The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-11-03

, make up a purse II ! have 10 go down into
my pockets for every cent OF it.
And so IL happened that Eric Langdon.
whittier. thinner. even shabbier in raiment
than when he left. came back 10 Brent
wood, and after a conference where only
Ave men We're preseDt-cresswell, Boni-
face. Armstrong, the editor, and Bing-
ham. the mayor--the returned wnnderer
took desk In Creswells anteroom and
took up again the study OF law 10 which
he had been devoting evenings Then
Perrigo senior was advised 10 induce MS
son to resign the captalncy OF the
Brentwood rifles He wouldn't.
"All right" said certain merchants.
"Our money won't be safe here II the mob
gets another start. Wen transfer our
accounts TO Omaha" Perrigo "wilted" in
less than week. The resignation went
In 10 the governor and amid a pounding
on the floor OF shod rife butts and lOud
clapping OF hands from the seats Mr..
Langdon. clad In his old fatigue uniform.
took command OF the rifles by invitation
and at once resumed drills. That night
II was resolved 90 have three drills
week until the company had caught up
again. The next week 40 men responded
TO roll call and ~ applied for member
ship. The first week In October busi-
ness meeting was held and telegram
read announcing that PerI1go's resigna-
tion which had unaccountably hung nre.
was at last accepted. Langdon was
unanimously elected captain and the cer-
tihcate forwarded 10 the capital The
second week came without the expected
commission. but The Sun announced that
as the election was held before the VA
cancy officilly existed II was therefore II
legal. Try II again. said the boys" and
then came an embarrassed adjutant gen.
eral TO suggest that IL perhaps would be
best not to insist on the election OF Mr..
n Ii. aAlsw
him In the world the governor could not
see his way clear TO giving him com
mission. Indeed The Sun and Examiner
shrieked that the community never would
stand II. A political adviser told the ex-
ecutive he would lose the vote OF Brent
wood, and an anonymous letter or two m
formed him has grave was dug and the
corpse should be ready IL ever he toucn-
ed pen 90 parchment wAh the name OF
Eric Langdon on it, No wonder the gov
ernor sent his adjutant general TO consult
with the boys" But now the boys
had got dheir blood up. No Perrigo dol
lars were Forthcoming 10 boil IL down, and
the shout went up. 'Langdon or nobody,"
and the adjutant general left In hun.
Then came State Senators Brent and
Foster to see Colonel Cresswell. who was
opposing the administration" even
though politically in accord. II was all
off year for the legislature, and the eyes
OF many n senatorial possibility were fol-
lowing the tottering footsteps OF sill
very haired statesman who would proba.
bly, never resume his seat I'm the sena-
torial tank at the north wing at Washing
ton. The vacancy would be filled by the
governor. and who. sad these gentlemen
In the confidence OF the executive-who so
likely TO succeed to the toga as brilliant
and distinguished Col. Cresswell provided
he did not kill his own chance by further
embarrassing the governor? Cresswell bit.
1T would put the governor In the roll
OF an intimdator," said the emissaries.
ito openly commission Mr. Langdon. or
course we may need him and all that
and have every appreciation OF him. but
Il won't do TO fly in the face OF the peo-
pie. Let them think they are having their
way. but quietly, you understand, work
things so as TO have ours. And Cress-
well was at least sufficiently profound
statesman to see the political wisdom of
their position, especially when coupled
with that hint as to the senatorial sue
cession SO ne conferred with Langdon
and saw and talked with "the boys one
or two at a time. Every business bouy
seemed to feel by this time they must
have Iangdon to instruct and command
their company, but the few In the con-
fidence of the administration knew that
I'm the present condition OF AFFAIRS ne
could never be commissioned. Langdon
saw Il himself, smiled and after the poll
ticians had talked until they were tired
and the boys remained obdurate arose IN