“We know now that it was by Tate forgin’ your name and runnin’ things underhanded that the town got into the scrape it did,” Hiram went on.  “Them bills had to be paid to keep outsiders slingin’ slurs at us.  You done just right.  The town will have to meet and vote more money to pay the rest of the bills.  But probably it won’t come as hard as we think.  What I was goin’ to ask you, Cap’n Sproul, was whether there ain’t an overplus in some departments?  We can use that money so far’s it’ll go.”

“Pauper department has something extry,” stated the first selectman, dryly.  “I was thinkin’ of buyin’ a new furnace for the poor-farm, but we can let the paupers shiver through another winter so’s to pay them squirtin’ prizes to the firemen.”

“We don’t want to do anything that ain’t just accordin’ to Hoyle,” said Hiram, flushing a little, for he sensed the satire.  “We’ll meet and vote the money and then we can sit back and take comfort in thinkin’ that there’s just the right man at the head of town affairs to economize us back onto Easy Street.”  He was eager to flatter.  “This town understands what kind of a man it wants to keep in office.  I take back all I ever said about opposin’ you, Cap’n.”

“And that’s the general sentiment of the town,” affirmed Odbar Broadway.

The face of the first selectman did not indicate that he was especially gratified.

“That is to say,” he inquired grimly, “after I’ve fussed, figured, and struggled for most of two years to save money and pay off the debts of this town and have had the cash yanked away from me like honey out of a hive, I’m supposed to start in all over again and do a similar job for this town on a salary of sixty dollars a year?”

“We don’t feel you ought to put it just that way,” objected Hiram.

“That’s the way it suits me to put it.  You can do it to me once—­you have done it—­but this is where this partickler little busy bee stops makin’ honey for the town of Smyrna to lap up at one mouthful.  That special town-meetin’ comes along all handy for me.  You notice I ain’t objectin’ to havin’ it held.”

Constable Nute, who had been looking puzzled ever since the selectman had signed the call for the meeting, perked up with the interest of one who is about to hear a mystery explained.

“For,” the Cap’n went on, “I was goin’ to call one on my own hook so that I can resign this office.  I serve notice on you now that when this town touches dock at that meetin’ I step ashore with my little dunnage bag on my back.”

“The town won’t let you do it,” blazed Hiram.

“I was shanghaied aboard.  You want to be careful, all of ye, how you gather at the gangway when I start to walk ashore!  It’s fair warnin’.  Take heed of it!”

There was an expression on his weather-worn countenance that checked further expostulation.  Hiram angrily led them out after a few muttered expletives.