THE WAVERER.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2764, 19 March 1910, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE WAVERER.

(By RADCLIEEE MARTIN.)

Blunderby was in the throes of a fiercely-contested election. A howling mob had just escorted the candidate or the Green party to his hotel. Prom the enthusiasm outside the building, no on© could doubt that the Rowing tide at Blunderby was with the Greens, though an impartial observer might have noticed that an equally enthusiastic spirit prevailed amongst the Tellow crowd which was at the same moment escorting their candidate to his hotel. The Green agent held up his hand for silence on the iiotel steps, and then roared: “Three cheers for Ackers, our future member!” and the crowd snouted itself hoarse for ten minutes before dispersing. "Very glad you’ve been able to come down. Miss Vernon!” said the agent to a pretty young lady who stood beside the Green candidate. “If you will excuse me saj-ing it, a sweetheart is always' more effective than a wife at election times.”

“Come along, Baker,” said the candidate to “now that row outside has stopped, we'll discuss affairs over a quiet, cigar. I want to know just how we stand.” “You ungrateful creature 1” said Miss Vernon. “Do yoii call that enthusiasm a row I suppose it aggravated your tender nerves when they gave me three cheers at the meeting.” “Not a bit,” said the candidate. “I wish they’d given you all my cheers as well; but when a fellow has been continuously cheered for a fortnight, the only constituency he’d like to represent would be a deaf' and dumb asylum.” “Well, I’m coming to this fateful discussion,” said Miss Vernon. “It’s no good saying that I’m not to come. I’m an important feature in this election. Mr. Baker admits it. So I’ve a right to be there, and I shan’t stop you smoking.” They went into a quiet sitting-room, and the candidate gave a sigh of relief as he dropped into an armchair and lit a cigar. “The man who deliberately undergoes the horrors of a contested election ought to be shut up as insane 1” he said emphatically. The agent smiled and looked at Miss Vernon. “That’s the way they’re always taken two or three nights before the poll. I’ll bet Mr. Griggs, the Yellow candidate, is just as sick of it all at heart.’’ “Everything seems to bo going well, Mr. Baker,” said the young lady. “The people seemed wonderfully enthusiastic to-night.” •‘Not one in six of them voters/’ said the agent cynically. His confident air had vanished directly he had got out of sight of the crowd. “Well, how arp the canvassing returns coming in?” inquired the candidate, with an eagerness which proven that his fatigue had not deprived him of all interest in the-election. “It’ll be touch and go,” replied the agent. “Wo have only a margin of a thousand promises.” “Well, 'that looks splendid!” exclaimed Miss Vernon. “Griggs was only in bv about a hundred last time.” “You don’t know electors. Miss Vernon. If we'd a margin of two thousand, I should feel more hopeful, and if we’d two thousand five hundred. I’d bet half-a-crown to a shilling on Mr. Ackers’s election. Voters are horribly deceptive.” “Men are deceivers ever/’ said Miss Vernon sweetly. “Especially at election times. Why, candidates aren’t in it for promises compared with voters. If there were six candidates here half tlie voters would pledge themselves to support every one of them. No, everything depends on Councillor Dobson.” “Who’s Dobson?” inquired Miss Vernon.

“Very big manufacturer here, Miss Vernon. Good employer—profit-shar-ing and all that kind of tiling. Gives a. lot of money away in the town.” “Is he Yellow, then?” asked Miss Vernon, with:a touch of contempt in her tone. “No;.‘it'd be ainiost a relief if ho were...-. He just-votes according to what he calls his conscience. Last election he came out Yellow at their mass meeting the. night before the .poll, and that turned hundreds of .votes. His workpeople go largely by his opinion.’’ “Have vou tried to influence him?”

“I have,” said the Candidate, rousing himself, “and i never had such a cross-examination about politics in my life. He convinced me that I wasn't fit to' be a voter, much less a member. “Don’t let that depress you, Mr. Ackers,” said the agent. “I’ve been told on good authority that Griggs looked horribly put out after he’d called on him.”

“Ob, I’ve no doubt that he’d enjoy being nasty to both of Us!” replied the candidate.' “That’s his impartiality. He’d call it a conscientious duty.”

“Do you think I could do any good if I bailed ?” asked' Miss Vernon demurely. Both candidate and agent burst into protests. “Not a bit,” said Mr Ackers bluntly.

“Oh, no, no! he hates the very idea of women having anything to do with politics. That's why both Mr. Ackers and Mr. Griggs are pledged against Women’s Suffrage. lie’s the crustiest old bachelor in Blunderby. No, we’ve done our best with-him, and we’ll have to see which way he turns. These conscientious people oughtn’t to be allowed in politics. Well, we must do our best, and remember, Miss Vernon, that ii you look bright and cheerful and smiling till the election day. it’ll be worth anything from fifty to a hundred votes »to us. Mrs. Griggs isn’t much to look at, and her two children have got whooping-cough, so they can’t cart them round as an attraction. The next evening, when Mr. Baker called for the candidate to escort him to his meetings, Mr. Ackers’ face was grave. “I’m sorry that Miss Vernon lias a had headache and can’t possibly come t<> the meetings to-night. I shall have to leave her here in her mother’s custody.”

“Dear me, dear me!” exclaimed the agent. “Can’t she come even to the big meeting? I’ve been relying on her, and there are two bouquets already bought,to he presented to her.”

“Can’t help it,” said tlie gloomy candidate. “When she lias one of her headaches she isn’t fit to go anywhere. It only came on her an hour since, and now she can’t hold her head tip.” : “It’s so disappointing!” sighed the agent. “"Still, if she looked ill, she’d better stay away. The audiences might think she* looked low because she expected 3’ou to lose, and some of those O "iggs people would be sure to spread the' rumor that you had treated her badly. They’re capable of anything. Well, we must do our best. We’ll have a resolution of sympathy with her in her indisposition passed. That might lieln—-especially, if you look very sad while "it is being done and say something affecting afterwards.” A few minutes after the candidate lr>d started for his round of meetings, Miss Vernon slipped quietly out of the hotel.- She stopped a .policeman in the

street, and made a hurried inquiry. He indicated the direction in which she should go, and in ten minutes she was outside The Laurels, Councillor Dobson’s residence. She paused in the shadow of a tree and fastened a large yellow rosette on her cloak. Then she walked confidently up to the house and rang the bell. “Mr. Dobson is in, I suppose?” she said to the servant, “Yes, ma’am. What name shall I say?” . . “Tell him that Miss Smith wishes to see him on most important business.” lie servant vanished, and in a moment returned. •‘Will you please step thi s way?” Miss Vernon was shown into the library where Mr. Dobson, a grim-looking old gentleman, sat reading an evening paper. “Good evening,” he said. May 1 ask what your business is?” Miss Vernon paused till tlie servant had dosed the door: In the meantime, Mr. 'Dobson’s eye was struck by the yellow rosette. “If you have called about the election,.Miss Smith, I may save you time and trouble by saying that I vote by ballot, and am not to be moved by extraneous influences.”

“That is what all you men say,” said Miss Vernon,« shaking a reproving finger at him. “The faults of your sex are stupidity and bigotry.” “Perhaps those faults are preferable to impertinence,” said the old gentleman sharply. “Ah, you mean that for me! You re trying to ho horrid, Mr. Dobson, but however you may lose your temper, I shan’t lose mine. I shall be quite calm with you. Now I just want to explain to you w1 1 y you positively must vote for dear Mr. Griggs.” “You need not enter upon any • xplnnations.” “All, you don’t understand 'be righteousness of our Yellow cause, Mr. Dobson. Why. all the intelligent and respectable and nice people simply have to vote Yellow. Now you look quite an intelligent man —oh, don’t get cross when I pay you a compliment—and I’m sure "that really you intend to vote for Mr. Griggs.” "Understand that I absolutely decline to discuss the question of my vote with you. In my opinion, women have neither knowledge of, or capacity for, political business.” “Oh, you men!” exclaimed Miss Vernon, with a demure simper; “you are always so interested. You all want something for yourselves. Now, Mr. Dobson, if I promise you a kiss, wili you vote for dear Mr. Griggs?” 'l’lie augiy old bachelor sprang to Ins feet and rang the hell. “Show this lady out at once!” he said to the servant. “Ah, Mr. Dobson,” said Miss Vernon as she rose to go. “1 feel convinced that after all you' will support Mr. Griggs! I shan’t forget my promise. And as she left the room she blew the worthy councillor a kiss. ~ The election agent was very- depressed the next day when he iound that Miss Vernon was still poorly and could not attend the grand final rally; He only revived when she assured him that at all costs she would he fit for the polling day. But when the candidate: returned, lie rushed headlong into the sitting-room where Miss Vernon was curing her headache by reading a novel. “Head better? That’s right, dear. Oh, I’ve glorious news. Who do you think turned up on the platform and spoke for me to-night? Dobson, of all men. He said that he had been so disgusted by Yellow electioneering methods that it was time, he felt, to make a striking protest. Baker is down at the printer’s getting out posters now. The borough will be covered to-morrow with exhortations, ‘Follow Dobson, your leading citizen, and vote for Ackers.’ It’s a dead cert, for me now.” “That is good news,” said Miss Vernon, adding innocently, “I wonder whatever can have induced him. to come over to us.” It was after the declaration of the poll: Ackers ... ••• 32 PS Griggs 3187

Majority ... ... 11l that Mr. Ackers said to Mr. Dobson : “You must let me introduce you to my fiancee, Miss Vernon., She wants, so much to thank you personally for your help.” Mr. Dobson bowed politely to the young lady, and then rubbed, his spectacles. Mr. Ackers was drawn away just then by another enthusiastic constituent.

Miss Vernon smiled, and said: “Do you still think that women have no political capacity, Mr. Dobson?” The worthv councillor frowned for a moment, and then, almost in spite of himself, a smile spread across bis lace. “You are not in danger, Mr. Dobson, I assure you. Y r ou didn’t fulfil your part of the bargain.” Til*' councillor laughed outright. “I’m sure of one thing, Miss Vernon, that women are far too artful and unprincipled to be given votes.” He hesitated for a moment,, and then said: “I admit that you’ve scored, Miss Vernon, but I'want to ask if it is necessary that our former interview should he made public?” “Oh, certainly not! You sec, I want your support for Mr. Ackers at the next election.”

“That’s a blackmailing bargain,” said the councillor. “Well, wbon you’ve intrigued your future husband into the next Ministry—and you’re quite clever enough to do it —I’ll promise you that he shall have my support when he needs re-election. But I shouldn’t advise you to try your methods of persuasion on all the voters. Had I been thirty years younger, I should have jumped at your offer and' voted for Griggs.” And when the next election came round at Blunderby no one could accuse Councillor Dobson of being a waverer.