Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1900-04-17
NEW SERIES, VOL. XXXv, NO. 1e.

looked ont the window and saw that
old Pitzmacher, the saloon keeper, was
at the head OF them. If that's politics,
I'd rather have the mumps.''
But, You see, Pitzmacher is the
member of the city central committee
from this ward, and the others are the
officers of the ward club. They came
over to congratulate me on my candi-
dacy for the senate. couldn't do less
than thank them, could 1? They've
arranged n mass meeting for this even
ing to indorse me- and I suppose I'll
have to go over and make them little
speech"
Il thought YOU wouldn't have to turn
tver your handT'
"Well, you know candidate is bound
to get the Endorsement of his home
ward. Once get that fixed up, you'll
see that there'll be no more trouble
AN hour later Pitzmacher drove up
in an old hack and the Hon. Thomas
Brown descended to welcome him. His
wife gave him fair warning.
If you go riding around on the
streets with that man, Tom Brown"
she called after him down the stairs,
IN never be seen on the street with
you again. What 90 You suppose the
neishbors will say:'
In the gray hours of the early morn
ing the hack again drew up before the
house, and Mr.. Brown entered his once
quiet and happy dwelling. AS the door
closed n crowd of men and boys, who
had followed the hack from the meet
ing place. cheered loudly.
4
appeared for breakfast. His wife re-
ceived him with plying smile, in
which tears and anger were equally
mingled. She laid before kim a copy
of The Morning Echo and pointed in
silence to the headlines over an article
ON the first page. Tom Brown Out
For Senator" it read. ridiculous
Ambition of Broken Down Pettifog-
ger" "Hints of Sensational Exposures
to Be Made"
There said Mrs. Brown. Nothing
TO make any change in our home life,
eh? Elected without an effort on your
part? Duty TO the state? What do
you say to that?"
MIR. Brown lost what little appetite
lie had. He read the article through
with anxious care. Then he swore.
The children looked up in surprise
"The Goorbell began ringing before
o'clock this morning" went on Mrs.
Brown. "There was n procession of all
sorts of men neither you nor / had ever
heard Of They all wanted to see Sen
ator Brown. want you to sue that
newspaper for libel"
My dear said the Hon. Thomas
Rrnyyrr 1ft1-
smile. ''you mustn't let that bother you
so. Public men, you know, are subject
to the attacks of the partisan press.
Before l forget it, there was one little
thing l wanted to speak to you about.
You buy your groceries of Hilton, do
you not? Well, now, just as n favor 10
me, would you object TO changing?
You see, Hicks, on the opposite corner,
is, find, the president of the Brown
club. Don't you think it would be n
little pleasanter all around If we pa
troniZed him?"
''Mr. Brown" persisted his wife,
will you sue that paper for libel?'
''Why, certainly not" was the an-
swer, but that publication makes it
absolutely necessary for me to stay in
the fight. If | backed out now, the
newspapers would all say that 1 with
drew under fire. Then | should be a
coward. OF course 1 wish, for your
sake, since you feel so bad about 1t,
that had never begun"
well, they can't say your son is
coward anyway"
''Why, what's the matter?"
''IIe started for school at o'clock
this morning, just as he has done for
the last two years. He wore n pretty
little white waist and red stockings,
and thought he never looked so sweet.
Half an hour later he came back.
wish you could have seen the child. He
had fought with three big boys, be-
cause they said his father was broken
down pettifogger. I've got him in the
bedroom now, with witch hazel on his
eye"
Don't you think. Nellie" said Mr..
Brown as lie got up from the table,
that you could strain n point and buy
your groceries from Hlcks?'
I've fixed things SO that won't be
necessary, l think. / saw enough last
| night to convince me that you could
never stand the strain of n campaign
like this. When you came in this
morning, was sure Nhat l was right,
and even if you could the rest of us
couldn't. So when the callers began to
Y