“Does the gentleman refer to me?”
His hand was at his hip on the butt of his revolver 8 and matters looked squally, but the tactful Budge quelled the rising storm with Chesterfieldian grace. Waving his hand and bowing, he said:
“I did not intend the remotest reference to you.”
Vose Adams came up promptly.
“Then it’s me and I’m ready to make any man eat his words.”
“My good friend is mistaken; nothing could induce me to apply such a term to him; I hold him in too high esteem.”
Since this left Ike Hoe as the only remaining member, he began to show signs of explosion, perceiving which the incomprehensible Budge proceeded to mollify him.
“And Ike knows that I would be the last person in the world to slur a gentleman from whom I as well as the others have received so much instruction.”
Ike was mystified. He looked at the other members of the committee and then into the faces of the group. He couldn’t make it out.
“If it’s all the same, Mr. Chairman, since the gentleman has said there was too many fools on the committee, and has just explained that he didn’t mean any one of us three, I’ll be obliged if he’ll explain who in thunder he did mean.”