The Gentleman from Indiana

Politics is the one subject that goes to the vitals of every rural

American; and a Hoosier will talk politics after he is dead.

Everybody read the campaign editorials, and found them interesting,

although there was no one who did not perceive the utter absurdity of a

young stranger's dropping into Carlow and involving himself in a party

fight against the boss of the district. It was entirely a party fight;

for, by grace of the last gerrymander, the nomination carried with it the

certainty of election. A week before the convention there came a

provincial earthquake; the news passed from man to man in awe-struck

whispers--McCune had withdrawn his name, making the hollowest of excuses

to his cohorts. Nothing was known of the real reason for his disordered

retreat, beyond the fact that he had been in Plattville on the morning

before his withdrawal and had issued from a visit to the "Herald" office

in a state of palsy. Mr. Parker, the Rouen printer, had been present at

the close of the interview; but he held his peace at the command of his

employer. He had been called into the sanctum, and had found McCune, white

and shaking, leaning on the desk.

"Parker," said the editor, exhibiting a bundle of papers he held in his

hand, "I want you to witness a verbal contract between Mr. McCune and

myself. These papers are an affidavit and copies of some records of a

street-car company which obtained a charter while Mr McCune was in the

State legislature. They were sent to me by a man I do not know, an

anonymous friend of Mr. McCune's; in fact, a friend he seems to have lost.

On consideration of our not printing these papers, Mr. McCune agrees to

retire from politics for good. You understand, if he ever lifts his head

again, politically, We publish them, and the courts will do the rest. Now,

in case anything should happen to me----"

"Something will happen to you, all right," broke out McCune. "You can bank

on that, you black----"

"Come," the editor interrupted, not unpleasantly "why should there be

anything personal, in all this? I don't recognize you as my private enemy

--not at all; and I think you are getting off rather easily; aren't you?

You stay out of politics, and everything will be comfortable. You ought

never to have been in it, you see. It's a mistake not to keep square,

because in the long run somebody is sure to give you away--like the fellow

who sent me these. You promise to hold to a strictly private life?"