ed guests. I had heard something of the
gallantry of young Jack Oxenford, who was the nephew of a carpet-bag
member of Congress, and prided himself on being the best whip in the
country. In the latter field I would gladly have yielded him all honors,
but his attentions to Esther were altogether too marked to please either
me or my employer. I am free to admit that I was troubled by this turn
of affairs. The junior mail contractor made up in egotism what he lacked
in appearance, and no doubt had money to burn, as star route mail
contracting was profitable those days, while I had nothing but my
monthly wages. To make matters more embarrassing, a blind man could have
read Mrs. Martin's approval of young Oxenford.

The programme for the forenoon was brief--a few patriotic songs and an
oration by a young lawyer who had come up from Corpus Christi for the
occasion. After listening to the opening song, my employer and I took
a stroll down by the river, as we were too absorbed in the new
complications to pay proper attention to the young orator.

"Tom," said Uncle Lance, as we strolled away from the grove, "we are up
against the real thing now. I know young Oxenford, and he's a dangerous
fellow to have for a rival, if he really is one. You can't tell much
about a Yankee, though, for he's usually egotistical enough to think
that every girl in the country is breaking her neck to win him. The
worst of it is, this young fellow is rich--he's got dead oodles of money
and he's making more every hour out of his mail contracts. One good
thing is, we understand the situation, and all's fair in love and war.
You can see, though, that Mrs. Martin has dealt herself a hand in the
game. By the dough on her fingers she proposes to have a fist in the
pie. Well, now, son, we'll give them a run for their money or break a
tug in the effort. Tom, just you play to my lead to-day and we'll see
who holds the high cards or knows best how to play them. If I can cut
him off, that'll be your chance to sail in and do a little close-herding
yourself."

We loitered along the river bank until the oration was concluded, my
employer giving me quite an interesting account of my rival. It seems
that young Oxenford belonged to a family then notoriously prominent
in politics. He had inherited quite a sum of money, and, through the
influence of his congressional uncle, had been fortunate enough to
form a partnership with Bethel, a man who knew all the ropes in mai