The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-10-01

during whose deliberations recess was
taken.
Tom ONzas came to Mrs. Burton, who,
with number of other women whose
husbands or brothers were interested,
directly or otherwise, in the proceed
ings, was sitting in the gallery. Owens
spoke quickly and earnestly:
s'The Chloride crowd isn't here yet.
Hobart's too sick to come. If Boutwell,
could only be kept away it'd be o. K.
for Sile. He's the only man that can
put Hobart in nomination, and there's a
whole mess of his fellows ready to back
slide. If only they wouldn't come.
Pr
But here he was sent for in great haste
by an anxious constituent and hurried
away. When ten minutes later he looked
up at the gallery Mrs. Burton was miss
ing.
The six men composing the Chloride
delegation were in hurry, and in Bout
wells three seated spring wagon behind
his grays were making good time for
Apache.
There is deep ravine, nearly always
dry, on the trail between Apache and
Chloride that has to be crossed care
fully. 1t is an abrupt descent and yet
more abrupt ascent, and the trail on the
Apache side of the gully is fanked by
big rocks, which sheltered many high
wayman in the old days. The delega-
ton from Chloride had just reached this
spot and Boutwell, was urging the horses
up the steep incline; when short and
sharp and firm in woman's voice came
the command:
"Halt!"
The six men in the wagon could hard
ly believe their senses. Sitting beside
the big rock on the left, very pale, but
with compressed lips and eyes that
flashed fire and determination, sat a
small woman with big Winchester,
and the weapon was cooked and aimed
at Brad Boutwell,.
The six men in the wagon raved and
stormed; they pleaded, begged and
threatened, but the little woman on the
rock spoke only once, and then said:
Bradford Boutwell,, you gave me
your sacred word that you would not
oppose my husbands denomination. If
he is defeated today it will probably kill
him, and that is what you intended-to
defeat him, after your promise to me.
Now, sir, if you so much as attempt to
move from here, you or any OF the
others, will kill your
That was all; but Brad Boutwell,,
looking at the set face, knew that she
would keep her word, and his seat
mates suggestion that such was the
case was met by an emphatic 'sYou bet
she would"
The committees reported; the tempo
rary organization was made permanent,
and the Apache county convention was
in full swing.
Nominations for county auditor are
now in ORDER" announced the chair
man, and moment later, s.Mr. Randall
has the floor"
Hollis Randall, the brilliant young
district attorney, rose and made one of
the best speeches of his life, setting
forth clearly, convincingly the merits,
the claims, the worth of the present in
cumbent, and when he told of the I'M
fortunate man lying so i'll as the result
of a wound incurred in the discharge Of
unrewarded duties not his own-fight-
ing in defense of the law-there was
rousing, prolonged cheer.
Randall finished amid uproarious ap-
plause and sat down, hopping his fore
head with his handkerchief. There was
a moments ''vociferous silence" during
which there were some rapid changes Of
sentiment on the part of Hobart dele
gates. Then ''Pop" Gordon rose.
"Mr. Chairman, I move that the nomi-
nation of Mr.. Burton be made by &C
clamation, thar seemin t. be no more
nominations"
Second the motionl Second the mo-
toni" came from dozen threats.
ssMr Chairman!'' screamed Hobart
faithful" 81 call the gentleman
Here Bill Dover, chairman of the dis
senter's delegation, grabbed him by the
coat tails and pulled him down. Bill
was a astute politician, and he knew the
day was lost. But the enthusiast would
not 'sdown." When the yeas and nays
were called for, he and half score Of
others came out strongly in the mega
tive, and when further nominations
were declared in order, he rose and NOM
mated Jere Hobart.
The ballot stood sixty-three to thirty
seven in Burton's favor, and Tom
Owens, forgetting that in few min
utes the nominations for sheriff would
be made, dashed over to Sile's house
with the news, and was surprised to
learn that anxious little Mrs. Burton
was not there.
But the Chloride visitors who left to
convey thenews of Hobart's defeat home
were more surprised than Owens when
they suddenly found on the way home
where the missing delegation was, and
why it was missing, and it almost took
their breath and the delegations away
to see that fire eating amazon on the
rock collapse into very weak tears when
she heard the glad news.
Hobart and his friends were mad, Of
course, but one cannot make war on
woman, you know, and besides most of