Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1909-03-18


felt the lack of cordislity that had al
ways existed between them, and it
brought sober face to her many times.
sob, dear it will be the reMin OF
us. before it's over. Jed has worse'n
wasted all summer long, an il he gifts
beat-Myl It's costin' him a lot, too,
an that frets him. What with payin'
Miles, an losini oeur summer boarders.
which didn't feel could take, hevin'
so much oeutside to see to, besides Jed
bein' so awful cross an uncomf'table.
an TIL crops shown th' lack o. care,
an all that Jed's paid oeut in one way n
mother, it's run up to several hundred
dollars already, an the end amt yet. p
Mrs. Alden unburdened herself to her
mother in this way occasionally when
Mrs. Weston drove over for the day.
"Yew'r father says twill be an ex-
pensive job anyway. Even il Jed wins
and goes to Montpelier the pay won't
nowh here near make him whole"
"Well, he's set on it, sighed Mrs. AL
den, ''an' the only thing is to let it work
oeut as it will. We hain't he'd NO peace
since the idea struck him. I'd pray he'd
cit beat il 1 want afraid 'twould be
worse'n not to-"
There were some expenses that Jed
didn't confde to his wife. In his steady
push for the Office, be found it essential
to go about loaded with cigars, which he
freely dispensed. These had to be good
ones-to produce the right impression
and by the box or hundred they made
quite notch in Jed's creamery check.
Subscription papers of all sorts we're
pushed up TO him, and when he saw
Daniels and DR.. Fsles down for eoodIy
sums, he had to match them, of course.
Not infrequenJly some impecunious
citizen who would never have thought Of
such thing otherwise, sensed the situa-
tion and struck Jed for a "loan" that
both knew to be the equivalent Of gift,
Jed seldom went to town now without
eashing check, whose proceeds quite
often disappeared in these and similar
ways ere he reached home. No little
economies that would move comment
could be exercised now. The Aldens
were compelled to 'throw style'' for once.
There were one or two issues likely to
affect the outcome in Kingston, aside
from the personal standing OF the three
candidates. An energetic canvass, man
aged by "Phi'' Annis, was under way to
elect the retiring governor, Francis Jen-
kins, as United States senator at the ap-
preaching session. This canvass bore
the familiar earmRrks of the state
machine and had the support, in large
part, OF those who had stood for Prem
tiss Granger earlier in the year. The
opposition rallied about Judge Emery.
then holding The seat by appointment.
II babe fair to be as close and interesting
as the late governorship canvass, but
much freer from the influence Of money.
partly because neither candidate possessed
large means, and partly by reason OF the
awakened public conscience in this re-
spect. The heelers and professional
workers looked glum over the prospect.
In Kingston, the line Of cleavage had al
ready appeared on the senatorial issue.
Ephraim Daniels stood for jenkins, the
machine and old-line conservatism. Dr.
fales, who had generally trained with
the Wilkie Reynolds faction, naturally
pronounced forEmeTy and made bis fight
against the ring. Jed Alden. whose
breadth OF vision was not vast, cared little
about the issue, kesitaied to take sides
and stuck doggedly to his original deter
mination.
'who ye for, Jed, jenkins or Emery?''
a voter would ask, hoping to smoke him
out.
"Well. / do know. Either's all right.
FL I'm elected III vote fer the hest man.
Don't care which it's"
"But, Jed, folks kinder want ter know
where We stand. II we're fer jenkins, say
so. Same fer Emery. Then let 'em say
whether they want to send up vote for
one or t'other."
Sim fer Jed Alden. Know him good
deal better'n ] do Emery or jenkins.
KinRston's goin' tew hev other interests
up besides who's tew be senator. Let
the teown say whether they want Jed
Alden er not, an I'll be satisfied"
yen iud it pootty hard ridin' two
HOSES that way, Jed. Folks like to see
man square-toed, an they hain't no way
Of KNOWN heow this town stands on the
seDatorship except by electin' man one
way or t'other."
"well, ef they feel that way, let 'em
tell me how they want me to vote-in-
struct me fer either Jenkins or Emery.
I'll dos they say"
They hain't no way of doing that
at Freeman's meetin'. An besides, it
don't look jest right. II Kingston's Jen-
kins, the jenkins crowd III send up some
one known to be hot for Jenkins, soft he
en- help pull hard when the fight comes
Emery crowd III DO same ef they can.
The TELLER that don't dast to stand fer
either'n be left at home, guess"
Such talk troubled Jed not little, but
did not cause him to abandon his neutral
stand. First in the field and active from
the start, he had obtained many direct
pledges early; enough, he hoped, to pull
him through, though he found many
cases where promises of this kind were
lightly broken. Being given without
consideration Of any kind, the giver cast
them aside as fancy moved him.
"By gumi / wish election was to-
morrow" he remarked to his neighbor,
Ransom Felch. tThink 1 cd win. but
they're slippin' away from me pootty fast
lately, specially on account o. this sena-
tor bizness, and do know heow twill
look week from Tuesday,"
"Won't yew be glad when it's over9'
asked Mr.. Fetch.
Jed looked about and lowered his voice.
fYew bet will. Course Pm in and
bound to stay in, but say, I've often
thought o. what yew said that day oeut
in tn field, an low yew he'd it bout
right. Strippin' heifers's dumd sight