him, while Joe sat horror-stricken,
holding aloft on his fork a smoking potato. Jethro continued to sip his
coffee.

"B-busy times, Chester," he said, "b-busy times."

Chester choked. Where were the burning words of denunciation which came
so easily to his tongue on other occasions? It is difficult to denounce
a man who insists upon drinking coffee.

"Set right down, Chester," said Mrs. Northcutt, behind him.

Chester sat down, and to this day he cannot account for that action.
Once seated, habit asserted itself; and he attacked the boiled dinner
with a ferocity which should have been exercised against Jethro.

"I suppose the stores down to the capital is finer than ever, Mr. Bass,"
remarked Mrs. Northcutt.

"So-so, Mis' Northcutt, so-so."

"I was there ten years ago," remarked Mrs. Northcutt, with a sigh of
reminiscence, "and I never see such fine silks and bonnets in my life.
Now I've often wanted to ask you, did you buy that bonnet with the
trembly jet things for Mis' Bass?"

"That bonnet come out full better'n I expected," answered Jethro,
modestly.

"You have got taste in wimmin's fixin's, Mr. Bass. Strange? Now I
wouldn't let Joe choose my things for worlds."

So the dinner progressed, Joe with his eyes on his plate, Chester
silent, but bursting with anger and resentment, until at last Jethro
pushed back his chair, and said good day to Mrs. Northcutt and walked
out. Chester got up instantly and went after him, and Joe, full of
forebodings, followed his brother-in-law! Jethro was standing calmly on
the grass plot, whittling a toothpick. Chester stared at him a moment,
and then strode off toward the barn, unhitched his horse and jumped in
his wagon. Something prompted him to take another look at Jethro, who
was still whittling.

"C-carry me down to the road, Chester--c-carry me down to the road?"
said Jethro.

Joe Northcutt's knees gave way under him, and he sat down on a sugar
kettle. Chester tightened up his reins so suddenly that his horse
reared, while Jethro calmly climbed into the seat beside him and they
drove off. It was some time before Joe had recovered sufficiently to
arise and repair to the scene of operations on the road.

It was Joe who brought the astounding news to the store that evening.
Chester was Jethro's own candidate for senior Selectman! Jethro himself
had said so, that he would be happy to abdicate in Chester's favor, and
make it unanimous--Chester having been a candidate so