Aunt Jane's Nieces at Work

Saturday forenoon the three girls, with Kenneth, Mr. Watson and Uncle

John, rode over to Fairview to prepare for the debate that was to take

place in the afternoon, leaving only Tom Gates at home. As Mr. Hopkins

had thrust upon his opponent the task of naming the place and time, the

Republican candidate was obliged to make all the arrangements, and pay

all the costs. But whatever the girl managers undertook they did well.

So the Opera House had been in the hands of a special committee for two

days, the orchestra had been hired, and the news of the joint debate had

spread far and wide.

The party from Elmhurst lunched at the Fairview Hotel, and then the

girls hurried to the Opera House while Kenneth remained to attend a

conference of the Republican Committee. These gentlemen were much

worried over the discovery of a scheme to trade votes that had been

sprung, and that Forbes and Reynolds were being sacrificed for Hopkins

and Cummings. Mr. Cummings was called into the meeting, and he denied

that the trading was being done with his consent, but defiantly refused

to make a public announcement to that effect.

The matter was really serious, because every vote lost in that way

counted as two for the other side, and Hopkins's rabid hand-bills had

influenced many of the more ignorant voters and created endless disputes

that were not of benefit to the Republican party.

"As nearly as we can figure from our recent canvass," said Mr.

Cunningham, the chairman, "we are fast losing ground, and our chances of

success are smaller than if no interest in the election had been

aroused. Hopkins has cut our majority down to nothing, and it will be a

hard struggle to carry our ticket through to success. This is the more

discouraging because Mr. Forbes has spent so much money, while Hopkins's

expenses have been very little."

"I do not mind that," said Kenneth, quietly. "It was my desire that the

voters should fully understand the issues of the campaign. Then, if they

vote against me, it is because they are not worthy of honest

representation in the Legislature, and I shall in the future leave them

to their own devices.