Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-08-05

lnere was Hlucn eNcltemenG IN Har-
mony, and the squire was abroad all
day, not even returning home for his
luncheon. Miss Pinkney walked over
from the town and awaited the re-
turns in company with Miss Betty
and Guy.
Great was the CONSERVATION of the
ladies en-Barney, late in the aft
ernoon, arrived with the intelligence
that Amityville had gone solidly for
Concord.
why" cried Miss Betty, "every
one of the Amityville people signed
the petition for this election!"
"And the squire gave Mr.. Landy
six lots!" walled Miss Pinkney, who
was the picture of despair.
"The squire wasn't liberal enough"
put in Guy, looking keenly at Miss
Betty. II gave Mr.. Landy two en-
tire blocks and distributed Concord
real estate to every man, woman and
child in Amityville."
"You did that?" cried Miss Betty.
"You, Mr.. Herbert?"
Miss Pinkney looked daggers at
Guy when he bowed in answer to her
friends question.
Il knew all along, Miss Vlanding-
ham" said the young man, "just how
Amityville would go. That was one
reason why l did not want to come
here yesterday. 1 have done what /
could for Concord, and, it seems, have
earned your displeasure."
Earned my displeasure!" she re-
peated, with a ripping laugh. mot
a bit of it! You were foeman wor-
thy of our steel and l am almost as
| glad you have won as I would have
been had Harmony achieved the VIC
tory"
"Betty!" gasped Miss Pinkney.
"You are certainly beside yourself.
Do you know what this means to
your father, to NINE, to all of us?
Oh, dear, dear, dear! l can't mag
inc what we are all going to do! And
to think that we were all so certain
of Amityville!"
'That is where the joke comes I'M"
exclaimed Miss Betty. "What sur
prise this will be to my father!
You've certainly won, Mr.. Herbert.
1t was very clever and l am proud
of your success, believe me. Allow
me to congratulate you'll"
She gave Guy her hand.
"Betty!" cried Miss Pinkney,
you're IA modern Tarpeia. The
idea of you-you of all the others
being happy because Concord Won"
Miss Pinkney began drawing on her
gloves in an angry futter.
"Lois," returned Miss Betty, "you
do not understand dear. 1 am not
happy because Concord won, but be-
cause Mr.. Herbert has come out of
the east, burdened with his inexperi-
ence, and worsted clique of old
campaigners like my father and
yours"
| "Are you proud of me for going
into the open market and buying
votes?" asked Guy.
"Hush!" she returned, raising an
admonitory forefnger. Chat is too
hard name for something which
the great political parties never scru-
pie at doing. 1t was case of dia-
mond cut diamond. You interested
the Amityville people in your town
even as my father had interested
them in ours-only you were shrewd
enough to be more liberal. The game
of politics is selfish one, at best,
and you"
Just then the squire stormed in.
'My condolences, Herbert" he ex.
claimed. in gay mood, waving slip
of yellow paper above his head.
"What?" asked Guy. startled.
81 sympathize with you, but town
divided against itself must fall, you
know. Harmony carries the day, and
the deciding votes come from Con.
cord itself. Five, Betty! We have a
majority of FIVE! Here, read this
telegram"
The squire threw himself into a
chair and Guy turned mechanical,
toward Betty. She had taken the
message from her fathers hand an6
now read as follows:
Concord casts 20 votes for Har
mony. Conservative estimate give.
| yOo ii'S 1NIop IoWl
in turmoil. Hard to tell what will
happen. BIGGS."
''Hurrah!" cried the excited Mis-.
Pinkney, waving her handkerchief.
"Where in the world did those q
Harmony votes come from?" asked
Miss Betty.
Her father pursed up his lips
looked at the ceiling and twirled hi
thumbs.
. "Victory is perched on our ban
ners, Betty" he observed. finally. g
don't know how it got there an,
more than you do, but what's tn,
odds?"
What's the odds? That is plainl,
what Miss Betty thought, for the mo
ment.
"Now what do you think, Mr.. Her
bert?" she asked, turning on tn
amazed young man and shaking tn
telegram before his eyes.
81 think l shall have to return thu
congratulations which you gave M
few moments ago." laughed Guy
mot only that, but I think. too. tina