"Did you hear it?" he asked his chief. "Say, she is smiling to beat the band and the crowd is going crazy. Hear that?" And he began to dance a jig.
H. R. seized him by the arm and said:
"In exactly two minutes I shall enter."
Andrew Barrett rushed away to tip on the vox populi.
"Gentlemen," said H. R. to the reporters, "you had better go in."
They obeyed him. They were escorted to their table on the stage. They found there seven military bands that had volunteered their services and also their own weapons.
In the background of the stage was a huge placard:
FIFTY THOUSAND PEOPLE CAN BE SERVED, FED, AND FIRED IN 6¾ MINUTES BY OUR SYSTEM!
S. A. S. A., Dept. T.
O. K.
H. R.,
Sec.
At each reporter's place was a typewritten sheet containing intelligent statistics of this stupendous charity.