the chairmen of
delegations appointed tellers and so the ballots were counted. When the
Fourth ward balloting was finished, Judge Van Dorn looked puzzled. He
was three votes short of unanimity. His vanity was pricked. He believed
he had a solid delegation and proposed to have it. When in the roll call
the Fourth ward delegation was reached (it was the fourth precinct on
the secretary's roll) the Judge, as chairman of the Fourth warders,
rose, blandly and complacently, and announced: "Ward Four casts
twenty-five votes 'yes' and three votes 'no.' I demand a poll of the
delegation."

George Brotherton rose when the clerk of the convention called the roll
and voted a weak, husky 'no' and sat down sheepishly under the Judge's
glare.

Down the list came the clerk reading the names of delegates. Finally he
called "Mortimer Sands," and the young man rose, smiling and calm, and
looking the Judge fairly in the eye cried, "I vote no!"

Then pandemonium broke loose. The convention was bedlam. The friends of
the Judge were confounded. They did not know what it meant.

The clerk called Nathan Perry.

"No," he cried as he looked maliciously into the Judge's beady eyes.

Then there was no doubt. For the relations of Wright & Perry were so
close to Daniel Sands that no one could mistake the meaning of young
Perry's vote, and then had not the whole town read of the "showers" for
Anne Sands? Those who opposed the Judge were whispering that the old
spider had turned against the Judge. Men who were under obligations to
the Traders' Bank were puzzled but not in doubt. There was a general
buzzing among the delegations. The desertion of Mortimer Sands and
Nathan Perry was one of those wholly unexpected events that sometimes
make panics in politics. The Judge could see that in one or two cases
delegations were balloting again. "Fifth ward," called the clerk.

"Fifth ward not ready," replied the chairman.

"Hancock township, Soldier precinct," called the clerk.

"Soldier precinct not ready," answered the chairman.

The next precinct cast its vote No, and the next precinct cast its vote
7 yes and 10 no and a poll was demanded and the vote was a tie. The
power of the name of Sands in Greeley county was working like a yeast.

"Well, boys," whispered Mr. Brotherton to Morty as two townships were
passed while they were reballoting, "Well, boys--you sure have played
hell." He was mopping his red brow, and to a look of inquiry from Morty
M