Page:Stanwood Pier--The ancient grudge.djvu/321

310 Then from the audience, which had sat tense and excited all through the sharp colloquy between the two men, there was a wild outburst of applause. Caskey stood until it had subsided.

"You see," he said, and sat down.

Colonel Halket stood speechless, moving his eyes in a bewildered way across the audience. He turned to the committee behind him and put out his hand as if in a gesture of entreaty, as if he were about to utter an appeal; and then he dropped his hand without speaking, for there was no responsive look on any face. And again he sent his wavering gaze out upon the audience; they all let him stand thus, silent and helpless, and did not make a sound; and Floyd suffered under the cruelty of it.

Then Tustin came forward and began to speak with a suavity, which, Floyd felt sure, veiled a malignant intention.

"Mr. Caskey's given to a plain way of stating things," he said in a conciliatory voice. "But you see how it is, Colonel Halket; there ain't a shadow of a doubt but that just about every workman in New Rome is unanimous against your idea. You see how it is; they've thought it over and they've heard what you have to say for it, and they have n't changed their minds."

"That's right!" interrupted a voice loudly, and that seemed a signal for other approving cries throughout the audience. Then, before Tustin could go on, some one began to clap and stamp, and instantly there was an uproar of applause. Tustin allowed it to last for a few moments; then he put out his controlling hand.

He smiled with a triumphant friendliness and familiarity at Colonel Halket, who stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his head bowed, and his face gloomy and dejected—apparently in the attitude of surrender.

"Colonel Halket," Tustin said, "we do not for a moment question the purpose with which you lent your influence to the scheme of combination. We don't doubt that