The Washington herald., 1906-11-11
CHAPTER VII.
His Grentenf sneech.

His Greatest Speech.
It was the candidates eighth speech
that day. but Harley, who was in an ana
lytical mood. could see no decrease either
IN his energy or spontaneity OF thought
and expression. The words still come with
the dash and the old power. and the
audience always hung upon them, the ap-
plause Invariably rising like the rattle of
rifleilre. They had started at daylight. hur-
Tying across the monotonous Western
plains. in a dusty and uncomfortable car,
stopping for a half-hour speech here, then
racing for another at a second little vii
lage. and then third race and a third
speech, and so on. Nor was this the
first day Of such labOrs: it had been so
week after week, and always it lasted
through the day and far into the dark
ness, sometimes after midnight. But
there was no sign 10 tell of IT on the face
OF the candidate, save a slight redness
around the edge of tine eyelids, and a lit
tie hoarseness between the speeches when
he talked to his friends in an ordinary
tone
The village in which Grayson was
speaking was a tiny place OF twelve or
fifteen houses. all square, Unadorned. ana
ugly, standing in the center of an ulimit-
able prairie that rolled away on each
side exactly like the waves Of the sea,
and with the same monotony. II was a
weather-beaten gathering. The prairie
winds are not good for the complexion,
and the cheeks of these people were
brown, not red On the outskirts Of the
crowd. still sitting on their ponies. were
cowboys, who had ridden sixty miles
across the Wyoming border TO hear Gray
son speak. They were dressed exactly
ike the cowboys OF the pictures that
Harley had seen in magazine stories Of
the Western plains They wore the SOM
breTUs and leggings and leather belts, but
there was no disorder, no cursing. no
shouting. nor yelling This was a phase
that had passed
They listened. too, with an eagerness
that few Eastern audiences could show.
This was not to them an entertainment
or anything savoring Of the spectacular: it
was the next thing to the word OF God.
There was q reverence in their manner
and bearing that appealed to Harley.
and he read easily in their minds the be-
lief that Jimmy Grayson was the greatest
man in the world. and that he alone could
bring to their country the greatness that
they wished as much for the country as
for themselves Churchill sneered at this
tone of the gathering. but Harley took
another view These men might be iguo-
rant Of the world, but he respected their
hero-worshiD. and thought it a good quail
ity in them.
They heard the candidate tell of mighty
corporations. Of a vague and distant place
called Wall street, where fat men, with
soft, white fingers and pouches under
their eyes, sat in red-carpeted Offices and
pulled little but very strong strings that
made farmers on the Western plains, two
thousand miles away. dance like jump
ing-jacks. just as the fat men wished, and
just when they wished. These fat men
were allied with others in Europe.
pouchy-eyed and smOOth-fingered like
themselves, and IL was their object to
own all the rnoney-bags Of the world. and
gather all the profits Of the worlds labor
Harley, watching these people, saw a
spark appear IN their eyes many times.
but Il was always brightest at the men
ton of Wall street. That both speaker
and those TO whom his words were spoken
We're thoroughly sincere, he did not doubt
for @ moment.
Grayson ceased. the engine blew the
starting signal. the candidate and the
correspondent swung abroad. and of they
went. Harley looked back. and as long
as he could see the station the little
crowd on the lone prairie was still watch
ing the disappearing tram. There was
something pathetic in the sight of these
people following with their eyes until the
last moment the man whom they cOnsid-
cred their particular champion
II was but an ordinary train of day
cars, the red plush Of the seats now whit
ened by the prairie dust. and It was used
IN common by the candidate, the flock Of
correspondents. and a dozen politicians
the last chiefly committeeman or their
friends, one being the governor Of the
State through which they were then trav-
cling
Harley sought sleep as early as possible
that night because he would need all lis
strength for the next day. which was to
be a recOrd-breaker. a tremendous pro-
gramme had been mapped out for Jimmy
Grayson, ana Harley. although aware
Of the candidates great endurance, Won
dered how he would ever stand it. They
were to cut the State from southeast TO
northwest. a distance of more than 400
miles. and twenty-fouT speeches were to
be made by the way. Fresh from war.
Harley did not remember any more ar
duous journey. and, like an old cam
paigner, he prepared for It as best he
could.
It was not yet daylight when they were
awakened for the start OF the great day.
A cold wind m0aned around the hamlet
as they ate their breakfast. and then
hastened, valise in hand. and stiu half
asleep, 10 the train. which stood steam
up ana ready TO be on They found sew
eral men already on board. and Churchill.
when he saw them, uttered the brief