mittee and I have felt that if we won there was one thing that counted more than anything else, and now that we have won I want that thing to know what we think of it. I’m sure you all know that I mean the work turned out by our little paper, the Dargaville News.”
He was interrupted by a spontaneous burst of applause while every head turned to look at Valerie. She felt herself getting light-headed and clenched her hands as Roger went on.
“And we know who has done the hardest work, kept the longest hours, and been the inspiration of that office. Our thanks and gratitude to you, Miss Valerie Carr, who ———”
Valerie dropped back amazed, confused, and overwhelmed by the cheer that drowned out the rest of Roger’s remarks. In a mist she saw excited friendly arms waving glasses, and excited friendly faces beaming down upon her—Mrs. Benton’s struggling to keep back tears, even those of Mrs. Bolton, Mrs. Harris and Mrs. Allison oblivious of the slights of the past, Father Ryan’s a warm glow, Mac’s a shrewd and guarded grin, Bob’s a generous pride, Jimmy’s one shining adoration, and the faces of other men she knew and of men she did not know one broad smile of approval. Then somebody cried “Speech,” and the word was repeated to the beat of feet and the tapping of sticks. The whole crowd was wound up now and nothing would stop it.
Valerie looked round desperately. Did they expect her to make a speech? She had never made a speech in her life. She felt an awful funk. She did not realize that it did not matter in the least what she said. She found herself being lifted bodily off the ground by George Rhodes, while Bob drew out a chair for her to be set upon. Somehow she got to her feet upon it, while the
