Word: wisp
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Dates: during 1920-1929
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With the Lenroot roll-call in print, angry Senators felt betrayed, behaved as if they were ashamed of their votes. First they began vengefully to pursue Pressman Mallon, then went off on a will-o'-the-wisp hunt for some Senator who could have given him this information...
...business of placing the condemned man in the electric chair is quickly and simply done. Then-"as the switch is thrown into its socket there is a sputtering drone, and the body leaps as if to break the strong leather straps that hold it. Sometimes a thin gray wisp of smoke pushes itself out from under the helmet that holds the head electrode, followed by the faint odor of burning flesh. The hands turn red, then white, and the cords of the neck stand out like steel bands. After what seems an age, but is. in fact, only two minutes...
George Huddleston of Alabama, the South's only radical. A thin little wisp of a man who wears slippers in his office. He is given to vast and vociferous indignations. He is a fiery speechmaker. Pallid, drawn, hungry-looking, though personally wealthy. Professionally a lawyer who early threw his lot in with employes against employers in Birmingham...
...safe gapes open−gone the twin heirloom emeralds, gone the royal Russian ruby. A slip of a girl cowers by the curtain, hand to throat, wide eyes glued to the horrid spectacle. Thunderous knocking at the door−the police! Quavering housekeeper opens; gusty storm blows her grey wisp of hair, flash of lightning glitters in her twin green (emerald green) eyes. Blustering sergeant finds cigaret case initialed J. S. "A plant," sneers John Smith, master detective, who has appeared suddenly in their midst. "Forged!" he leers again, as the sergeant unearths a wallet stuffed with bills...
...completely natural. Nowhere does one find the affairs of the University discussed with that sure freedom that is found at the dinner of the alumnus who is ten years out from Sever Quadrangle. Improvement, planful aspiration, avowed democratic principle--all these have a way ofturning will-o'-the wisp when the builders of the report, who are either too safely ensconced in the best clubs to care about action, or are alumni like the Princeton investigator, decide quite humanly to let it go at that. Changes in any club system seem to be a matter of maturaration within the clubs...