The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1917-06-09

can Hi the executive Chalr more salts
factorily than the one who throughout
her whole life, has been prepared for
it? call to you and ask you to give
your best Judgment for the cause and
with one heart and one thought nomi
nate for the continentalist candidate
the daughter of Prudent, Astra Pru.
dent"
Here she was interrupted by heavy
voice laundering:
No female rule for me-"
That was all he could say, as his
voice fiattened out behind a healthy
slap delivered resoundingly on the dis
turber's mouth. The hand and arm
that administered this rebuke belonged
to Napoleon Edison. With strong
jerk he turned the surprised man
toward the door and he was carried
on and on as If he were wreck be-
ing tossed by stormy waves When
order was restored, the speaker con
tinued.
With all my heart trust Miss Pru-
dent will be the nominee OF the con.
tinentalists. Those who agree with
me, kindly stand up!"
AS one body the audience rose and
$4,000 voices Numbered "Hurrah! for
the continental nominee!"
Then the oratrix sat down.
Astra, in her own room in the crys-
tai palace, saw and heard through the
electro-stylograph the whole proceed.
ings of the New York continental
party In the Hippodrome. She had
raised her hand to disconnect her ma
chine when man from the audience
asked for the right to speak.
According to the rules of the party,
all who desired had the right to make
an address, so this request was readily
granted. Since DO one asked for this
mans name, it was not disclosed He
walked calmly forward, closely fol-
lowed by a short, fat man who
stopped only when his tall friend
mounted the platform. This tall man
was dressed in gray travelling suit,
instead of mourning, but on his arm
! was q bAO1d UdA0.
All the attention of the great audi
ence was centered on the athletic fig
ure and the sunburnt, frank face OF
the young man. Astra's instrument
showed these details to her as plainly
as if she we're sitting in one OF the
boxes, and she was thrilled as his
eyes seemed to look straight into hers.
Ladies and Gentlemen" he began,
81 have a message to deliver to the
| political party in which | believe; do
not ask me how happen to be the
| instrument that was selected to con.
vey this message to you, but I beg
Of you to seriously consider my words.
You have all heard or read about
the warning that came to our dear
dead, the ex-President Hannibal Pru-
dent"
There was silent emotion in his
voice when he mentioned that nayne-
se' That warming is only TOO true. ar
fenemies. defeated fifty years ago. Ave
found way to break through oui i$o-
lation; they have spent these fifty
years planning revenge! We can,
through Hannibal Prudent's efforts,
put off their invasion for one year.
which will give us little time to pre-
pare for defense. Continentalists. my
brothers in conviction, spread strength
and faith through the mighty land, Jas
God has given us, just as he did fifty
years ago, man to liberate this coun.
try from the oppressor's hand. God,
in his infinite goodness, has given JUS
another instrument to repel the storm
ing enemies"
His voice filed the great hall: his
words were convincing through the
sincerity of the orator.
AS he opened his mouth to speak
again, the large helioboard began to
show many colored zig-zag sparks and
the audience watched it In apprehen-
sion: the whole atmosphere was
charged with an inexplicable feeling of
expectation. Not person moved I'M
til the man on the platform stepped
quickly down to the operating table Of
the electro-stylograph and adjusted
the instrument into the right receiving
socket. The sparkling ceased and
blurred, but discernible, picture APP
peared.
| AS the audience stared the pictures
became somewhat clearer and they
saw what appeared to be tremendous
sea monsters lying immovable on the
| bosom, of the ocean. The huge bulks
of metal, showing unknown forms Of
warfare, we're pointed menacingly at
the silent audience, which was repre-.
sentative of the fifty years just past;
the comparison showed clearly that
the science and genius of the Euro
peans had only produced perfection
of death-dealing instruments, while
the Americans had advanced In sci.
ence, art, literature and general de-
velopment of the human race.
The great audience, which had been
SO enthusiastic, now sat as motionIess
as bird that has been charmed by
snake, intently watching the wonder
full picture that moved and changed
necessarily; huge airships of an i'm
proved type, resembling the old style
Zeppelin, glittered brightly, as they
moved with ponderous grace.
.