"What do you think of 'Rast's chances？"she asked，presently，as she threaded new cotton into her needle.
"I guess he'll win.He's worked hard enough，anyhow.""Has he？""Yes；'Rast's a good worker.He doesn't leave any stone unturned.He's up to all the tricks o'the trade，is 'Rast Hopkins！"Here he began shaking with silent laughter，and Mrs.Hopkins looked at him curiously.
"What are you laughing at？"she inquired，with a sniff ofdisdain.
"At—at the way he come it over the gals up at Elmhurst.
'Rast's a pretty slick one，he is！""What do you mean？""Why，settin'that 'Liza to watch 'em，and tell all they does.Who'd a thought of it but 'Rast Hopkins？""I don't see anything mighty funny about that，"declared Mrs.Hopkins，contemptuously."The girl's too perta and forward for anything.I told 'Rast not to fool with her，or she'd make him trouble.""Did you，now！"exclaimed the man，wonderingly."Yes，indeed，"said Mrs.Hopkins，pleased to have madean impression."I suspected there was something wrong about her the morning she came to the house here.And she changed her name，too，as brassy as you please.""Well，I declare！"said the visitor."Did you know herbefore that，Mrs.Hopkins？""Why，I didn't exactly know her，but I seen her workin'around Miss Squiers's place many a time，and she didn't seem to 'mount to much，even then.One day she stole a di'mond ring off 'n old Miss Squiers and dug out，and I told Nancy then—Nancy's young Miss Squiers—that I'd always had my suspicions of the hussyb.She hid the ring in a vase on the mantle and they found it after she was gone.""Well，well！I didn't know that about her，"said the man，looking with admiration at Mrs.Hopkins.
"That's why I told 'Rast not to have any truck with her，when she came here bright and early one morning and asked for work.""Oh，she came here，did she？""While I was gettin'breakfast.She said her name was Eliza Parsons，an'she was looking fer a job.I told her I knew her record an'to get out，and while we was arguin''Rast come out and took a hand in the talk.She laughed and ？irted with him outrageous，and said she was a stranger in these parts，when I'd seen her many a time at Miss Squiers's.""What was her name then？"asked the man.
"I think it was Rosie—or Lucy，or something—.Anyhow，it wasn't Eliza，and that I'll swear to.But the girl laughed at me and made such silly smiles at 'Rast that he told me to shut up，'cause he had a use for her in politics.""Well，well！"repeated the visitor."Just see how storiesget twisted.I heard you gave the girl a letter to your cousin Martha.""Well，I did.'Rast wanted to get her in at Elmhurst，towatch what Forbes was doing to defeat him，so he made me write the letter.But how'd you know so much about this girl？"she inquired，with sudden suspicion.
"Me？I only know what Mr.Hopkins told me.I'm one of his confidential men.But he never said how he happened to ？nd the girl，or what he knew about her.""He didn't know nothing.He'd never seen her 'till that morning when she came here.But he said she was clever，andshe is，if pertness and a ready tongue counts for cleverness.I suppose he pays her for what she tells him about Forbes，but he'd better save his money and ？ght on the square.I don't like this tricky politics，an'never did.""I don't either，"declared the man."But I'm in it，andcan't get out.""That's what 'Rast says.But some day they'll put him out，neck and cropa，if he ain't careful.""Is the girl Eliza much use to him？""I can't say.He drove her over to Elmhurst that morning，and he drives over two or three evenings a week to meet her on the sly and get her report.That may be politics，but it ain't very respectable，to my notion.""Well，the campaign is nearly over，Mrs.Hopkins.""Thank goodness for that！"she replied.
The visitor sat silent after this，for he had learned all that the poor gossiping woman could tell him.Finally he said：
"I guess your husband's going to be late."
"Yes；if he ain't more prompt than usual you'll have a long spell of waiting.""Perhaps I'd better go over to the hotel and look him up.I have to get back to Fairview tonight，you know.""Do as you please，"she answered carelessly.
So Mr.Burke，for it was the detective，bade her good—night and took his leave，and it was not until after he had gonethat Mary Hopkins remembered she had forgotten to ask him his name.
"But it don't matter，"she decided."He's just one o''Rast'spoliticians，and I probably treated the fellow better than he deserved."
