The Boodlers Score
A week later, there was a meeting of the city council, at the mayor's
office, called by the chairman of the board of aldermen, to "discuss the
unusual state of affairs and find a way out," as Mr. Otis H. Mann put
it. Every member was present, and Mr. Mann counted his supporters
carefully as he opened the meeting for business. The mayor's friends
were strong and outspoken, he decided, but they were not in the
majority. He began by making a rather neat speech, deploring the state
of things in Roma, and trusting that the citizens' committee, which had
been organized the week before for the purpose of discovering the
absent officials, would be successful.
"A terrible condition of municipal affairs exists," he went on smoothly,
"when its chief magistrate can be abducted and kept hidden, without--or
with?--her own volition for a whole week. Only in the extravaganzas of
modern romance could we look for similar happenings. Just what is our
duty in the premises, gentlemen, is a serious question. The citizens'
committee has taken the work of restoring our mayor to her place out of
our hands; but I think we should assure them of our co-operation and
offer to place every means of assistance at their disposal. Will some
one make a motion to that effect?"
The motion was quickly made and seconded, but before it was put Mr.
Turner was on his feet.
"I wish to be put on record," he began, "as of the opinion that it is
nothing to our credit that the citizens had to call a mass-meeting and
form their own committee. We should have led in this work, and if we
could not do that, every one of us should have been on the committee.
May I inquire why but five of the councilmen are identified with the
movement to find Miss Van Deusen and her secretary--to discover the
perpetrators of this outrage and bring them to punishment?"
"The member is unduly excited," replied the chairman, in his most
unctuous tones. "It is not easy to know what to do in the position which
has suddenly been forced upon me--a condition without precedent, so far
as I know, in the whole country. If I have failed in my duty, I ask your
pardon; but with so many local issues--so many details at loose ends in
the mayor's office--I beg your pardon, gentlemen, for mentioning this."
"Question, question," called a voice with a strong accent from the back
row. "Question--I call for the question," echoed another.
The chairman hastened to put the motion and the expression of sympathy
and co-operation with the citizens' committee was unanimous.
"The motion seems to prevail--the motion prevails. The secretary is
instructed to communicate this vote at once," added the chairman.
"And now I must add, by the force of stringent necessity which I find in
my endeavor to carry on the work of our mayor," said the chairman, "that
it became necessary for us to transact a little business here tonight.
Exigencies are arising which make it important to have some action taken
on the sub-letting of contracts. Will some member move that the present
incumbent be given discretionary power to act in these matters?"
"No, no," shouted Turner, and was echoed by two or three others. But
Blatchley rose and moved that the chairman of the board of aldermen be
allowed to go ahead with all the city's business during the indefinite
absence of the mayor, using his discretion therein.
The motion was seconded by several others and when Mr. Mason arose,
there was a chorus of "Question, question," from the opposite faction.
He would not give way, however, and stood his ground for some moments,
arguing for fair play, and finally offering a substitute motion, asking
that no contracts be given out and only routine business be transacted
while the present crisis was on; but he might as well have talked to the
vagrant wind. Not over half a dozen men present were in entire sympathy
with him, and they were helpless. It soon became evident that the
others had been primed for this meeting--as indeed was the case, every
doubtful one having been called to a private confab with the acting
mayor, and promised something for good behavior.
"Isn't there an ordinance that prevents our taking any action whatever,
until the mayor has been absent a fortnight?" finally asked Mason.
"That ordinance was changed two years ago," replied the chairman. "The
time is now limited to one week."
"And you have waited just that," replied Mr. Mason, sitting down. He saw
it was impossible to struggle any longer.
So the acting mayor was given full power to do what he pleased while the
mayor was still secluded. Fortunately, it was voted to keep this
decision from the newspapers; for feeling was growing daily more bitter
against the city council, and the people were already asking how much
the aldermen knew about the abduction of their woman-mayor, and why they
were not more active in the search for her.