“If this thing fails I shall be very unhappy,” she finally said. “Its success would not make me rich, but it would remove a debt that has nearly killed me. I have never mentioned it, but it has been like a sword hanging over my happiness.”
“Then it shall not fail,” he told her. “It shall not fail! If those blockheads vote against it, I 'll buy the right of way, if it takes the last cent I've got.”
This forced a smile to Adele's lips. “Then we'd be as deep in the mud as we now are in the mire,” she said. Just then Pole Baker came to Miller.
“I don't want to make no break,” he said, “but I've got a idea I'd like to work on them hill-Billies in the jury-room if you hain't no objections. I hain't got time to tell you about it, but as you are a-runnin' the shebang I thought I'd ax permission.”
“Go and do what you think best, Pole,” said Miller, recklessly. “We can trust to your head, and anything is better than nothing just now. I really think it's gone by the board.”
“All right, thanky',” said Pole, as he shuffled away. He marched straight to the jury-room, and, without rapping, opened the door and went in, closing the door after him. He found the men all discussing the matter and was delighted to find that the strength of the opposition now rested chiefly in Bartell and a few men who seemed afraid to pull away from him. Pole slid up to Bartell and said, as he drew him to one side: “Say, Mr. Bartell, what on earth have you got agin Alan Bishop?”
“Why, nothin', Pole, as I know of,” said Bartell, rather sheepishly. “Nothin' as I know of.”
“Well, it looks to me like you got a mighty pore way o' showin' good-will. Why, he's the best friend you got, Mr. Bartell, an' totes more votes in his vest-pocket fer you than any man in this county.”
“Huh! You don't say!” grunted Bartell, in slow surprise. “Well, he never told me about it.”
“Beca'se you hain't announced yorese'f yet,” said Pole, with a steady eye and a set face. “Why, he said t'other day to several of us at the log-rollin'—you remember you rid by on yore bay, leadin' a milch-cow by a rope. Well, after you passed Alan Bishop said: 'Boys, thar goes the only man in this county that has convictions an' the courage to stand by 'em. They say he's goin' to run fer the legislature an' ef he does, I 'll do all I kin to elect 'im. He 'll make the best representative that we ever had. He's got brains, he has.'”