ollowed him out of the office.

Mr. Wright was stouter and grayer and grander than when I had seen him
last. He was dressed in black broadcloth and wore a big beaver hat and
high collar and his hair was almost white. I remember vividly his clear,
kindly, gray eyes and ruddy cheeks.

"Baynes, I'm glad to see you," he said heartily. "Did ye bring me any
jerked meat?"

"Didn't think of it," said Uncle Peabody. "But I've got a nice young doe
all jerked an' if you're fond o' jerk I'll bring ye down some
to-morrer."

"I'd like to take some to Washington but I wouldn't have you bring it so
far."

"I'd like to bring it--I want a chance to talk with ye for half an hour
or such a matter," said my uncle. "I've got a little trouble on my
hands."

"There's a lot of trouble here," said the Senator. "I've got to settle a
quarrel between two neighbors and visit a sick friend and make a short
address to the Northern New York Conference at the Methodist Church and
look over a piece of land that I'm intending to buy, and discuss the
plans for my new house with the carpenter. I expect to get through about
six o'clock and right after supper I could ride up to your place with
you and walk back early in the morning. We could talk things over on the
way up."

"That's first rate," said my uncle. "The chores ain't much these days
an' I guess my sister can git along with 'em."

The Senator took us into his office and introduced us to the leading men
of the county. There were: Minot Jenison, Gurdon Smith, Ephraim
Butterfield, Lemuel Buck, Baron S. Doty, Richard N. Harrison, John L.
Russell, Silas Baldwin, Calvin Hurlbut, Doctor Olin, Thomas H. Conkey
and Preston King. These were names with which, the _Republican_ had
already made us familiar.

"Here," said the Senator as he put his hand on my head, "is a coming man
in the Democratic party."

The great men laughed at my blushes and we came away with a deep sense
of pride in us. At last I felt equal to the ordeal of meeting the
Dunkelbergs. My uncle must have shared my feeling for, to my delight, he
went straight to the basement store above which was the modest sign: "H.
Dunkelberg, Produce." I trembled as we walked down the steps and opened
the door. I saw the big gold watch chain, the handsome clothes, the
mustache and side whiskers and the large silver ring approaching us,
but I was not as scared as I expected to be. My eyes were more
accustomed to splendor.

"Well I swan!" said t