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The voters had been now voting in my two boxes for some time, and I found myself hoping the manna would not win, whoever did; but it seemed this agent was a very capable person. To begin with, every family entering a baby drew a package of the manna free, and one package contained a diamond ring. Then, he had managed to have the finest babies of all classes in his own exhibit. This was incontestable, Mrs. Brewton admitted, after returning from a general inspection; and it seemed to us extraordinary. “That’s easy, ma’am,” said Gadsden; “he came around here a month ago. Don’t you see?” I did not see, but Mrs. Brewton saw at once. He had made a quiet selection of babies beforehand, and then introduced the manna into those homes. And everybody in the room was remarking that his show was very superior, taken as a whole they all added, “taken as a whole”; I heard them as they came up to vote for the 3-year and the 18-month classes. The 6-month was to wait till last, because the third box had been accidentally smashed by Mr. Smith. Gadsden caught several trying to vote twice. “No, you don’t!” he would shout. “I know faces. I’m not a conductor for nothing.” And the victim would fall back amid jeers from the sun-bonnets. Once the passengers sent over to know when the train was going. “Tell them to step over here and they’ll not feel so lonesome!” shouted Gadsden; and I think a good many came. The band was playing “White Wings,” with quite a number singing it, when Gadsden noticed the voting had ceased, and announced this ballot closed. The music paused for him, and we could suddenly hear how many babies were in distress; but for a moment only; as we began our counting, “White Wings” resumed, and the sun-bonnets outsang their progeny. There was something quite singular in the way they had voted. Here are some of the 3-year-old tickets: “First choice, Ulysses Grant Blum; 2d choice, Lewis Hendricks.” “First choice, James Redfield; 2d, Lewis Hendricks.” “First, Elk Chester; 2d, Lewis Hendricks.” “Can it be?” said the excited Gadsden. “Finish these quick. I’ll open the 18-monthers.” But he swung round to me at once. “See there!” he cried.” Read that! and that!” He plunged among more, and I read: “First choice, Lawrence Nepton Ford, Jr.; 2d, Iona Judd.” “First choice, Mary Louise Kenton; 2d, Iona Judd.” “Hurry up!” said Gadsden; “that’s it!” And as we counted, Mrs. Brewton looked over my shoulder and uttered her melodious croak, for which I saw no reason. “That young whipper-snapper will go far,” she observed; nor did I under- stand this. But when they stopped the band for me to announce the returns, one fact did dawn on me even while I was reading: “Three- year-olds: Whole number of votes cast, 300; necessary to a choice, 225. Second prize, Lewis Hendricks, receiving 300. First prize, largest number of votes cast, 11, for Salvisa van Meter. No award. Eighteen-month class: Whole number of votes cast, 300; necessary to a choice, 225. Second prize, Iona Judd, receiving 300. Lillian Brown gets 15 for 1st prize. None awarded.” There was a very feeble applause, and then silence for a second, and then the sun-bonnets rushed together, rushed away to others, rushed back; and talk swept like hail through the place. Yes, that is what they had done. They had all voted for Lewis Hendricks and Iona Judd for second prize, and every family had voted the first prize to its own baby. The Browns and van Meters happened to be the largest families present. “He’ll go far! he’ll go far!” repeated Mrs. Brewton. Sport glittered in her eye. She gathered her curtains, and was among the sun-bonnets in a moment. Then it fully dawned on me. The agent for Mrs. Eden’s Manna in the Wilderness was indeed a shrewd strategist, and knew his people to the roots of the grass. They had never seen a baby-show. They were innocent. He came among them. He gave away packages of manna and a diamond ring. He offered the prizes. But he proposed to win some. Therefore he made that rule about only the immediate families voting. He foresaw what they would do; and now they had done it. Whatever happened, two prizes went to his manna-feds. “They don’t see through it in the least, which is just as well,” said Mrs. Brewton, returning. “And it’s little matter that only second prizes go to the best babies. But what’s to be done now?” I had no idea; but it was not necessary that I should.