The Co-Citizens Part 22

"Gentlemen," he began, "you know me."

"Yes," sobbed the wag, "we know you and we know ourselves, unfortunate creatures that we air--an' we thought we knowed the women in this county. We've dandled some of 'em on our knees. We've drawed 'em in times past to our unworthy bosoms--but now all is changed. We've lost 'em! Where, oh, where----"

"Shet up, you darn fool! and let us hear what he has to say."

The "darn fool" laid his head in the dust, and gave himself up wholly to his grief.

"I was about to say," Fairfield began again, "that you know me----"

"Yes!"

"Shet up!"

"--and you know I have always stood for what was right among you----"

"Always! Give me five dollars for my vote last 'lection, ginerous man!"

Fairfield lifted his voice and hastened to drown these revelations of his generosity.

"I believe in woman! She has been the 'pillow' of cloud by day and fire by night----"

"Candle in the window, John, don't forget that!"

"--that guides us through the wilderness of the world, and now she has become the bright new star of our better destinies! We must follow her----"

"Dangerous to monkey with female stars!"

"--No man ever loses his way who trusts such women as we have among us."

"Sampson, oh, Sampson, listen to that!" cried the voice at his feet.

"For thirty years I have served one woman faithfully. I owe everything I am and everything I have to this service."

Every man present had a vision of the little, frail, white-haired woman who lay in his house helpless and blind. Never before had he referred to her, but they knew his devotion. He lifted himself in their regard by this one sentence. There are moments when even the demagogue may show the halo of a saint. Fairfield, henchman of Prim, never suspected it, but this was the crowning hour of his life, the one moment when he stood without fear and without reproach like a true knight.

"My advice to every citizen present is that he vote this day for the women who have cast so many ballots for us in their prayers!" he concluded, bowing to their cheers.

Immediately after there was a rush for the polls.

In Jordantown the day pa.s.sed quietly. The women were in strict seclusion. All the "prominent citizens" were working earnestly at the polls for the cause of suffrage. At last the hour arrived for counting the ballots. The town had gone overwhelmingly for suffrage for women, but the returns were slow in coming from the country precincts, and great anxiety was felt about the issues there. The rumour was current that the farmers were determined not to vote at all.

About seven o'clock some one came swiftly down the courthouse steps, and rushed across to the National Bank Building. In five minutes the square was in an uproar. Men shouted to men: "We've put 'em in! We've put the women in!"

Stark Coleman s.n.a.t.c.hed up the 'phone on his desk.

"Agatha, my dear, it's glorious news! Thank G.o.d, we've won by a majority of 633! You are now a voter in Jordan County!"

He hung up the receiver and ran out to Acres's store. At the same moment Sam Briggs, who was now a diligent clerk in Judge Regis's outer office, thrust the door open and shouted:

"They're in, Judge, by a good 633 majority!"

"All right, Briggs! finish that list of election expenses. We want to publish it in the _Signal_ to-morrow!" he said quietly, as he arose and put on his hat. "I'll go over and tell Mrs. Walton. Think I've earned that privilege, anyhow!" he added, smiling.

"You did it!" exclaimed Briggs, "you worked the whole thing and put it across!"

"No, that speech she made in July did it," he said.

"It was a jo-darter all right, that speech!" laughed Briggs to himself as he went back to his desk.

On his way to Mrs. Walton's residence, the Judge pa.s.sed two men.

"Bill," one of them was saying to the other, "we can't never get rid of our wives any more, nowhere, not even when we attend a political convention. Apt as not my wife will be my alternate!"

"Apt as not, you'll be hers, you d.a.m.n fool!" he retorted.

As the Judge came up on the steps Mrs. Walton appeared in the door. At the sight of him there she threw up her hands and cried:

"Don't tell me we are defeated, John Regis, I can't bear it!"

"Susan, you may now run for sheriff of this county, there are enough more women than men in it to elect you. And you've got 'em in your pocket!" he concluded, laughing as he seized her hands.

"Oh!" she sobbed, sinking down into a chair. "I thought this day would never end. Such suspense!"

"Showed the white feather, too, didn't you? I called at your office early in the afternoon and you were not there," he teased.

"I couldn't stand it. I felt that if we should be defeated, I must hear the news in my own house--in reach of my bed!" she sobbed, half laughing.

"If I was twenty years younger, Susan, I'd ask you to marry me this night by way of celebrating our victory," he said, looking down at her.

"If I was twenty years younger there'd be no such victory to celebrate, John," she replied, "so you wouldn't have asked me!"

"You should see Coleman and Acres. They are taking all the credit of the election, strutting like fighting c.o.c.ks on the square!"

"Let them have it. I'd rather the world should think the men gave us the ballot willingly, and that it should never be known that we beat them out of it," she said, heaving a sigh of relief.

A young man and a young woman were seated behind the vine on the veranda three doors down the avenue. His arm was about her waist, her head upon his shoulder. The moon was doing what she could to cover them with the mottled shadows of leaves.

"Could you manage it in two weeks, dear? I want you for my wife before I begin my own campaign! We'd make a honeymoon of it then, canva.s.sing it together!" he pleaded softly.

"I'll marry you, Bob, but not for such a honeymoon as that! Oh, I'm sick and tired of politics. I never want to hear the word again. I'll just barely vote for you, that's all!" she sighed.

"Upon my word," he laughed, drawing her closer and kissing her. "I thought you'd be keen for the canva.s.s."

[Ill.u.s.tration: "'_Bob, I'll make a confession to you. It's been horrid, from first to last. When we are married I want to sit at home and darn your socks--you do wear holes in them, don't you?_'"]

"Bob!" she said, sitting up and looking at him solemnly, "I'll make a confession to you, now it's over and we have won; it's been horrid, from first to last. When we are married I want to sit at home and darn your socks--you do wear holes in them, don't you?" She laughed hysterically.

"I believe it would relieve some outraged instinct in me if I could iron your s.h.i.+rts! Isn't it awful! I _crave_ to do just the woman things--to serve you and father. I feel as if nothing else will ever naturalize me again as a woman!"