THE SKETCH ARTIST During the next three days so many things happened at Millville that the natives were in a panic of excitement.

Not only was electricity brought from the paper mill, but a telegraph wire was run from Chazy Junction to Bob West's former storage shed and a telephone gang came along and placed a private wire, with long-distance connections, in the new newspaper office.

The office itself became transformed--"as full o' winders as a hothouse!" exclaimed Peggy McNutt, with bulging eyes--and neat partitions were placed for the offices.

There was no longer any secret as to the plans of the "nabobs"; it was generally understood that those terribly aggressive girls were going to inflict a daily paper on the community.

Some were glad, and some rebelled, but all were excited.
A perpetual meeting was held at Cotting's store to discuss developments, for something startling occurred every few minutes.
"It's a outrage, this thing," commented young Skim Clark despondently.
"They're tryin' to run mother out o' business--an' she a widder with me to look after! Most o' the business at the Emporium is done in newspapers an' magazines an' sich; so these gals thought they'd cut under an' take the business away from her." "Can't the Widder Clark sell the new paper, then ?" asked the blacksmith.
"I dunno.