The Jasper news., 1908-12-03

nlf8GS mao 1VcQ S1Qe Dy Slue anu
had not spoken to each other for
twenty years.
Il will never speak to you again" had
bcensher last words which fell upon his
ear, and that had been twenty years ago.
There had been no good reason. So
Dick thought Mary thought there was.
Anyway, the quarrel. had taken place, and
Mary had kept her word.
Mary's father had died and her mother
had died, and Dicks father and mother had
died, and first Mary and then Dick had
become the owner Of a big stony farm and
a century-old house., They had gone OH
their accustomed ways, and had ignored
each others existence as much as if they
had been living on separate planets in
stead of on farms the boundaries of which
wound in and out of each other after the
fashion of boundaries of farms which date
from old colonial times.
Never by any chance did either mention
the others name except when forced to
do SO. and then it was with casual in
difference which made their studious
avoidance of each others mention seem
the merest chance.
1t was election day and Dick had been
to the polls and voted the straight DEM
ocratic ticket, after the fashion of his
father and grandfather and great-grand-
father. His road led past Mary's house 1t
the contending candidates and when the
opposing partisans advertised their prefer
ences by wearing preposterous plug hats
of felt--the Republicans black and the
Democrats white. Dick had invested in
one of these foolish hats and proudly wore
it to the polls.
Constance Matthews .was Mary's niece,
and she was at the window when Dick
went by. She began to laugh.
r"COrne TO the window Amt MARY"
she called ont
"What for?' answered Mary, who, was
deep in the mystery of pumpkin pies.
"Dick Burton is going by on his way to
vote for Cleveland" was the response
much good it will do himp said Mary,
with a disdanful sniff.
Mary was a Republican, partly because
her father had been one, but chiefly be-
cause Dick was a Democrat.
''Come and see him!" Constance ma
lciously insisted "He locke fine. He is
wearing a white plug hat"
Il wouldn't care to see a man maxim a
fool O himself" Mary snapped.
Uncle Morris wears black plug"
Constance said.
well, that's different Mary began.
1T isn't so--so-"
"And father wears "a white one" Con-
stance continued.
"Well, he can do it and welcome n
Mary said wrathfully. HE won't wear it
very long after he knows Blaine is
elected"
But Dick told me yesterday" said the
girl. shat Cleveland is sure to be elected"
That's all he knows about it" said
Mary. red with indignation. He'll change
his mind later" ~ i,
HE told me-" said the niece, with keen
enjoyment of her Aint's displeasure, that
he was going to pay the expense of having
a brass band come out at the head of the
Democrats who will march from the vii
lage to his house and have supper as a
celebration two nights after the election.
Wont it be fun to see them march past
here, with their banners and torches, and
playing Hail Columbia or something like
that?'
Mary was white with wrath.
"He wouldn't dare do such thing r.
she painted.
"Why not?" Constance queried
:. "Uncle Morris will sic Bull on them as
they go BY" Mary suggested as a des-
perate remedy for impending evil
Fred English has sent him word that
If he does he. will shoot Bull full of four
teen holes" Constance checrfully replied.
well, If they come past here, I'll
I'll" Mary said, choking with anger.
"But there is no use. They will not come.
They are going to be beaten"
"Dick says not" Constance maliciously
insisted
Mary was too angry to reply. Anybody
less privileged than Constance would have
heard something decidedly to her disad-
vantage.
Constance went to the window and
chuckled. Her chief interest in politics