The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-02-10
90 pulled up as we met, and called


well, don't tell if you don't want
to-" continued he, but know You're
going to Vandcrson's."
What thcn?" inquired
Nothing, only your man isn't at
home. You might as we'll save your
self the trouble of going any farther"
Now this struck me as suspicious.
did not precisely think Fred was tell
ing Il falschood, but my brief expert
ence of politics had inclined me to dis
trust everything an opponent might
say. So l resolved to find out for my
self, and told Fred as much.
"All right for you, Charley" replied
he, driving on offended. go ahead
and sec VIII at you'll make of it."
reached Vandcrson's comfortable
looking farmhouse almost certain of
proving Fred right and myself wrong
by finding no one there. To my ex-
tremc surprise 1 saw an elderly man
near the stable, hard at work oiling a
wagon-whecl.
"NIr. Vandcrson?" inquired.
"Thc same" he replied, hardly look
ing up.
1 caught my breath. Fred had told
me n lie, after all. I am glad to be
able to say that wish 1 had believed
him.
81 want you to como to town with
me, if you please, continued, after
minute. lie 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-
GREETED anything, but so,emnly re-
solved that Vandcrson should go to the
polls if had to carry him on my back.
lie laid down on me pretty consid'-
bic hard, but l told him it warn't no
use. I'm all sole alone to-day, for my
sons gone away and there's slathers O.
things to do"
ut won't take you an hour, Mr.. Van
derson. The elections awfully close,
and we need every vote we can get"
pleaded.
do, ch? Well, We can't have mine,
young Sir" answered he, looking ex-
trcmcly obstinate. "Fustly, this wag-
on's to lie
"1'll help you on that!" exclaimed /,
jumping from the buggy and grasping
the oil can.
Secondly, the stoves to black" he
continued, giving up tho oiling to me
without protest
I'm do that. too.''
Thirdly, the ashes is to sift for
raulching 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.
eff We can git through in time, p'r'aps
I'll go with ye. you ng SIR"
My oiling of that wagon must have
been a rare sight, and my backing of
that stove n rarcr. BY the time 1 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-
SEPARATION arising from my cxertions
formed 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 I'M
bearablc degree that heartily wished
the moon were inhabited by Wander
Unt o,.r 70 D,,t 7 L.
hand to the ash sitter and l 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 commotion. Some ap-
plauded some cheered and some
laughed-not few hissed-and n 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 a queer mix
ture OF conflicting expressions. With a
triumphant glance at him pressed ND
TO the box, in which, scarcely a second
before the clock struck the hour of
closing, Vanderson calmly placed a
straight ballot which carried the cleo
ton 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 prefer
their sincere though bitterly ironical
congratulations. And Fred was the
loudest Of them all.
Didn't tell you, didn't tell you?"
he liant ,upl..