The Parliamentary Candidate (3)
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Henry Orpington's first ..... that day was an open-air meeting on a large housing estate at ten o'clock.
As most of the men were ..... at work, his audience consisted mainly of women and young children.
Andrew Higgins kept a close watch on the platform from which Henry was making his speech, while several plainclothes policemen ..... inconspicuously with the crowd.
There was very little reaction to Henry's speech, except from one or two people at the back who kept on asking what Henry's party intended to do about the ..... price of fruit and vegetables.
After the speech he shook hands with some of the women. One of them lifted up a baby for him to kiss, but the ..... of Henry's beard must have frightened it because it began to scream its head off.
At eleven o'clock he ..... a brief visit to a public house on the estate. Henry couldn't offer to buy anyone a drink because he knew very well that his opponents would consider that to be dishonest. So he let one of his supporters buy him a drink instead.
At lunch time he went to his sister's house to see his wife and daughters. They had spent the morning addressing envelopes for the leaflets he was sending out. His sister, Vera, thoroughly ..... of his involvement in politics.
Vera: Now I hope you can see the danger of getting mixed up in politics. You and the family will probably ..... get blown up by a bomb. Henry: Don't exaggerate, Vera. I'm sure it's just a joke.
There was a large crowd in the field when Henry arrived at eight o'clock for what was perhaps the biggest meeting of the ..... campaign. After a hard day's work, hundreds of farmers and farm labourers had come to the field to hear what Henry had to say.
Henry: Ladies and gentlemen, I appreciate the anxiety you must all feel about support for your farms. I too have been a farmer and I know the difficulties you are experiencing, and so... Voice from the crowd: ... and so you've decided to become an M.P. and get rich! Henry: No, my friend. I want to give the farmers a ..... in the House of Commons.
