Political fiction; Short stories, American; United States -- Politics and government -- Fiction
“The leaders, Jamison over on the Republican side, and Riley on
the Democratic, sat at their desks, with roll-calls, at which
they thoughtfully blew the smoke of their cigars as they checked
off the progress of the vote. They appeared as unconcerned as the
correspondents. I never can forget the drollery of the wink Jamison
gave me as he voted no--it was necessary to have some one who had
voted with the majority to move a reconsideration of the vote in case
anything happened. ’Zeke did not resume his seat during the roll-call,
as the rules permitted him to do, but stood bending over his desk with
an alert eye on the cadets. The vote up to this point was propitious,
but ’Zeke knew, and Jamison and Riley knew, and Judge Hardin and I
knew, and we were not so sanguine as the correspondents, who had
already begun to toss sheets of copy to the frowsy telegraph boys,
running to and fro between the press gallery and the Western Union.
We were chiefly interested just then whether Berry would vote right
or not. I was keeping an eye on him and noticed that he was beginning
to fidget in his seat, and chew his cigar, and tear paper into little
pieces. And the roll-call went on:
“‘Beel!’
“‘Aye!’
“‘Bell!’
“‘No!’
“Bell, of course, was on the other side, and was standing back with
George Herrick, keeping their fellows in line and cheering up the
reformers from the Municipal League, but we knew his vote would have
its effect on Berry, so I pulled the speaker’s coat-tail, and ’Zeke
leaned over and whispered hoarsely to the clerk. Hen observed a
lengthened pause and then began to call more slowly. Berry was the next
name.
“‘Berry!’ Hen drawled.
“There was no reply.
“‘Berry!’
“There was no reply.
“Hen looked long at Berry, and the poltroon sat there with his eyes
cast down, rolling his cigar around and around in his mouth, tearing
up his little flakes of paper, and swinging from side to side in his
chair. Then Hen called the next name:
“‘Briggs!’
“‘No!’ he voted, and Berry looked up for the first time since the bill
had come over from the senate. ’Zeke rapped fiercely with his gavel,
and Hen paused. Then ’Zeke said sharply:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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