Page:The council of seven.djvu/227



"Sir Munt," for the nth time Mayor of Blackhampton, was in his parlor at the City Hall, gazing into the heavens. A contraption rather like a monstrous aluminum fish shining in the October air hung above Market Square. At regular intervals of a minute or so there came fluttering down from the huge object in the sky a rain of leaflets. These varied in color and they fell upon the heads of the citizens.

At last, yet not without effort of will, Sir Munt set a term to his entrancement. He went across to his writing table and pressed the bell once. A small imp in a very tight suit of buttons promptly answered the summons.

"Niblo," said the Chief Magistrate, "step into the square and collect some of that dé-bris. Bring one of each color, my boy."

Preternaturally sharp in all circumstances, Niblo fully understood what was required. He made his exit with a duck.

Sir Munt turned thoughtfully to the room's second occupant. Its second occupant was no less a personage than his stenographer, Miss Evans. An intelligent,