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bureau heads were there, the stars, and all the irregulars who had been able to get in.
On the floor a majority of the lawmakers and warmakers were in their seats; groups were in the aisles; members drifted in from the cloakrooms and out; pages walked and ran. Among the veterans and leaders, Reid stood by a wall with Representative Morton, listening with a frown, Corcoran talked with a group on the Clerk’s platform which included Speaker Horner and the Vice-President, Sterling and Jackman, anti-war champions, conferred where the former sat, Allen and Wilcox were not visible, and Tilney sat motionless with his chin on his chest and his eyes closed. Everyone was nervous and tense, even the lowly of the herd who knew how they had to vote no matter what happened. They, like the supers in a stage spectacle, shared only in the excitement, leaving the glory for their betters, but at least no one could deprive them of that.
At three minutes past noon the Speaker and the Vice-President mounted to their rostrum, the latter banged his gavel, mumbled something and glared, and the session was convened. The vocal clatter died down gradually, members hastened or sauntered to their seats according to temperament, the gavel banged again, and silence began to emerge. The Clerk of the House read something which nobody listened to. A Senator arose halfway back, was recognized, and launched into what was apparently a discussion of the geography of theUnited States. Stragglers were wandering in from the cloakrooms.
The discussion continued. The Vice-President was observed to lift himself in his chair and raise his brows at someone; the speaker on the floor hesitated a moment and then went on with the geography. It was twenty past twelve. Up in the gallery Sally Voorman whispered to her husband, “Is the bum working up suspense for his entrance?” There was other whispering; it increased, gradually, to an audible murmur. They had waited for the show long enough; they were in no mood for a late curtain.
At twenty-five minutes to one a page appeared from the side, leaped up the steps, and handed a slip of paper to the Vice-President. There was a rustle throughout the chamber. So; of course, a telephone message that the President was leaving the White House; another quarter of an hour then. But to the surprise of everyone, amazement even on the floor and in the press gallery, the Vice-President, after leaning across to mutter something to the Speaker, rose from his chair, descended from the platform, and left the chamber at the side the page had come from. There was a buzz all over. The Speaker banged the gavel and demanded order. The Senator was still doing geography.
In not more than three minutes the Vice-President returned. Instead of resuming his place, he crossed the floor to the head of an aisle and beckoned to Senator Corcoran, who hurried from his seat to join him. The Vice-President spoke in an undertone; those close enough saw that his face was white and that Corcoran, as he listened, stiffened and set his jaw. The conference, with every eye above and below focused on it, went on for minutes; finally Corcoran turned and went back down the aisle. He stopped to direct a glance at Reid which apparently had a meaning, for Reid nodded in reply, and then returned to his seat.
The Vice-President mounted the rostrum again. The Speaker handed the gavel to him, and he took it. He did not sit down, but stood with his lips tight. The Senator speaking from the floor faltered, left a predicate without an object, and resumed his seat. The Vice-President cleared his throat and spoke to a breathless stillness:
“I have an announcement to make. Information had been received that the President has suffered an indisposition andis unable to come before us. It is therefore necessary to postpone the purpose of this session.”
The silence hung in the air an instant, then was broken by a gasp of astonished dismay from floor and galleries. Before the
On the floor a majority of the lawmakers and warmakers were in their seats; groups were in the aisles; members drifted in from the cloakrooms and out; pages walked and ran. Among the veterans and leaders, Reid stood by a wall with Representative Morton, listening with a frown, Corcoran talked with a group on the Clerk’s platform which included Speaker Horner and the Vice-President, Sterling and Jackman, anti-war champions, conferred where the former sat, Allen and Wilcox were not visible, and Tilney sat motionless with his chin on his chest and his eyes closed. Everyone was nervous and tense, even the lowly of the herd who knew how they had to vote no matter what happened. They, like the supers in a stage spectacle, shared only in the excitement, leaving the glory for their betters, but at least no one could deprive them of that.
At three minutes past noon the Speaker and the Vice-President mounted to their rostrum, the latter banged his gavel, mumbled something and glared, and the session was convened. The vocal clatter died down gradually, members hastened or sauntered to their seats according to temperament, the gavel banged again, and silence began to emerge. The Clerk of the House read something which nobody listened to. A Senator arose halfway back, was recognized, and launched into what was apparently a discussion of the geography of theUnited States. Stragglers were wandering in from the cloakrooms.
The discussion continued. The Vice-President was observed to lift himself in his chair and raise his brows at someone; the speaker on the floor hesitated a moment and then went on with the geography. It was twenty past twelve. Up in the gallery Sally Voorman whispered to her husband, “Is the bum working up suspense for his entrance?” There was other whispering; it increased, gradually, to an audible murmur. They had waited for the show long enough; they were in no mood for a late curtain.
At twenty-five minutes to one a page appeared from the side, leaped up the steps, and handed a slip of paper to the Vice-President. There was a rustle throughout the chamber. So; of course, a telephone message that the President was leaving the White House; another quarter of an hour then. But to the surprise of everyone, amazement even on the floor and in the press gallery, the Vice-President, after leaning across to mutter something to the Speaker, rose from his chair, descended from the platform, and left the chamber at the side the page had come from. There was a buzz all over. The Speaker banged the gavel and demanded order. The Senator was still doing geography.
In not more than three minutes the Vice-President returned. Instead of resuming his place, he crossed the floor to the head of an aisle and beckoned to Senator Corcoran, who hurried from his seat to join him. The Vice-President spoke in an undertone; those close enough saw that his face was white and that Corcoran, as he listened, stiffened and set his jaw. The conference, with every eye above and below focused on it, went on for minutes; finally Corcoran turned and went back down the aisle. He stopped to direct a glance at Reid which apparently had a meaning, for Reid nodded in reply, and then returned to his seat.
The Vice-President mounted the rostrum again. The Speaker handed the gavel to him, and he took it. He did not sit down, but stood with his lips tight. The Senator speaking from the floor faltered, left a predicate without an object, and resumed his seat. The Vice-President cleared his throat and spoke to a breathless stillness:
“I have an announcement to make. Information had been received that the President has suffered an indisposition andis unable to come before us. It is therefore necessary to postpone the purpose of this session.”
The silence hung in the air an instant, then was broken by a gasp of astonished dismay from floor and galleries. Before the
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