He drove along the turnpike for a time in silence.  Then it struck him that there was a peculiar air of neatness about the places he passed.  The barns and fences all seemed newly painted, and he remembered that he hadn’t seen an advertising sign since he left town.

A mile farther on he came upon a gang of the sign painters, who with their huge brushes were rapidly painting the entire length of a weather-worn fence with white paint.

Mr. Hopkins reined in and watched them for a few moments.

“You sign-painters don’t seem to be getting any signs started,” he observed.

“No,” replied one of the men, laughing.  “This is a peculiar job for our firm to tackle.  We’ve made a contract to paint out every sign in the district.”

“Paint ’em out!”

“Yes, cover them up with new paint, and get rid of them.”

“But how about the advertisers?  Don’t they own the spaces now?”

“They did; but they’ve all been bought up.  John Merrick owns the spaces now, and we’re working for John Merrick.”

“Who’s he?”

“Some friend of Mr. Forbes, up at Elmhurst.”

Mr. Hopkins was not a profane man, but he said a naughty word.  And then he cut his horse so fiercely with the whip that the poor beast gave a neigh of terror, and started down the road at a gallop.

CHAPTER IX

OL’ WILL ROGERS

Beth had her folding table out in the rose garden where Kenneth was working at his easel, and while the boy painted she wrote her campaign letters and “editorials.”

At first Ken had resented the management of his campaign by his three girl friends; but soon he was grateful for their assistance and proud of their talents.  It was at their own request that he refrained from any active work himself, merely appearing at the meetings they planned, where he made his speeches and impressed his hearers with his earnestness.  He was really an excellent speaker, and his youth and enthusiasm counted much in his favor.

He protested mildly when Louise invited the Women’s Political Club to meet at Elmhurst on Thursday afternoon, but Mr. Watson assured him that this was an important play for popularity, so he promised to meet them.  Tables were to be spread upon the lawn, for the late October weather was mild and delightful, and Louise planned to feed the women in a way that they would long remember.

Patsy had charge of the towns and Louise of the country districts, but Beth often aided Louise, who had a great deal of territory to cover.

The automobiles Uncle John had ordered sent down were a great assistance to the girls, and enabled them to cover twice as much territory in a day as would have been done with horses.