The Gentleman from Indiana - Page 174/212

Mr. Martin interrupted the speaker. "I reckon, maybe, you never heard that

lecture of his on the Past, Present, and Future'?"

"Besides that," Keating continued, "Halloway has had it long enough, and

he's got enough glory out of it, and, except for getting beat by Rod

McCune, I believe he'd almost as soon give it up. Well, we discussed all

this and that, and couldn't come to any conclusion. We didn't want to keep

on with a losing fight if there was any way to put up a winner, though of

course we all recognized that Mr. Harkless would want us to support Kedge

to the death, and that's what he'd do if he was on the ground. But Miss

Sherwood mentioned that she'd had one note since his last illness began,

and he'd entrusted her and her associates on the paper with the entire

policy, and she would take the responsibility for anything we determined

on. Mr. Smith said the only thing to do was to give up Halloway and get a

man that could beat McCune; Kedge would recognize it himself, that that

was the only thing to do, and he could retire gracefully. Miss Sherwood

said she was still more or less a stranger, and asked what man we could

find who was strong enough to do it by popularity alone and who was also a

man we wanted; somebody that had worked a good deal, but had never had any

office. It was to such a man she could promise the 'Herald's' support, as

for a time the paper was being operated almost independently, it might be

said, of Mr. Harkless. Well, I expect it came to all of us at the same

time, but it was Mr. Bence here that said it first."

Mr. Bence was the gentleman who had walked about saying "A glorious

conception," and he now thrust one hand into his breast and extended the

other in a wide gesture, and looked as impressive as a very young man with

white eyebrows can look.

"The name of Harkless," he said abruptly, "the name of Harkless will sweep

the convention like the fire of a Western prairie; the name of Harkless

will thunder over their astonished heads and strike a peal of joy bells in

every home in the district; it will re-echo in the corridors of posterity

and teem with prosperity like a mighty river. The name of Harkless will

reverberate in that convention hall, and they shall sit ashamed."

"Harkless!" exclaimed the judge. "Why didn't some one think of that long

ago?"