had happened to the lad--for the mayor did not deceive himself
for a moment by the thought that he would be able to conceal from
his wife the cause of Jack's absence; he was too well aware of
Mrs. Anthony's power of investigation. Still, after it was done it
could not be undone, and it was better to have one domestic storm
than a continuation of foul weather.

Calling in his clerk the mayor read over to him the order he had
received, and bade him turn to the court book and make out a list
of the names of forty young men who had been charged before him
with offenses of drunkenness, assault, battery and rioting.

"When you have made up the list, Johnson, you will go round to the
aldermen and inform them of the order that I have received from
the government, and you can tell them that if there are any persons
they know of whom they consider that Southampton would be well rid,
if they will send the names to me I will add them to the list. Bid
them not to choose married men, if it can be avoided, for the town
would be burdened with the support of their wives and families.
Another ten names will do. The letter which accompanies the order
says that from my well known zeal and loyalty it is doubted not
that Southampton will furnish a hundred men, but if I begin with
fifty that will be well enough, and we can pick out the others at
our leisure."

By the afternoon the list was filled up. One of the aldermen had
inserted the name of a troublesome nephew, another that of a foreman
with whom he had had a dispute about wages, and who had threatened
to proceed against him in the court. Some of the names were inserted
from mere petty spite; but with scarce an exception the aldermen