“I hope I deserve my reputation, Mr. Merrick,” said Erastus, straightening up at this praise.  “I do, indeed, try to live an upright life.”

“I guess so, Mr. Hopkins, I guess so.  You wouldn’t try, for instance, to encourage false registration.”

“Sir!”

“Anything wrong, Mr. Hopkins?” asked Uncle John, innocently.

Erastus looked at his visitor tremblingly, although he tried to control his nerves.  Of course Mr. Merrick couldn’t mean anything by this chance shot, so he must be thrown off the scent.

“You have a disagreeable way of making remarks, sir, and I have no time to listen to foolish speeches.  Tomorrow is election day and I’ve a good many details yet to arrange.”

“No chance of you’re getting in jail, is there?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I only thought that if you’d done anything liable to make trouble, you’d have to arrange your affairs for a long spell in jail.  Politicians sometimes make mistakes.  But you’re such an honest man, Mr. Hopkins, you couldn’t possibly go crooked.”

Mr. Hopkins felt shaky again, and looked at his tormentor earnestly, trying to discern whether there was any real knowledge beneath this innuendo.  But Uncle John met his gaze with a cheerful smile and continued: 

“I guess you’ve got a hard fight ahead of you.  My young friend Forbes is trying to get elected himself, and you can’t both win.”

“Oh, yes; Forbes,” said Erastus, trying to regain his accustomed ease.  “A worthy young man, sir; but I’m afraid his chances are slim.”

“Are they, now?” asked Uncle John, pretending a mild interest.

“Pretty thin, Mr. Merrick.  Our majority is too great to overcome.”

“What do you think your majority will be?  About sixty-six?”

Mr. Hopkins gave a start and turned red.

“About sixty-six,” he repeated, vacantly, trying to decide if this was another chance shot.

“Yes; about sixty-six mill hands.”

The cat was out of the bag now.  Hopkins realized that Merrick had some knowledge or at least suspicion of this plot.  He tried to think what to do, and it occurred to him that if his visitor positively knew anything he would not act in this absurd manner, but come straight to the point.  So he ignored the speech, merely saying: 

“Anything else, sir?”

“No,” replied Uncle John; “I’ll go home, I guess.  Folks’ll be expecting me.  Sorry Forbes hasn’t got that sixty-six mill hands; but Doc.  Squiers probably registered ’em all right, and they’ll probably vote for Hopkins.”

“Wait a moment, sir!” cried Erastus, as Uncle John was turning away.  “That speech demands an explanation, and I mean to have it.”

“Oh, you do?  Well, I don’t object.  You may not know it, but Squiers has registered sixty-six non-voters, and I want to know whether you’re prepared to give half of them to Forbes, or mean to keep them all for yourself.”