“About Mr. Forbes, and how he orter be elected.  He wants to beautify the farm places by doin’ away with signs, an’ he wants better roads, an’ three new school-houses, ’cause the ones we’ve got now ain’t big enough.  An—­”

“You blamed idiot!  What are you talking about?” roared the exasperated Hopkins.

“Oh, you needn’t rave at me, ’Rast Hopkins, just ‘cause you’re gettin’ licked.  I thought your goose was cooked the minnit these girls got to work.”

Mr. Hopkins stared at her with a dazed expression.

“Be sensible, Mary, and tell me who these girls are.  I haven’t heard of ’em.”

“Why, they’re cousins o’ Kenneth Forbes, it seems, an’ come from New York to git him elected.”

“What are they like?”

“They’re swell dressers, ‘Rast, an’ nice appearin’ girls, and mighty sharp with their tongues.  They had a good meetin’ last night and there’ll be another at the town hall next week.”

“Pah!  Girls!  Forbes oughter be ashamed of himself, to send a bunch o’ girls out electioneerin’.  I never heard of such an irregular thing.  What do the boys say?”

“Folks don’t say much to me, ’Rast.  They wouldn’t, you know.  But I guess your game is up.”

He made no reply.  Here, indeed, was information of a startling character.  And it came upon him like thunder out of a clear sky.  Yet the thing might not be so important as Mrs. Hopkins feared.

Very thoughtfully he unfolded the morning paper, and the next moment uttered a roar of wrath and vexation.  Briggs was one of his stand-bys, and the Herald heretofore had always supported him; yet here across the first page were big black letters saying:  "Vote for Forbes!" And the columns were full of articles and paragraphs praising Forbes and declaring that he could and would do more for the district than Hopkins.

“I must see Briggs,” muttered the Honorable Erastus.  “He’s tryin’ to make me put up that hundred—­an’ I guess I’ll have to do it.”

He looked over the other newspapers which were heaped upon his desk in the sitting-room, and was disgusted to find all but one of the seven papers in the district supporting Forbes.  Really, the thing began to look serious.  And he had only been absent a week!

He had not much appetite for breakfast when Mrs. Hopkins set it before him.  But the Honorable Erastus was a born fighter, and his discovery had only dismayed him for a brief time.  Already he was revolving ways of contesting this new activity in the enemy’s camp, and decided that he must talk with “the boys” at once.

So he hurried away from the breakfast table and walked down-town.  Latham was first on his route and he entered the drug store.

“Hullo, Jim.”

“Good morning, Mr. Hopkins.  Anything I can do for you?” asked the polite druggist.

“Yes, a lot.  Tell me what these fool girls are up to, that are plugging for Forbes.  I’ve been away for a week, you know.”