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Aunt Jane's Nieces at Work

Forbes,

who never earned a dollar in his life, but inherited his money, is

trying to take the dollars out of the pockets of the farmers by

depriving them of the income derived by selling spaces for advertising

signs. He is robbing the farmers while claiming he wants to beautify

their homes. The farmers can't eat beauty; they want money. Therefore

they are going to vote for the Honorable Erastus Hopkins for

Representative." Then followed an estimate of the money paid the farmers

of the district by the advertisers during the past five years, amounting

to several thousands of dollars in the aggregate. The circular ended in

this way: "Hopkins challenges Forbes to deny these facts. Hopkins is

willing to meet Forbes before the public at any time and place he may

select, to settle this argument in joint debate."

The girls accepted the challenge at once. Within two days every farmer

had received a notice that Mr. Forbes would meet Mr. Hopkins at the

Fairview Opera House on Saturday afternoon to debate the question as to

whether advertising signs brought good or evil to the community.

The campaign was now getting hot. Because of the activity of the

opposing candidates every voter in the district had become more or less

interested in the fight, and people were taking one side or the other

with unusual earnestness.

Mr. Hopkins was not greatly pleased that his challenge had been

accepted. He had imagined that the Forbes party would ignore it and

leave him the prestige of crowing over his opponent's timidity. But he

remembered how easily he had subdued Kenneth at the school-house meeting

before the nominations, and had no doubt of his ability to repeat the

operation.

He was much incensed against the girls who were working for Kenneth

Forbes, for he realized that they were proving an important factor in

the campaign. He even attributed to them more than they deserved, for

Uncle John's telling activities were so quietly conducted that he was

personally lost sight of entirely by Mr.

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