Aunt Jane's Nieces at Work
It's a good state,
too."
So the thing was undertaken, and both the young man and the old threw
themselves into the contest with energy and determination.
Mr. Watson rode in his buggy all over their district during the next
fortnight, and interviewed the farmers and townsmen of the legislative
district. When it became noised about that the young owner of Elmhurst,
now barely twenty-one, had determined to enter politics, and asked for
the nomination of Representative, no other Republican ventured to oppose
him.
It was understood to mean a hard fight, and even the most sturdy
Republican was inclined to fear that the present incumbent of the office
would be elected to succeed himself.
So the primaries were held and Kenneth attended and made a speech, and
was warmly applauded. His nomination was a matter of course, and he went
home the unanimous choice of his party, because none of the older and
more discreet politicians ventured to risk defeat.
The Hon. Erastus Hopkins well knew this feeling, and smiled in his
pompous and most sardonic manner when he learned who was his opponent.
Having conquered an old and tried Republican warrior in the last
campaign, he had no fears in regard to this mere boy, who could know
little of political intrigue.
"He won't put up enough of a fight to make it interesting, I'm afraid,"
Mr. Hopkins confided to his cronies.
But he didn't intend to take chances, so he began the campaign with his
usual vigor.
It was now the middle of September, and the election was to be early in
November.
CHAPTER V
PLANNING THE WORK
The Honorable Erastus Hopkins was thoroughly enjoying his campaign.
He was not an especially popular man in his district, and he knew it.
Physically he was big and stout, with a florid face and small eyes that
blinked continually. His head was bald, his hands fat and red and his
feet enormous.
To offset this Mr. Hopkins wore a silk hat and a "Prince Albert" coat
morning, noon and night. His gold watch-chain was huge and imposing; he
had a big diamond shirt-stud, and upon his puffy fingers several rings.
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In a village there lived two men who had the self-same name. Both were named Claus. But one of them owned four horses, and the other owned only one horse; so to distinguish between them people called the man who had four horses Big Claus, and the man who had only one horse Little Claus. Now I'll tell you what happened to these two, for this is a true story.
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