“Papa’s gone fishing,” she replied suavely.

This was not slow to reach the floor.  “Papa’s gone fishing” gained wide currency as the answer to the most interesting question of the day.

The Honorable Isaac Pettit, seated majestically with the Fraser County delegation, tested the acoustics of the hall at the first opportunity.  While the chairman of the state central committee was endeavoring to present as the temporary chairman of the convention a patriot known as the “War Eagle of the Wabash,” the gentleman from Fraser insisted upon recognition.

“Who is that preposterous fat man?” demanded Mrs. Owen, plying her palm-leaf fan vigorously.

“That’s Mr. Pettit, from our town,” said Mrs. Bassett.  “He’s an editor and lecturer.”

“He’s the man that defeated papa in our primaries,” added Marian cheerfully.  “He’s awfully funny, everybody says, and I suppose his defeating papa was a joke.  He’s going to say something funny now.”

“He doesn’t need to,” said Sylvia, not the least interested of the spectators.  “They are laughing before he begins.”

The chairman of the state committee feigned not to hear or see the delegate from Fraser, but Mr. Pettit continued to importune the chair amid much laughter and confusion.  The chairman had hardened his heart, but the voice of the gentleman from Fraser alone rose above the tumult, and in a moment of comparative calm he addressed the chair unrecognized and unpermitted.

“I beg to call your attention, sir, to the presence in the gallery of many of the fair daughters of the old Hoosier State. (Applause.) They hover above us like guardian angels.  They have come in the spirit that brought their sisters of old to watch true knights battle in the tourney.  As a mark of respect to these ladies who do us so much honor, I ask the chair to request gentlemen to desist from smoking, and that the sergeant-at-arms be ordered to enforce the rule throughout our deliberations.” (Long-continued applause.)

The state chairman was annoyed and showed his annoyance.  He had been about to ingratiate himself with the ladies by making this request unprompted; he made it now, but the gentleman from Fraser sat down conscious that the renewed applause was his.

“Why don’t they keep on smoking?” asked Mrs. Owen.  “The hall couldn’t be any fuller of smoke than it is now.”

“If they would all put on their coats the room would be more beautiful,” said Marian.  “They always say the Republicans are much more gentlemanly than the Democrats.”

“Hush, Marian; some one might hear you,” Mrs. Bassett cautioned.