arty upon whose banners Victory had never perched, at least so far as
my district was concerned, I was indeed the leader of a forlorn and
ragged hope; but my blood was up, and I was determined at least to make
a better showing than any other Democrat had done.

"But it was an expensive ambition.

"Election day rolled around, and I spent the greater part of the time
driving to and from the polling places in my own county. I was
particularly anxious to carry H----, even though all the other counties
failed me. That would soften the blow to the family pride, I thought.
Not a morsel of food passed my lips during the whole of that trying
fifth of November. From sunrise to sunset I never left my buggy, except
once to vote, and at nightfall I was fairly done up. When all was over I
was too tired-out to await returns at headquarters, so I turned in quite
early, only venturing to hope that the fate of Judkins would not be
mine. For Judkins, a recent victim, had been so overwhelmingly defeated
in the spring elections that he had retired from the political arena in
disgust; anathematizing politics in general and the politics of the --th
district in particular. Then, in his weak and shattered condition, he
fell into the arms of the eldest Parsons girl, who had been stalking him
for, lo, these many years!

"I slept as soundly as though trouble, sorrow, and Congressional
elections had never been; and in the morning came the surprise.

"I was elected by an enormous majority!

"I can not explain this phenomenon; they are still trying to do that out
my way. It was an upheaval, with the great Democratic party and its
astonished candidate very much on top. Its like will never occur again
in my State; not in my district, anyhow. A recent Republican gerrymander
will prevent that. Andrew Sale says he did it. Maybe he did; I don't
know."

"It was Fate--f-a-t-e--Fate!" said Colonel Manysnifters, solemnly.
"There's no avoiding it. My sainted parents, both good Presbyterians in
their day, would doubtless have urged predestination. That may be it.
Your election to Congress was something you couldn't side-step. Nor, by
the same token, can I. Only when I am nominated, I don't worry any more.
There _is_ a general election, I believe, but that doesn't fret me much.
We have eliminated the opposition down our way--perfectly legal and
statutory. Oh, yes. There _are_ a few 'lily-white' votes cast on the
other side, they tell me,--sort of a register