Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-28

of the orators tricks for arresting at.
| tention. held the house spellhound for
two hours and made history. There
| had been rumorS for days. even weeks,
that the government had something
sensational up its sleeve and that
there was going TO he one huge, al
most CataclySmic effort on its part to
cope with the great upheaval. which
had seemed every day to grow more
threatening.
Marabel's proposals were simply a
detailed exposition OF the scheme
which he had laid before the prime
minister some nights before, hut the
secret had been we'll kept and the
| amazing breadth and scope of the sug-
gestions took every one by surprise.
The other side of the house frankly
prOfessed themselves unable to dis
Cuss changes of so drastic n nature
without careful consideration.
Such debate as followed was spas
modic and unrepresentative. PEN
nington was the only one who rose TO
his feet, and the utmost he could do
was to attack the proposals on the
somewhat illogical ground of their
being a gift TO a community who had
already made up their minds to take
what belonged 10 them. His speech
met with feeble response, even from
his own party. The adjournment
brought members hurrying together
in little groups. Secretaries of the
various party leaders rushed hither
and thither full of affairs From the
strangers gallery Malakoff and Brets-
kopf scowled down upon the scene.
Nothing like it since the days Of
Oliver CROMWELL" one excited member
declared in the lobby.
Il always knew" a cabinet minister
remarked thoughtfully, that Mara
bells had something forming in his
mind. He's one of our intellectuals.
and Yet for months he's been one of
the most silent men in the house"
He must have a sense of drama"
another member observed. He wait.
ed his time. and he chose ii with psy.
Geological exactitude.'
Marabels, who had slipped away
from the house unnoticed. walked
along the embankment through a
little storm of windy rain and reached
the Adelphi without having spoken
10 a soul. He let himself into one OF
the crescent Of gray stone houses and
mounted to his rooms upon the first
floor.
The apartment which was evidently
his sitting room was furnished simply.
almost severely. The walls were so
lined with books that there was no
room for pictures.
Marabels took off his coat, found a
pipe in a smokers cabinet, filled it
with tobacco and lit II. Then he mixed
himself a drink and sat down in his
shirt sleeves.
There was not a trace OF exaltation
in his manner, nothing 10 denote the
fact that he had passed through a
great ordeal successfully. In his mind
he went over his speech. So far as he
could remember he had not missed a
single point. Presently he rang the
bell 4 young man entered with some
papers in his hand-Marabels secre-
tary.
still at work Hugh?"
1--WE Just finished. sir" was the
quiet reply. How did it go?"
Marabels smiled grimly.
''All right. l think. l missed moth.
ing, but 1t was the queerest audience
in the world. They sat with their
mouths open. most of the time. No
one wanted what | was Offering, ex.
cept, perhaps. Abel Deane. Our own
party were stupefied even though they
had had a hint OF what was coming;
the extremists who are out to fight
were seeing the ground knocked from
under their feet. and they didn't like
it. They all seemed 10 realize one
thing, though: / wasn't speaking 10