"When it comes to that, Nell--we'll move into Canada and buy a farm."

"But can he hurt you, Phil--either of you?" she asked, after a moment.

"I'd like to see him try it," Phil Goodrich declared

And his wife thought, as she looked at him, that she would like to see
Mr. Parr try it, too.



III

Phil Goodrich had once said that Mr. Plimpton's translation of the
national motto E pluribus unum, was "get together," and it was true that
not the least of Mr. Plimpton's many gifts was that of peace making.
Such was his genius that he scented trouble before it became manifest to
the world, and he stoutly declared that no difference of opinion ever
existed between reasonable men that might not be patched up before the
breach became too wide--provided that a third reasonable man contributed
his services. The qualifying word "reasonable" is to be noted. When
Mr. Bedloe Hubbell had undertaken, in the name of Reform, to make a
witch's cauldron of the city's politics, which Mr. Beatty had hitherto
conducted so smoothly from the back room of his saloon, Mr. Plimpton had
unselfishly offered his services. Bedloe Hubbell, although he had been a
playmate of Mr. Plimpton's wife's, had not proved "reasonable," and had
rejected with a scorn only to be deemed fanatical the suggestion that Mr.
Hubbell's interests and Mr. Beatty's interests need not clash, since Mr.
Hubbell might go to Congress! And Mr. Plimpton was the more hurt since
the happy suggestion was his own, and he had had no little difficulty in