now you understand it!”

He looked — well, he merely looked dubious, it’s the most I can say; so did the others. I waited — to let the thing work. Dowley spoke at last — and betrayed the fact that he actually hadn’t gotten away from his rooted and grounded superstitions yet.

He said, with a trifle of hesitancy:

“But — but — ye cannot fail to grant that two mills a day is better than one.”

Shucks! Well, of course, I hated to give it up. So I chanced another flyer:

“Let us suppose a case. Suppose one of your journeymen goes out and buys the following articles:

“1 pound of salt; 1