red it, since the historian for various reasons of his own did not see fit to insert the event in his plan of the Town History. Before another sun had set Jethro Bass

cussed by the politicians at the Coniston store, and Jake Wheeler held hims

Clarion and Harwich Sentinel declared that the people of Truro County recognized in Isaac Worthington a g

cott's harness shop, drove up to the platform of the store with the remark tha

e backs of his sweating Morgans; "well, that's strange. Guess the fight ha

trouble," declared Jake, wh

gainst Truro, and Steve Merrill layin' low. Bije Bixby's down there, and Heth

ussion was interrupted

s the green with an op

from Uncle Jet

ient to warrant the sensati

a pardonable curiosity. For it was well known that one of Jethro's fix

say to you that he would be pleased if you and Will would come to the capital and spend a week with him at the Pelican House, and

have heard a pine needl

n his pockets and voice

be-goldurn

hin' about Jake

oard with something about the Truro Railroad and our names. I

s pressed," said Lem, amid a sh

with his foot on the step of his buggy, that

-goin' to throw up a chance to stay a hull week at the Pelic

l and Cynthia upon their departure for the capital next morning. Although Mr. Wetherell had at one time been actually a resident of Boston, he received quite as many cautions from his neighbors as

e our passengers take the train down the pleasant waterways and past the little white villages among the fruit trees to the capital. The thrill of anticipation was in Cynthia's blood, and the flush of pleasure on her cheeks, when they stopped at last under the sheds. The conductor snap

eathlessly, "I didn't know you we

. D-don't you wish you had

thia. "I'm glad enough

ueeze, and by that time they were up the hill and William Wetherell quite winde

ere on Main Street were neat brick business buildings and banks and shops, with the park-like grounds of the Capitol farther on, and everywhere, from curb to doorway, were knots of men talking politics; broad-faced, sunburned farmers in stor

t know you were such a

ye find o

e. I knew you were great, of

at me?" he asked,

talking when you come along and stare a

were ranged in benches along the wall, and a chosen few were in chairs grouped around the spittoons. Upon the appearance of Jethro's party, the talk was hushed, the groups gave way, and they accomplished a kind of triu

re ready, Jud

e stairs, Jethro and C

on his elbow and turn

y close rang

said. "Thought ye would. Need ev

retorted Mr. Wethere

ared hugely to

ell's hand in a mild, but persuasive grip. "So

's t

ght you was. So long. Got a leetle busine

bals? With some misgivings William Wetherell watched Mr. Bixby disappear among the throng, kicking

us!" She took Wetherell's hand and led him in. "See the lace curt

at tails and seated hims

he said, "m-might as

he pocket of his coat, "you've been very kind to us, and we ha

ad upon the somewhat grandiose signature of Isaac D. Worthington, which they bore. Jethro took them and tore them up, and slowly

shened up, come into

into the limelight, is helpless in the clutches of a lady-waitress who is demanding somewhat fiercely that he make an immediate choice from a list of dishes which she is shooting at him with astonishing rapidity. But who is this, sitting beside him, who comes to William's rescue, and demands that the lady repeat the bill of far

ll. But Mr. Sutton, as becomes a man of high position, says little after he has rebuked the waitress, and presently departs

ng done, he says, 'Bije, you go out and get 'em.' Never counts the cost. He was nice to you-wahn't he, Will

" demanded M

e him another

down here with Jethro j

se of the silence was plainly in the young woman who walked beside him, and whose effective entrance argued no little practice and experience. She was of a type that catches the eye involuntarily and holds it,-tall, well-rounded, fresh-complexioned, with heavy coils of shimmering gold hair. Her pawn, wh

er day she's stirred up more turmoil than any railroad bill I ever seed. She was most suffocated at the gov

abou

he spoke into Mr. Wetherell's ear. "Alvy says he has twenty-five thousand dollars to put in if necess

Wetherell, putting do

you-call each other by our given names. Guess I was the first man he sent for last spring

to realize the futility

in political matters,

s listenin', would you, W

teni

One way he built up his power-listenin' when they're talkin' sly out there in the rotunda. They're almighty surprised when

n my life," cried William W

Bixby

he said, "see y

he gas jets burning, and a bed, whereon sat such dignitaries as obtained an audience,-railroad presidents, governors and ex-governors and prospective governors, the Speaker, the President of the Senate, Bijah Bixby, Peleg Hartington, mighty chiefs from the North Country, and lieutenants from other parts of the state. These sat on the bed by preference. Jethro sat

smuch as it has become our duty to describe this celebrated conflict,-in a popular and engaging manner, if possible,-we shall have to do so through Mr. Wetherell's eyes, and o

conductor on my road had a shock of paralysis when a man paid his fare. Then there's Batch, president of the 'Down East' road, as we call it. Batch and I are out of this fight,-we don't care whether Isaac D. Worthington gets his franchise or

Wetherell. "He's the richest

right here in the capital. He ain't a bad fellow, Duncan. You

ot much chance of tha

e's Duncan, of the Ce

tern. Lovejoy's a bachel

are using every means i

ng that franchise. Hav

it?" asked Wetherell, who had in mind

stion. Then he mopped his face, and winked very delib

e that!" Whereupon Mr. Wetherell flushed, and began to perspire himself. "Didn't you he

d Wetherell,

you know that Jethro pulls the strings, end we little railroad presidents dance. We're the puppets now, but after a while, when I'm crowded out, all these little railroads will get together and there'll be a row worth looking at, or I'm mistaken. But to go back to Worthington," conti

even get it out of th

her

took the precaution to have Chauncey Weed and the rest of the Comm

ght of that imposing a

being in Jethro's poc

a species better able to

poc

h Sutton wasn't any good, and that the people of the state didn't have anything more to say about it than the Crow Indians, and that the end of the sessi

Committee to report it and pu

as to fight now. He has seven of the twelve senators hitched, and the governor. But Duncan and Lovejoy have bought up all the loose blocks of representatives, and it is supposed tha

paid to remain in their seats?"

liamentary, perhaps, but fairly accurate. Our friend Jethro is confronted with a problem to t

ked to Jethro upon innumerable subject's; they looked upon the statue of a great statesman in the park, and Cynthia read aloud the quotation graven on the rock of the pedestal, "The People's Government, made for the People, made by the People, and answerable to the People." After that they went into the state library, where Wetherell was introduced

and was in the habit sometimes of taking refuge there when the atmosphere of the Pelican House became too thick. The three of them had sat down on one of the board benche

is that horrid girl everybody was loo

her, Cynthy?

Cynthia,

ain't she

en," declar

c if the gentleman had been young and handsome, but he was certainly not a man to sweep a young girl off her feet. He was tall, angular, though broad-shouldered, with a long, scrawny neck that rose out of a very low collar, and a large head, scantily covered with hair-a head that gave a physical as well as a mental effect of hardness. His smooth-shaven face seemed to bear witness t

Lovejoy,"

Mr. Merrill had told him of the opponents of the Truro F

his friend a

ed-hain't you,

marry that old ma

, "g-guess not, if the old man can help it. No

silence once, in fact, when Cynthia called his attention to a large poster of some bloodhounds on a fence, announcing the fac

to go,

hro, do you th

show-hev you-neve

y life," sa

ckled at the prospect. And there was the Truro Franchise Bill hanging over him, with only a week left of the se