ch chain. The
gentleman had, in fact, just arrived; but he seemed perfectly at home as
he laid down his hat on the marble-topped bureau, mopped his face, took a
glass of iced water at a gulp, chose a cigar, and sank down gradually on
the bed. Mr. Wetherell recognized him instantly as the father of the
celebrated Cassandra.

"Well, Jethro," said the gentleman, "I've got to come into the Throne
Room once a day anyhow, just to make sure you don't forget me--eh?"

"A-Alvy," said Jethro, "I want you to shake hands with a particular
friend of mine, Mr. Will Wetherell of Coniston. Er--Will, the Honorable
Alvy Hopkins of Gosport."

Mr. Hopkins rose from the bed as gradually as he had sunk down upon it,
and seized Mr. Wetherell's hand impressively. His own was very moist.

"Heard you was in town, Mr. Wetherell," he said heartily. "If Jethro
calls you a particular friend, it means something, I guess. It means
something to me, anyhow."

"Will hain't a politician," said Jethro. "Er--Alvy?"

"Hello!" said Mr. Hopkins.

"Er--Will don't talk."

"If Jethro had been real tactful," said the Honorable Alvy, sinking down
again, "he'd have introduced me as the next governor of the state.
Everybody knows I want to be governor, everybody knows I've got twenty
thousand dollars in the bank to pay for that privilege. Everybody knows
I'm going to be governor if Jethro says so."

William Wetherell was a little taken aback at this ingenuous statement of
the gentleman from Gosport. He looked out of the window through the
foliage of the park, and his eye was caught by the monument there in
front of the State House, and he thought of the inscription on the base
of it, "The People's Government." The Honorable Alva had not mentioned
the people--undoubtedly.

"Yes, Mr. Wetherell, twenty thousand dollars." He sighed. "Time was when
a man could be governor for ten. Those were the good old days--eh,
Jethro?"

"A-Alvy, 'Uncle Tom's Cabin's' comin' to town tomorrow--to-morrow."

"You don't tell me," said the Honorable Alva, acquiescing cheerfully in
the change of subject. "We'll go. Pleased to have you, too, Mr.
Wetherell."

"Alvy," said Jethro, again, "'Uncle Tom's Cabin' comes to town
to-morrow."

Mr. Hopkins stopped fanning himself, and glanced at Jethro questioningly.

"A-Alvy, that give you an idea?" said Jethro, mildly.

Mr. Wetherell looked blank: it gave him no idea whatsoever, except of
little Eva and the bloodhounds. For a few m