"That is the strangest part of it," said John. "I don't believe
you could guess who is to be left in charge of it."

"I don't choose to guess. If you know, speak out."

John bit his lip resentfully.

"It's that conceited jackanapes of his--Frank Frost."

"Do you mean that he is going to leave that boy to carry on the
farm?" demanded Squire Haynes, in surprise.

"Yes."

"Well, all I can say is that he's more of a fool than I took him
to be."

"Oh, he thinks everything of Frank," said John bitterly. "He'll
be nominating him for representative next."

The squire winced a little. He had been ambitious to represent
the town in the legislature, and after considerable wire-pulling
had succeeded in obtaining the nomination the year previous. But
it is one thing to be nominated and another to be elected. So the
squire had found, to his cost. He had barely obtained fifty
votes, while his opponent had been elected by a vote of a hundred
and fifty. All allusions, therefore, recalling his mortifying
defeat were disagreeable to him.

"On the whole, I don't know but I'm satisfied," he said,