The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1902-04-24
CHAPTER w.

CHAPTER w.
Guy had lonely ride back to Con-
cord over the broad, fiat, star-lit lands.
He could see the road dimly, lightish
streak cutting the darker turf of the
plains. A moist, lush smell arose from
the dewey grass and the croaking of
frogs, the chirping of crickets and the
resonant boom of the bittern floating
from the sedge served only to intensity
the stiffness.
There was far more to this county
seat business than Guy had lima gined.
Miss Betty felt tina Harmony had been
cheated out of it's rights and that was
the cause of her memorable stand in
the present contest. Two-thirds of the
voters in the county had signed petit
| ton for special election and it was
foregone conclusion that these two-
thirds would vote for Harmony. With
out doubt this was the premise on
which Mr.. Vlandingham and his daugh-
ter were building their hopes, but Guy
had information relative to Col.
| Keever's imported voters. He did not
know what the voting strength of the
| county was, but he was sure the
Colonel had been sharp enough to bring
in sufficient ballots to overcome the
two-thirds majority. The young man
did not fancy this phase of the ques-
ton, although the entire contest was
gradually presenting itself to him as
case of diamond cut diamond. He had
been brought up in adherence of
''ways that are dark and tricks that
are vain," but now tina he wa in Rome
why should he not emulate the Ro-
mans? To take any other stand was
equivalent to bankrupting himself, for
what chance would Concord have if he
ordered the Colopel's imported voters
out of the town or permitted them to
exercise the right of franchise unin-
f1uenced? If ordered away they might
flock to Harmony in body, and if per-
mitted to vote as they pleased they
might be subsidized by agents of
Vlandingham. The matter was deli
cate one and to be handled with ex-
IRENE caution. The temptation to look
out for himself at all costs was pow
erful one, and had not Miss Betty her.
self said that it was right for him to
do all he could to keep the county seat
at Concord? Taking everything into
consideration, Guy thought it would be
we'll to lay back on his oars, watch the
opposition and see what happened.
He had number Of thoughts con-
corning Miss Betty entirely apart from
the political question, and in the fair
er fields where they were to esteem
each other as friends. These were
headstrong fancies and so wildly tint
ed with the hues of youth that they
were more properly dreams and not to
be chronicled.
Arrived at Concord, Guy left the
horse at the livery barn and made his
way along the dark and deserted street
to the Lisbon house.
This hotel was under the proprietor
ship of a Portuguese. Being unable
to pronounce his name, the people of
Concord rose up and bestowed upon
him the patronymic of "Smith.'' Re-
tanning his multitude of Christian
names, his full title thus became Pedro
Fernandez Jose Manuel Smith, This
was, of course, altogether too long for
a pioneer community, and when Pedro
Fernandez was not plain Smith he was
Pedro, or "Cinch"-which was prac-
tically the same.
Almost any day Pedro might be seen
sitting in front of his esta Adjustment,
wearing his white apron and square
white cap, his legs crossed, elbows on
his knee, complacently swinging his
suspended foot and putting at a corn
cob pipe. It was thus that Guy found
the proprietor when he came out from
breakfast on the morning after his
ride from Harmony.
The early train from the west had
just stopped at the station as Guy
took a chair on the porch and lighted
cigar.
"Quite an excitement when the
trains come n,"observed Pedro.
$50 it seems" returned Guy, looking
at the little throng which had gath
cred on the platform and part of which
was visible around the ends of the sta
ton building. He saw Mr. Glimmer
and Lemuel Bilkins, among others, and
gave especial attention to a slender
youth whose fiery hair curled fringing-
ly about the edges of his old cap. This
latter individual was throwing can
vas bag into the open door of the mail
car.
''That's SAMPSON" ventured Pedro,
noting the direction of Guys gaze;
"works for the Colonel, and is Just
throwing on the east-bound bundle of
this weeks Blizzard. Here's a COPY
Of it, If you'd like to run it over. It's
a mighty warm number-county seat
war is gettin' interestin'."
Pedro pulled the paper out from I'M
der his apron and Guy examined it