I was merely trying to encourage her to a higher spiritual life.She is rather ？ighty and irresponsible，sir，and I was sorry for the poor girl.That is all.If she has been telling tales，they are untrue.I have found her，I regret to say，inclined at times to be—ah—inventive.""Perhaps that's so，"remarked Uncle John，carelessly."You're said to be a good man，Mr.Hopkins；a leetle too honest and straightforward for a politician；but that's an excusable fault.""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 hetried 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 innuendoa.But Uncle John met hisgaze with a cheerful smile and continued：
"I guess you've got a hard ？ght 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 hisaccustomed ease."A worthy young man，sir；but I'm afraid his chances are slim.""Are they，now？"asked Uncle John，pretending a mildinterest.
"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 bagb now.Hopkins realized thatMerrick 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 wasturning away."That speech demands an explanation，and I mean to have it.""Oh，you do？Well，I don't object.You may not knowit，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.""If Squiers has made false registrations he must stand the consequences.I want you to understand，sir，that I do not countenancea any underhandb dealing.""Then it's all off？You won't vote the mill hands？""Not a man shall vote who is not properly registered.""I'm glad to hear it，Mr.Hopkins.Perhaps you can get that twenty—？ve hundred back.I don't think Squiers has cashed the check yet."The Honorable Erastus gave a roar like a wild bull，but Uncle John had walked quietly out and climbed into his buggy.He looked back，and seeing Mr.Hopkins's scowling face at the window returned a pleasant smile as he drove away.
Mr.Watson had just ？nished his interview with the dentist when Uncle John picked him up at the corner.The lawyer had accomplished more than the other two，for he had secured a paper exoneratinga Lucy Rogers and another incriminating the Honorable Erastus Hopkins，as well as the sixty dollars paid by Tom Gates.The dentist was thoroughly frightened，but determined，now that the conspiracyb was defeated，that the man who had led him to the crime should not escape in case he was himself arrested.So he made a plain statement of the whole matter and signed it，and Mr.Watson assured Squiers immunity from arrest，pending good behavior.The man had already cashed Hopkins's check，and he knew the Representative could not get the money away from him，so after all the dentist lost nothing by the exposure.
It was a jolly party that assembled at the dinner—table in Elmhurst that evening.
"You see，"explained Uncle John，"the thing looked asbig as a balloon to us at ？rst；but it was only a bubble，after all，and as soon as we pricked it—it disappeared."