Some Buried Caesar

"But you wouldn't play spoon-bean, a game of skill. It's a funny world." He arose and approached. "Give me that ultimatum." I tore off the sheet and handed it to him and he went to the door and tapped on a bar with his fingernail, 3 and 2. In a minute the skinny one with the Adam's apple ap- peared and Basil began talking to him in a low tone. I got up and sauntered over to listen.

"Tell them," Basil said, "that the offer of a dime to join is withdrawn. Tell them that the privilege of being charter mem- bers expires at noon and after that we may let them in and we may not. Tell them that our platform is Brotherhood, Uni- versal Suffrage, and Freedom. Tell-"

"Universal Suffering?"

"No. Suf-leave that one out. Brotherhood and Freedom. Tell them that if they don't like the idea of a public-spirited woman coming around and the provisions with regard to bath- ing, the only way these demands can be changed is by the membership of the C. C. P. U., which is organized and func- tioning, and if they don't become members they can't help change them. Incidentally, our President will pay you two bits for each and every one you get to sign."

"Two bits? That's on the level?"

"Absolutely. Wait a minute, come back here. Since you're a trusty and are therefore technically one of us, you're eligible to join yourself if you want to. But you don't get any two bits for signing yourself up. It wouldn't be ethical. Would it. Presi- dent Goodwin? Wouldn't that be e pluribus unum corpus delicti?"

"Right."

"Okay. Go ahead. Slim. Noon is the deadline."

Basil went back and sat down and picked up the brush. "No damn good as an agitator?" he inquired sarcastically.

"As an agitator, above average," I admitted. "As a treasurer, only so-so. You're inchned to overdraw."

I don't know to this day what the C. C. P. U. membership amounted to at its peak. When Slim had got 4 new members signed up he came to our cell and requested a dollar before proceeding further, and I paid him, and by 10 o'clock he had 4 more and got another dollar, but at that point I was re- moved from the scene by a keeper coming to get me. I started out, but Basil interposed to say that I had better leave the other $1.75 with him, since I had assumed the obligation, just in case. I told him he shouldn't be so pessimistic about the President but agreed that his point was valid, and shelled out.