t
understand--Hello! there's Tidditt. Asaph! Ase! S-s-t-t! Come here a
minute."

Mr. Tidditt, trembling with excitement, and shaking hands effusively
with everyone he met, pushed his way up the aisle and bent over his
friend.

"Say, Ase," whispered Josiah, "where's Whit? Why ain't he on hand?
Nothin's happened, has it?"

"No," replied the town clerk. "Everything seems to be all right. I
stopped in on the way along and Cy said not to wait; he'd be here on
time. He's been kind of off his feed for the last day or so, and I
cal'late he didn't feel like hurryin'. Say, Joe, now honest, what do you
think of my chances?"

Such a confirmed joker as Dimick couldn't lose an opportunity like
this. With the aid of one trying to be cheerful under discouragement he
answered that, so far, Asaph's chances looked fair, pretty fair, but of
course you couldn't always sometimes tell. Mr. Tidditt rushed away to
begin the handshaking all over again.

From this round of cordiality he was reluctantly torn and conducted to
the platform. After thumping the desk with his fist he announced that
the gathering would "come to order right off, as there was consider'ble
business to be done and it ought to be goin' ahead." He then proceeded
to read the call for the meeting. This ceremony was no sooner over than
Abednego Small, "Uncle Bedny," was on his feet loudly demanding to
be informed why the town "hadn't done nothin'" toward fixing up the
Bassett's Hollow road. Uncle Bedny's speech had proceeded no further
than "Feller citizens, in the name of an outrageous--I should say
outraged portion of our community I--" when he was choked off by a
self-appointed committee who knew Mr. Small of old and had seated
themselves near him to be ready for just such emergencies. The next
step, judged by meetings of other years, should have been to unanimously
elect Eben Salters moderator; but as Captain Eben refused to serve,
owing to his interest in the Whittaker campaign, Alvin Knowles was, by a
small majority, chosen for that office. Mr. Knowles was a devout admirer
of the great Atkins, and his election would have been considered a
preliminary victory for the opposition had it not been that many of
Captain Cy's adherents voted for Alvin from a love of mischief, knowing
from experience his ignorance of parliamentary law and his easy-going
rule. "Now there'll be fun!" declared one delighted individual.
"Anything's in order when Alvin's chairman."

The proceed