Her dark fur coat and the twilight concealed her effectually.
"General Totten, if you don't fully comprehend your plain duty in this
crisis, you'd better stop right here with me until you do. We can't afford
to have those soldiers overhear. Are you going to order them to march out
of this State House?" This peremptory gentleman was Stewart Morrison!
Lana choked back what threatened to be an exclamation.
"I refuse to take that responsibility on myself."
"You must! Such a command to state troops must come from you, the
adjutant-general."
"This is a political exigency, Mister Mayor!"
"It seems like that to me!"
"It requires martial law."
"But not civil war."
"This building is threatened by a mob."
"That's because you have put it in a state of siege against citizens."
"There's no telling what those men will do if they are allowed to enter."
"They'll do worse if they are kept out by guns."
"It means wreck and rampage if they are permitted to come through those
doors."
"Look here, Totten, this State House has stood here for a good many years,
with the citizens coming and going in it at will. I don't see any dents!"
"This is an exigency, and it's different, sir.
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