a-feds, and take a package away with you."
He was gone.

The voters had been now voting in my two boxes for some time, and I
found myself hoping the manna would not win, whoever did; but it seemed
this agent was a very capable person. To begin with, every family
entering a baby drew a package of the manna free, and one package
contained a diamond ring. Then, he had managed to have the finest babies
of all classes in his own exhibit. This was incontestable, Mrs. Brewton
admitted, after returning from a general inspection; and it seemed to us
extraordinary. "That's easy, ma'am," said Gadsden; "he came around here
a month ago. Don't you see?" I did not see, but Mrs. Brewton saw at
once. He had made a quiet selection of babies beforehand, and then
introduced the manna into those homes. And everybody in the room was
remarking that his show was very superior, taken as a whole they all
added, "taken as a whole"; I heard them as they came up to vote for
the 3-year and the 18-month classes. The 6-month was to wait till
last, because the third box had been accidentally smashed by Mr. Smith.
Gadsden caught several trying to vote twice. "No, you don't!" he would
shout. "I know faces. I'm not a conductor for nothing." And the victim
would fall back amid jeers from the sun-bonnets. Once the passengers
sent over to know when the train was going. "Tell them to step over here
and they'll not feel so lonesome!" shouted Gadsden; and I think a good
many came. The band was playing "White Wings," with quite a number
singing it, when Gadsden noticed the voting had ceased, and announced
this ballot closed. The music paused for him, and we could suddenly hear
how many babies were in distress; but for a moment only; as we began
our counting, "White Wings" resumed, and the sun-bonnets outsang their
progeny. There was something quite singular in the way they had voted.
Here are some of the 3-year-old tickets: "First choice, Ulysses Grant
Blum; 2d choice, Lewis Hendricks." "First choice, James Redfield; 2d,
Lewis Hendricks." "First, Elk Chester; 2d, Lewis Hendricks." "Can
it be?" said the excited Gadsden. "Finish these quick. I'll open the
18-monthers." But he swung round to me at once. "See there!" he cried.
"Read that! and that!" He plunged among more, and I read: "First choice,
Lawrence Nepton Ford, Jr.; 2d, Iona Judd." "First choice, Mary Louise
Kenton; 2d, Iona Judd." "Hurry up!" said Gadsden; "that's it!" And as we
counted, Mrs. Brewton looke