Alvord fell back in utter dismay. Then he read in full the manifesto
which Amidon and Elizabeth had prepared; and, folding up the paper, he
stuck it in a drawer, which he locked, as if thereby to seal up the
direful news. For a moment he felt betrayed and utterly defeated.
Then he straightened himself for a resumption of the battle.
"See here, Edge," he said insinuatingly, "this is pretty bad, I admit.
I think, myself, that Brass is off his head. He 'phoned me once about
this, but he's such a josher, and it was such wild-eyed lunacy that I
thought he was kidding. You'd have thought so, too, in my place. But
we can pull through yet. We can convince the sports that this
high-moral business is only for the church people, and the civic purity
push. Why, Brassfield himself couldn't make Fatty Pierson believe he
stands for this stuff. It's so out of reason,--the safe and sane life
he's lived. And I'll undertake to keep the God-and-morality folks
lined up, because these are really the things they say they want. This
ain't going to be so very bad, after all, Edge!"
"Bad!" ejaculated Edgington. "Why, Alvord, you're so wrapped up in
Brassfield that you're ready to go crazy with him!"
"Well, I want to say right here," shouted Alvord, "that if you think
I'm going to quit on a man I've eaten with and slept with and sworn to
stay by--By gad, I won't!"
"Well, stay by him, then!" cried Edgington. "Go on and butt your
brains out on this stone wall of ism, and see where you come out.
You're already beaten. The other side knew about this last night, and
you'll be blown out of water before to-morrow morning. Doctor Bulkon
and his crowd are already lined up against you: the doctor will take
the position that Brassfield's proposal to segregate vice is a
compromise with sin, and that that's the paramount issue. Why,
Pumphrey and Johnson and the Williams set are all among his best-paying
parishioners, and they've put the screws to Bulkon--who doesn't see the
point, anyhow. I tell you that there are too many pillars of the
church with downtown property to rent, for you to keep either them or
their pastors in line. They'll find moral issues to fight the ten
commandments on, if they have to. You ought to know this, Jim."
"Well," said Alvord, "let the Pharisees oppose us! I'll appeal to the
liberal element. I'll convince 'em that Brassfield don't mean this
stuff. They like him, and they'll stick!"
"Stick!" sneered Edgington. "Like him! You make me tired, Jim! How
long will they 'stick' against the influence of their landlords and
bankers? Why, they've all read this platform, and the story has gone
down the line that Brassfield is so infatuated with Miss Waldron that
he's allowing her to write his platform, and that she'll be the mayor.
Don't you think that that won't cut the ground from under you, either!
A saloon man or gambler fears a good woman's influence as a wolf fears
fire. Why, Jim, when this 'advanced thought' platform of yours comes
to be voted on, there won't be any one for it except thick-and-thin
party men who 'never scratch.' Now I'm not going down with any such
sinking scow. I shall make terms for my financial interests with the
other side."
"Go, then!" shouted Alvord, "and find you've hopped out of the frying
pan into the fire! By George, I tell you we've got the money to buy
this election!"
"Oh!" said Edgington, "_have_ you! And how about your publishing an
itemized account of campaign expenses?"
Alvord, his last card played, fell back beaten, every vestige of
optimistic pugnacity gone from his face. Edgington laid his hand on
the other's shoulder, in sympathy.
"I tell you, Jim," said he, as he departed, "this is no place nor time
to run a reform campaign. Brassfield isn't the candidate for it, and
you're not the manager. You're simply fish trying to fly. Come with
me and we'll get into our natural element."
"Not by a good deal," said Alvord stubbornly. "I don't know anything
in this but Brassfield, and to him I'll stick!"
"As you please," said Edgington. "But keep the lid on the Scarlett
business!"
Alvord made no reply. But when Edgington was gone he took up his work
with a groan of real distress.