Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1925-12-16
CHAPTER V-Continued


to the edge of the mire. l used to look
upon that boy as smart young feller."
"Alaybe he's a whole lot smarter
than you think" said the ditcher sig
nihcantly.
"Oh, l don't for a minute think It's
that" said old John hastily. "Not for
a minute"
81 can't help thinkin' Wen turn up
that old mans body some day. 1t sort
OF gives me the creeps."
The two big bitches, fed by lateral
lines Of tile, held a straight course
across the upper end of the swamp
and drained into Blacksnake creek. a
sluggish little stream half a mile west
Of Rumley. Roughly estimated three
hundred acres were being transformed
into what in time was bound to be-
come valuable land
Oliver was walking slowly back to
the house, his head bent, his hands in
his pockets, when he observed an auto
mobile approaching over the deeply
rutted, seldom travelled road. He recog-
niZed the car at once. Lansing's yell
Tow roadster.
Hello, therew called out Lansing.
Hop in, Oliver. I've been sent to
fetch you over to Mr.. Sages. He had
a cablegram this morning and sort of
went to pieces"
"a cablegram? His wife-is she
deadg'
II should say not She's sailing for
the United STATES tomorrow and is
coming here to livew
1t was true that Josephine Sage was
coming home The beatific minister
thrust the cablegram into divers hand
as that young man came bounding up
the veranda steps ten minutes later.
"She's coming on the Baltic. have
decided to go to New York to meet
her. Jane will accompany me. / wish
you would find out for me, Oliver,
when the Baltic is due to arrive at
New York. Please help me out, lad.
Perhaps l should have telegraphed my
self-Or had Jane do it-but vel
mean Ter"
SAY" interrupted Oliver, with
sparkling eyes. "rI bet you're 20
years younger than you were yester-
day, Uncle Herbert~
Il believe l am" said Mr.. Sage,
squaring his thin shoulders and draw
ing a deep breath.
Mr. Horace Gooch of Hopkinsville
heretofore a miserly aspirant for legis.
iative honOrs but persistently denied
The distinction for which he was loath
20 pay, had "come across" so hand
somey-and so desperately-that the
bosses had foolishly permitted him to
pc nominated for the state senate. The
people did not want him; but that
made little or no difference to the
party leaders; the people had TO take
MIN whether they liked him or not.
Mr. GooCh's astonishing contribution
70 the campaign fund was not to be
passed up merely because the people
didn't approve of him.
The report that young Oliver Baxter
of Rumley was being urged to make
the race against his uncle caused no
uneasiness among the bosses. 1t was
not until after the young man was
nominated and actually in the field
That misgivings beset them. Young
Baxter was popular in the southern
section Of the county, he was a war
Zero and he was an outstanding figure
ln community where the voters were
rs likely as not to Jump the traces"
The bosses sent for Mr.. Gooch and
suggested that it wouldn't be a bad
idea for him to withdraw from the race
ON account of his age, or his health,
on his nephew.
DO you mean to tell me-" began
tIorace, genuinely amazed, that you
think this young whipper-snapper of
nephew of mine is liable to defeat
meT
Nobody knows what the people
want" replied the chairman senten-
Nolsly. Now, this young Baxter. He's
me Teller. He has d clear record.
Mere isn't thing we can say against
gym. On the other hand, he can say
.ot Of nasty things about you, Mr..
'''"ch. I'm not saying you'll be licked
next November. but you stand a
'Hned good chance of it, let me tell
''A' II this young Baxter goes after
Eo' without gloves"
I've just been thinking" said Mr..
''och, leaning forward in his chair,
suppose | go down to Rumley and
"A'e talk with Oliver"
"ha; about?" demanded the other,
sharply.
may be able TO reason with him."
NO chance" said the other, shaking
MIS- head. He's got it in for you,
hear"
Mr. Gooch got up and began pacing
:he floor.
see here, Smith," he began. halting