He turned abruptly and left her, the sense of tragic failure crushing his heart.
CHAPTER XIX
WOMAN’S political power was hurled solidly against an increase of armaments, and Vassar’s Bill for National Defense was defeated.
Waldron’s triumph was complete. His lawyers drew the compromise measure which Congress was permitted to pass a few weeks later. It made provision for a modest increase of the Army, Navy and the National Guard.
The banker’s newspapers led the chorus of approval of this absurd program and the nation was congratulated on its happy deliverance from the threatened curse of militarism.
Waldron chartered two trains and took the entire delegation of five hundred women members of the Convention as his guests. He entertained them for a week at the best hotels and closed the celebration with a banquet at his palatial home in honor of Virginia Holland.
At the close of the dinner when the last speaker had finished a brilliant panegyric of praise for the modern Joan of Arc, the master of the feast whispered in her ear:
“Will you remain a few minutes when the others have gone? I’ve something to tell you.”
She nodded her consent and Waldron hurried their departure.
She wondered vaguely what new scheme his fertile brain had hatched, and followed him into the dimly lighted conservatory without a suspicion of the sensation he was about to spring. In his manner there was not the slightest trace of excitement. He found a seat overlooking an entrancing view of the cold, moonlit river below, and began the conversation in the most matter of fact way.