Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1926-02-12
sYLAND. FRIDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY p, 1926.
Defeated, but
Winners
BY H. IRVING KING

TT WAS election time and there was
= triangular contest on. Three sep
arate nominations had been made for
member Of the legislature from the
Sixty-nlnth district. The machine
had nominated Hon. Judson Dartmore
to succeed himself. The other party
had nominated Roscoe Varnum and
the Citizens party--a reform move
ment"-had nominated Miss Laura
Eldred
When Roscoe Varnum heard that
Laura Eldred was going to run for
oftice he was shocked. Laura and he
had been Intimate friends for some
time. But Roscoe was decidedly mid
Victorian in his ideas; for the woman
In politics he had no use. He put ON
his hat and hurried right over to the
Eldred house, bursting In on Laura in
both sorrow and anger. He begged.
he commanded her to withdraw her
name from the ticket.
"What" Laura cried, withdraw
at this stage Of the game and leave
the party in the lurchi No. indeed.
! intend to 60 through with this thing
and, what's more, l intend to be
elected. Perhaps you think my with
drawal would make your own election
more probable-is that the ideaf
Wellf Well, I'm not in a self-sac-
rifcing mood today. Besides. am
embarked in holy cause. Both the
old parties ought to be defeated. and
you know It."
"Boshl" said Roscoe most impolite-
ly. They are only making use Of you
to catch the woman vote"
"And they only nominated you be-
cause you are rich and they want to
use your money" retorted Laura.
And with these few kind words they
parted. each one determined to 60
through with the matter in spite of
everything. But they cooled of pref
ty rapidly when they came to think
things over. "oh," thought Laura, 81
wish I had never meddled with pol
tiles. can't run against Roscoe and
defeat him--as l know I shall-and
spoil all his political prospects. He
Is much better fitted for the legisla-
ture than l am"
And Roscoe thought: How In the
name of all the furies can l run
against Lauraf The machine Is all
cracked to pieces. The contest will
be between Laura and myself, and
there is not the slightest doubt but
that 4 wnrtll HafAat hA ns.f uh rn-nKrlA
never forgive me, and think more of
Laura Eldred than Of all the legis-
>lative seats In existence"
So Roscoe sat down and wrote q
letter to Laura offering to withdraw
and Laura sat down and wrote let
ter to Roscoe of like tenor. And the
messenger boy bearing Roscoe's letter
to Laura met the messenger boy bear
ing Laura's letter to Roscoe, and
stopped to shoot craps with him be-
fore resuming his march.
How dear she u.s." thought Roscoe
when he read Laura's note. "Of
course, | won't think Of his sacrific-
ing himself"
How dear she is," thought Roscoe
when he read Laura's note. "Of
anything Of the sort"
The managers of the Citizens party
and the other party got wind Of
what was going on and flew to arms.
One set Of managers descended upon
Roscoe and the other set Of managers
AaaaanAn1 tho ~,
they talked was whitening and awful.
When RoscOe's managers had de
parted he went over to see Laura and
found her In tears. Her managers
had just gone. "Oh, DEAR" sobbed
Laura, II am afraid we will have to
see 1t through"
Il am afraid we WILL" replied RIOS
cOe dOlefully. THE machine hasn't
the ghost of shOw-One Of US Is
bound to be elected-and what does
It matter, anyway, you or 1--we both
are fighting for civic Righteousness"
"And we'll make II gentleman's
campaign" added Laura with
laugh.
The scene Of this story Is a small
town. On election night the returns
were read In the town hall Roscoe
and Laura and the Hon. Judson were
there to hear them. They came In
slowly at first from the voting dis
trlcts. First Laura would be ahead
and then Roscoe; the machine votes
were scattering. At last, however.
the returns really began to arrive.
And when they did, Laura and Roscoe
disappeared as factors In the election.
Never In its history had the machine
had such an overwhelming victory.
Roscoe gave his arm to Laura and
they went up to where the Hon. Jud-
son stood surrounded by his satellites
and congratulated him upon his cleo.
ton. Thanks" said the Hon. Jud.
son. Rather expected 1t; rather ex-
pected It,"
Then Laura and Roscoe left the
hall and Roscoe walked home with
Laura. There was silence for
while, and then, as they approached
the Eldred house, Roscoe said: ~
am afraid am not cut out for
politician"
"And I have come to the same con.
clusion with regard to myself" said
Laura. "Still, II we had run on the
same ticket"
Suppose we do" said Roscoe
from now on until death do us part"
II think we would be winners" re
piled Laura with an hysterlcal little
glggle, which Roscoe smothered with
a kiss.
II Australia could be placed In the
Aetan.to noaan ~ xuouId All IN oil tho