The chairman looked reproachful when the meeting joyously applauded this announcement.
"Ahem!" he said. "Are there any remarks?"
A tall, thin man rose from the benches and cleared his throat. Instantly every eye was upon him. Someone beside Jarrod laughed, and the lawyer turned around to find George B. Still seated there.
"La—dies and gen—tle—men!" began the orator. "We are gathered together this evening to—ah—to meet one another. The—er—reason we are so—ah—so gathered together in one meeting is to—er—consider why we should be—er—should be brought in contact one with another for the public welfare of Tamawaca this gathering!"
As he paused impressively Geo. B. murmured: "Gather up the sands from the s—e—a sho—o—r—e!"
"I take it," continued the speaker, raising his voice aggressively, "that we are met here with a purpose; I may say—er—an object in here gathering together. It is my earnest wish, ladies and gentlemen, that this—er—purpose may be fulfilled!"
He sat down amid a round of applause, mainly bestowed because he sat down. But he held himself erect and didn't lean against the back of the bench for a good five minutes.
"I call for the reports of the committees," announced the chairman.
A man arose and said:
"The committee on water begs to report that it has had the water analyzed by a competent chemist and found the said water perfectly pure."