Mr. Crewe's Career -- Volume 2

dy been inscribed on the scroll of history-or something like it. Mr. Crewe in kilts at five; and (prophetic picture!) with a train of cars which-so the family tradition runs-was aft

n methods of doing business were astonishingly precocious. He recommended to amazed clerks in provincial banks the use of cheques, ridiculed to speechless station-masters the side-entranc

fter graduation. This pamphlet is now, unfortunately, very rare, but the anonymous biographer managed to get one and quote from it. If Mr. Crewe's suggestions had been carried out, seventy-five per

burden of citizenship led-as we know-to further self-denial. He felt called upon to go to the Legislature-and this is what he saw:-(Mr. Crewe is quoted here at length in an admir

this country. A certain reformer of whose acquaintance the honest chronicler boasts (a reformer who got elected!) found, on his first visit to the h

o the Gladstone collar. Underneath were the words, "I will put an end to graft and railroad rule. I am a Candidate of the People. Opening rally of the Pe

lumns wide, in the Ripton Record) as they sat at breakfast toget

ame of mind. "I should like a trustworthy account of that meeting. Only," h

to my listening to

ey Crewe," lau

brightly gowned recruits of that organization of Mrs. Pomfret's which Beatrice Chillingham had nicknamed "The Ladies' Auxiliary.". In vain Mr. Crewe tooted his horn: the sound of it was drowned by the gay talk and laughter in the carryalls, a

t, "is so much in earnest. I wouldn't g

, in an undertone to her neighbour, "is exceed

he top of a grassy mound to let the Leviathan go by. And

a pull at his cap. "I intended

ring how many things you have to be on the

ou'd be sufficiently broad-minded to come, and I hope you won

ou," she answered, smiling; "I

you a good seat," he called

d up at her, with la

. "Say, do you remember that tall fellow

e

oke to me. He hadn't forgotten my name. Now, he'd be my notion of a candidate

feel that way,"

s that way about you," said H

et a little older, you will learn to

audaciously, "they never

learned to be original," she replied.

tage. One unforeseen result of Mrs. Pomfret's arrangement was that the first eleven rows were vacant, with the exception of one old man and five or six schoolboys. Such is the courage of humanity in general! On the arrival of the candidate, instead of a surging crowd lining t

round town that if they came, somethin' would fall on 'em. The Tredways and all the people who own factories served notice on thei

are in there?" Mr

r. Tooting, with commendable accuracy.

Mr. Crewe, "is

ignation spread over

Sol Gridley was a-goin' to, but he went to New York on the noon

r. Crewe, "he

'em, travelling about. But Sol has got to work on the qui

Amos Ricketts

lls come on, and he sent me word to the Ripton House. He had his speech all made up, and it was

de a gesture

lf," he said. "They

n his candidate's arm. "You couldn't do

e, listening, "a lot of

ree and five! ladies of Ripton whose husbands, for some unexplained reason, have stayed at home; and Mr. Tooting, as he watched them with mingled feelings, became a woman's suffragist on

said, "I thought t

women," Mr. Toot

om

folks are curious? They're afraid to come 'emselves, and they're sendin' their wives a

audience,-a flatter which disseminated faint odours of sachet and other mysterious substances in which feminine

d. "I wonder whom the front seats are reserved for. Say, Victoria,

rd, she did turn, to meet, as she expected, Austen's glance fixed upon her. Their greeting was the signal of two people with a mutual understanding. He did not rise, and although she acknowledged to herself a feeling of disappointment, she

h mistake, Mr. Tooting vowed, s

tement was renewed, and this time it might almost be called a flutter of apprehension. But we who have heard Mr. Crewe speak are in no alarm for our candidate. He takes

gentlemen and fellow citizens. I thank you for the honour you have done me in coming here to listen to the opening speech of my campaign to-night. It is a campaign for decency and good government, and I know that the common people of the State-of whom I have the honour to be one-demand these things. I cannot say as much for the so-called prominent citizens," said Mr. Crewe, glancing about him; "not one of your prominent citizens in Ripton would venture to offe

uce myself. I am Humphrey Crewe of Leith, and I claim to have added something to the w

indeed, a courage of such a high order that it completely carried away the ladies and drew reluctant plaudits from the male element. "Give it to

master, Mr. Augustus P. Flint of New York. And I propose to prove to you that, before the Honourable Adam B. Hunt appeared as that which has come to be known as the 'regular' candidate, Mr. Flint sent for him to go to New York and exacted certain promises from him. Not that it was necessary, but the Northeastern Railroads never take any chances. (Laughter.) The Honourable Adam B. Hunt is what they call a 'safe' man, meaning by that

ce-not that of Mr. Hastings Weare, for

d,'" answered Mr. Crewe, and there was no doubt

s Gaylord, Jr., Mr. Hamilton Tooting, two reporters, and seventy-four ladies, who cheered the speaker to the echo. About half of these ladies were summer residents of Leith in charge of the well-known social leader, Mrs.

declared that he would be glad to meet any of the audience who wish

Humphrey,-you are magni

kill an idea, and we'll see who's right an

rs. Pomfret exclaimed as

uder tone, "Ladies, if

happy to introduce you

dn't expect to

ria. "Humphrey, accep

ere's nothing like telling the truth, you know. And, by the way, I hope to see you in

astern Railroads quite took the breath out of the spectators who witnessed the incident, and

I ever saw, Victoria," he exclaimed,

Humphrey,"

through the evening Tom had been trying to account for her presence at the meeting, until Austen had begged him to keep his speculations to himself. "She can't be engaged to him!" Mr. Gaylord had exclaimed mor

oken, after all. But I appreciated your precaution in se

Austen Vane," he added, indicating by a nod of the head the obvious presen

r. Gaylord?" Victoria ask

e, Hastings Weare having gone

long with the opposite sex," Austen re

g perfectly the other day when he rescued me

hed, and th

er surprised to see

ictoria. "Aren't you

to an explanation of Tom

Cr

too much for me,"

ed, and suddenly demande

ey's s

ned in an irresistible and spontaneous laughter. They were again on that p

ake of Mr. Crewe as an or

us again, and regar

he said?"

ds of denunciation of the Northeastern Railroads, had been of the effect they might have on Victoria's feelings, and from time to time he h

eason I came was because-because I wanted to hear t

upon him, his thoughts had turned to, that Western country, limited only by the bright horizons where the sun rose and set. If he could only take her there, or into his own hills, where no man might

she said, in

went down the steps with her to the curb, whe

said that young gentleman, "that

s face

he said simply; and to

ess merriment throughout the State. Congressman Fairplay's prophecy of "negligible" was an exaggeration, and one gentleman who had rashly predicted that Mr. Crewe would get twenty delegates out of a thousand hid himself for shame. On the whole, the "monumental farce" forecast seemed best to fit the situation. A conference was held at Leith between the candidate,

probably an accident that he happened to kick, at this instant, Mr. Wat

her. I do not hesitate to say, however, that the expenses of this campaign, at th

t containing some eighty towns and wards, each followed by a

men-if they could be seen by the r

n his eye ov

uggest to see 'em

I know of that has much

genial but deferential i

ession. In politics, as in charity, it is a good rule not to let one's right hand know what the left hand doe

rked. "It must have stood you in a little money, eh? Yes, I'll

ident sit up and take notice. In the space of four short weeks a miracle had begun to show itself. First, there was the Kingston meeting, with the candidate, his t

y longer) by a jostling' and cheering crowd. The band halts before the G.A.R. Hall; the candidate alights, with a bow of acknowledgment, and goes to the p

gston's prominent citizens. One account, which the ill-natured declared to be in Mr. Tooting's style, and which appeared (in slightly larger type than that of the other colu

latform? Because he couldn't. "Safe" candidates couldn't talk. His subservient and fawning reports on accidents while chairman of the Railroad Commission were ruthlessly quoted (amid cheers

nd introduced the Honourable Humphrey Crewe to the audience; not, to be sure, as the saviour of the State; and from that day onward Mr. Crewe did not lack for a sponsor. On the other han

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