Page:The gold brick (1910).djvu/123

 "'Bell!'

"'No!'

"Bell, of course, was on the other side, and was standing back with George Herrick, keeping their fellows in line and cheering up the reformers from the Municipal League, but we knew his vote would have its effect on Berry, so I pulled the speaker's coat-tail, and 'Zeke leaned over and whispered hoarsely to the clerk. Hen observed a lengthened pause and then began to call more slowly. Berry was the next name.

"'Berry!' Hen drawled.

"There was no reply.

"'Berry!'

"There was no reply.

"Hen looked long at Berry, and the poltroon sat there with his eyes cast down, rolling his cigar around and around in his mouth, tearing up his little flakes of paper, and swinging from side to side in his chair. Then Hen called the next name:

"'Briggs!'

"'No!' he voted, and Berry looked up for the first time since the bill had come over from the