"Jeff," she exclaimed, "that is a perfectly splendid idea! You must do
it, for offering them fun will be no bribery like whisky and money--it
will do them _good_." Sometimes it is just as well that a woman be not
too well versed in the science logical.
"Yes'm, and I believe it will work--ef we jest had a barbecue to put down
in the other corner opposite the dancing I know it would draw 'em, but
ice-cream will be about all we can git fer the subscription money, and
cold as it is ice-cream won't be no drawing card."
And there was no doubt that Jeff unfolded his plan to Caroline Darrah
from pure love of sympathy and excitement and for no ulterior purpose,
although it served to further his schemes as well as if he had been of a
most wily turn of mind.
"Jeff," exclaimed Caroline Darrah excitedly, "how much would it take to
have a barbecue and ice-cream and everything good to go with it and a big
band of music and fireworks and--"
"Golly, Miss Ca'line, they will be most five hundred of 'em and the
'scription ain't but a little over fifty dollars. I'm counting on the
dancing and the gitting-there ter draw 'em."
"We can't risk it," said Caroline. "I will give you two hundred and fifty
dollars and you can let it be known that no such celebration ever was as
the one his colored friends are going to give in honor of the election of
Judge David Kildare--his united colored friends, Jeff, high and low."
"Miss Ca'line, I'm a-skeered to take it! Mister David, he's jest
naterly--"
"Mr. David need never know about it. It is a subscription and you have
collected it--advertise that fact. I'm one of his friends and I can
subscribe even if I am white. You must take it, and get to work about it.
Only four more days, remember, and we all must work for Mr. David; and
too, Jeff, for those poor ignorant people who would commit the crime of
letting themselves sell their votes." There was real concern for the
endangered souls of the coons in Caroline's voice, and Jeff was duly
impressed.
They both fell to work on the packing of the basket as Temple's voice was
heard in the distance, for they knew she would express herself in no
uncertain terms if she found the amount of work done unsatisfactory.
But when he departed, Jeff carried in his pocket a slip of paper about
which it nearly scared him to death to think, and one of the money-bags
of the late Peters Brown was eased by the extraction of a quarter
thousand. Caroline was happy from a clear conscience and a virtuous
feeling of having saved a crisis for a dependent and ignorant people.
Which goes to show that a woman can put her finger into a political pie
and draw it out without even a stain, while to touch that same confection
ever so lightly would dye a man's hand blood red.