luck, Vixley, I tell you! I’ve had no end of trouble. Why, last week a couple o’ fresh guys come in and scattered a package of tacks all over the floor. When I come out in my stocking feet I thought I’d die, it hurt so. But I had to just grin and bear it! My feet are so sore yet I can hardly walk. I have to sweep the carpet now, just as soon as it’s dark, every time, unless Lulu’s there to watch out!" Vixley laughed for almost five minutes. He had to dry his eyes with a silk handkerchief. "Oh, Professor," said Flora, "I almost forgot what I came for. You know Harry’s doing the Middle West now with Mademoiselle Laflamme, the Inspirational Contralto, and he wanted me to ask you if you had anything on Missouri and Iowa. Would you mind lending him your test-book? You was out there a few years ago, wasn’t you?" "Sure. I’ll look and see if I can find it," and Vixley arose and left the room. He was gone a few minutes, and returned with a small, blue-covered note-book. "Here’s my test-book," he said, handing it over. "It’s rather behind the times. It was five years ago that I was out there, but maybe Harry can get something out of it." "How did you get the dope, swapping?" "Oh, no, I done it all myself, and it’s O.K. I went through the country first as a book-agent, and I kep’ my eyes and ears open. I took a look or two through the cemeteries, when I had time, and I read up the local papers pretty good. Of course I wouldn’t go back till a year after I got a town planted, but then it was easy graft." "I suppose these abbreviations are all plain?" "Yes, Harry will read that all right, he knows the regular cipher. The name after the first one is the party’s control. I’ve writ in a few messages that’ll work, and all the tests I know." She opened the book and ran through the pages which ran something like this: Jefferson City, Mo. Mrs. Henry Field "Mayflower" hb John died pneumonia 1870 good wishes from little Emily broken leg. Cameron, Mo. Mrs. Osborne "Pauline" hub James calls him Jimmie da disappeared July 1897 found drowned in Red River August Aunt Molly is happy Love to Belle and Joe.