_Twenty-eight_
THE ANNUNCIATION
The new President had been inaugurated. Beneath the creamy pile of theold Capitol, and facing the new library, he had stood aloft and lookeddown on a waving sea of faces--black-coated, jostling, eager-eyed fellowcreatures. They had watched his lips move, had scanned eagerly his dressand the gowned and decorated dignitaries beside him; and then, withblare of band and prancing of horses, he had been whirled down the dipand curve of that long avenue, with its medley of meanness and thriftand hurry and wealth, until, swinging sharply, the dim walls of theWhite House rose before him. He entered with a sigh.
Then the vast welter of humanity dissolved and streamed hither andthither, gaping and laughing until night, when thousands poured into thered barn of the census shack and entered the artificial fairylandwithin. The President walked through, smiling; the senators protectedtheir friends in the crush; and Harry Cresswell led his wife to alittle oasis of Southern ladies and gentlemen.
"This is democracy for you," said he, wiping his brow.
From a whirling eddy Mrs. Vanderpool waved at them, and they rescuedher.
"I think I am ready to go," she gasped. "Did you ever!"
"Come," Cresswell invited. But just then the crowd pushed them apart andshot them along, and Mrs. Cresswell found herself clinging to herhusband amid two great whirling variegated throngs of driving,white-faced people. The band crashed and blared; the people laughed andpushed; and with rhythmic sound and swing the mighty throng was dancing.
It took much effort, but at last the Cresswell party escaped and rolledoff in their carriages. They swept into the avenue and out again, thenup 14th Street, where, turning for some street obstruction, they passeda throng of carriages on a cross street.
"It's the other ball," cried Mrs. Vanderpool, and amid laughter sheadded, "Let's go!"
It was--the other ball. For Washington is itself, and something elsebesides. Along beside it ever runs that dark and haunting echo; thatshadowy world-in-world with its accusing silence, its emphaticself-sufficiency. Mrs. Cresswell at first demurred. She thought ofElspeth's cabin: the dirt, the smell, the squalor: of course, this wouldbe different; but--well, Mrs. Cresswell had little inclination forslumming. She was interested in the under-world, but intellectually, notby personal contact. She did not know that this was a side-world, not anunder-world. Yet the imposing building did not look sordid.
"Hired?" asked some one.
"No, owned."
"Indeed!"
Then there was a hitch.
"Tickets?"
"Where can we buy them?"
"Not on sale," was the curt reply.
"Actually exclusive!" sneered Cresswell, for he could not imagine anyone unwelcome at a Negro ball. Then he bethought himself of SamStillings and sent for him. In a few minutes he had a dozencomplimentary tickets in his hand.
They entered the balcony and sat down. Mary Cresswell leaned forward. Itwas interesting. Beneath her was an ordinary pretty ball--flowered,silked, and ribboned; with swaying whirling figures, music, andlaughter, and all the human fun of gayety and converse.
And then she was impressed with the fact that this was no ordinaryscene; it was, on the contrary, most extraordinary.
There was a black man waltzing with a white woman--no, she was notwhite, for Mary caught the cream and curl of the girl as she swept past:but there was a white man (was he white?) and a black woman. The colorof the scene was wonderful. The hard human white seemed to glow and liveand run a mad gamut of the spectrum, from morn till night, from white toblack; through red and sombre browns, pale and brilliant yellows, deadand living blacks. Through her opera-glasses Mary scanned their hair;she noted everything from the infinitely twisted, crackled, dead, andgrayish-black to the piled mass of red golden sunlight. Her eyes wentdreaming; there below was the gathering of the worlds. She saw types ofall nations and all lands swirling beneath her in human brotherhood, anda great wonder shook her. They seemed so happy. Surely, this was nonether world; it was upper earth, and--her husband beckoned; he had beenlaughing incontinently. He saw nothing but a crowd of queer lookingpeople doing things they were not made to do and appearing absurdlyhappy over it. It irritated him unreasonably.
"See the washer-woman in red," he whispered. "Look at the monkey. Come,let's go."
They trooped noisily down-stairs, and Cresswell walked unceremoniouslybetween a black man and his partner. Mrs. Vanderpool recognized andgreeted the girl as Miss Wynn. Mrs. Cresswell did not notice her, butshe paused with a start of recognition at the sight of the man.
"Why, Bles!" she exclaimed impetuously, starting to hold out her hand.She was sincerely pleased at seeing him. Then she remembered. She bowedand smiled, looking at him with interest and surprise. He was correctlydressed, and the white shirt set off the comeliness of his black face incompelling contrast. He carried himself like a man, and bowed withgravity and dignity. She passed on and heard her husband's petulantvoice in her ear.
"Mary--Mary! for Heaven's sake, come on; don't shake hands withniggers."
It was recurring flashes of temper like this, together with evidences ofdubious company and a growing fondness for liquor, that drove MaryCresswell more and more to find solace in the work of Congressman Todd'sCivic Club. She collected statistics for several of the Committee, wroteletters, interviewed a few persons, and felt herself growing inusefulness and importance. She did not mention these things to herhusband; she knew he would not object, but she shrank from his ridicule.
The various causes advocated by the Civic Club felt the impetus of theaggressive work of the organization. This was especially the case withthe National Education Bill and the amendment to the Child Labor Bill.The movement became strong enough to call Mr. Easterly down from NewYork. He and the inner circle went over matters carefully.
"We need the political strength of the South," said Easterly; "not onlyin framing national legislation in our own interests, but always inState laws. Particularly, we must get them into line to offset Todd'sfoolishness. The Child Labor Bill must either go through unamended or bekilled. The Cotton Inspection Bill--our chief measure--must be slippedthrough quietly by Southern votes, while in the Tariff mix-up we musttake good care of cotton.
"Now, on the other hand, we are offending the Southerners in three ways:Todd's revived Blair Bill is too good a thing for niggers; the South isclamoring for a first classy embassy appointment; and the President'snomination of Alwyn as Treasurer will raise a howl from Virginia toTexas."
"There is some strong influence back of Alwyn," said Senator Smith; "notonly are the Negroes enthused, but the President has daily letters fromprominent whites."
"The strong influence is named Vanderpool," Easterly drily remarked."She's playing a bigger political game than I laid out for her. That'sthe devil with women: they can't concentrate: they get too damned manyside issues. Now, I offered her husband the French ambassadorshipprovided she'd keep the Southerners feeling good toward us. She's handin glove with the Southerners, all right; but she wants not only herhusband's appointment but this darkey's too."
"But that's been decided, hasn't it?" put in Smith.
"Yes," grumbled Easterly; "but it makes it hard already. At any rate,the Educational Bill must be killed right off. No more talk; no moreconsideration--kill it, and kill it now. Now about this Child LaborBill: Todd's Civic Club is raising the mischief. Who's responsible?"
The silent Jackson spoke up. "Congressman Cresswell's wife has been veryactive, and Todd thinks they've got the South with them."
"Congressman Cresswell's wife!" Easterly's face was one greatexclamation point. "Now what the devil does this mean?"
"I'm afraid," said Senator Smith, "that it may mean an attempt on thepart of Cresswell's friends to boost him for the French ambassadorship.He's the only Southerner with money enough to support the position, andthere's been a good deal of quiet talk, I understand, in Southerncircles."
"But it's treason!" Easterly shouted. "It will ruin th
e plans of theCombine to put this amended Child Labor Bill through. John Taylor hasjust written me that he's starting mills at Toomsville, and that hedepends on unrestricted labor conditions, as we must throughout theSouth. Doesn't Cresswell know this?"
"Of course. I think it's just a bluff. If he gets the appointment he'lllet the bill drop."
"I see--everybody is raising his price, is he? Pretty soon the darkywill be holding us up. Well, see Cresswell, and put it to him strong. Imust go. Wire me."
Senator Smith presented the matter bluntly to Cresswell as soon as hesaw him. "Which would the South prefer--Todd's Education Bill, orAlwyn's appointment?"
It was characteristic of Cresswell that the smaller matter of Stillings'intrigue should interest him more than Todd's measure, of which he knewnothing.
"What is Todd's bill?" asked Harry Cresswell, darkening.
Smith, surprised, got out a copy and explained. Cresswell interruptedbefore he was half through.
"Don't you see," he said angrily, "that that will ruin our plans for theCotton Combine?"
"Yes, I do," replied Smith; "but it will not do the immediate harm thatthe amended Child Labor Bill will do."
"What's that?" demanded Cresswell, frowning again.
Senator Smith regarded him again: was Cresswell playing a shrewd game?
"Why," he said at length, "aren't you promoting it?"
"No," was the reply. "Never heard of it."
"But," Senator Smith began, and paused. He turned and took up a circularissued by the Civic Club, giving a careful account of their endeavors toamend and pass the Child Labor Bill. Cresswell read it, then threw itaside.
"Nonsense!" he indignantly repudiated the measure. "That will never do;it's as bad as the Education Bill."
"But your wife is encouraging it and we thought you were back of it."
Cresswell stared in blank amazement.
"My wife!" he gasped. Then he bethought himself. "It's a mistake," hesupplemented; "Mrs. Cresswell gave them no authority to sign her name."
"She's been very active," Smith persisted, "and naturally we were allanxious."
Cresswell bit his lip. "I shall speak to her; she does not realize whatuse they are making of her passing interest."
He hurried away, and Senator Smith felt a bit sorry for Mrs. Cresswellwhen he recalled the expression on her husband's face.
Mary Cresswell did not get home until nearly dinner time; then she camein glowing with enthusiasm. Her work had received special commendationthat afternoon, and she had been asked to take the chairmanship of thecommittee on publicity. Finding that her husband was at home, shedetermined to tell him--it was so good to be doing something worthwhile. Perhaps, too, he might be made to show some interest. She thoughtof Mr. and Mrs. Todd and the old dream glowed faintly again.
Cresswell looked at her as she entered the library where he was waitingand smoking. She was rumpled and muddy, with flying hair and thickwalking shoes and the air of bustle and vigor which had crept into herblood this last month. Truly, her cheeks were glowing and her eyesbright, but he disapproved. Softness and daintiness, silk and lace andglimmering flesh, belonged to women in his mind, and he despised Amazonsand "business" women. He received her kiss coldly, and Mary's heartsank. She essayed some gay greeting, but he interrupted her.
"What's this stuff about the Civic Club?" he began sharply.
"Stuff?" she queried, blankly.
"That's what I said."
"I'm sure I don't know," she answered stiffly. "I belong to the CivicClub, and have been working with it."
"Why didn't you tell me?" His resentment grew as he proceeded.
"I did not think you were interested."
"Didn't you know that this Child Labor business was opposed to myinterests?"
"Dear, I did not dream it. It's a Republican bill, to be sure; but youseemed very friendly with Senator Smith, who introduced it. We weresimply trying to improve it."
"Suppose we didn't want it improved."
"That's what some said; but I did not believe such--deception."
The blood rushed to Cresswell's face.
"Well, you will drop this bill and the Civic Club from now on."
"Why?"
"Because I say so," he retorted explosively, too angry to explainfurther.
She looked at him--a long, fixed, penetrating look which revealed morethan she had ever seen before, then turned away and went slowlyup-stairs. She did not come down to dinner, and in the evening thedoctor was called.
Cresswell drooped a bit after eating, hesitated, and reflected. He hadacted too cavalierly in this Civic Club mess, he concluded, and yet hewould not back down. He'd go see her and pet her a bit, but be firm.
He opened her boudoir door gently, and she stood before him radiant,clothed in silk and lace, her hair loosened. He paused, astonished. Butshe threw herself upon his neck, with a joyful, half hysterical cry.
"I will give it all up--everything! Willingly, willingly!" Her voicedropped abruptly to a tremulous whisper. "Oh, Harry! I--I am to be themother of a child!"
The Quest of the Silver Fleece: A Novel Page 29