Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 January 1913 — The Women’s Candidate [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

The Women’s Candidate

By BYRON WILLIAMS

Oopyrlcbt 1912, Western Newspaper Union t SYNOPSIS. In a spirit of fun Mayor Bedight, a summer visitor, is chased through the woods by ten laughing girls, one of whom he catches and kisses. The girls form theiriselves into a court and sentence him to dq the bidding of one of their number each day for ten days. A legislative measure opposing woman suffrage, which dropped from the mayor’s pocket, is used to compel him to obey the mandates of the girls. His first day Of Service is with May Andrews, who takes him fishing. They are threatened by the sheriff with arrest. Miss Vining sees what she considers a clandestine meeting between one of the girls and the mayor. The next day he goes driving with Mabel Arney. They meet with an accident, are arrested and locked up, but escape. CHAPTER VI. In the office, smoking one of Mine Host’s best cigars, his dignity outraged, sat the sheriff, waiting. Mayor Bedight walked up the hotel stairs, oblivious to his pending fate. Suddenly a door opened and a head appeared, a blonde head, a piquant head, a head to catch the fancy of an artist. “Shh!” said the owner of the pretty profile. Bedight stopped, looking around cautiously. "Hurry!” commanded the girl, holding open the door of her room. His Honor, the Mayor, hesitated for a moment —and then, throwing conventionality to the winds, bolted through. The girl turned the key in the lock and faced him accusingly. "Well of all the blundering bounders! Do you know the sheriff has been hanging around here all afternoon waiting to arrest you?” The mayor looked brazenly at-the girl. "I expected as much,” he said, carelessly. "What have you been doing now?” she demanded, giving him a severe reprimand from two otherwise kindly hazel eyes. "Oh, chuck the attitude, Bess,” growled the mayor, disgustedly. "That little imp of a Mabel Arney insisted on riding the black saddler. He ran away with her an<f in trying to catch the minx, I collided with a baby carriage and spilled the baby's milk. That’s all. The confounded natives are always ready to arrest a summer resorter, and believing the peace and the dignity of the village had been shattered, they threw us in jail We broke out,” sullenly. “Do you blame us! Before she could reply thebe was a knock on the door. The girl’s face went white. "I—l’m afraid somebody saw you come in here!” she whispered. "Nonsense,” he breathed. “Here —l’ll slip under the bed. Go to the door.” In a twinkling the mayor was safely out of sight. The girl opened the door. "Oh, hello, Jackie,” she cried, in a relieved voice. “Come in." "Bess, we’re in a terrible pickle,” sobbed Miss Vining. "That horrid man took Mabel Arney to Lakeville this morning and got her arrested. The sheriff insists she must be in the hotel and I’ve promised to bring the entire crowd out on the veranda for inspection. Mabel is frightened almost to death. Bess,” dramatically, “we’ve got to dress her so the officer won't know her. Have you a switch

of tbat flaxen hair of yours? I’ve got Mae Andrews’ puffs. They'll match yours. We’ll cover Mabel’s black thatch until she looks like an albino. Here she is now," as the rustle of skirts proclaimed a new ai(rtval. [ ■

The mayor lay on his back, facing the mattress. • "Where'i that white princess of yours?” demanded Jackie. "She wore brown ' today. We’ll have to take some tucks in it,” going to the closet and helping herself. “Here, Mabe, get into this, and lively. ' ' ■ ~~ •'•2 “Oh, not here!” protested Bess Winters, snatching the dress from Miss Vining's hands. , The judge looked at Bess blankly. “Why not?” "Be —because!” shrilled Bess. ‘Tm afraid. Slip into your room, that’s a dear, and I’ll bring the switch in at once.” - “Oh, who’s afraid?’’ gurgled Mabel, reaching for the gown. .., “Step into the closet,” Implored Miss Winters. “Somebody might come.’’ .‘’’Bess, you’re an awful coward, 1 - anathematized the judge, sternly. The man under the bed heard the closet door close and waited. "’There didn’t seem to be anything else to do. Presently Miss Arney reappeared. » With hysterical laughter the changing of blackhaired Mabel into a ravishing bloude proceeded rapidly. ‘■'there!’’ exclaimed Miss Vttiing triumphantly, "the sheriff will never know her in the world. Come on.” Mayor Bedight heard the door close. Rolling from under the bed, he locked the door and sat down to await developments.. Half an hour later somebody knocked at the door. The mayor waited. “Walter!” whispered an excited voice. "Open the door. It is I Bess.” “Come in,” replied the mayor, turning the key. “We fooled him!” she cried, radiantly. "He couldn’t find his prisoner. Mine Host told him there were but ten young ladies—and he went away bewildered—but he’s coming back tomorrow to watch for you.” The man shrugged his shoulders. "Bess, you scoot out and discover what Harriet Brooks—” consulting his list, —"would like to have me do tomorrow and whatever it is we start at five in the morning.” The girl hurried away. The mayor seated himself at a small desk and began to write. He was still at it when Bess returned. “She has discovered an Indian mound on Glen Island and she wants you to go with her and open it I

have arranged to have her meet you at the bathing beach at sun-up.” The mayor scowled. He was not fond of grave-digging. ‘‘Thank you. Bess,” he said finally. ‘‘And now if you don’t mind, I want to write a while.” "Very well, Walter," she consented, taking up a magazine. For an hour neither spoke. Then the man laid down his pen and, looking at the, sand: “Bess, I want to know where Jackie Vining keeps that confounded antl.suffrage bill of mine.” “I refuse to enlighten you," sniffed the girl determinedly. “Bess, you’ve got to tell me. I must get out of this confounded hole. My campaign opens on the following Saturday and I must be there. I wouldn't mind serving out my sentence but these outraged natives have butted in on the game and they’ll have me in jail inside of a week, as sure as Fate. You wouldn’t want me to lose my election. Bess?” looking at her with appealing eyes. "Walter, It Is downright mean of you to even think of introducing a bill such as you have prepared. You deserve to lose —but I'm willing,” condescendingly, "to do what 1 can for you. The bill —your bill —Is In the personal possession of Judge Vining. She—in fact, she wears it Inside her shirtwaist to avoid losing it,” blushing. "Now I hope you are satisfied—and you may go. The sheriff has disappeared for the night. You can safely occupy your apartment." "You’re a good sport," said the mayor, patting 4h« girl tehderly on the cheek —and passed out.. CHAPTER VII. “There is the mound,” advised Harriet Brooks, on Wednesday morning, pointing to a rounded heap of earth just beyond the shade of a burr-oak a half mile inland from Sylvan Lake on Glen Isle. Mayor Bedlght took off his coat rue-

fully, Being prisoner to a prematurely gray-haired young lady with a clear, rosy complexion and a sweet, winsome manner was not so bad —but to be told td dig like a terrier in the rough soil was a horse of another color. But the mayor was game. Qrasplng a spade, he set to work diligently. It was a warm morning and the perspiration began to ooze from his heated body.” "Come and sit in the shade a while,” invited the girl, thoughtfully. “We have all day to ourselves—and the skeletons will not run away.” Bedight obeyed gratefully, throwing

himself at the woman’s feet in the cool shadows of the oak. - “I’m awfully interested in ancient and medieval things,” she explained, smiling down at him over her book. “Once when I was in lowa I met a man who was engaged in collecting curios—and he found a real moundbuilder skeleton along the Cedar river while I was there. What if this should turn out to be something like that?” hopefully. “Pardon me,” said the mayor, boldly, “but a nice girl like yourself should not be so interested in dead ones —especially when the woods are full of live ones.” The girl’s face flushed, the red against her white hair making her very attractive in the eyes of the man on the sand.

“The dead ones,” she said slowly, “never stay out late nights, never tyrannize, never take everything for granted, never get a grouch, never—” The mayor interrupted her, his face serious as be said: "There were Darby and Joan.” “But these are the days of divorce courts,” she answered, “and—geniuses—” coloring. “I am old-fashioned,” he parried. “I like to dream of home with the woman in it.” “I fear it is going to rain,” evaded Miss Brooks, looking anxiously at the cloud-filled west. “Do you mind digging a bit, Mr. Bedight?” “As the wife said to her husband when she wanted a sealskin,” he taunted, returning to the mound. She came and stood over him as he worked. His spade struck something—and her excitement grew. “Oh, I do hope it’s a mound builder!” she cried excitedly. The mayor grinned and kept digging. A clap of thunder pealed in the distance. As she turned apprehensively, the digger’s spade pried up a long, ropy object. “Here is your mound builder,” he said soberly, raising the object upon his spade. She gasped. The man smiled. * • “Oh!” from the woman. “I am afraid,” he breathed, softly, “it is exactly what It looks like —the tail of a cow!” As she stood frowning at him, great drops of rain began to fall. He looked about hurriedly for shelter under a tree. “Come on,” he cried, starting for the boat upon the beach. “We’ll have to camp out.” She followed him blindly. He pulled the dory high and dry and tipped it keel up. “Crawl under,” he said as the rain began to fall in torrents. “Why, Mr. Benight, I can’t do that I—” The man took her gently by the arm. “You have no other choice —and besides, I'ii not a cannibal!” She stooped and sat down upon the sand under the shelter. He followed, sitting close to her, of necessity. The fury of the storm broke. The day became as dusk, lighted only by the vivid flashes of anger that tore across the sky. He felt the woman tremble. (TO BE CONTINUED.)

Harrlet Brooks.

Mayor Bedight Took Off His Coat Rue fully.

Margaret Farnsworth.