The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1907-06-28
CHAPTER XvlII.-Continued.

heard Carlotta asking a woman in
the box next ours the name OF the
woman with the white plume in the
big black hat In the seventh box on
the other side"
Mrs. Scarborough" was the an
swer.
"oh. is that she?" exclaimed Mrs
Sandys. almost snatching her glasses
from me In her eagerness. "You
know who she was-John Dumont's
widow-you remember him? She
must have been an uncommon person
TO have attracted two such men"
But Scarborough was nominated
now. He waved aside those who
tried TO take him up and bear him to
the platform. He walked down the
aisle alone and assembled amid tense
silence: he stood looking calmly out.
His face had lost its Wilderness Of q
few minutes before. As he stood
there. big and still. q sort OF embodi'
ment OF fearlessness. wondered
and fancy many others were won
dering-whether he was about 10 re-
fuse the nomination. But an In.
stants thought drove the wild notion
from my mind. He could not strike
that deadly blow at his party.
Fellow delegates" said he-a clear.
er. more musical voice than his
have never heard-'T thank you for
this honor. As you know. opposed
the platform you saw AZ TO adopt !
have nothing 20 retract do not like
Il. But after all. a candidate must be
HIS own platform. And bring my
public record as proof OF my pledge
that" he paused and the silence
was tremendous. He went on. each
word distinct and by itsslf-"if ! am
eieeted-a long pause-'T shall obey
the constitution"--snother pause-T
shall enforce the laws"
He was descending the aisle be
fore the silence was broken-a feeble.
Ripping applause. significant OF disap-
pointment az what seemed an anti.
climax. He had merely repeated In
condensed form the oath OF once
which president takes at his in.
auguration. but somehow-no doubt.
~ was the magic OF his voice and his
manner and superb presence-those
simple words kept on ringing: and all
At once-full half minute must have
elapsed. long time In such circum-
stances-all AZ once the enormous
meaning Of the two phrases doomed
into the brains Of those Thousands: II
this man IL elected. there will be a
| president without fear or favor. and
he will really obey the constitution.
will really enforce the laws That
little speech. though only a repetition
Of an oath embodied In Our century.
old supreme law. was a firebrand TO
light the torch OF revolution. OF revoiu.
ton back toward what the republic
used 10 be before differences OF wealth
eFided It's people into upper middle
add lower classes before enthroned
corporate combinations made equality
before the law a mockery. before the
development OF our vast material re-
sources restored 20 the intelligent and
energetic few their power over the
careless and purposeless many.
AZ the multitude realized his mean.
ing-I doubt n many times In all his.
tory such n sight and sound has burst
upon mortal ears and eyes. For the
moment ! was daunted: II was I'm.
possible not 10 think that hero was
the whole people. not 20 feel that
Scarborough had been chosen presi.
dent and was about 90 fulhll his
pledge. Daunted yet thrilled. too.
For. NJ bottom. are We not all pas
sionate dreamers Of abstract right and
justiee7
Then I remembered: and I said 20
myself: Tie has deied the interests
David has gone out against Goliath
but the Davids do not win nowadays
! will elect Burbank"
But where was tho citation that
thought would have set 20 swelling in
the me Of iesb than two weeks bcfore1
And then began clearly 10 see that.
for me at least. the prize. 10 be- prIred.
must be fairly won from start 20
goal; and 10 be enjoyed. must glad.
den eyes that would In turn gladden.
me with the approval and sympathy
which only a woman can give and
without which q man 10 alone and In.
decd forlorn.