boys," he said.

The offhand fashion of address provoked a fresh demonstration which the
nominee acknowledged with a good-humored nod. His eye sauntered over
the delegates, and with a shrewd twinkle halted on the dejected group
which had fought his nomination.

"This happy occasion reminds me of a Tuscarora County story," he began,
with a little drawl; "the story of Tired Tinkham's election as overseer
of highways at Noah's Basin--a pioneer classic which some of you have
doubtless heard. It happened in the early days of Noah's Basin, when
that interesting village contained perhaps a score less people than
walk its changeless streets to-day. Tired Tinkham was the local Rip
Van Winkle--the children's friend and labor's foe. No one could
whittle green willow whistles in the springtime like Tired Tinkham, or
fashion bows and arrows with such fascinating skill. Like Rip also he
drank whenever a drink was forthcoming, but unlike Rip he did not hunt.
Minks, coons, and squirrels were plentiful, with here and there a deer
or bear, but Tired Tinkham was too weary to hunt. He fished; fished
day in and day out in the canal basin, which gives the place its name;
fished till the packet captains came to know him and point him out as a
fixture in the scenery. But, lazy as he was, Tired Tinkham didn't
monopolize all the laziness in Noah's Basin. In one particular
laziness was epidemic, even among the otherwise industrious, and it
took the form of shirking the road tax. No roads were wretcheder than
theirs; nobody cared less than they. In his personal view of life
Tired Tinkham was a fit exponent of the local theory of public duty,
and some village humorist accordingly hit upon the idea of nominating
him for overseer of highways. Tired Tinkham looked more than commonly
fatigued at the suggestion, but did not put the crown away. His
election was unanimous. Then Noah's Basin woke up. The jubilee
bonfires were scarcely ashes before Tired Tinkham delivered at the
corner grocery what he called his inaugural address. 'I cal'late I
know why I wuz 'lected; he said. 'T' loaf 'n' let ye loaf. I cal'late
ye've mistook suthin'. Ye'll work.' And work Noah's Basin did as it
had never worked before."

Shelby noted that the anecdote won even a thin-lipped grin from the
hostile camp.

"The Tired Tinkhams aren't so rare in politics," he went on. "We
sometimes put them in the White House. Americans have a way of growing
up to thei