The Raymer enterprise., 1911-12-28
secretary met me at the

presidents secretary met me ct the
door.
"The president wishes me to re-
peat his invitation for you to be his
guest" he said. "But II you prefer
not to be-" He smiled and led me
into the kitchen. He spoke a few
hurried words to a man in evening
dress Of faultless cut who stood in
military fashion against the wall:
then introduced US. "The head wait.
err" he said. 1t was arranged that
should be on duty inside the banquet
hall as supernumerary.
had just time to take up my posi-.
tion there when the guests began to
arrive. Jordans and Stevens were al.
most the hrst. They came in smiling
and chatting. The president received
them and all three shook hands, meas.
uring one another with quiet looks.
The presidents air of nonchalance
plainly disconcerted the visitors. They
knew he knew what was afoot and
had expected that he would ny, post.
pone the banquet, engage In any des.
perate and ineffective measure rather
than stand there, smiling at them
with the pleased. half.bored look Of q
host at dinner.
! contrived to whisper ~ brushed
past him once:
DO nothing. When Jordans cheers
you will be the signal for something
different from what he imagines."
l saw the president smile. But now
the room was filling up. Senators,
congressman were there. The speak.
er came In jauntily, followed by the
heads Of the great commercial institu-
tlons Of the nation. Not one but knew
something was afoot. for that evening
the first whispers had gone stirring
round Washington, and each-even the
master mind. Jordans himself-re-
gretted In his own way what he be.
lieved was to be the passing of repre-.
sentative institutions from the west.
ern continent.
The climax Of audacity was Ste.
vens's. He was burly, leering brute,
with an evil smile Of power. saw
him go up to the president and hand
him an evening paper which he had
pulled from his coat pocket. saw a
three-column head:
Army Strikes Camp at Six. March.
Ing to Salute President at Midnight"
So they were already on the way!
Four hours-no, little more than three,
and they would be drawn round the
White House. spectators Of the death.
blow Of their country's liberties. Had
Gardiner time? My hopes went gal.
Looping madly after him, like swift
horses.
Then followed the endless chain OF
the courses. from soup to fish, from
fish to entrees. from one entree to an.
other; then the joints; then the can.
vasback that always graces a presi.
dental banquet. From one end Of the
hall to the other resounded shouts of
laughter. The wine was entering
their heads. Stevens was growing
gracious. He sat two places from the
presidents right, and saw him bend
toward him and tell him an amusing
story. Only Jordans sat still and sui.
len, his little pigs eyes squirting fur.
lively around him. the thin wisps Of
hair plastered down firmly over his
bald forehead. Eleven o'clock ap-
preached before the last course came
up. And then the speeches!
Suddenly an Illuminating thought
came to me. Why. these men were all
united against that one. Why need
they wait for the troops? They could
effect their coup d'etat before those
arrived; yet 1t was essential for the
success Of my enterprise that Gardiner
should carry opt his mission. Delay
was imperative. l hurried to the
presidents chair. / could not catch
his eye. Jordans was scowling at me.
Did he remember me? No, he had
turned away carelessly. ! wrote a
hurried scrawl:
Hold them with your speech until
l drop my napkin. They have planned
their coup for the moment Of return.
ing thanks and pledging YOU"
On second thoughts I placed this
boldly upon platter and took 1t to
him. He opened 1t, read 1t. and put It
In his pocket nonchalantly. Neverthe.
less. when he arose, l could see that
he watched me closely.
When he arose sense OF the awful
solemnity Of the occasion seemed to
pass over the assemblage. With unlit
cigars, with downcast eyes. they sat
beneath him as he spoke OF the ma.
jesty Of the republic, the duties OF
those at the helm not 10 let the charge
Of the nations welfare fall into the
hands Of greed and incompetence.
Then, more sternly. he rebuked those
who had endeavored to obscure the
destinies Of America. His scorn rose.
He lashed them with whips OF cpl.
gram. He all but named them. Ste.
vens grew scarlet under the audacity