THE AGE OF ENCHANTMENT.
They say some men are born great, some achieve greatness, while others
have greatness thrust upon them.
I must have been of the class last named.
You could have almost knocked me down with a feather when the
tremendous truth burst upon my intellect.
Various significant hints which had been dropped of late by this
wonderful companion of mine now seemed to take form and substance, and
all pointed toward this one grand climax.
I had been densely obtuse not to guess it, but my mind was occupied by
so many other things, principally concerning Hildegarde, that, after
all, there was some excuse.
And, without knowing it, I had of late been an understudy of the great
Gen. Toreado--been in training, as it were, for the exalted office to
which he aspired.
Well, it was more than a joke.
My first inclination was to decline; to put my foot down firmly and
decline that not on my life would I accept the position, even though it
were offered on a golden salver.
Then I hesitated.
I believe that it is commonly accepted as a truth that the man who
deliberates is lost.
I seemed to grasp the whole business in one comprehensive sweep; there
was Robbins, eager and expectant, who would be grievously shocked if I
declined; then there were the dear “boys,” howling away so merrily, and
with such sweet assurance outside, it would surely give them pain if a
candidate for the exalted station of president were to decline after
their first choice had been shot down.
Besides, how about that debt I owed them? Could I grieve the honest
fellows after they had so nobly received me as a citizen, and had risen
one whole hour in advance of the programme, just to oblige us, who were
in sore straits?
Perish the thought!
I would temporarily make a martyr of myself, and remain as long as
Hildegarde were satisfied. It would be something to lord it in the city
where I had met with such a strange mingling of good and bad luck.
Besides, there was a temptation to a man of my Yankee blood to see how
these people would take to reform government, and the advantages of the
day.
Why, perhaps in a year’s time a score of wonderful things might mark
the footsteps of progress--telephones, electric cars, modern guns for
defending the forts, and an army that meant business, and would command
the respect of all neighboring republics.
It loomed up before me.
Such is the magic of ambition; the calling of my name outside beckoned
me to fields of glory, and--I yielded.
Perhaps the excitement through which I had passed had something to do
with it, for the smell of burnt powder was still in the air, and my
nerves quivered with their recent flush; but deep down in my heart, I
am free to confess that this sudden ambition was born in quite another
desire--Hildegarde would see how grievously she had wronged me in the
past when she contemptuously declared that I must be lacking in those
attributes that go to fashion a man into heroic mold.
True, I had already proven the falsity of that belief, and her
repentance had been sincere; but man is weak, and the temptation to
shine, even temporarily, in this fierce light of a public idol, was
irresistible.
A president in an hour--few men could boast such sudden elevation to
power.
Unconsciously, I drew my figure erect, and assumed a consequential air.
Upon which Robbins laughed outright, knowing, the sly dog, that the
golden bait had been swallowed, and that I was hooked fast--but he
never guessed the true reason of my acceptance.
“Hurrah! It’s arranged, then--you’ll give them a run for their money!”
he said, shaking my presidential hand with great enthusiasm; and I
really believe he enjoyed my sudden rise to popularity better than if
it had been himself whom the good people had selected.
“On one condition,” I replied, soberly.
“What’s that?”
“Your promise to remain, and be my right-hand man--secretary of war.”
Whereupon, Robbins whistled.
“Just as you say, Mr. President. If you can stand it, I don’t see why
I shouldn’t. And won’t we have fun reforming abuses and bringing about
wonderful changes in this country?”
You see Robbins must have been possessed of the same philanthropical
spirit that moved me--the mule-drawn street car, the dingy lamps on the
corners, the slow delivery of messages, and the chaotic condition of
the “army,” had all appealed irresistibly to his progressive nature;
what he yearned to see, believing destiny had wrought this miracle in
my behalf, was a city lighted by electricity, palatial cars driven by
the same power, telephone wires reaching in every direction, messenger
boys darting over asphalt streets on wheels, and a model little army,
well dressed, armed with the latest weapons, and capable of crushing
any incipient rebellion.
“Then we’ll call it settled, Mr. Secretary; only I reserve the right
and privilege of resigning at any time I wish. I have a wife, you know,
and she may desire to return to New York, when the novelty of seeing me
president has worn off, and I would not let her go alone.”
“That’s right. Now, let’s show ourselves to the boys--they’ll expect a
speech, I reckon.”
“They’ll get all they want,” I declared.
So Robbins led me outside.
It was a proud moment.
The _plaza_ had almost filled up with citizens, and every man and
woman wore green, which would be the fashionable color now that the
revolution had been an accomplished fact.
They fairly howled at sight of me, though I am of the opinion many of
the same worthy fellows had howled at me quite recently.
Perhaps the majority of them were as yet somewhat in the dark as to
what the whole thing signified; but they were always ready to join in
the general shouting.
I felt my position, and became imbued with a sense of my
responsibilities.
Raising my hand, I begged an opportunity to speak a few words, and at
the _silenzio_ that passed around, the shouts gradually ceased until
not a sound was heard.
Five hundred pairs of eager eyes were fastened upon my face.
Then I addressed them.
What I said has passed beyond my memory, but Robbins declares it was
the best thing he ever heard--a “corker,” he called it, in his original
and emphatic way.
I believe I thanked them for the great honor, expressed my deep regrets
at the untimely death of so valorous a warrior as Gen. Toreado, and
then launched into a prophecy of what the nation would be within two
years, when her full greatness came upon her.
Enthusiasm was in the air--they shrieked and shouted at my predictions
concerning their standing at the head of all Central American
republics, and I believed I had them with me heart and soul.
Alas! I had something to learn concerning the fickleness of these
changeable people.
In the front rank was the stout alcalde, who wore the biggest kind of
a green feather in his hat, and shouted more vociferously and more
frequently than any two of his neighbors.
He always amused me, and I contemplated having much fun at his expense
during my tenure of office.
There were _padres_ in the crowd--I could see their peculiar
shovel-shaped hats here and there, but they did not join in the racket,
and I noted that their faces wore frowns.
Here, then, was a cause for trouble; they evidently feared I might
attempt to bring the Yankee idea of freedom of religious worship to
be a part of the national constitution, knocking out the established
church.
Sooner or later I might expect trouble from these worthies.
When my impassioned harangue was finished--and how I wished Hildegarde
could have been present to have heard me make that address and see how
they cheered me to the echo--I stood there for an hour, shaking hands
in the good American way, with all comers.
They laughed and joked and seemed to take it as a species of novel
entertainment; but secretly, I promised ere long to spring upon Bolivar
and its citizens some surprises that would startle them out of their
Rip Van Winkle sleep.
My arm grew sore and weary.
I was beginning to learn what it means to be a popular president; but,
of course, I would grow accustomed to all these things in time.
Robbins did likewise.
He seemed to enjoy it hugely, for he did not allow anything like worry
or anxiety to disturb the pleasure of the auspicious occasion.
At length, when I believe I had shaken hands two or three times with
every man, woman and child inside the precincts of Bolivar, the
function was declared closed.
Robbins, as master of ceremonies, called for three cheers, and they
almost shook the citadel with the volume of sound; really, it looked
as though the new Gringo president had jumped into the affections of
the people at a single bound, if one could judge from the enthusiasm
they manifested.
Sounds are easily made--brawling brooks are ever shallow--still water
runs deep.
I know that now, if I forgot it then.
“Come, I’m tired,” I said to the secretary of war.
He gave me his arm, like a true diplomat; I waved my hand to my people,
and received another series of cheers, and yells, and--well, what in
an American city would be termed “cat calls,” but which I suppose in
Bolivar represented the best effort at applause of a community yearning
to be elevated.
We walked away in a dignified manner.
Already I seemed to feel the carking cares of public office upon me.
Yes, I even fancied I saw a skulking figure of a _padre_ dodge around
a corner, and the remembrance of the summary way presidents are
frequently changed in these hot revolutionary countries gave me a
shiver.
“Well, how d’ye like it as far as you’ve gone, Mr. President?” chuckled
Robbins.
I told him I was not prepared to answer that question, as I had had no
opportunity to analyze my feelings on the subject; perhaps inside of
twenty-four hours I could tell better.
“They gave you a good send-off, Morgan.”
“Well, yes; but we presidents early learn to measure public applause
lightly. Those same boys, as you call them, chased us two nights ago,
eager for our blood, and may be doing the same thing at some future
time,” I remarked, loftily.
Robbins laughed gleefully.
“Glad to see you haven’t had the wool pulled over your eyes by all
that racket, governor. We must be eternally on the alert down here, and
meet danger on the wing. You can depend on me to keep in touch with
things, and if the kettle boils over soon or late I’ll have the path
ready for skipping out.”
His words lifted a load from my heart, for I was worrying about
Hildegarde, should any trouble result from this yielding on my part to
the impulse of high ambition.
With such a steady and true comrade at my side, who could blame me for
accepting the office that had been thrust upon me, fraught with peril
though it be?
Now we passed the cathedral; people were still going and coming, and I
could hear the chant of praise from within, as though the victory had
reached even this holy place and been favorably received.
It calmed my excited spirits, for, somehow, the sweet music seemed
like a benison--I felt that I had been instrumental in working good to
this people, and all sorts of ridiculously Quixotic resolutions passed
through my brain.
The little house at last.
In answer to our knock the door opened, and I saw Hildegarde, eager and
trembling, awaiting me.
“Madam,” said Robbins, seriously, “it is my duty, as well as pleasure,
to inform you that your husband has just been declared president of
this glorious republic.”