[City of Betrayal] by Victoria Thompson

Author:Victoria Thompson [Thompson, Victoria]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2023-12-05T00:00:00+00:00

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To Elizabeth’s relief, Miss Sue had seen nothing wrong with promising political favors to legislators who supported ratification when Elizabeth had shared her story with her last night. Politicians did that every day, and no one would be surprised if the favors never materialized.

The women had pulled out the list of delegates and Catherine Flanagan consulted her card file as they pored over the list, looking for anyone they thought might be leaning their way or at least undecided. Elizabeth wanted to help but found she could hardly keep her eyes open. Miss Sue had sent her off to get some sleep, promising that the rest of them would go through the cards that night and have a list for everyone in the morning.

Now she was back in Miss Sue’s suite and ready to work again. Betty, Anita and Catherine were already there. Betty handed her a list.

“Harry Burn,” Elizabeth said with disgust, seeing his name near the top. “What was it he said to you, Betty?”

“That he wouldn’t do anything to hurt us,” Betty said, “but he wouldn’t pledge to vote for us, either.”

“Who was originally assigned to him?” Miss Sue asked.

“I was,” Anita said with a trace of bitterness.

“Has he ever actually said he’d support us?” Miss Sue asked.

“I’m not sure. I never got to speak with him directly when we were traveling the state and looking for all the delegates at home. You see, Burn lives in Niota, which is a tiny little town, less than five hundred people. The train does stop there, but his house is a long way from the depot, and I couldn’t afford to hire a car to take me.” Everyone nodded their understanding. “Since I couldn’t get to him, I asked his party chair to telephone him. I didn’t get to speak to Burn myself, but the party chair told me Burn would support us.”

“So we thought his vote was secure,” Catherine said with a sigh.

“Isn’t there any way we can influence him?” Elizabeth asked. “I don’t suppose he has a nice juicy scandal we could promise not to reveal.”

“Hardly,” Anita said. “He’s only twenty-four, the youngest delegate in the House, and he supports his widowed mother and two younger sisters.”

Catherine consulted her file card. “He works two jobs, as a Southern Railway agent and at a bank.”

“Ah yes, a paragon of virtue,” Elizabeth said. “He should be easy prey for the Antis since he probably needs a better paying job to support his family.”

“He’s also reading the law at night under Herschel Candler,” Catherine said.

All the other women groaned.

“Too bad Burn wasn’t in the Senate that day to hear Candler’s horrible speech,” Anita said. “That might have changed his views.”

“For all we know, Burn might agree with him. Men tend to be loyal to their mentors,” Elizabeth said.

“What else do we know about his family?” Miss Sue asked.

Catherine looked at her cards again. They waited uneasily as she read through all the notes written there. “His mother is a suffragist!” she crowed in triumph.

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