The little group of workers looked at one another with inquiring eyes,
and Patsy could hardly refrain from crying.
The butler announced dinner, but only Louise and Mr. Watson could eat
anything. The others were too intent on learning their fate and could
not leave the telephone.
It seemed queer that the precincts furthest away should be first to
respond, but so it was. Jefferson County returns began to come in
rapidly, and were received in dismal silence. Hopkins gained four here,
seven there, and twenty-two in another precinct.
"It looks," said Kenneth, quietly, "like a landslide for Hopkins, and I
wonder how our Committee was so badly informed."
"You see," said Uncle John, "voters won't usually tell the truth about
how they've decided to vote. Lots of them tell both sides they're going
to vote their way. And people change their minds at the last minute,
too. You can't do much more than average the thing by means of a
canvass."
By nine o'clock, complete returns from the part of Jefferson County
included in the Eighth District showed a net gain of one hundred and
eight for Hopkins--a lead that it seemed impossible to overcome.
Washington County was not so bad. Incomplete returns indicated a slight
gain for Hopkins, but not more than a dozen votes altogether.
Pages:
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213