he
police department, taking warning by what had happened on Monday night
down on the West Side, had sent the police reserves of four
precincts--six hundred uniformed men, under an inspector and three
captains--to handle the expected congestion inside and outside the
building. These six hundred men had little to do after they formed
their lines and lanes except to twiddle their night sticks and to
stamp their chilled feet.

For a strange thing befell. Thousands had participated in the affair
of the night before. By word of mouth these thousands most surely must
have spread the word among many times their own number of sympathetic
individuals. And yet--this was the strange part--by actual count less
than fifteen hundred persons, exclusive of the policemen, who were
there because their duty sent them there, attended Tuesday night's
meeting. To be exact there were fourteen hundred and seventy-five of
them. In the vast oval of the interior they made a ridiculously small
clump set midway of the area, directly in front of the platform that
had been put up. All about them were wide reaches of seating
space--empty. The place was a huge vaulted cavern, cheerless as a
cave, full of cold drafts and strange echoes. Congressman Mallard
spoke less than an hour, and this time he did not make the speech of
his life.

Wednesday night thirty policemen were on duty at Madison Square
Garden, Acting Captain O'Hara of the West Thirtieth Street Station
being in command. Over the telephone to headquarters O'Hara, at
eight-thirty, reported that his tally accounted for two hundred and
eighty-one persons present. Congressman Mallard, he stated, had not
arrived yet, but was momentarily expected.

At eight-forty-five O'Hara telephoned again. Congressman Mallard had
just sent word that he was ill and would not be able to speak. This
message had been brought by Professor Rascovertus, the former college
professor, who had come in a cab and had made the bare announcement to
those on hand and then had driven away. The assembled two hundred and
eighty-one had heard the statement in silence and forthwith had
departed in a quiet and orderly manner. O'Hara asked permission to
send his men back to the station house.

Congressman Mallard returned to Washington on the midnight train, his
secretary accompanying him. Outwardly he did not bear himself like a
sick man, but on his handsome face was a look which the secretary had
never before seen on his emplo