ch the petition lay spread, with an ever-increasing list of names
beneath as one man after another "put his fist to it," chaffing one
another with grievous comments as they did so. And most of them secretly
determined that this was the last they would have to do with the
iniquitous thing.

But they were sadly mistaken. From opposing suffrage, many of the
leading men were now pushing the petition. Coleman, Acres, and Bob
Sasnett toured the county in their automobiles to secure signatures.
They literally took the movement out of the hands of the Co-Citizens in
their efforts to hasten the election. There was a tremendous spreading
of the news of events going forward in Jordan County. The press of the
state published extracts from the _Signal_, with numerous comments,
later with serious prophecies of the future effects of this experiment
so gallantly undertaken by the men of Jordan County. Reporters were sent
down for interviews, which they got from Coleman and Acres, who calmly
assumed the glory and responsibility of bringing about the coming
election. For the first time in their lives they figured in the
headlines of city newspapers, with their pictures on the front page.
Susan Walton laughed at their vanity till her fat stomach shook like
jelly.

Bob Sasnett figured as the first candidate in Jordan County who would
run for office on the crinoline ticket. "Mr. Sasnett is extremely
optimistic. He feels sure that he will be elected by an overwhelming
majority of the crinoline vote. He is a very handsome young man," was
the comment beneath his picture in a great morning daily.

The necessary number of signatures to the petition having been secured
at last, the election was duly advertised for the 16th of September.

The women were hopeful, but they were by no means sure of success. The
Foundation did not hold mortgages on all the farms by any means, neither
were all the farmers implicated in the Prim papers. The large majority
of them was still composed of free men of blameless characters, and with
reputations for stubbornness that were alarming. Still, public sentiment
was undoubtedly overwhelming in favour of suffrage now, and the county
women held frequent secret League meetings at which they discussed
plans, the great question being to get their husbands to the polls at
all.

* * * * *

The 16th of September dawned upon Jordan County like an irritable old
woman with a shawl over her