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Tarkington, Booth, 1869-1946

"The Gentleman from Indiana"

It was to such a man she could promise the 'Herald's' support, as
for a time the paper was being operated almost independently, it might be
said, of Mr. Harkless. Well, I expect it came to all of us at the same
time, but it was Mr. Bence here that said it first."
Mr. Bence was the gentleman who had walked about saying "A glorious
conception," and he now thrust one hand into his breast and extended the
other in a wide gesture, and looked as impressive as a very young man with
white eyebrows can look.
"The name of Harkless," he said abruptly, "the name of Harkless will sweep
the convention like the fire of a Western prairie; the name of Harkless
will thunder over their astonished heads and strike a peal of joy bells in
every home in the district; it will re-echo in the corridors of posterity
and teem with prosperity like a mighty river. The name of Harkless will
reverberate in that convention hall, and they shall sit ashamed."
"Harkless!" exclaimed the judge. "Why didn't some one think of that long
ago?"
"Then you approve?" asked Keating.
"Yes, I think I do!"
The Amo man shook hands with him. "We'll swim out," he exclaimed. "It will
be the same everywhere. A lot of the old crowd themselves will be swept
along with us when we make our nomination. People feel that that Cross-
Roads business ought never to have been allowed to happen, and they'd like
to make it up to him some way.


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