Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-01-27
THE EVENING STORY

'iao Sus Wdb 100 gushing. One or the
things her mother meant by that was
her readiness to conf1de in others,
even on the slightest acquaintance.
On this occasion. however, even If she
had resolved before hand to be prim
and silent and discreet and study the
the toes Of her shoes, instead of the
faces of her fellow passengers, all the
way out to Bellville, it would have
been hard to keep to her resolution.
When she drove up to the depot
from her home the cabman tried to
collect an exorbitant fare. and a
gentleman came forward and read him
lecture. Then, as she was buying her
railroad ticket, she left her purse on
the shelf of the ticket window and the
same gentleman brought it to her
Again, she was about to take the train
/ for Albany instead Of Bellville when
he set her right. Then they had chair
seats side by side, both bound for the
same place, and the gentleman had
presented his card, as a gentleman
should and the conductor had smiled
and nodded at him and thus vouched
for his character. When all these
things had been taken into considera-
10 gush.
The good looking stranger had pre-
sented card bearing the name Of
Mr.. Charles Burden Miss Bessie
was bit near sighted, and after she
had made Baden" of Burden" she
tucked the card away in her reticule
to be forgotten for days and weeks.
She gave her own name in return, and
then gushingly added:
I'm sure you can never guess why
I'm going to Bellville, and so I'll tell
you at once. It's on account of
politics."
So you are a suffragette?" smiled
Mr.. Burden.
oh, no, no, no! I'll tell you how it
is. If you have heard of papa, you
know that he is politician
Yes; State Senator Winwood."
I'm glad you've heard, for ! think
papa a great man. Well, l get my poll
tics from him. | have made him tell
me lots and lots of the tricks they re-
sort to, and think am most as sharp
as he is. My cousin Fred, at Belville,
is running for county supervisor on
the Democratic ticket. You know what
a supervisor is, don't you?"
81 have dim idea, Miss Winwood'
"One of the bosses of the county,
you know. Aunt Jane Grattan, who is
widow and Freds mother owns n
nice country place, and she wants
Fred elected supervisor to keep her
taxes down and the roads In good re-
pair. She thinks she can get her taxes
reduced onehalf and make the county
build a bridge, which maybe she ought
to build,
Let's see; is that what they call
graft?' was asked
"Oh, no, no! Graft is different
thing. This Is just taking care of num-
Der one, you know"
"And what sort of man is your
cousin Fred?"
He's awfully lazy, but awfully good. !
He says he won't hustle to get single |
vote, and that's the reason I'm going
down there. I'm going to electioneer
for him. shan't make any speeches,
of course, but shall drive around ask
ing everybody to vote for him shall
begin with you right now"
and | pledge you my vote There |
must be some one running against him
on the Republican ticket. Do you know
him?"
mo, but Aunt Jane does. That is,
she has seen him, and she writes me |
that If villain was ever printed on a
mans face it is on his. She says he
must be guilty of many crimes, and
that he ought to be showed under ten
feet deep / shall help to snow him
lnder.'
Mr.. Burden laughed heartily and
good naturally and asked:
so you are going to find out how
many murders he has committed and
BRING bin to justice? That's right. Let
10 guilty man escape. It's rather cur
Gus that he should have received the
ooh, he was nominated by the ma
chine Papa says the machine can do
If the machine elects him he
will be expected to dizzy, but he won't
)e elected Fred says he won't raise a
land but wait till Aunt Jane and
get to work"
We'll, If he is unworthy | hope you
will defeat him. At any rate, my vote
S pledged to YOU
A week later Mr.. Burden met Miss
Winwood on the highway as she was
'lectioncering in her auto and halted
Ter to says:
81 presume you arc out after votes
oday?"
Yes, am seeing the farmers, one
" one" was the reply.
'Then you are getting lots of votes
or cousin Fred?"
Why, l think So but can't tel.
When | tell people what scroundrel
fr. Burden is and that the machine be-
ind him intends to loot the county I
reasury. lots of them smile and don't
ay anything. That Is, some Of them
ave just the same as said they
ouldn't believe It. If Fred would only
unit up the mans record and make
ONE speeches and denounce him; but
e won't do it."
and have you met the villain your
elf yet?'
NO. | think he has heard that ] am
n his trail and he is keeping dark
unit Jane heard last night that if he
as elected he would try to raise her
axes fifty per cent more, and she's
OF an awful headache today. Good-by.
have to win over three different