Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1902-06-24
CHAPTER Nv.

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 imagined.
Miss Betty felt that Harmony had been
cheated out of its 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 that he was 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 Colonel's imported voters
out of the town or permitted them to
exercise the right of franchise unin-
fuenced? 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 1t 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
, cd with ha of 1o< ~
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 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 seer
sitting in front of his establishment
wearing his white apron and square
white cap, his legs crossed, elbows OF
his knee, complacently swinging hi:
suspended foot and putting at corn
cob pipe. 1t was thus that Guy found
the proprietor when he came out from
breakfast on the morning after hi
ride from Harmony.
The early train from the west hat
just stopped at the station as Gu.
took chair on the porch and Lighted
cigar.
"Quite an excitement when tn,
trains come in" observed Pedro.
$50 it seems" returned Guy, looking
at the little throng which had gath
cred on the platform and part of whicl
was visible around the ends of the sta
ton building. He saw Mr.. Gimme
and Lemuel Bilkins, among others, ant
gave especial attention to slende
youth whose fiery hair curled fringing
] ly about the edges of his old cap. Thi
latter individual was throwing can
vas bag into the open door of the mai
: car.
That's Sampson" ventured Pedro
noting the direction Of Guys gaze
, "works for the Colonel, and is jus
throwing on the east-bound bundle o
j. this weeks Blizzard. Here's a cop
Of it. if you'd like to run it over. It
mighty warm number-county sea
war is gettin' interestin'."
Pedro pulled the paper out from III
der his apron and Guy examined
: Iazily. There was red-hot leader,
the Coloners scorching style, pickin
i the county commissioners TO tatte,
and then holding these remnants u
% to public contumely. The intrinsi
II value of the article did not interel
NJ Guy quite SO much as something els,
He produced the note which Mr.. Vla1
). bingham had handed him at the tow
meeting the night before-N. BIB
was treasuring that scrap simply an
solely because Of Miss Betty's pencile
message to her father at the bottom c
1t. Turning the note over, he peruse
the writing on the back, as he had don
Y. once before that morning.