The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1893-02-04

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simply smiled, having no intention
of betraying my plans.
'Well, don't tell if you don't want
to-" continued he, "but | know. You're
going to Vanderson's."
what then?" l inquired
Nothing, only your man isn't al
home. You might as well save your
self the trouble of going any farther" "
Now this struck me as suspicious.
did not precisely think Fred was tell
ing falsehood, but my brief expert
ence of politics had inclined me to dis.
trust everything an opponent might
say. So / resolved to find ont for my.
self, and told Fred as much.
"All right for you, Charley" replied
he, driving on offended. "Go ahead
and see what you'll make of it"
resumed my way, trying to feel
proud of my sharpness and determine.
ton, but not succeeding especially
WELL for / knew / had done a mean
thing in doubling Fred's word. TO sus'
pect unjustly once is worse than being
cheated twice.
reached Vanderson's comfortable
lOONluR GilulOSb SCl Iulli VI
proving Fred right and myself wrong
by finding no one there. To my eX'
treme surprise l saw an elderly mar
near the stable, hard at work oiling a
wagon-wheel.
"Mr. Nanderson?" / inquired.
"The same" he replied, hardly look
ing up.
caught my breath Fred had told
me lie, after all. | am glad to be
able to say that wish had believed
him,
81 want you to come to town with
me. if you please" | continued, after
minute. He looked at me, quizzically
Want me to vote, eh?"
"Yes, that's it. How did you know
"Oh! there was another young man
here awhile ago, who wanted the same
thing"
So Master Fred had been trying to
steal my man, had he? no longer re-
gretted anything, but solemnly re.
solved that Vanderson should go to the
polls if l had to carry him on my back
"He laid down on me pretty consid
ble hard, but l told him it warn't nc
use. I'm all sole alone to-day, for my
sons gone away and there's slathers o
things to do"
'"lt won't take you an hour, Mr.. Van
derson. The elections awfully close,
and we need every vote we can get" ]
pleaded.
DO, eh? Well, ye can't have mine,
young SIR" answered he, looking ex.
tremely obstinate. "Fustly, this wag
ons to lie"
"I'll help you on that!' exclaimed l.
jumping from the buggy and grasping
the oil can.
Secondly, the stoves to black he
continued, giving up the oiling to me
without protest.
"I'll do that, too"
Thirdly, the ashes is to sift for
mulching the apple trees"
And that, too" persisted, wonder
ing how it happened that all his jobs
should be either dirty or dusty. He
began to show signs of yielding.
'If ye can git through in time, p'r'aps
I'll go with ye, young SIR"
made a hasty calculation and con-
cluded that by rushing matters ]
might make "a close connection" al
the town hall. So 1 began to rush mat.
ters.
My oiling of that wagon must have
been a rare sight, and my blacking OF
that stove rarer BY the time l be.
gan to sift the ashes my face and
clothes were oil where they were not
all stove polish. The ashes combined
with the other substances and the per.
spiration arising from my exertions
formed a remarkable complexion pow.
der.
Meanwhile old Mr.. Vanderson lighted
pipe, seated himself comfortably to
windward of my whirling ash dust and
talked on about his farm, family,
friends and foes until l thought he
would drive me distracted. Then he
began to ask me questions about the
studies at school, and, finding astrono.
my to be one of them, Immediately
brought out his hobby-a theory that
the moon is inhabited.
Upon this he argued to such an uu.
bearable degree that l heartily wished
the moon were inhabited by Wander
son, vote or no vote But l had put my
hand to the ash sitter and i would not
look back.
finished the work, did three or four
more little jobs which he pointed out,
and at last, oily, dusty and tired. sue.
ceeded in getting fairly on the road to
town.
We drove up to the hall only just in
season. The crowd seemed in more
suspense than ever and our arrival
caused great Gommotion. Some ap.
plauded, some cheered and some
laughed-not few hissed-and a gen.
eral rush was made into the building.
AS hurried my companion through
the throng caught sight of Fred, who
stood staring at us with queer mix.
ture of conflicting expressions. With a
triumphant glance at him pressed up
to the box, in which, scarcely second
before the clock struck the hour OF
closing, Vanderson calmly placed d
straight ballot which carried the elec.
tion by one vote for-the opposite
party
Such a yell as went up! Nothing
saved me from being mobbed by my
friends except that the other side sur.
rounded me in dense mass to proffer
their sincere though bitterly ironical
congratulations And Fred was the
loudest of them all.
Didn't l tell you, didn't tell youP'
he kept shouting. THE son who had
gone away was your man. Old Mr..
Vanderson's never voted anything but