Part 50 (1/2)
”Allow me--allow me to congratulate you!”
His voice rang true, even though he did not mean it; and Murgatroyd shook his hand, saying:--
”I thought it would be you, Thorne; you put up a good fight.”
”We did, you mean,” protested Thorne. ”My crowd did, as usual. But you, Murgatroyd, deserve your honours--it was one man against the field, one man against illimitable backing. Senator,” he declared, bowing, ”I take off my hat to you! You have done what has never been done before, and you've done it without a dollar! You're the first man in the State,” he went on frankly, ”to be chosen by the people, literally by the people, and without a dollar behind you.”
Still Murgatroyd shook his head, and repeated:--
”Thorne, it looked like you.”
”No; and we've learned something by all this,” Thorne went on; ”we're beginning to find out that the people wors.h.i.+p honesty above all things.--Oh, yes, I'm honest,” he continued hastily; ”I understand that.
But you--your honesty is the real thing--and the people know it, too.”
Turning to her friends, s.h.i.+rley muttered satirically:--
”Honest!”
Now McGrath, as usual, had followed close on the footsteps of Mixley; and standing in the door, he yelled:--
”Three cheers for Senator Murgatroyd!”
And Mixley and Thorne,--born and bred to political meetings,--gave them with a will; while s.h.i.+rley and the Challoners sat in the corner in deep silence.
Murgatroyd looked at his men in surprise.
”Where have you been all this time?” he queried.
”Outside,” they answered sheepishly, ”waiting for the news.”
Murgatroyd strode down upon them and thundered out:--
”You get that evidence and have it here by two o'clock.”
The men piled out in confusion. A moment later, Thorne took up his hat, and holding out his hand, repeated:--
”Accept my congratulations once more, Senator!” He turned to go, and then for the first time he saw the three people huddled together in the corner of the room. ”Well,” he suddenly exclaimed, ”I thought we were alone. I didn't know....”
Challoner stepped out in front of him, and blurted out:--
”Mr. Thorne, I wish to know if it is true----”
Thorne, still not seeing who it was, nodded.
”Yes,” he said in reply, ”the prosecutor has been chosen--I'm down and out.”
”You don't understand,” returned Challoner; ”is it true, true----”
”True?” repeated Thorne.