Aunt Jane's Nieces at Work

  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 thatblinked continually. His head was bald, his hands fat and red and hisfeet enormous.

  To offset this Mr. Hopkins wore a silk hat and a "Prince Albert" coatmorning, noon and night. His gold watch-chain was huge and imposing; hehad a big diamond shirt-stud, and upon his puffy fingers several rings.He conveyed, nevertheless, the impression that he was more prosperousthan refined, and the farmers and townsmen were as quick to recognizethis as was Mr. Watson himself.

  Moreover, the Honorable Erastus was dubbed "close-fisted" by hisneighbors. He never spent a penny on anyone but himself, and beingunscrupulous in politics he was naturally unscrupulous in smaller thingsof a business nature. But since he had risen from a stable-boy to hispresent affluent position he had never been unwise or careless enough tobe caught in any crooked action; and while his acquaintances had anindefinite fear of dealing with him they could not accuse him openly.

  It seems strange that such a man should have been chosen to represent awealthy and important district in the State Legislature, but politicscan show many a similar case. In the first place, Mr. Hopkins wasaggressive, and knew political methods thoroughly. He had usurped theposition of Democratic leader in his community and the others wereafraid to antagonize him openly. When he was nominated forRepresentative he managed to dictate, by shrewd methods, the nominationof Thompson, the store-keeper, on the Republican ticket. Thompson owedHopkins a large sum of money and Hopkins held a mortgage on the stock.Therefore Thompson dared not make a fight, and although the Republicanvote was normally the largest in the district, Hopkins had managed towin enough of them to his side to win.

  He had been a little anxious about his renomination, because he knewthat he had not represented his district very satisfactorily; but whenKenneth Forbes received the nomination on the Republican ticket he feltthat "all was over but the shouting" and that he would "win in a walk."Had it been an issue between the personality of the two men, Hopkinswould have had little chance of success; but young Forbes had alreadyraised another issue by his anti-sign speech at the school-house, andHopkins intended to force that issue and so defeat Kenneth because ofthe ridicule the latter's position had already brought upon him.

  He began to circulate humorous stories about Kenneth's antipathy tosign-boards, saying that the young man demanded that the signs be takenoff the Zodiac, and that he wouldn't buy goods of the village grocerbecause the man had a sign out.

  Mr. Hopkins also printed thousands of large hand-bills reading "TheSigns of the Times vs. Aristocratic Snobbery. Vote for the Hon. ErastusHopkins, the man who believes in advertising."

  These things had their effect upon all classes of people. There weremany good-natured laughs at young Forbes's expense. All this was soonrealized at Elmhurst, and had the effect of plunging the youthfulaspirant for political honors into the depths of despair. The campaignwas hot against him, but Kenneth made no defense.

  At this juncture, with election but three weeks away, he received atelegram asking him to send the drag and baggage wagon to the noontrain. It was signed by John Merrick, and the boy was overjoyed at theprospect of seeing his jolly old friend again. And the girls? Well, someof them surely must be coming, or Uncle John wouldn't have asked for thedrag.

  "Now then, the election can go to blazes," said Kenneth, cheerfully, toMr. Watson. "The sight of some friendly faces will be a great relief."

  The old lawyer sighed. His attempt to "wake up" Kenneth had resulted infailure, mainly because the boy had become discouraged so early in thegame. Kenneth felt keenly the humiliating experiences he had passedthrough, and had sunk back into his old moody reserve.

  But here was a welcome diversion. The visitors, whoever they might proveto be, would afford relief to the situation and brighten the dullness oflife at the big house. So both Kenneth and Mr. Watson were with the dragat the station when the noon train drew in.

  And there were Patsy Doyle, Beth DeGraf, and Louise Merrick, a bevy ofdainty and sprightly girls, alighting eagerly from the coaches, withUncle John handing out the grips and packages and giving the checks forthe baggage, with business-like celerity, to Thomas the groom.

  "We've come for a visit, Ken!" cried Palsy, laughing at his eagerdelight. "Are you glad to see us, boy? And do you suppose old Martha hasour rooms aired?"

  "And it's a long visit, too," added Uncle John, "as you'll believe whenyou see the pile of baggage. You'd think these minxes were prepared fora tour of the world. Each one of 'em brought a carload of clothes."

  But they couldn't phase Kenneth in that way. His sensitive face had notbeamed with so much animation for months.

  The guests were helped into the tall drag and merrily they drove thefive miles to Elmhurst, not a word of politics being spoken on the way.

  The girls had not been to the house since Aunt Jane's death, two yearsago, and after a hasty luncheon they began an inspection of every room,as well as the garden, grounds and stables. The horses, cows, pig andchickens were alike inspected, the roses and dahlias visited andadmired, and after all this they returned to their rooms with oldMartha, the housekeeper, and proceeded to unpack their trunks and getsettled. Kenneth had been their guide and companion in these variousexplorations, but when the girls went to their rooms he wandered intothe library where Uncle John and Mr. Watson had been having a quiet talkover their pipes of tobacco. They welcomed the young man, but adroitlyturned the topic of conversation, and again the subject of was rejoined.

  It was a merry dinner party that graced the table during dinner thatevening, and the boy forgot his troubles and was as jolly and sociableas he had ever been in his life.

  But when they were all assembled in the long living room where theygrouped themselves around the fireplace, a sudden change took place inthe demeanor of the young ladies. Patsy, the delegated leader, lookedgravely at the boy and asked:

  "How goes the campaign, Ken?"

  "Wh--what campaign?" he stammered, to gain time.

  "Why, this election business. Tell us about it," said Patsy.

  "Some other time, girls," answered the boy, red and distressed. "It--itwouldn't interest you a bit."

  "Why not?" asked Louise, softly.

  "Because it doesn't interest me," he replied.

  "Are you so sure of election?" inquired Beth.

  "I'm sure of defeat, if you must know," he declared, scowling at therecollection of his predicament.

  "You haven't been cowardly enough to give up?" asked Patricia, boldly.

  "What do you mean by that, Patsy Doyle?" he asked, the scowl deepening.

  "Just what I say, Ken. A brave man doesn't know when he's beaten, muchless beforehand."

  He looked at her fixedly.

  "I'm not brave, my dear," he replied, more gently than they hadexpected. "The people here don't understand me, nor I them. I'm laughedat and reviled, a subject for contemptuous jeers, and--and it hurts me.I don't like to be beaten. I'd fight to the last gasp, if I had any showto win. But these conditions, which I foolishly but honestly broughtabout myself, have defeated me so far in advance that I have absolutelyno hope to redeem myself. That's all. Don't speak of it again, girls.Play me that nocturne that I like, Beth."

  "We've got to speak of this, Kenneth, and speak of it often. For wegirls have come down here to electioneer, and for no other reason onearth," declared Patsy.

  "_What! You_ electioneer?"--a slight smile curled his lips.

  "Exactly. We're here to brace up and get to work."

  "And to win," added Beth, quietly.

  "And to put you in the Legislature where you belong," declared Louise.

  Kenneth turned to Mr. Merrick.

  "Talk to them, Uncle John," he begged.

  "I have," said the little man, smiling, "and they've convi
nced me thatthey mean business. It's all up with you, my boy, as a private citizen.You're as good as elected."

  Ken's eyes filled.

  "You're all very kind, sir," he said, "as you were bound to be. And--andI appreciate it all--very much. But Mr. Watson will tell you that thecase is hopeless, and there's nothing to be done."

  "How about it, Watson?" inquired Uncle John, turning to the lawyer.

  "I'll explain the proposition, sir, so you will all understand it," hereplied, and drew his chair into the circle. "To begin with, Kennethvisited the glen one day, to make a sketch, and found his old table-rockcovered with an advertising sign."

  "How preposterous!" exclaimed Louise.

  "There were three of these huge signs in different parts of the glen,and they ruined its natural beauty. Kenneth managed to buy up the spacesand then he scrubbed away the signs. By that time he had come to detestthe unsightly advertisements that confronted him every time he rode out,and he began a war of extermination against them."

  "Quite right," said Patsy, nodding energetically.

  "But our friend made little headway because the sympathies of the peoplewere not with him."

  "Why not, sir?" inquired Beth, while Kenneth sat inwardly groaning atthis baring of his terrible experiences.

  "Because through custom they had come to tolerate such things, and couldsee no harm in them," replied the lawyer. "They permit their buildingswhich face the roads to be covered with big advertisements, and thefences are decorated in the same way. In some places a sign-board hasbeen built in their yards or fields, advertising medicines or groceriesor tobacco. In other words, our country roads and country homes havebecome mere advertising mediums to proclaim the goods of more or lessunscrupulous manufacturers, and so all their attractiveness isdestroyed. Kenneth, being a man of artistic instincts and loving countryscenes, resented this invasion of commercialism and tried to fight it."

  "And so ran my head against a stone wall," added the young man, with abitter laugh.

  "But you were quite right," said Patsy, decidedly. "Such things oughtnot to be permitted."

  "The people think differently," he replied.

  "Then we must educate the people to a different way of thinking,"announced Louise.

  "In three weeks?"

  "That is long enough, if we get to work. Isn't it, girls?" said Beth.

  "Kenneth accepted the nomination with the idea of having a law passedprohibiting such signs," explained the lawyer. "But Mr. Hopkins, hisopponent, has used this very thing to arouse public sentiment againsthim. Farmers around here are thrifty people, and they fear to lose thetrifling sums paid them for the privilege of painting signs on theirpremises."

  Patsy nodded gravely.

  "We will change all that," she said. "The thing is really more seriousthan we expected, and more difficult. But we came here to work and win,and we're going to do it. Aren't we, Uncle John?"

  "I'll bet on your trio, Patsy," replied her uncle. "But I won't bet allI'm worth."

  "It's all foolishness," declared Kenneth.

  "I do not think so," said the lawyer, gravely. "The girls have a fineshow to win. I know our country people, and they are more intelligentthan you suppose. Once they are brought to a proper way of thinking theywill support Kenneth loyally."

  "Then we must bring them to a proper way of thinking," said Patsy, withdecision. "From this time on, Ken, we become your campaign managers.Don't worry any more about the matter. Go on with your painting and behappy. We may require you to make a few speeches, but all the detailswill be arranged for you."

  "Do you intend to permit this, Uncle John?" asked Kenneth.

  "I'm wholly in sympathy with the girls, Ken, and I believe in them."

  "But consider the humiliation to which they will subject themselves!I've had a taste of that medicine, myself."

  "We're going to be the most popular young ladies in this district!"exclaimed Patsy. "Don't you worry about us, Ken. But tell me, how big isyour district?"

  "It includes parts of three counties--Monroe, Washington and JacksonCounties."

  "What county is this?"

  "Monroe."

  "Any cities?"

  "No; only a few towns. It's mostly a rural district. Fairview, justacross the border in Washington County, is the biggest village."

  "Have you an automobile?"

  "No; I don't like the things. I've always loved horses and prefer themto machines."

  "How much money are you prepared to spend?"

  "How much--what's that?" he asked, bewildered.

  "You can't win a political election without spending money," declaredPatsy, wisely. "I'll bet the bad man is scattering money in everydirection. It will cost something on our side to run this campaign in away to win."

  The young man frowned.

  "I don't mind spending money, Patsy," he said, "but I don't approve ofbuying votes, and I won't allow it, either!"

  "Tut-tut! Who said anything about buying votes? But we're going to workon a broad and liberal basis, I assure you, and we need money."

  "Spend all you like, then, so long as you don't try to corrupt thevoters."

  "Very good. Now, then, how much land do you own at Elmhurst?"

  Kenneth looked inquiringly at the lawyer.

  "About twelve hundred acres," said Mr. Watson. "It is divided into smallfarms which are let out on shares."

  "How many votes do you control among your servants and tenants?"proceeded Patsy, in a business-like tone.

  "Perhaps thirty or forty."

  "And what is the total vote of the district?"

  "Thirty-five hundred."

  Patsy gasped.

  "So many?"

  "Fully that many," said Mr. Watson, smiling.

  "Then we've got to have over seventeen hundred and fifty votes to electKenneth?"

  "Exactly."

  The girl drew a long breath and looked at Beth and Louise. Then they alllaughed.

  "Suppose you resign as campaign managers," said Kenneth, beginning to beamused.

  "Oh, no! It's--it's easier than we expected. Isn't it, girls?"

  "It's child's play," observed Louise, languidly.

  The boy was astonished.

  "Very well," said he. "Try it and see."

  "Of course," said Patsy, cheerfully. "Tomorrow morning we begin work."