The Penn's Grove record., 1895-09-27
DOROTHY'S DRIVE.

TIME contest ragged in South Blk
shire with a fury unparalleled In
that sturdy English constituency.
The tories did not want to fight, but,
by lingo, il they did! and the radicals
of Rottcnham had for years only want
ed a man to lead them. They had now
found him in jeremiah Clink, of Sharp
us & Clink, solicitors; his firm had long
ncted for one of the leading trade
protection societies in Rottenham,
which gave him power In quarters
where he wanted popularity; and with
the rest of the constituency his sue
cess surprised everyone, including him
self. Having cultivated mustard and
dress from boyhood, first on his sponge
and subsequently in an old chocolate
box, and having recently developed a
pear tree and a potato patch In his
back garden, he posed as an authority
In matters agricultural, and promised
more In the name of his party than
any candidate had ever promised De
fore. The agricultural laborer was at
tracted by what he understood to be
the prospect of free land for the SIX
ing; and Rottenhamites, who had been
contented with six geraniums in Hover
pots and a tomcat, now dreamed OF
acres of fertile soil tenanted by the
contemplated COW and the prolihc-or,
as a local speaker phrased 1t, "prof1i-
~gate"-pig. Sir George Redworthy, who
had represented the constituency In the
conservative interest for fifteen years,
felt that he had his work cut out, and
he buckled to like a man. 1t was an
moving TO be interrupted at such a time
by domestic questions; but love, which
laughs at locksmitlls, jeers at polit-
clans, and his eldest son and Miss Doro-
thy Ditchford. the rector's daughter,
selected the morning of the nomination
day for informing him that they had re-
solved to become man and wife at an
early date, subject to his consent. Need
less to say, Dick Redworthy met with a
very unpleasant reception when he
preached the subject in the library
after breakfast, and that Dolly Ditch
ford entered an hour later with a beat
ing heart to see what she could do.
She was a great ~favorite with the old
gentleman. but he had lever before re-
garded her In the light of a future
daughter-in-law; time flies, and he had
always thought her a child. After ten
minutes talk with her he knew that If
she was only just out of her teens she
was certainly a child no longer.
"Well, my little girl" he said, good.
humoredly, "lf 1 get in again, and the
party is in power, l dare say l can
get them to give Dick something to
keep him going till 1 am under the
daisies. l never asked 1t for anything
before"
But suppose they don't get in," said
Dolly, ruefully
"Well, you'll have to wait, but mind,
I can't have any engagement till the
election is over. Meanwhile, you make
everyone in the parish vote right, and
youth have done your best to help, ehi
They won't be able to say no to you.
My agent tells me l will only win by
"a few, II at ALL" and Sir George took
up his pen. Dolly went to the door,
hesitated, and came back. "Sir George"
she said, shyly, eff you get into parlia-
ment, may we be engaged, anyhow"
BLESS my SOUL" said Sir George,
up. "If I keep my seat, though,
! don't know what / won't consent to;
if l lose 1t, 1 advise Dick and every.
body else to keep clear of me for 0
"If I get him a dozen votes and he
only wins by ten or SO, he'll feel he
owes 1t to ME and then l am sure he
will say yes" said Dolly to Dick as they
walked up among the shrubbery, land
you can tell my father then" And
that afternoon she went into the vii
lage with a sheafS of leaflets in her
hand, and failed miserably when heck.
led - topics of the very existence OF
she had never heard before. As
a matter of fact, she won votes for the
without knowing II, but she was
nearly crying at what she thought was
her want Of success. when she met
Dick Redworthy as she came out Of the
last cottage. She felt better after leav.
Ing him, and better still when she had
had a gallop after tea. 1t may be men. |
toned that the downs of South Blk. |
shire are free to everyone, and there
was nothing surprising In Dick Red.
taking a ride there, too.
1t was a tug of war with a ven.
and there were many interests
% be considered. "Sir Georges ticket
the Army and Navy stores is No.
was the placard which met the
onronet one day in Rotterdam, borne
~ q dozen sandwich men, with all the
mall trndesmen rushing to their doors
o look at 1t. "Ask Mrs. Clink where
The got her red silk stockings" was
he counteyblast which brought mat.
level. Dorothy Ditchford had met
he radical candida fo'1 vita In tba Hho l