Middletown transcript., 1897-01-30
uents and other people. Van Vert had

places where it would do the mos
good, but In two or three precincts |
was found that strong sentiment il
favor of his opponent bad developed
and must be overcome by some mean
If be hoped to win. Unfortunately ht
was worried; and his actions showed
it; on one or two occasions whill
be was speaking he had given way t.
puerile bursts of temper that by M
means enhanced his chances for sue.
cess. Some of the older heads had
warned him that by making slnrI
ing remarks about his opponent
be would only hurt himselJ, t1
which he responded by the childlike
query: Well If a woman doesn't want
to get herself talked about she'd better
keep out of politics.D
This he practically repeated to q
mixed crowd at Conover's Schoolhouse
In one of the strong '.cow districts, =
on Friday night before election, add
ing: 81 cannot believe that parents in
teres!ed in the further welfare of their
children are willing to intrust their
early training to the hands and the
methods Of one who so far forgets her
womanhood as to stand as candidate
for public office.n OF course he re-
gretted the remark almost as soon as
it was uttered, and recognized that the
silence with which il was received was
the silence of disapproyal too strong
to find expression in words. But it
was too late for regrets, and he ex-
pressed none.
The next afternoon came a brief but
pointed note from Miss Smith, in
which she gently reminded him that
bis youth had evidently led him astray
SO far as to forget the fact that she
was practically defenceless, and that
in speaking of her as he had he bad
been both unmanly and ungentlemanly.
This, coming as it did, at a time when
he was mentally cursing himself for an
ass and brute, did not tend to soothe
b i'm, for be knew that every word the
note contained was trua. So, instead
of answering it as man should, he
wrote at the bottom Of the sheet: You
have no business in politics; if you
don't want to stand the consequences, "
then signed it and remailed it to the
original seLder. An hour later he was
sorry he had done SO, and tried to get
the letter outief the post Office, but failed
Thus it was that the next evening,
as he rode along the lonely trail leading
to the "enemy's country where be
was to address a big meeting of cattle
men and make an effort to redeem him
self by practically recansing all that he
had said derogatory to the opposing can
didate without losing. too much of his
already shattered self respect, he was
so absorbed mentally in thinking over
what he should say that he did not
hear sudden command TO hall, ,and rea
lied that he was in trouble only when
a sinuous, swishing thing hurled
through the air, pinioned his arms to
his sides and jerked him from his sad
die to the rough ground.
"Good shot, ,or manl' said some one in
cowboy costume, who came up and sat
On the victims ct1est. 70 got III N
right round th' elbows, fust throw o.
rope.n
"Let me up. you id scoundreli"
fumed Van Vert. "You can take my
money without taking my wind al the
same time, can't you?''
EASY, M son." chuckled the giant
who was sitting astride of him, as he
held the candidates wrists so that the
other men, who now came up, could
the more easily tie them. "We don't
want y'r stuff. Do we pardnerP"
"Nopey, Van," said the second man
In voice that Van Vert tried in vain
to recognize. I'VE jest want u put ye
where ye won't make no mo- fool r.
marks bout th' lady th't's ag'in' ye-
not this eyenin'. anyways.n
''See here, boys" said Van Vert,
more calmly, ''this isn't square deal.
You know I've got to be at the meet
ing at Meeker at s o'clock? Well, it's
almost that now so let me CO."
s'Oh, no, Jimmiep' laughed one Of
his captors, heartlessly. "Not t'night.
Square deal,' I b'lieve ye saidP Was it
squar' deal FIR you T. get up an make
th' talk ye did bout th' little school.
ma'am las nightP Not any. SO STAN
up, Jimmie, an let the gent tackle ye
to th' tree. Well let ye go fore ye git
cold. Easy, lad, Eff ye git gya, we wont
do thing but haWg-tie ye an leave ye
lay till mawnin'n
The next hour was as long a one as
Jimmie ever spent. The night was a
chilly one, and the ropes with which
he was bound prevented the free cir
culation of blood, so that In a very
short time his extremities were aching
with cold. To add to his discomfort,
an owl took its station in the brush
near by and hooted derisiyeIy whenever
the prisoner shouted, and the cries Of
the owl were responded to by several
wolves, whose voices sounded as
though they were very close at
hand.
Several times Van Vert heard pso.
pie go by on horseback and in wagons,
and shouted to them at the top Of bis
lungs; bat the trail was some distance
from the clump of brush. and they did
not hear him. at last however when
heshad about given up all hope of es-
Gaping until his captors should come
and release him, be heard the sound Of
horses coming along the trail. theii
riders laughing and chatting, and be