Part 38 (1/2)
She repeated her address to the chair with angry emphasis:
”Comrade Chairman!”
”I beg your pardon,” Norman answered, ”but I could not for the moment recall your name. The comrade on my right (the woman without a soul, he added in low tones) has the floor.”
Barbara started at his tone of anger and whispered:
”How could you be so rude--what is wrong?”
”We are about to retire from office.”
”What!” Barbara gasped as the little woman began to speak.
”Listen--you will understand,” he said, with a sudden curve of his lip.
”Comrades,” the deep, calm voice began, ”I place in nomination for the office of regents for the four ensuing years the names of a man and woman whom every member of the old colony ent.i.tled to vote to-night has learned to love and honour--a man and woman whose ripe experience, whose sound judgment, whose sense of right, whose powers of reasoning, whose executive genius will give to us all the guarantee of perfect justice and perfect order----”
”You bet they will, old girl,” Tom cried with enthusiasm, waving his hand admiringly toward Norman and Barbara.
The speaker paused, regarded Tom a moment with quiet scorn, and continued:
”I have the honour to name for the highest honour in the gift of the Brotherhood for the regency of the new State of Ventura Comrades Herman and Catherine Wolf.”
”What's that you say?” old Tom yelled with anger, leaping to his feet, and glaring around the room in a dazed surprise.
The old miner was too shrewd a politician to doubt now for a moment the situation. He made the only possible attack on the programme that promised results.
”In view of the fact, feller comrades,” he shouted, ”that half the present members er this here Brotherhood have not been here long enough to vote, I move that in justice to the new members we postpone this election for six months.”
Joe seconded the motion, and the chairman asked:
”Are there any remarks on the motion?”
The Bard moved as if to rise, when Diggs s.n.a.t.c.hed him back into his seat.
Amid a silence that was ominous the chairman put the question:
”All in favour of postponing this election for six months that our new members may be able to vote will say 'Aye.'”
The response was feeble. Tom and Joe yelled very loudly, but their effort was obvious.
”All in favour say 'No.'”
The whole audience seemed to shout in solid trained chorus ”No!”
Tom hastened to nominate Norman and Barbara. The old miner's speech was couched in plain, uncouth words, but they came from the heart and their rugged eloquence stirred the crowd with surprising power. Diggs glanced over the audience through his flas.h.i.+ng gla.s.ses, and his perpetual smile faded into a look of uneasiness as a round of applause swept the house.
He tiptoed to Wolf's side and whispered: