For the second time in his lifehe stood face to
face with an unalterable fact. There hesat, waiting for Ruth who was speaking to one
or two of the women.
Black boughs and twigs traced an irregular
lattice-workagainst the ever whitish sky.
The lady was young, pretty, bashful; smilingly she
lookedabout from under a lowered brow. Abe thought the pose arranged foreffect; and
the sight came indeed like a calculated surprise. And he looked at house, barns,
andwind-breaks.
Twice before Abe had lived through a crisis: never
through one likethis.
Elliot promptly rose and seconded the
motion.
It was a mild day; the road to townwas soft though
snow still remained in the ditches. Abe had never fraternized; neither hadhe ever
canvassed before.
It would have been wiser tobuild during the war.
Grantingthat consolidation was desirable, was it wise to enter upon it now? Jim
grinned and pulled out a roll of bills.
Abe having no helpbut Jims, the measure was
dictated by considerations other thanfinancial.
Onanother occasion Abe received a letter from the
principal,complaining that Jim was disrespectful. But not even Wheeldon could
possibly doubt that.
As Abe entered through the gateby the flagpole, he
nodded.
Many a time, no doubt,many a one, if that was the
law, had been technically in default. Wheeldons lips were twisted in a thin smile,
not altogether oftriumph. Jim was almost as tall as his father, though of course not
of hismassive and powerful build.
And hisvoice trailed off in a treble of
admiration.
We are assembled here todiscuss that
question.
McCrae appearedaccompanied by a young lady who
presumably was his wife.
This time, however, Abe had condescended to
argue.
A system devised to keep the manwho stands out from
the common crowd down to the common level. To the new settlers, the old score meant
nothing.
Shilloe, Nawosad, andHilmer were easily convinced.
Early in March Schweigel came to Abes yard. Everywhere on earththe farmer suffers
set-backs through failure of the crop. A tension spread throughthe room, as though
people knew what was to follow.
Thus, since women hadreceived the vote, the number
of electors was twenty-nine. Hehad tried to cast a vote to which he was not
entitled.
Abe wasa picturesque figure personifying such as
was possible in the west. Irrationally, Nicoll hada foreboding: something hovered
over the building which wascatastrophic.
Ladies and gentlemen, Abe said, it has been moved
and secondedthat the question be decided by poll.
It became a test of the standing he had won in
thecommunity.
Both werebare of fur in places; but on Abe they
looked like royal attire.