Show F uncle ft laava AM T the i y by ETHEL HUESTON ou 0 dobbs b t merrill co strohe arl I 1 CHAPTER an 13 by agreement between the two state chairmen the campaign proper was to close on saturday night the filth fifth of november for that night the windup wind up huge rallies had been arranged lor for each of the rival candidates some seventy miles apart but both well toward the strategic center of the state sunda sunday Y had bad been designated aday a day of rest but at the last moment brother yielding to what he called insistent importunity consented to speak again in the pulpit of a mays villo ville church afie largest church in the state on monday evening each candidate had been allotted thirty minutes on the radio in a statewide state wide hookup hook book up but the battle royal was to end on saturday night the wind UPI on monday the trailer cavalcade took up Us its last headquarters in the recreation park at radway this was vas a happy stroke as the park was well provided with pleasant facilities cili ties riding horses for rent swimming pool and bathhouse bath house tennis courts good restaurants a small hotel a tavern radway was twenty miles from Trent fare where the senators senator a windup wind up rally was to be held and after the rally the last tired trek would return them to shires to await the end the governors final rally was slated for lancaster about forty foray miles from radway badway in the opposite direction i that was a terrible week they campaigned from breakfast till midnight constantly in the public eye obliged to shake thousands of hands bands and to be pleasant until the smiles seemed frozen to their tired features on the day of 0 the windup wind up saturday morning they sat jadedly at breakfast in the little dinette of the trailer limpy lampy could not force herself to eat she could not drink her coffee could only sit listless and dull toying with herfort her fork aunt olympia persisted in urging her but I 1 cant bant auntie auntee I 1 tell you I 1 canal said limpy impatiently the very thought of food chokes me right up well go and sit under the trees and talk said aunt olympia purposefully pose fully for one hour ithen you k 0 4 B but ut I 1 cant auntee I 1 tell you I 1 canal I 1 igo go swimming I 1 at five you go to the i pool and swim and float and relax and forget politics we dont have ito leave here till seven thirty ill lay out your windup wind up costumes and chave chave everything ready be new children tonight for uncle ILan jancys cys sake youve got to look I 1 leour your bastl the girls cheerfully acquiesced aunt olympia was the sort of worn wom I 1 an who inspires acquiescence at twive five they got into their smart bathing ensembles draped their becoming bath capes around their shoulders and tripped gaily into the bathhouse aunt olympia went with them and saw them take their first plunges now take a good long time to it she admonished them 1 I want you to limber up your nervous systems and that takes time ill call you when I 1 want you im going to snatch a nap but aunt olympia had no such blessed opportunity that afternoon before she was more than stretched out on her cot the roar of sirens announced the abe return of the senator he explained that a large crowd had gathered at mills milleville millsville ville about halfway to Trent fare an impromptu rally had been arranged and he had to dash right over and make them a speech perhaps id better just go on in the car and you can bring the girls and meet me at Trent fare or pick me apat up at Mills milleville millsville ville he said they particularly want to see mrs Sl apshire objected dave they took up e a collection and bought her a present ashes got to go along and weve got to get started aunt olympea was equal to the emergency now itell I 1 tell you what she said thinking very fast those girls are all tired out and having a lovely time over there alone ill go with you to and get my present well take the trailer and I 1 can dress on the way over well take the tha cars too and leave ben baldy here hare to drive the sound truck over when the girls get ready well put their windup wind up clothes ive got them thein laid out hi the truck for them and they can finish their bath and dress leisurely and be as fresh as daisies when they arrive aunt olympia went to the bathhouse on a weary trot she was worn to io what wha t she herself tersely described asa as a hank bank of hair but she did not falter thank god it was the last dayl she motioned the girls to come to the edge of the pool girls she said the tha senators come and weve got to go to another meeting or two before Trent fare its really impromptu though they allowed themselves time to wire the park for loud speaking and buy me a present anyhow you dont have to go you finish your swim and take all the time you want were leaving ben baldy to bring you over in the sound truck better lie down a while after your swim ill put extra cushions in ther the truck dress your very prettiest ill have your windup wind up clothes in the truck ready for you and hell get you there just in time tor for the close so be pica nice and fresh for it it fine Aunt lel what a nice old Aunt lel the waters grand aunt olympia why dont you chuck the meeting and have a plunge 1 I cant ive got to go andre and receive a present nothing makes you so mad as to have a present and nobody to present it to ill put a hamper of chicken and sandwiches in the truck too as you wont be hungry you can eat on the way over I 1 dont think your digestions will stand another hot dog barbecue dont forget the windup wind up hats said limpy 1 I wont forget anything and dont hurry girls Ido I 1 do want you to get freshened up I 1 want you to be as sweet as cherry blossoms its the windup wind up and tuesday the pay boffl ote said limpy blissfully treading water uncle laney lancy really owed us thas bath CHAPTER aill XIII the campaign had been spoiled for len hardesty too working for the opposition that was on account of adele Accept accepting ingher her note of temporary dismissal inthe in the spirit of candid honesty in which it had been written he no longer felt free to dash in at shires or on the trailer troupe the senator would have received him as before he know knew that so would olympia probably even helen painfully schooling herself to accept the bitter exigencies of apo a political future would have greeted him with quiet dignity but not adele nor limpy who had made it clear to everyone that she would never speak to him again until adele forgave him and adele not till after the election the gallup polls indicated that while the campaign was fairly close the closing weeks showed a definite trend in the senators favor favor this brother wilkie rather ungratefully attributed bolens to lens coupin coup in the spy business which had not only missed fire but had resonantly redounded redound ed to his disadvantage they could coul donly only tall fall back on the senators innocuous mildness his hopeless inefficiency As tor for his bis mildness len knew and the voters knew that once the senator got his glasses wiped and his feet on the ground he would take no back talk from anyone but olympia the Sena senator senators toris is hopelessly inefficient but there was nothing ope one could put hand on to support that accusation he had bad answered with a good deal of help of course every argument advanced against him his personal affairs were above reproach the senator is inefficient but to prove it in desperation on tuesday the first of november len called to confidential conference spike occil nor the governors chauffeur now see here splice spike he began youve had avery a very easy summer of it just touring the state looking at the scenery escorting the seven bra er cherubs and now youve got to do the governor one good heman he man turn before the me windup 11 chada ya mean seven cherubs I 1 aint seen no cherubs an I 1 been to church regular every sunday morning tor for four months which included in the agreement that thata I 1 got to go to church ill get prank to take over the cherubs from this on promised len youre entitled to a rest but theres one thing youve got to do youve got to help us prove that senator Slop shire is hopelessly inefficient fi focient fici ent any senator smart enough to pick himself out three good looking skirts in place 0 them brats of ours aint my idea of nd no inefficiency said ipke firmly len let that go it accorded too closely with his own ideas A man who cannot safeguard his home his property his campaign equipment from external ravage Is certainly not to be trusted with the intricate affairs of this sovereign state now on saturday algat hes going hobnob bing and grandstanding all over ove r the state with that elegant sound truck of his bis all plebeian dirt outside and luxury so what so right from under his nose were going to swipe that sound truck and show him up for the hopeless inefficient effI clent that he Is did you say we or me asked spike uneasily both its my idea but do the practical demonstration said len cheerfully they dont guard anything a bunch of nin comp oops they leave their doors wide open to everybody but me ane that Is he added bitterly they leave the keys key in the locks the switches turned on everything wide open now you 11 swipe the sound truck and bring it over to lancaster for the big rally well have the governor bring out how careless a and n d indifferent and inefficient the senator is and then well turn on the floodlights flood lights and therell be you and the senators sound A man that smart enough to look after his own sound truck an on the windup wind up night Is certainly not one to be trusted with the future of this sovereign state in it f tor 0 r me asked spike practically surcease from the brats asre is reward enough said len illow how everl ever here are a hundred dollars for your eipers expenses s you gett get that bat sound truck and keep it hidden until election night nigh tand and bring it to our rally and theres a two hundred dollar bonus in it tor you spot cash and a job beside if the governor wins 11 okay boss said spike will you bod got get the truck okay I 1 from len Harde recital of the ease of its accomplishment spike oconnor was not prepared tor for the hard luck he encountered in carrying out his enterprise when his ramshackle old roadster pulled into the grounds at radway icat it attracted no attention at all the senators processional was often followed behalf by half a dozen or more cars that nobody knew anything about spike had large VOTE FOR posters prominently displayed on the car and wore a button a chea cheap P button n not ot platinum and set with brilliantz brilliants brilli ants like Lim limpas pys but much larger all ali VOTE FOR SLOP SHIRES were welcome to join the cavalcade but the camp was a bristling bustle of activity from morning tin till night there were chauffeurs reporters cameramen policemen there were county chairmen visiting delegates reception committees local delegations on wednesday thursday and friday the sound truck was in constant use at night ben baldy slept on the cushions on the floor of it by saturday spike was nearly desperate and saturday was worse at five the senator came roaring back with his noisy escort and presently after a good deal of dashing about and giving orders and shouting instructions the big car with the senator and mrs Slop shire the small car pulling the trailer three small fords filled with miscellaneous cel assistants and the police escort went screaming cut of the tee recreation park only the sound truck was left pulled up near the deser deserted td bathhouse but it was not left alone ben baldy sat erect and watchful on the drivers seat and there he remained As dusk came on a slow drizzle of rain began to fall and the park grounds were swiftly deserted spike with a last lait hopeless look at bens silent figure went dejectedly across t the he park and into tho tavern for a glass of beer it if he had made this move by studied design instead of at the prompting of thirst it would have been the smartest i act of spikes life the moving figure in the drizzling rain raid of the deserted park attracted ben baldys attention his eyes followed spike through the rain straight to the door of the tavern A stream of bright warm light shot out the strains of swinging dance music a pleasant change from the star spangled banner he had been having all summer the door the light was cut off the music died ben baldy balay looked at hl his watch swatch A quarter to lieven seven he looked at the bathhouse door no sign of the girls he got down from the ci drivers rivers seat rind and followed spike oconnor into the tavern spike greeted him with his broadest irish smile they went simultaneously to io the bar wet night brother said ben baldy sociably how co come you aln aint t over to the rally said spike aint you with the Sen senator glor ben baldy had some grievance of his own apart from the long wait aw they switched me onto the truce truck they went ahead to the rally with barbecue a and nd beer thrown in and left the girls in swim swimming min f I 1 got to take them when they come out in my opinion they spoil them girls 11 im paying brother said spike generously how about a double whisky the senator dont allow no hard drinkin on camp campaign said ben bitterly ho he says it riles rilea tho the pro hibi tion the senator aint around now and aint likely to be around till after that rally and if them girls Is as countrified as the papers make out they wont know the difference between a whisky and a coke set em up on me double wills whis ays spike took one generous draught of his bis liquor he felt he needed that then h ho gald a d W watch mine w will I 1 boti you I 1 want to see if I 1 locked that bus he saunter sauntered e d leisure leisurely across the roam to the door but once outside without a look toward his ram ramshackle shaik ford he went on a dead run tor for the sound truck standing deserted and alone near the bathhouse door yes there it wast waal he leaped anio into the drivers seat turned tho switch pressed on the starter and the sound truck plunged forward out of the camp grounds into the high way turning north headed tor for the governors over nors rally at lancaster spike oconnor could not possibly have heard the three faint screams of surprise that went up from the ini interior eilor as the truck got under way the girls had leisurely finished their bath as admonished by aunt clym pla had skipped lightly from the 01 amp heres food said limpy bathhouse into the truck and were cheerfully making ready to rub themselves down doum in that small enclosure when it drove oft off after the first shock they pulled the themselves rn selves together we must have stayed tooling too long said helen well have to dress oswego as we go wheres the bag adele 1 I dont see it anywhere wheres the switch helen pressed the button and the truck truc kwas was palely flooded with light heres food 1 I said limpy lampy something take an hour to get there lets eat first its pretty cold said helen wed better dress first but seeing lampy already cheerfully at work on a dru drumstick the others followed suit sitting on cushions on the floor of the rocking sound truck this oils tun fun hunsaid said adele im glad they wait for us its such a rel relief lefto to eat cut without smirking at photographers sandwich please glutton i blissfully unaware that they were en rosteto route rou teto to the wrong meeting the girls nibbled down to lo the last bone of chicken the last crum crumb bof of sandwich d and cooky then limpy sighing content contentedly edly stretched out full length on the floor of the truck auntie said rest she reminded them you get right up from there and put your clothes on said helen firmly it YOU you catch cold you know be blamed tor for iti It mosey into your clothes and dont dore argue wheres tho the bag |