"About ten o'clock Gertrude went to the 'phone and happened to catch
someone from over-harbour talking to Carter Flagg. Gertrude shamelessly
listened in and got for her comforting what eavesdroppers are
proverbially supposed to get--to wit, unpleasant hearing; the Union
Government had 'done nothing' in the West.
"We looked at each other in dismay. If the Government had failed to
carry the West, it was defeated.
"'Canada is disgraced in the eyes of the world,' said Gertrude bitterly.
"'If everybody was like the Mark Crawfords over-harbour this would not
have happened,' groaned Susan. 'they locked their Uncle up in the barn
this morning and would not let him out until he promised to vote Union.
That is what I call effective argument, Mrs. Dr. dear.'
"Gertrude and I couldn't rest after all that. We walked the floor until
our legs gave out and we had to sit down perforce. Mother knitted away
as steadily as clockwork and pretended to be calm and serene--pretended
so well that we were all deceived and envious until the next day, when I
caught her ravelling out four inches of her sock. She had knit that far
past where the heel should have begun!
"It was twelve before father came home. He stood in the doorway and
looked at us and we looked at him. We did not dare ask him what the news
was. Then he said that it was Laurier who had 'done nothing' in the
West, and that the Union Government was in with a big majority.
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