Barbara started at his tone of anger and whispered:
"How could you be so rude—what is wrong?"
"We are about to retire from office."
"What!" Barbara gasped as the little woman began to speak.
"Listen—you will understand," he said, with a sudden curve of his lip.
"Comrades," the deep, calm voice began, "I place in nomination for the office of regents for the four ensuing years the names of a man and woman whom every member of the old colony entitled to vote to-night has learned to love and honour—a man and woman whose ripe experience, whose sound judgment, whose sense of right, whose powers of reasoning, whose executive genius will give to us all the guarantee of perfect justice and perfect order——"
"You bet they will, old girl," Tom cried with enthusiasm, waving his hand admiringly toward Norman and Barbara.
The speaker paused, regarded Tom a moment with quiet scorn, and continued:
"I have the honour to name for the highest honour in the gift of the Brotherhood for the regency of the new State of Ventura Comrades Herman and Catherine Wolf."
"What's that you say?" old Tom yelled with anger, leaping to his feet, and glaring around the room in a dazed surprise.