Twenty-five Cents. As the chairman expressed it himself, if the
people had had any idea, any idea at all, of what the lecture would
be like they would have been there in hundreds. But how could they
get an idea that it would be so amusing with practically nothing to
go upon?


After that attempt things seemed to go from bad to worse. Nearly
everybody was disheartened about it. What would have happened to the
debt, or whether they would have ever paid it off, is more than I can
say, if it hadn't occurred that light broke in on Mullins in the
strangest and most surprising way you can imagine. It happened that
he went away for his bank holidays, and while he was away he happened
to be present in one of the big cities and saw how they went at it
there to raise money. He came home in such a state of excitement that
he went straight up from the Mariposa station to the rectory, valise
and all, and he burst in one April evening to where the Rural Dean
was sitting with the three girls beside the lamp in the front room,
and he cried out:

"Mr. Drone, I've got it,--I've got a way that will clear the debt
before you're a fortnight older. We'll have a Whirlwind Campaign in
Mariposa!"

But stay! The change from the depth of depression to the pinnacle of
hope is too abrupt. I must pause and tell you in another chapter of
the Whirlwind Campaign in Mariposa.