Part 54 (1/2)

Waiters came in bearing refreshments, and during a lull in the bulletins they ate and drank. Mrs. Grayson also joined them for a little while.

She said nothing about the news, and Harley inferred from her silence on the point that she knew it to be discouraging. But he saw her give her husband a glance of pride and devotion that said as plain as print, ”Even if you are beaten, you are the man who should have been elected.”

She reported that the younger of the children had dropped off to sleep, but the others were still eager.

Again some men pa.s.sing the house raised a cry in derision of Jimmy Grayson, and Mrs. Grayson's face flushed. The others did not know what to do; they could not go out and rebuke the deriders, as that would only make a bad matter worse, but the men soon pa.s.sed on. Mrs. Grayson stayed only a little while in the room, retiring on the plea of domestic duties. Jimmy Grayson, too, went out to see his children, he said, but Harley thought that man and wife wished to talk over the prospect.

The news, after the lull, began to come faster than ever. The West spoke at last, and its first words came through Denver and Salt Lake, but its voice was non-committal. There was nothing in it to indicate how Colorado and Utah, both doubtful states, would go. But presently, when Mr. Dexter broke an envelope and opened a bulletin, he laughed.

”Boys,” he said, ”here's faith for you: the precinct of Waterville, in Wyoming casts every one of her votes for Grayson.”

They cheered. Certainly the people who had heard Mr. Grayson's decisive speech were loyal to him, and they should have honor despite their fewness. But immediately behind it came a bulletin that gave them the heaviest blow they had yet received.

”Complete returns from more than three-fourths of the precincts in the state,” read Mr. Dexter, ”show beyond doubt that New Jersey has gone at least 20,000 against Grayson.”

”I never did think much of New Jersey, anyhow,” said Hobart, sourly.

They laughed, but there was no mirth in the laugh. Tears rose in Sylvia's eyes. Ten minutes later, Alabama had wheeled into line with New Jersey it was certainly against Grayson and the news from New York was growing worse. Harley, in his heart, knew that there was no hope of the state, although he tried to draw encouragement from scattered votes here and there. From the Middle West the news was mixed, but its general tenor was not favorable. But New England was still behaving well.

”Our vote in Ma.s.sachusetts surprises me,” said Mr. Heathcote; ”we shall more than cut their majority in half. We shall carry Boston and Worcester, and we are even making gains in the country districts.”

”Almost complete returns from Michigan and Wisconsin show that the former has gone for Grayson by a substantial majority, and the latter against him by a majority about the same,” read Mr. Dexter.

”Which shows that Michigan is much the finer state of the two,” said Hobart.

”One state at least is secure,” said Harley.

They heard a tremendous cheer down the street in front of the transparency, and Harley went to the window. His heart fell when he saw that the cheer, was continued, came from the opposition crowd. It was announced definitely on the cloth that New York had gone against Grayson; the returns permitted no doubt of it, and there was reason why the enemy should rejoice. Presently their own bulletins confirmed the bad news, and announced that off in another city the bands were serenading the other man.

Blow followed blow. Connecticut, despite gains made there, went against Grayson by a majority, small it is true, but decisive, and Illinois and Indiana speedily followed her bad lead. To Harley all seemed over, and he could not take it with resignation. Jimmy Grayson was the better man on the better platform, and he should have been elected. It was a crime to reject him. An angry mist came over his eyes, and he walked into the hall that no one should see it. But Mr. and Mrs. Grayson stood at the end of the hall, evidently having just come from the children's room, and before he could turn away he heard her say:

”We have lost, but you are still the man of the nation to me.”

As he was returning he met Sylvia, and now the tears in her eyes were plainly visible.

”John, it can't be true! He isn't beaten, is he?”

”No, it is not true, Sylvia,” he said, telling what he did not believe.

”We still have a chance.”

They returned at once to the room, and Mr. Grayson came in a minute later, his face wearing the same marble mask. When two or three forced themselves to speak encouraging words, he smiled and said there was yet hope. But Harley had none, and he felt sure that Jimmy Grayson, too, was without it.

”Good news from Iowa!” suddenly cried Mr. Dexter. ”A despatch from Des Moines reports heavy gains for Grayson throughout the south and west of the state.”

Here was a fresh breath of life, and for a moment they felt glad, but North Dakota, a state for which they had hoped but scarcely expected, soon reported against them. The good news could not last.

”Anything more from Ma.s.sachusetts?” asked Mr. Heathcote.

Mr. Dexter was opening a despatch and he gave a gasp when he looked at it.

”Ma.s.sachusetts in doubt!” he exclaimed. ”Grayson makes heavy gains in the country districts as well as in the cities. Our National Committee is claiming Ma.s.sachusetts!”