Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1892-11-22
THE AUDITORS WIFE.

Il was September. and Sile Burton
was ''in the hands Of his friends" foi
the fourth time. after the ancient and
honorable custom Of. candidates for %
litical prcferment Odd, Is 10 not. that
men who are otherwise very bright will
delude them.elve. with the idea that
they are deluding other reople with
that venerable liei ! never knew man
20 iss 90 any remarkable altitude In the
world fbliticai who left his candidacy
10 "his friends" Once In awhile a
man ~ that sort comes 10 the surface
and /. pushed into the city council. OF on
10 the board % education. by friends
who are too lazy 20 want those thanks
les. bootless Jobs themselves.
This trustful individual always shines
In the position thus thrust upon him.
Having nothing 10 fear he inaugurate-
reforms. says what his innocent, guile
lcss mind prompts him TO say. and doe.
divers other impractical and impolitic
things. thereby making himself . rec
ord. but making u uncomfortable fo<
'the boys who tremble all thu time
for fear he will succeed 10y the help OF
the only too willing opposition In doing
some supremely idiotic thing that will
cost the party lot OF votes at the next
election. ~ his first term IL generally
his last. and "the boys" gently. but
firmly. consign him 10 tho oblivion Of
his own private affairs and clear con
science. which latter IL considered by
mos, Icopls 10 10 . very comfortable
thing o. possess.
As I said. however. Sile Burton. audi
tor % Apache county. was In the hand.
% his friends That was literally true,
however. on this particular occasion,
for Sile was q very sick man. IL wAs hi
own fault. that is. he had no business "a
go. a. he did. with Sheriff Tom Owens
to suppress. that riot over In the Bloom.r
district last month. II was not In the
line % his duties. But then the call hal
bcen q hasty and imperative one. and
Tom WAS short on deputies ~ well ~
being pressed for time. and Sile could
hardly have refused 10 20 even II he had
wanted 20. which hs did not
IIe enjoyed little row ~ well ~ the
sheriff himself did. and besides he was
one of the most obliging men In the
world. 10 he went, and not only got hit
with club or something. but received q
u bullet In his interior department.
while Tom and the rect of the pose e.
cap-i without q scratch. Sile vas bet
ter now and could think with consid.
cradle facility. which was unfortunate
perhaps, because his thoughts wero
mostly Of his expiring term Of ONCE and
his helpless condition.
II was pretty tough. everybody agreed
because u was going 10 be ''cloee'
year. and Sile was . great worker. His
friends, too. unfortunately were kept
pretty busy looking out for their own
scalp-. and could not give his Affairs the
attention they needed.
There was the last payment still due
on the house; there was paper" In the
hank 10 bs taken up; Sile Burton was
In . bad financial way. because, In sddi.
ton 10 being what Ii known as good
fellow. he hal made some unfortunate
Investments lately. and now. to com.
plete his misery and overflow the cup,
brad Boutwell,. Of Chloride district, hal
como out, In his sneaking but effective
way. for Jere Hobart for county auditor,
and was working night and day for his
man. who had been Sile's strongest op-
pouent In the last convention. oh. u
wa. tough. and here was Si!e. lying help
les. with the nominating convention
only two weeks away!
All this and much more sile poured
into the ears Of his pretty little wife. as
sne hoyered over him attending 10 his
many wants In the way that nobody but
. woman. and . womanly woman, ever
will learn. She did not say 90. but sh"
had had talk with Tom Owens ths,
day. and he had agreed with her that
the outlook was pretty blue; for Brad
Boutwell,. boss of the Mountain Girl AMI
two lesser mines. employer VI 300 men
and an entirely unscrupulous politician.
was about the worst man In the county
TO have on the other side. and be had
assured Owens that he certainly intend.
ell to defeat Burton's denomination, and
"that's all there Il 10 H. II goes. too,
what Brad Boutwell, szys. and you know
Il, Tom Owens"
Yes, Tom did know II. and hs knew
that without Boutwell, his own name
was Dennis" for he had not the
strength In the precincts near town that
Burton had. so his hands were tied.
and he could do nothing for Sile In the
Chloride district.
Mrs. Burton said nothing TO Sile OF
Toms visit To the boss Of Chloride. She
clo~ed his complaining lips with kiss
now and then and chirped away ~ cheer.
fully - though mortgages and unpaid
notes and big surgeons bills and con.
ventions had never . part IN ner life.
And all this time she kept up "blame
sight o. thinkin." ~ Tom Owens used 20
say To his wife. who WAS also an ardent
adnirer Of the little "tenderfoot" bride
sile Burton had brought from the States
. few months before.
Sile BuYtou yas sleeping soundly next