The Washington herald., 1919-08-20
ii.

Coniston was a small village upon 7
a shelf on a mountain side, COM !
nranding one of the gorgeous views
characteristic of a little Common !
wealth which has meny larger sis |
ter State. DIG none wOrth'er.
The politics of the place was un- |
der the control of the Church party |
which something more than th:ee- |
quarters Of { century ago held sway .
over many Of the towns OF New
England But the career of "Old !
Hickory" was giving n new impulse
to democracy and portended little /
good to any ruling class, Whatever /
its virtues. All that was needed |
was a leader and one was found in |
d young man named J2th-o Bass, !
who was tine son OF watl-to do |
tanner. Jethro inherited from his !
father a snug little fortune, but his
education had been almost wholly
neglected. He skillfully made use
of the rising discomfort by appeals
to ambition and personal interest.
1t became clear that the ruling
party was to be challenged at the
coming town meeting and so pre-
sumptuous a thing stirred society to
its depths.
The spiritual leader of the Church
party was the clergyman. His love-
ly daughter, Cynthia, filled a large
place in the eyes of Jethro and she
was drawn to him by the unmistak
able signs Of power apparent un-
der his awkward exterior. They
used sometimes to meet by chance,
and, unlike as they were in point
of cultivation, they were really
very much in love with each other,
a circumstance that had rather to
be inferred because Jethro was lit
tie likely TO exercise the initiative
and say anything about it. Once
when in Boston he bought a beauti-
full locket and had engraved upon
It "Cynthy from Jethro," but he
never mustered up the courage to
present it. When the political
tempest was rising Cynthia. who
sympathized strongly with her
fathers party. decided to go to
Jethro and plead with him to stop
the fight. Before he knew her pur-
pose he broke his silence and de-
clared his love. Perhaps if he had
been given a chance for reflection
and had not been so upset by his
own confession he would have
granted her request, but that did
not seem possible at the moment
Cynthia took his refusal as a decree
Of separation; and she left him
never to see him again and he set
out upon the career which ended in
his becoming the uncrowned king
OF his State.
The town meeting fight went on
and J5thrO was chosen first select
man. the only Office he ever held and
in whicn he continued for thirty-six
years. Cynthia went to Boston, /
where she became teacher in a high
school, and in the course of time
married William Wetherll. the clerk |
who had sold Jethro the Iocket She I
first learned about the locket from
her husband and confessed to him J
her love for Jethro. After a few
years she died, leaving a little girl |
who bore her name. WetherilI moved |
to Coniston, taking Young Cynthia |
with him. and went to keeping the |
village store.
In the years that had gone by |
Jethro had found COniston too small |
and was engaged in carrying on the |
government OF the State. He had his !
lieutenants in every county and pos
sessed such an organization that he |
was able to select most Of the men !
who held the important offices and |
TO control their actions afterward. In |
brief. he became the boss" Of the /
State and people who desired legtsla-
ton or offices found II necessary to |
visit him Avarice did not seem to
be the motive which controlled him. |
Railroads were being built, manufac-
turing developed, and ne took pride |
in making himself indispensable in
what, was going on. When little /
Cynthia appeared at Coniston he at |
once loved her as he would have
loved his own daughter. Her father |
tn
the bank. Jethro quietly bought the |
mortgage and had It assigned to |
himself. Cynthia used to call him |
Uncle Jethro and loved him as she /
did her father.
After a time the railroad CORPORA
tons decided to consolidate Jethro.
whether he feared that they would
become too large for the State, or
for him did not approve Of consoli-
dation- Thereupon they decided to
overthrow him The fight began over
his home postoffice. He was known
TO favor an old soldier named Eph |
Prescott who had been badly wound
ed in the Wilderness and whom he
had helped in his uphill fight as he
had helped many another person.
The railroad party decided to defeat
Jethro's candidate in order to- weaken
his prestige in the State, and il had
the support Of many men who had
formerly done his bidding and of the /
Congressman from the district" the
usual autocrat in the distribution of 1
offices OF that class
Jethro went to Washington and
contrived to have an apparently
chance meeting between President /
Grant and Eph- Grant was attract
ed by Eph's simplicity. They talked |
over the battles they had fought to-
gether with a modesty which fur
nished another instance that the Y