The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-03-29
dc puIieu up Is We met and called

Notnlng. only your man isn't ~
home You might as well save your-
self the trouble of going any farther
Now this struck me as suspicious. J
did not precisely think Fred was tell
| ing a faisehood. but my brief expert
ence Of politics had inclined me 70 dis
trust everything an opponent might
say. So resolved 10 find out for my
self and told Fred as much.
''All right for you. Charley replied
he. driving on offended SO ahead
and see what you'll make Of IL /"
reached vanderson's comfortable
looking farmhouse almost certain of
proving Fred right and myself wrong
by finding NO one there. TO my ex-
near the stable, hard At work oiling .
wagon wheel
SIR vandcrson?n inquired.
The same, be replied. hardly look
Ing mp.
caught my breath Fred had told
me a lie. after all ! am glad 70 be
able to say that I wish ] bad believed
him.
= want you 70 come TO town with
me, IL you please, Icontinned, after a
minute He looked at me. quizzicaliy-
Want me to vote, chr
Yes. that's il How did you know
'suhl there was another young man
here awhile ago, who wanted the same
thing.
50 Master Fred had been trying to
steal my man. had hep no longer re-
GREETED anything, but solemnly re-
a
polls II ] had to carry him on my back.
lie laid down on me pretty consid'-
bic hard. but ! told him II warntt no
use. I'm all sole alone to-day. for my
sons gohe away and there's slathers O.
things 70 do"
1T won't take you an hour. Mr.. Van
sierson. The elections awfully close,
and we need every vote we can get,
pleaded.
do, eh2 Wen. ye cant have mine,
young sir, answered he, looking ex-
Etstuaely obstinate. Fustfy, this wag-
on's 10 lie"
.,Ill help you on THAR exclaimed i,
| jumping from the buggy and grasping
I 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
mulehing the apple trees
And that, too, persisted. wonder
! ing how It happened that all his jobs
4 shouin be either dirty OK dusty. He
began to show signs Of yielding
II We can git through in time. p'r'aps
| I'll 60 with We. young sir
Ny oiling Of that wagon must have
been a rare sight, and my backing OF
that stove a rarer BY the time | be-
gan to sift the ashes my face and
clothes were oil where they were net,
all stove polish. The ashes combined
with the other substances and the per-
spiration arising from my exertions
formed remarkable complexion pow
der.
Meanwhile old Mr.. Vanderson lighted
a pipe. seated himself comfortably to
windward Of my whirling ash dust and
talked on about his farm, family,
| friends and foes until thought he
would drive me distracted Then he
/ began to ask me questions about the
studies at school. and, finding astrono-
my 10 be one of them, Immediately
brought out his hobby-a theory that
the moon is inhabited.
Upon this he argued TO such an nm
bearable degree that heartily wished
the moon were inhabited by Wander
son, vote or no vote. But had put my
| hand to the ash sitter and 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 APP
plauded. some cheered and some
laughedno not few hissed-and 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 a second
/ before the clock struck the hour Of
closing, Fanderson calmly placed
\ straight ballot which carried the cleo
tion by one vote for-the opposite
! party
Such yell as went upl Nothing
saved me from being mobbed By my
i friends except that the other side sur
rounded me in dense mass to proffer
] their sincere though bitterly ironical
7 'esos1ngratnlations. And Fred was the.
loudest Of them all
Didn't tell you. didn't tell you?a
he kept shouting. The son who had
gone away was your man Old Mr..
Yanderson's never voted anything but
4 our Ticket for the last forty-fve years.
'Sartain true, young sirr' said the
old man, grinning. ',Ye never asked
me about my views, an Tux II fur
granted We was one Of us But II w
amt much Of q canvasser ye're a mas
i ter hand 70 work If yell come out to-
morrow wen continue our argument
CONSUMING the inhabberterbil'ty Of
/ the moon, an III hay s'more ashes fer
re to sifti'
/ ] broke away from him, escaped the
scrowd, and rushed home like wild
boy. Father subsequently found me
buried in the haymow up 70 my neck,
crying with rage.
There, there. sonny. never mind,
never mind, said he, soothingly. @If
you aren exactly cutont for a politi-
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