"You are greatly mistaken, sir, if you think our club of one hundred and fifty men is going to submit to this here treason. We are in this here fight to stay, and we demand that you tend to your business." If John had fired a bomb at the official it would not have startled him more. He turned quickly toward them. His face changed color. He was evidently angry at the demand, and yet concerned at its meaning. "Wh-what is that you say?" "Just exactly what I said," replied John. "We are sick of the all fired racket and cussedness down in our part of town, and we are goin' to see that it stops." "I am glad that the citizens are taking interest in the affairs of government, and I will have the matter examined into. Command me at any time when I can be of any service," was the Mayor's word when the Committee was retiring from the room. "Well, what do you think of it?" asked Richard, when they were upon the street. "Will he do anything?" "No," was John's emphatic answer. ain't that kind." "He "But John's bombshell stirred him up, and if we can hold the boys in line and double our club we'll fetch him yet," was Hi's analysis of the condition. That night at a full meeting of the club the Committee made its report. The comments of the men when they heard what the Mayor first said was extremely interesting. "He said we could move out, did he?" "Told you to leave, did he?" "Thought your constituency was a lot of poor drunken devils, probably." But when John's encounter with the Mayor and its results were reported the men were wild. "Good hit, old man;' "Caught a bull-head that time, Rusty;" "We'll show him that our votes count;" and other graphic expressions filled the air. Richard listened with concern, yet with awe, to these rough men, for he knew that it was an awakening that would either soon die out or else grow to commanding power. He used to say in after years that it was his first glimpse of the sovereign power of America -the people. Plans were formulated to interest other men in the neighborhood in the work of the club, and the men adjourned. |