Page:Weird Tales Volume 7 Number 3 (1926-03).djvu/128

414 of vantage on the lamp post tried to lead them.

Somehow, in the light of day, the solemnity that had merited the night session was missing on the surface. Now that the actual day was here some of the tension was lifted. Within the chamber of the House, little groups chatted as they awaited the arrival of the President, who had gone to the cloak room to meet with the leaders of the House and Senate. There was no conversation in the gallery. The newspaper men were busy trying to catch and imprison the color of that picture in words that telegraphers were sending to waiting presses. The news of the world must go on. The visitors strained forward to watch for the coming of the President. The personnel of the crowd was changed. The foreign guests of yesterday were absent on orders from their governments. Women had taken their places to be with husbands and fathers in the hour of doom.

Up on the rostrum, experts were testing out the radio instruments. A world was waiting to hear how these men demeaned themselves in this tragic hour, and everything must be in readiness. A messenger approached the Speaker. He called the Congress to order. The Vice-President, as presiding officer of the Senate, sat at his side. As they settled in their seats, he rose, and announced very quietly:

"The President of the United States."

As quietly the President entered. His face was careworn, seamed with the terrific strain of the last two weeks, as was the face of everyone present. But he was not haggard. Stern purpose overrode any evidence of supreme fatigue, as he bowed gravely to the Congress standing to receive him. They stood while the chaplain prayed for the safety of the nation. It might have been a prayer for any session, so quietly did he implore divine guidance. Only at the end did he touch upon the thing they all faced, asking that their motives be understood.

When he had finished, the senator who had fathered the resolution the night before asking that the President remain in safety, rose in his seat:

"Mr. Speaker, I move that this Congress in joint session assembled act immediately on the resolution which I herewith propose." Without waiting for his resolution to be passed to the reading clerk, he read on. "Be it resolved by the Congress of the United States that the President be empowered to call immediately for two million volunteers for the safety of the nation."

This was Congress' answer to the demand that it disarm. Before the senator could speak to his motion, a very avalanche of "Question? Question!" drowned him out. The Speaker threw aside parliamentary convention. "You have heard the question"

"Aye," came the mighty chorus. There was no need to inform the President. Precedents were gone crashing in this hour. He was already writing an executive proclamation calling for two million men to preserve the country. The ink was not yet dry on that historic document when word reached the mob without. For a moment it was silent as the import of the message passed from man to man, woman to woman. Then that mob raised one great voice in an overwhelming shout, the voice of the nation molded into one great chord of confidence.

As the chorus died down for an instant, the red-haired man started to slide down from his lamp post. In the sudden hush his bull-like roar carried far:

"Come on, boys, where's a recruiting office?"