Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1884-12-04
The LANDsTREETs.
A STORY OF THE PRAoH COUNTRY,
OSCAR DALE.
Copyrighted by The Every Evening Publishing 90
CHAPTER XIV.
rEAcHRs, POLITICS AND LOVE.

~@-@ = @AAN ~-hHe
PEAcHEs, PoLITIos AND LOVE.
or course the rest of the little world In
and around the distriots Of Lincoln and
Tongueotesgue had not stood still while
the events already recorded Of suoh
interest TO the LAndstreets were taking
place. Mr.. Carswell had gone ahead
vigorously in putting his place in order
aud he continued to be frequent visitor
At Landstreet's while he and Frank
Broughton had become inssparable oom-
panions. They Joined in rendering de-
voted service TO the family at the time Of
Bob LHndstreet's sickness and death.
Both were also frequent visitors ct Mr..
Curtis and Carswsll became convinced
shat Frank Broughton, despite his re.
serve, was deeply in love with Lutte and
chated under that lively young lady's
determination to see nothing but tine
purely oousinly relation Broughton had
been at such pains to establish In the
frat place. Carswell had also met Bar
low several times before the latter had
gone to New York aud ''the school.
MASTER" having no longer any feeling OF
Jealousy had shown Q cordiality toward
the new. ooner that had effAoed all reoolleo-
tion OF the unplessantness Of the first
meeting.
Lutte Curtis had been afrequent visitor
at Lsndstreet's during Bob's illness, and
Mr.. Carswell quite frequently drove her
over there 30 that more than one acute
observer, who saw the two frequently
together had suggested that Lutte was
cutting Katie out. Brough'on did not
worry any over this and he evidently
yielded consciously, though with much
reluctance TO Lutie's manifest wish that
he should not be too frequently her
escort. Besides this Bfoughion's place
was really nquite distant and he had q
large farm and many other matters TO
keep him busy, for, In q quiet way, he
was as earnest . politician ss old Tom
LAndstreet himaeli, and not by any meana
In full accord with the latter. Probably
Tom would have quArrelled with the
young man long before had II not been
for Broughton's intimacy with Mr.. Curtis
and his friendship with Katie, added to
which was the recollection that he had
bsen friend Of MAggie's, for Broughton
was about Bob's age.
The Democratic State convention met
while Tom was detained at home by his
sons illness, and after several ballots in
which the vote was pretty evenly divided
between two prominent rivals with
majority for neither, . break was sud
denly made for Frank BrouShton which
concentrated on him all the scattering
votes. Bach OF the other factions fearing
that Its rival might anticipate It in SO
"smart" move rushed TO the support Of
the new name proposed and therefore the
Democratic papera were able TO axultingly
declare that their party had secured "a
candidate for Congress whose pre- eminent
fitness for the high honor was so manifest
that the mere mention OF his name caused
all fao:ional strife aud personal ambition
to be forgotten as the delegates rushed
with uuanimity to his support" The
Republican papers took q different view
and declared that "oxhsusted by a
purely personal strifs In which no princi.
pie was involved, and which threatened
hopeless division in the party, the
Democratic convention had bsen stsm-
peded through sheer fright into the
nomination Of an obscure young farmer
who represented no policy Of his own or
Of any one slse." The truth lay doubtless
somewher5 between those. two extremes,
AOA hhOukh huO bOhOUEdblO CDuNbubluh nhu
been fortunate iu it's selection OF oAndi.
date, II deserved no oommendation lor
deliberate wisdom Of choice and had
nominated him 10 very much the way aud
for just suoh reasons as the Republican
papers declared. Political conventions
are simply lotteries, in which the cheat.
log, which Is at least concealed in the
kind now banned by law, Ia openly
practiosd as fius art Of which those
engaging In 1t are proud. Old Tom,
whose own candidate had besn bsGtsn by
the stampede found time amidst his
private troubles to grow very angry aud
he told ueighbor who brought the news
that "that d. bull calf, Frank
Broughton," was "no more 6t for Con-
ersss than hell Ia for powder mag gszine." I"
However he intended, Of oonrss, to sup
port the regular nomination, and after
his return from Wilmington the old
gentleman found distraction from grief
and anxiety by pluuRing vigorously into
the canvass, and though he did not in
dulge In any extravagant lauistions OF
Broughton he declared with great warm b
that he wAs q "good DimmiorAt" and de-
nounoed his opponent with savage bitte:-
ness As fellow who had taken con-
spionous part in "the ravlshmsnt OF the
State by military power in the election
Of '62."
The peach season had also begun.
BRrly In July the negroes began trsns-
ferrinz themselves from the strawberry,
blackberry and raspberry pAtohes to
the orchards, while the vanguard
Of the army of "peaoh plucks''
from the north had put In its appearance,
bringing more or less alarm to the women
Of every household, an alarm which had
sufficient foundation in fact to lead to
Bystematio arrangements to always have
one or two trusty men about each house,
for though many decent, though poor,
men and women for the sake Of fair wages
and temporary good living Join the
throng from the great cities which streama
into the peach country every year, there
ia no doubt that trampB Of both sexes and
all grades constitute no uncomfortable
part Of the army, and that many Of them
are capable Of robbery and even worse
forms Of outrage.
Whatever were Frank Broughton's
qualifications for Congress, his nonins
tion was really surprise to him. He
wss deeply interested in politics aud
like many another farmer or physician Of
his part Of the country, was So we'll resd
in constitutional law aud political debAtt
as were any Of the lawyers thereabouts
though despite this the custom was tC
send lawyers to Congress and max,
governors and legislators ont OF the othel
CLASSES. Frank, then, did not feel him
self unfit for the duties about to be i'm
posed upon him, for Of his election ther'
was really no question. Nevertheless
the modssty which marked his letter o
acceptance was not assumed, He really
felt difident about assuming suoh
position, difidenoe that rapidly wor,
OF, It msy as well bs here remArse ed
after he had become once AOquaini,
with the poorer sort OF men II IL tn,
custom Of many districts to send 10 I'll,
House. There is an old story, even ye
current amongst congressman themselves
concerning man who onos Unexpectedly
found himself elevated 10 o seat In tn
United States Senate. As he looked
around on his colleagues he said he uset
to wonder how he ever got into such
body, but after being there while h
began to wonder great deal more as t
how the others ever got there.
But whatever his hopes or fears, on
thought arising out Of his nomination
filled Broughton with delight. Ono
elected to Congress, he intended to pu
In formal words the claim for somethin
more than oousinly love he had so oitel
silently but unmistakhbly made on Luti
Curtis. Lutte seemed TO him 30 vel
worth any mans love that II had no
been difficult for her to hold in check an,
inoonvsniently positive manifestation q
the Affection she could not but kno,