sunshine sketches of a little town-第17部分

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divided　up　into　tables；　with　a　captain　for　each　table　to　see　about
things　to　drink；　and　of　course　all　the　tables　were　in　competition
with　one　another。　In　fact　the　competition　was　the　very　life　of　the
whole　thing。

It's　just　wonderful　how　these　things　run　when　they're　organized。　Take
the　first　luncheon；　for　example。　There　they　all　were；　every　man　in
his　place；　every　captain　at　his　post　at　the　top　of　the　table。　It　was
hard；　perhaps；　for　some　of　them　to　get　there。　They　had　very　likely　to
be　in　their　stores　and　banks　and　offices　till　the　last　minute　and
then　make　a　dash　for　it。　It　was　the　cleanest　piece　of　team　work　you
ever　saw。

You　have　noticed　already；　I　am　sure；　that　a　good　many　of　the　captains
and　committee　men　didn't　belong　to　the　Church　of　England　Church。
Glover；　for　instance；　was　a　Presbyterian；　till　they　ran　the　picket
fence　of　the　manse　two　feet　on　to　his　property；　and　after　that　he
became　a　free…thinker。　But　in　Mariposa；　as　I　have　said；　everybody
likes　to　be　in　everything　and　naturally　a　Whirlwind　Campaign　was　a
novelty。　Anyway　it　would　have　been　a　poor　business　to　keep　a　man　out
of　the　lunches　merely　on　account　of　his　religion。　I　trust　that　the
day　for　that　kind　of　religious　bigotry　is　past。

Of　course　the　excitement　was　when　Henry　Mullins　at　the　head　of　the
table　began　reading　out　the　telegrams　and　letters　and　messages。　First
of　all　there　was　a　telegram　of　good　wishes　from　the　Anglican　Lord
Bishop　of　the　Diocese　to　Henry　Mullins　and　calling　him　Dear　Brother
in　Grace　the　Mariposa　telegraph　office　is　a　little　unreliable　and　it
read：　〃Dear　Brother　in　grease；〃　but　that　was　good　enough。　The　Bishop
said　that　his　most　earnest　wishes　were　with　them。

Then　Mullins　read　a　letter　from　the　Mayor　of　Mariposa　Pete　Glover　was
mayor　that　yearstating　that　his　keenest　desires　were　with　them：　and
then　one　from　the　Carriage　Company　saying　that　its　heartiest　good
will　was　all　theirs；　and　then　one　from　the　Meat　Works　saying　that　its
nearest　thoughts　were　next　to　them。　Then　he　read　one　from　himself；　as
head　of　the　Exchange　Bank；　you　understand；　informing　him　that　he　had
heard　of　his　project　and　assuring　him　of　his　liveliest　interest　in
what　he　proposed。

At　each　of　these　telegrams　and　messages　there　was　round　after　round
of　applause；　so　that　you　could　hardly　hear　yourself　speak　or　give　an
order。　But　that　was　nothing　to　when　Mullins　got　up　again；　and　beat　on
the　table　for　silence　and　made　one　of　those　crackling　speechesjust
the　way　business　men　speakthe　kind　of　speech　that　a　college　man
simply　can't　make。　I　wish　I　could　repeat　it　all。　I　remember　that　it
began：　〃Now　boys；　you　know　what　we're　here　for；　gentlemen；〃　and　it
went　on　just　as　good　as　that　all　through。　When　Mullins　had　done　he
took　out　a　fountain　pen　and　wrote　out　a　cheque　for　a　hundred　dollars；
conditional　on　the　fund　reaching　fifty　thousand。　And　there　was　a
burst　of　cheers　all　over　the　room。

Just　the　moment　he　had　done　it；　up　sprang　George　Duff；you　know　the
keen　competition　there　is；　as　a　straight　matter　of　business；　between
the　banks　in　Mariposa；up　sprang　George　Duff；　I　say；　and　wrote　out　a
cheque　for　another　hundred　conditional　on　the　fund　reaching　seventy
thousand。　You　never　heard　such　cheering　in　your　life。

And　then　when　Netley　walked　up　to　the　head　of　the　table　and　laid　down
a　cheque　for　a　hundred　dollars　conditional　on　the　fund　reaching　one
hundred　thousand　the　room　was　in　an　uproar。　A　hundred　thousand
dollars！　Just　think　of　it！　The　figures　fairly　stagger　one。　To　think
of　a　hundred　thousand　dollars　raised　in　five　minutes　in　a　little
place　like　Mariposa！

And　even　that　was　nothing！　In　less　than　no　time　there　was　such　a
crowd　round　Mullins　trying　to　borrow　his　pen　all　at　once　that　his
waistcoat　was　all　stained　with　ink。　Finally　when　they　got　order　at
last；　and　Mullins　stood　up　and　announced　that　the　conditional　fund
had　reached　a　quarter　of　a　million；　the　whole　place　was　a　perfect
babel　of　cheering。　Oh；　these　Whirlwind　Campaigns　are　wonderful
things！

I　can　tell　you　the　Committee　felt　pretty　proud　that　first　day。　There
was　Henry　Mullins　looking　a　little　bit　flushed　and　excited；　with　his
white　waistcoat　and　an　American　Beauty　rose；　and　with　ink　marks　all
over　him　from　the　cheque　signing；　and　he　kept　telling　them　that　he'd
known　all　along　that　all　that　was　needed　was　to　get　the　thing　started
and　telling　again　about　what　he'd　seen　at　the　University　Campaign　and
about　the　professors　crying；　and　wondering　if　the　high　school
teachers　would　come　down　for　the　last　day　of　the　meetings。

Looking　back　on　the　Mariposa　Whirlwind；　I　can　never　feel　that　it　was
a　failure。　After　all；　there　is　a　sympathy　and　a　brotherhood　in　these
things　when　men　work　shoulder　to　shoulder。　If　you　had　seen　the
canvassers　of　the　Committee　going　round　the　town　that　evening
shoulder　to　shoulder　from　the　Mariposa　House　to　the　Continental　and
up　to　Mullins's　rooms　and　over　to　Duffs；　shoulder　to　shoulder；　you'd
have　understood　it。

I　don't　say　that　every　lunch　was　quite　such　a　success　as　the　first。
It's　not　always　easy　to　get　out　of　the　store　if　you're　a　busy　man；
and　a　good　many　of　the　Whirlwind　Committee　found　that　they　had　just
time　to　hurry　down　and　snatch　their　lunch　and　get　back　again。　Still；
they　came；　and　snatched　it。　As　long　as　the　lunches　lasted；　they　came。
Even　if　they　had　simply　to　rush　it　and　grab　something　to　eat　and
drink　without　time　to　talk　to　anybody；　they　came。

No；　no；　it　was　not　lack　of　enthusiasm　that　killed　the　Whirlwind
Campaign　in　Mariposa。　It　must　have　been　something　else。　I　don't　just
know　what　it　was　but　I　think　it　had　something　to　do　with　the
financial；　the　book…keeping　side　of　the　thing。

It　may　have　been；　too；　that　the　organization　was　not　quite　correctly
planned。　You　see；　if　practically　everybody　is　on　the　committees；　it
is　awfully　hard　to　try　to　find　men　to　canvass；　and　it　is　not
allowable　for　the　captains　and　the　committee　men　to　canvass　one
another；　because　their　gifts　are　spontaneous。　So　the　only　thing　that
the　different　groups　could　do　was　to　wait　round　in　some　likely
placesay　the　bar　parlour　of　Smith's　Hotelin　the　hope　that
somebody　might　come　in　who　could　be　canvassed。

You　might　ask　why　they　didn't　canvass　Mr。　Smith　himself；　but　of
course　they　had　done　that　at　the　very　start；　as　I　should　have　said。
Mr。　Smith　had　given　them　two　hundred　dollars　in　cash　conditional　on
the　lunches　being　held　in　the　caff　of　his　hotel；　and　it's　awfully
hard　to　get　a　proper　lunch　I　mean　the　kind　to　which　a　Bishop　can
express　regret　at　not　being　thereunder　a　dollar　twenty…five。　So
Mr。　Smith　got　back　his　own　money；　and　the　crowd　began　eating　into　the
benefactions；　and　it　got　more　and　more　complicated　whether　to　hold
another　lunch　in　the　hope　of　breaking　even；　or　to　stop　the　campaign。

It　was　disappointing；　yes。　In　spite　of　all　the　success　and　the
sympathy；　it　was　disappointing。　I　don't　say　it　didn't　do　good。　No
doubt　a　lot　of　the　men　got　to　know　one　another　better　than　ever　they
had　before。　I　have　myself　heard　Judge　Pepperleigh　say　that　after　the
campaign　he　knew　all　of　Pete　Glover　that　he　wanted　to。　There　was　a
lot　of　that　kind　of　complete　satiety。　The　real　trouble　about　the
Whirlwind　Campaign　was　that　they　never　clearly　understood　which　of
them　were　the　whirlwind　and　who　were　to　be　the　campaign。

Some　of　them；　I　believe；　took　it　pretty　much　to　heart。　I　know　that
Henry　Mullins　did。　You　could　see　it。　The　first　day　he　came　down　to
the　lunch；　all　dressed　up　with　the　American　Beauty　and　the　white
waistcoat。　The　second　day　he　only　wore　a　pink　carnation　and　a　grey
waistcoat。　The　third　day　he　had　on　a　dead　daffodil　and　a　cardigan
undervest；　and　on　the　last　day；　when　the　high　school　teachers　should
have　been　there；　he　only　wore　his　office　suit　and　he　hadn't　even
shaved。　He　looked　beaten。

It　was　that　night　that　he　went　up　to　the　rectory　to　tell　the　news　to
Dean　Drone。　It　had　been　arranged；　you　know；　that　the　rector　should
not　attend　the　lunches；　so　as　to　let　the　whole　thing　come　as　a
surprise；　so　that　all　he　knew　about　it　was　just　scraps　of　information
about　the　crowds　at　the　lunch　and　how　they　cheered　and　all　that。
Once；　I　believe；　he　caught　sight　of　the　Newspacket　with　a　two…inch
headline：　A　QUARTER　OF　A　MILLION；　but　he　wouldn't　let　himself　read
further　because　it　would　have　spoilt　the　surprise。

I　saw　Mullins；　as　I　say；　go　up　the　street　on　his　way　to　Dean　Drone's。
It　was　middle　April　and　there　was　ragged　snow　on　the　streets；　and　the
nights　were　dark　still；　and　cold。　I　saw　Mullins　grit　his　teeth　as　he
walked；　and　I　know　that　he　held　in　his　coat　pocket　his　own　cheque　for
the　hundred；　with　the　condition　taken　off　it；　and　he　said　that　there
were　so　many　skunks　in　Mariposa　that　a　man　might　as　well　be　in　the
Head　Office　in　the　city。

The　Dean　came　out　to　the　little　gate　in　the　dark；you　could　see　the
lamplight　behind　him　from　the　open　door　of　the　rectory；and　he　shook
hands　with　Mullins　and　they　went　in　together。



SIX

The　Beacon　on　the　Hill

Mullins　said　afterward　that　it　was　ever　so　much　easier　than　he
thought　it　would　have　been。　The　Dean；　he　said；　was　so　quiet。　Of
course　if　Mr。　Drone　had　started　to　swear　at　Mullins；　or　tried　to
strike　him；　it　would　have　been　much　harder。　But　as　it　was　he　was　so
quiet　that　part　of　the　time　he　hardly　seemed　to　follow　what　Mullins
was　saying。　So　Mullins　was　glad　of　that；　because　it　proved　that　the
Dean　wasn't　feeling　disappointed　as；　in　a　way；　he　might　have。

Indeed；　the　only　time　when　the　rector　seemed　animated　and　excited　in
the　whole　interview　was　when　Mullins　said　that　the　campaign　had　been
ruined　by　a　lot　of　confounded　mugwumps。　Straight　away　the　Dean　asked
if　those　mugwumps　had　really　prejudiced　the　outcome　of　the　campaign。
Mullins　said　there　was　no　doubt　of　it；　and　the　Dean　enquired　if　the
presence　of　mugwumps　was　fatal　in　matters　of　endeavour；　and　Mullins
said　that　it　was。　Then　the　rector　asked　if　even　one　mugwump　was；　in
the　Christian　sense；　deleterious。　Mullins　said　that　one　mugwump
would　kill　anything。　After　that　the　Dean　hardly　spoke　at　all。

In　fact；　the　rector　presently　said　that　he　mustn't　detain　Mullins　too
long　and　that　he　had　detained　him　too　long　already　and　that　Mullins
must　be　weary　from　hi