The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-03-07

I Manning an active board member and g friend of Bagley. Bigelow had counted
 on this mans absence. Zenophon Man | ming was already printed on the pas | senger list of steamer to sail in the morning and the last train that made the steamer had left Johnsburg at six that evening; his family were waiting for him
 in New York. He rejected Bgelow's at
 tempt to interview him as housewife
 might dispose of tramp. The cup of
 rage and humiliation seethed.
 Tom called up the fiat. Tony was out, no one knew where. Anger burned him, fed by a sudden fear She knew so little
 of businessl Could she have gone to Mrs. ] Bicksl The sound of her voice would
 have braced him. Alarm over her un- known errand unnerved him. Then he wrenched himself from the slough and
 planted his feet It would take more than Mrs. Bicks and the Johnsburg Board of
 Education to put him out of commission! But why hadn't Manning sailed?
 Mrs. Bicks knew. 'Ive been pulling wires today" she could not forbear
 boasting to Miss Wilkins after dinner. The two women dined at the same board ing house. "You see it's going to be aw- fully close, for that Bigelow boy has
 stirred up the Dickson crowd. Smith g
 coming down from his lumber camp on the 9.15; they can hold off the vote till
 then. Another, vote would make 1t sure,
 so I sent for Wakeham. Whats the , good of a district attorney if he can't help a friend? I asked. Oh, I've got these men right there" Mrs. Bicks pressed
 a plump thumb down on an Invisible vic ] tim. "wakeham looked at the list I'd checked off. What's the matter with
 Manning? he asked. Sails tomorrow for
 Europe. I said No, he don't, said Wakeham. Hell stay and vote. And lose his passage? said I. Yes, lose his pa ssage, said Wakeham and he's stayed. Won't Mrs Manning be tried to have to go off alone with her babyp'
 The agents had finished their expos- tions. The board meeting was drawing to it's tame climax. Bigelow knew that he had spoken well, but he knew that he had not gained a single vote. Dickson and Burgess and Sharpless were all there. but, counting every possible hope, the Bagley faction were ahead
 The president rose. If there is no further discuss he began when the door of the back of the room opened and l big figure filled the opening. The meet ing wriggled if it had been impaled up-
 on an unexpected pin.
 q want to say a word" announced MU McCallum as he appropriated place. Certainly MT. McCalum, certainly stammered the president He exchanged a fieeting glance with Bagley.
 T understand we're about to vote on the adoption of-new readers said John McCallum. I'm fully In favor of the drill that will make small children intelli- gent readers, not opera house orators! What is the use of this needless display of our children in public contests? That's no more education than a painted pear is : fruit. My little girl Is lying dangerously III from the excitement and exposure of a silly rehearsal where her baby limbs were draped to represent Cleopatra. Of course, you gentlemen of the board have carefully looked over these books present ! ed for our decision this evening. John McCallum had not seen one of them). | You've noticed that one series is free from the bathos and vulgarity that pan 1 ders to this love of display, the series of l supplementary special reading books 1 whose claims have been ably put before ! us by MT. Blgelow. CTom caught his breath but controlled his face) I shall ! vote for that series" MT. McCallum's eye <. conveyed distinct command to the men i his patronage.
 i The face of the Bgelow coterie would have offered a pleasant study to Tom 1 Bigelow if he had not been busy trying 1 to look, in the moment when victory swooped from a cloudy sky. as If he'd l been expecting it all the evening.
 |, Outside he had no chance to speak to | John McCallum, who put out hand and muttered nasty words as he bolted into his 1 waiting motor car.
 l "Tell the U P. A. their books win, and | then tell them to go chase themselves |! James Whatley's Sons want a man like | you he said.
 Bigelow stood like Lots wife, overtaken