Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-08

from 1t was agreed upon. They were all
ignorant of the fact that when that time
came the machinery which formed the orig
inal cause of all the trouble lay wrecked and
useless, as they were also of the fact that
the debt had before that time been wiped
out The procedure which was finally agreed
upon was for representative Of the firm to
be in Toms River early in the morning,
ready to pay the debt when Musser applied
for his warrant of foreclosure, and then
pass the property back into Selkirks hands
after the execution of a new certificate of
Indebtedness. The newspaper was now in
such thoroughly good financial shape that
they could very well afford to lengthen the
obligation, and they assured Selkirk that
nothing could have induced them to know
ingly assist in any such plot against his
peace of mind or business standing.
AT the time when he sent the message
which had puzzled Frank Bernard SO great
ly Selkirk had been driven to the railway
station nearest to the home Of the president
of the concern. Learning there that the
railway connections were imperfect the
good atured business man had placed his
team at Selkirk's disposal for the drive into
the city, where he could get train.
You'd hardly like to miss election night,
when you've worked so hard in this cam
paign,' he said, when Selkirk protested at
this kindness go ahead. Get up there
the best way you can and don't worry about
u.s. Wen take care of you all right, and
only wish that every one who owes US had
the same energy and enterprise. Now that
the campaign is over, your friends the
enemy will probably let you alone, and If
they don't-why, drive them out of town
with the Express. You can do it, But
you've lost your vote now. The polls will be
closed long before you can get there
He won't need it, said Selkirk, happily.
Half an hour after the polls closed in
Toms River, and while Henry Hubbard sat
there at the swamp side, Selkirk was in
the train, hurrying toward the town, full of
hope and courage and quite ignorant that
at that instant his name was a stencil in
the nostrils of all of Cooper's loyal sup
porters; that the old man believed him to
be a mercenary turncoat and that the con-
fdence of his sweetheart had been shaken
to its base.
There had been good deal of discussion
in the town during the day among people
who wondered whether the sturdy old can
didate would now have the courage to re-
ceive the returns as he had planned to, in
a sort of semi-public celebration on his
lawn. Sentiment against him in the town
was very strong. The publication in the
Express had changed many votes and there
were few, among his friends even, who had
not been more or less affected by it. al
though there were many who recognized
this publication, on the very night before
election, as too likely to be campaign lie
TO be depended upon.
At almost the time that the polls closed
full darkness fell, and the magic lantern
| man was busy with his traps. A finer night
could not have been planned for such an
exhibition out of doors, for, while II was
cool and pleasant, the moon would not rise
until late to put her pale beams into COM
petition with the strong of the stereop-
ticon. With a great effort, on the arrival
of the wonder worker, Cooper threw off the
depression which had made him feel unfit
to associate with his kind during the whole
day and bestirred himself to receive the
guests who would soon begin to come in
| troops. There had been some doubt in his
mind for time to whether his old
| friends and neghbors would appear at all
after the attack upon him which had de-
nounced him as a boodler and dishonest
politician, and he voiced them to Betsey
| Bobbn.
Don't you worry none about that" she
| said sententiously. Human critters will
go where they can git a free show for
nothin', even IL twas give to 'em by Cain
who killed his brother Abel"
This proved to be the case, and Cooper's
guests had begun to arrive upon the scene
| before the lantern man had adjusted his
screen or there had been the first faint toots
| to show that the band was on it's way
Sam Bull was the first man whom Cooper
shook hands with, and the grizzled old
| clamdigger felt keen and sincere distress
when he saw how the single day of resting
| under an odious charge had aged his friend
The handclasp of the two men was cordial,
/ but there were no words of greeting passed
II spent all day at the polls. said Sam.
| ''a-tellin them d-n fools that everything
| they see in print wasn't necessarily Bible"
| He had indeed, had a hard day of 1t. do
1 ing the electioneering work of ten, whip
| ping the doubtful into line, almost coming
! to blows more than once with those who
! presumed to announce that they placed any
faith whatever IN the statements of (,oop-