Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1909-04-01


aYes."
.eEver ben here befOre9" Jed was
brimful of talk.
"Not as a member. Have visited legis-
lature occasionally"
''Be yew a Iawyerg''
"No, 9 teacher. Principal OF West
mont academy
"Shol He'd a niece 90 there onre.
Pootty good school Pears we're lucky
ones tew draw seats early. Some o. the
big guns-members from the big places
hain't he'd no call yit. Their faces git
tim pootty long"
Raymond Gray sakat ease ENJOYING the
loquacity of his new friend. Jed mis-
took his silence for annoyance.
"P'raps yew'd ruther hev somebody
else set with yew. / don't care no great
abeout this particular seat, an il some o.
4 yeour friends is called pootty soon ru
swap with 'em an let 'em hev this one"
"Oh, no; not by any means. You
4 drew here first. Besides, I'm quite will
ing to be your seatmate, If you'll let me-"
"Sure, said Jed so heartily that he
broke in at a dull moment in the proceed
ings, attracted good deal of attention
his way and subsidized for quite a spell
Jed was immensely pleased with Ray
mond Gray from the start. Gray formed
the prop for the unsophisticated member
from Kingston to lean on. AS time went
on, be depended almost wholly on Gray
for coaching and advice. It did not save
him from all trouble and embarrassment,
TO be sure, but he got over many hard
place with Gray's help, where he would
otherwise have served as a spectacle :. for
rude merriment.
The only diversion that attended the
seat drawing resulted from the action Of
several members who began to get uneasy
as it proceeded and they were rot called,
/ and who strolled in and drifted, upper
ceived, into seats, where they continued
to remain as though they had drawn.
. This ruse kept others from taking them,
and when finally the holders we're called
they merely passed up the number OF the
seat at which they sat. Among so many
! strangers, with no one on the alert. this
worked to the advantage Of dozen or
more, disposed to take unfair advantage.
Finally, the clerks caught on and warned
Others against it.
"Goin' tew be good deal goin' on here
before we're done, hain't they3" Jed
! offered to his seatInate.
/ ~ think so. There's a very warm con-
test on for senator at the start that will
t take some time"
E .'Yes. Reckon you're fer Judge EN-
s cry"
: "Pm counted that wsy."
whats his chsnces?''
D "Good, 1 think. He is certainly q
! worthy man and is doing well at Wash
! ington now. Are you pledgedf
"Yew bet | haint. Some OF oeur folks
. tried tew git me tew tie deown tew one OF
t'other, but / said guess not. Told 'em
T.
: when got here an looked it over"
!. "There are few like you, l believe,
! but nearly all are known to be placed. II
e looks very close now. The Democrats
and doubtful ones hold the balance be
q tween Jenkins and Emery"
b The seat lottery ended here and so die
II the days session. 1t was q long tim'
, ahead until night, and Jed dreaded thu
horrors Of another attempt to sleep OF
:. that stylish bed-was inclined to ask /
d he couldn't just 60 out in the barn snS
IL drop onto the hay. But be put in tn
le time .Fathe5-more pleasantly than he ha'
r. anticipated visiting at the difieren
d, hotels, where the senatorship was the M
l. permost topic. He found himself sough
c. after by both the Emery and Jenkin
parties. "Phip Annis, who had rented
err suite OF rooms at The Colonnade, sent 70
ID him and took both hands in his, wsvin
as everybody else out of the room.
* "Sit right down, Mr.. Alden, I've bee
ly looking for you anxiously. How is th
o. Squire? Got over his boys death? Sa
IN thing, that was. Shows how risky ii /
in to stir up folks over politics. Wiki
9. Reynolds has got to hang, they say. Sen
" fenced today to be executed second FIR
day of next January. Well. served hir
be right, and warning to Others"
ne "Hedn't heard 81 that. Dumd sorr
IT. fer WiIkie-he's not q bad Teller, an
did what he did without thinkin'. Seem
be pOotty hard fer his oman, too"
N, "Yes, but law is law, and it amt sal
to shoot folks. How are you liking
w here so far2''
"Pootty well, / guess. Didn't slice
- much last night. Guess I'n git tn han
nd Of it before long" Jed didn't explai
". what sit" was.
Mt "Did you draw q good seat?' NJ
ok Annis could be remarkably social when
s. suited his purpose.
ice "Tiptop. An got a nice seatmate
lat young Gray of Westmont-guess We
know him."
M "Phi'' plainly showed his cbagrin.
Ser eyes. Quite a bright chap. Little '
* sionary and impractical. Apt to be Il
AZ case with book fellows. Have you talk
it over the senatorship matter any with hi
i'd yet?''
his ave mentioned it. He's fer Emer
ant Said so, plain enough"
"Did be ask where you stood?'
nm eyes"
Annis listened, but what he hop
the would follow didn't come. Jed clos
lit like an oyster.
,ch al believe, Mr.. Alden, that you 8
csc counted by the Emery people as for thu
ant man. They claim you"
Il "Dew they7p and Jed merely look
ord amused.
vn "Now, Alden, of course il you're real
a attached to them it's no use for me
ned talk with you, and il that is the cas-
TX. wouldn't seek to tamper with you
,fi- anything. l know you to be man
Irst good Judgment who makes up his mi
, in after due thought and sticks to it. Z
ON IL you haven't reached that point-if y
are still undecided-I would like to p