The Depot Master Part 9

"And then Ba.s.sett gets up, smilin', goes to the outside door, opens it, and leads in the new member. He'd been waitin' on the steps, it turned out. Jotham looked mighty quiet and meek. I pitied the poor old codger more'n ever. Snaked in, he was, out of the wet, like a yeller dog, by the club that had kicked him out of his own shop.

"Chairman Gabe pounds for order, and suggests that the votin' can go on.

But Ellis jumps up, and says he:

"'What's the sense of votin' now?' he asks sarcastic. 'Will the lost lamb we've just yanked into the fold have the face to stand up and bleat that he hasn't promised to vote Conservative? Dan Ba.s.sett, of all the contemptible tricks that ever--'

"Ba.s.sett's face was redder'n a ripe tomatter. He shakes his fist in Gaius's face and yells opinions and comments.

"'Don't you talk to me about tricks, you ward-heeler!' he hollers.

'Why did you fetch Mr. Holway back home? Why did you, hey? That was the trickiest trick that I--'

"Gabe pretty nigh broke his mallet thumpin'.

"'Gentlemen! gentlemen!' says he. 'This is most unseemly. Sit down, if you PLEASE. Mr. Ellis, when the purpose of this a.s.sociation is considered, it seems to me very wrong to find fault because the chief of our former antagonists has seen the error of his ways and become one of us. Mr. Ba.s.sett, I do not understand your intimation concernin' myself.

I shall adjourn this meetin' until next Friday evenin', gentlemen.

Meanwhile, let us remember that we ARE gentlemen.'

"He thumped the desk once, and parades out of the buildin', dignified as Julius Caesar. The rest of us toddled along after him, all talkin' at once. Ba.s.sett and Ellis glowered at each other and hove out hints about what would happen afore they got through. 'Twas half-past ten afore I got to bed that night, and Sarah J.--that's Mrs. St.i.tt--kept me awake another hour explainin' whys and wherefores.

"For the next three days n.o.body done anything but knock off work and talk club politics. You'd see 'em on the corners and in the post office and camped on the meetin'-house steps, arguin' and jawin'. Dan and Gaius was hurryin' around, moppin' their foreheads and lookin' worried. On Thursday there was all sorts of rumors afloat. Finally they all simmered down to one, and that one was what made me stop Stingy Gabe on the street and ask for my bearin's.

"'Mr. Holway,' says I, 'is it true that Dan and Gaius have resigned and agreed to vote for somebody else?'

"He nodded, grand and complacent.

"'Then who's the somebody?' says I. 'For the land sakes! tell me. It's as big a miracle as the prodigal son.'

"I remember now that the prodigal son ain't a miracle, but I was excited then.

"'St.i.tt,' says he, 'I am the "somebody," as you call it. I have decided to let my own wishes and inclinations count for nothin' in this affair, and to accept the office of president myself. It will be announced at the meetin'.'

"I whistled. 'By gum!' says I. 'You've got a great head, Mr. Holway, and I give you public credit for it. It's the only course that ain't full of breakers. Did you think of it yourself?'

"He colored up a little. 'Why, no, not exactly,' he says. 'The fact is, the credit belongs to our new member, Mr. Gale.'

"'To JOTHAM?' says I, astonished.

"'Yes. He suggested my candidacy, as a compromise. Said that he, for one, would be proud to vote for me. Mr. Gale seems thoroughly repentant, a changed man. I am counting on him for great things in the future.'

"So the fuss seemed settled, thanks to the last person on earth you'd expect would be peacemaker. But that afternoon I met Darius Tompkins, Ba.s.sett's right-hand man.

"'Bailey,' says he, 'you're a Conservative, ain't you? You're for Dan through thick and thin?'

"'Why!' says I, 'I understand Dan and Gaius are both out of it now, and it's settled on Holway. Dan's promised to vote for him.'

"'HE has,' says Tompkins, with a wink, 'but the rest of us ain't. We pledged our votes to Dan Ba.s.sett, and we ain't the kind to go back on our word. Dan himself'll vote for Gabe; so'll Gaius and his reg'lar tribe. That'll make twelve, countin' Holway's own.'

"'Make seventeen, you mean,' says I. 'Gaius and his crowd's fifteen and Dan's sixteen and Gabe's seven--'

"He winked again, and interrupted me. 'You're countin' wrong, my boy,'

says he. 'Five of Gaius's folks come from the old billiard-room gang.

Just suppose somethin' happened to make that five vote, on the quiet, for Ba.s.sett. Then--'

"A customer come in then, and Tompkins had to leave; but afore he went he got me to one side and whispers:

"'Keep mum, old man, and vote straight for Dan. We'll show old Holway that we can't be led around by the nose.'

"'Tompkins,' says I, 'I know your head well enough to be sartin that it didn't work this out by itself. And why are you so sure of the billiard roomers? Who put you up to this?'

"He rapped the side of his nose. 'The smartest politician in this town,' says he, 'and the oldest--J. W. Gale, Esq.! S-s-sh-h! Don't say nothin'.'

"I didn't say nothin'. I was past talk. And that evenin' as I went past the billiard room on my way home, who should come out of it but Gaius Ellis, and HE looked as happy as Tompkins had.

"Friday night that clubroom was filled. Every member was there, and most of 'em had fetched their wives and families along to see the fun. There was whisperin' and secrecy everywheres. Honorable Gabe took the chair and makes announcements that the shebang is open for business.

"Up gets Dave Ba.s.sett and all but sheds tears. He says that he made up his mind to vote, not for himself, but for the founder and patron of the club, the Honorable Atkinson Holway. He spread it over Gabe thick as sugar on a youngster's cake. And when he set down all hands applauded like fury. But I noticed that he hadn't spoke for nary Conservative but himself.

"Then Gaius Ellis rises and sobs similar. He's stopped votin' for himself, too. His ballot is for that grand and good man, Gabriel Atkinson Holway, Esq. More applause and hurrahs.

"And then who should get up but Jotham Gale. He talks humble, like a has-been that knows he's a back number, but he says it's his privilege to cast his fust vote in that club for Mr. Holway, South Orham's pride.

n.o.body was expectin' him to say anything, and the cheers pretty nigh broke the winders.

"Gabe was turrible affected by the soft soap, you could see that. He fairly sobbed as he sprinkled grat.i.tude and acceptances. When the agony was over, he says the votin' can begin.

"I cal'lated he expected somebody'd move to make it unanimous, but they didn't. So the blank ballots was handed around, and the pencils got busy. Gabe app'ints three tellers, Ba.s.sett and Ellis, of course, for two--and the third, Jotham Gale.

"'As a compliment to our newest member,' says the chairman, smilin'

philanthropic.

"When the votes was in the hat, the tellers retired to the amus.e.m.e.nt room to count up. It took a long time. I see the Conservatives and Progressives nudgin' each other and winkin' back and forth. Five minutes, then ten, then fifteen.

"And all of a sudden the biggest row bu'st loose in that amus.e.m.e.nt room that ever you heard. Rattlety--bang! Biff! Smas.h.!.+ The door flew open, and in rolled Ba.s.sett and Ellis, all legs and arms. Gabe and some of the rest hauled 'em apart and held 'em so, but the language them two hove at each other was enough to bring down a judgment.

"'Gentlemen! gentlemen!' hollers poor Gabe. 'What in the world? I am astounded! I--'

"'You miserable traitor!' shrieks Gaius, wavin' a fist at Dan.

"'You low-down hound!' whoops Dan back at him.

"'Silence!' bellers Gabe, poundin' thunder storms on the desk. 'Will some one explain why these maniacs are--Ah, Mr. Gale--thank goodness, YOU at least are sane!'

"Jotham walks to the front of the platform. He was holdin' the hat and a slip of paper with the result set down on it.

"'Ladies and feller members,' says he, 'there's been some surprisin'

votin' done in this election. Things ain't gone as we cal'lated they would, somehow. Mr. Holway, your election wa'n't unanimous, after all.'

"The way he said it made most everybody think Gabe was elected, anyhow, and I guess Holway thought so himself, for he smiled forgivin' and says:

"'Never mind, Mr. Gale,' says he. 'A unanimous vote was perhaps too much to expect. Go on.'