his father's presence, two or three days later.

"What is it, John?" inquired the squire, laying down a copy of the New
York Herald, which he had been reading.

"Who do you think has enlisted?"

"I do not choose to guess," said his father coldly. "If you feel
disposed to tell me, you may do so."

John looked somewhat offended at his father's tone, but he was anxious
to tell the news. "Frost's going to enlist," he said shortly.

"Indeed!" said the squire, with interest. "How did you hear?"

"I heard him say so himself, just now, in the store."

"I expected it," said Squire Haynes, with a sneer. "I understood his
motives perfectly in urging the town to pay an enormous bounty to
volunteers. He meant to line his own pockets at the public expense."

"He says that he doesn't mean to accept the bounty," continued John, in
a tone which indicated a doubt whether Mr. Frost was in earnest.

"Did you hear him say that?" asked Squire Haynes abruptly.

"Yes, I heard him say so to Mr. Morse."

"Perhaps he means it, and perhaps he doesn't. If he don't take it, it is
because he is afraid of public opinion. What's he going to do about the
farm, while he is gone?"

"That is the strangest part of it," said John. "I don't believe you
could guess who is to be left in charge of it."

"I don't choose to guess. If you know, speak out."

John bit his lip resentfully.

"It's that conceited jackanapes of his--Frank Frost."

"Do you mean that he is going to leave that boy to carry on the farm?"
demanded Squire Haynes, in surprise.

"Yes."

"Well, all I can say is that he's more of a fool than I took him to be."

"Oh, he thinks everything of Frank," said John bitterly. "He'll be
nominating him for representative next."

The squire winced a little. He had been ambitious to represent the town
in the legislature, and after considerable wire-pulling had succeeded
in obtaining the nomination the year previous. But it is one thing to
be nominated and another to be elected. So the squire had found, to his
cost. He had barely obtained fifty votes, while his opponent had been
elected by a vote of a hundred and fifty. All allusions, therefore,
recalling his mortifying defeat were disagreeable to him.

"On the whole, I don't know but I'm satisfied," he said, recurring to
the intelligence John had brought. "So far as I am concerned, I am glad
he has made choice of this boy."

"You don't think he is competent?" asked John, in surprise.