Page:The spirit of the leader (IA spiritofleader00heyl).pdf/243

 "How does it look?" the real estate man asked in an undertone.

"I think we'll put it over," the lawyer answered in the same low voice.

Ordinarily Praska would not have heard either the question or the answer; but to-night every sense was sharp and alert. In the living room, where the conference was held, he was conscious of Bristow, his head tilted a little to one side, smiling inscrutably over the heads of the gathering.

"Mr. Ballinger," Carlos Dix said, "is a graduate of Northfield High. I don't think any of you knew that. He graduated years ago before the present high school was built. But his heart is still with Northfield."

"So much so," said Mr. Ballinger, "that I want to organize a committee, get after every graduate who is in town, and send him out to influence his friends to vote for the athletic field. I thought it best, though, to talk to some of the students and see how they felt about it."

"I think that's great," Perry King said at once. Bristow said not a word. Praska nodded—slowly—and saw Carlos Dix give him a sharp glance.

The discussion lasted more than an hour. In all that time Bristow did not speak. Perry was