The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1895-08-17

thought that II gave evidence Of fall.
ing powers. long suspected. The de-
bate langnished on lie second day, as
debates have habit Of doing, was
deadly dull on the third. and rose again
on the fourth Cheeseman came down
TO the house early 50 as TO secure seat
well within the range of the speakers
eye, aud thus uneonsciously made nm
enemy for life in the person of a prom
seat as his natural right. and who as
an exile at the bar Indignantly re-
garded his dispossessor. 1t must be set
on record. for this Is true story, that
Cheeseman. during that memorable
evening, had more than one brandy and
soda at the lobby bar, which the re-
foSming hand had not then swept into
outer darkness lie burned 70 get that
speech OFF his tongue, IL was SO deadly
oppressive. Once, when the house was
almost empty and the speaker, as is his
custom, looked at the ministerial
benches for somebody 70 follow a mem
Der who had just spoken on the other
side, Cheescman had the greatest diff
ticulty in keeping his scat. But he re-
flected I'm time that Lady Helen's bright
eyes would not look down upon him
from the grille until ten o'clock, SO he
stihed his feelings and glued himself
TO his seat
At half-past nine the second string
of the opposition-ac according 10 the
programme arranged by the whips,
got on his legs TO riddle the bill.
lie spoke for an hour and n
quarter amid the cheers Of his
supporters. who had dined; while
the ministerialists, who had also
dmed. went TO sleep until their time
should come TO cheer. Cheeseman,
who 1t must be remembered was re-
marlxnbly green, and had not communi-
Gated his desperate resolve TO n single
man of his party. was on the point OF
rising then; he had taken some notes
OF the speech just delivered. with some
answers that suggested themselves
even to him, when a roar from the
rewly-awakened Legislators around
him, who felt that their time for vocal
exercise had come and who meant TO
make the most of IL, announced that
he second string on his own side in
ended to answer the speech himself.
cheescman went sick at heart. There
MAS an hour and a quarter left; would
ais right honora BILE friend, as he might
tall him il he got an opportunity, fill
that space and shut him out? If he did
+-well, at all events, he would have a
decent excuse to give Lady Helen for
not speaking. If he did not--Cheese-
man went out and had another brandy
and soda and came back and listened
with feverish interest TO the speech.
Probably no man followed it SO closely
as he, or understood less of it. This
minister had weakness for perora-
tions, one did not satisfy him. The
first was fired off soon after eleven,
and Cheeseman clutched his notes and
prepared himself for the dreadful or
deal OF catching the speakers eye.
After the fourth peroration he ceased
TO regard them with any interest, and
when the right honorable gentleman
sat down quite suddenly, having ex-
haustcd his notes, without any final
peroration at all, cheeseman came
within an ace of missing his opportun-
ity, for the speaker had already risen
to put the question before he struggled
to his feet.
The mechanical cheering that fol-
lowed the conclusion OF the minister's
speech from one side of the house
changed To angry cries of divide"
from both. Here Cheeseman's mother
pluck, and perhaps the brandies and
sodas, came to his aid, and he stood
his groind. Lady Helen was looking
down from the grille. l daresay she
felt little pity, perhaps 9 little I'd
miration for him then, If she never had
before. II was, of course, utterly pre-
posterous. Here was the whole weary
debate finished, according to all rule
and reason, and there was n chance of
taking the division comfortably before
midnight. when man whom nobody
knew and nobody wanted TO hear ac-
tually proposed TO make a speech. The
cries of Divide" redoubled, and still
Cheeseman stood, offering up prayer
that they might go on till midnight
Then, quite suddenly, whisper went
round that this was new member
who wanted TO make n maiden speech,
and there was sudden, almost ludi-
crous, hush. Nearly every member,
you see, has made maiden speech in
his time, and the memory OF IL never
fades from him. This breeds sympathy.
The silence came SO suddenly that
Cheesemnn, who had been trying his
voice at intervals by murmuring "Mr.
Speaker" and had come by nice grada-
tions near 10 shouting it. without be-
ing in the least heard, found his last
attempt returning in an echo from the
roof when the noise ceased. lie will
never speak OF that time now. not even
60 his most intimate friends, though he
always expresses strong opinion
upon the impossibility of hair being
turned white suddenly through mem
tai shock -his own locks are perfectly
black yet The Times had in its re-