The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-09-18

was indicated to the close observer of
things in the middle OF the floor the philos-
ophy of history would have furnished a
hand.
McDougal came near seeing the critical
moment. but he. too. missed it. He CHANGED
to look at S%hacklett before the latter had
taken his eyes from the second delegation
to go to their seats late. Instantly McDou
gal looked down at that group also, but In
that short time the expression of the COM
posite face of the county delegation had
changed, and they were preparing to cheer
with the rest at the next oratorical climax
period. Then McDougal looked back at
Shacklett, and narrowly watched him until
the speech of Governor Ramsey was ended.
1t was McDougaI who then made the mo-
ton to adjourn as soon as he could catch
the eye of the chairman. who knew Nc
Douglas position in affairs of state.
Everybody hurried back to the hotels to
dinner, and the corridors and dining rooms
were again seething with pretty kettles Of
Ash over a very hot political fire. When
Shacklett was brought a card by a waiter
he at once left the table, went to the Lee
land, rode up in the elevator to the parlor
floor, and walked briskly into the room
designated On McDougals card. McDougal
was alone. He was smoking a black cigar
of huge size, and stood facing the door.
He waved Shacklett to a chair, sank into
another facing him, and began at once:
Senator, did you ever talk to your wife
any about my visit to you? And what did
she say about 1t, may I ask?'
yIylsr1 tI~v1 M frforxol hafuvann fha
two questions the first had been answered
by a nod before 1t was quite finished.
Shacklett replied:
"Weil, McDougal, like a good many
wives, 1 fancy, she is willing to sacrifice
her own comfort to further the political
advancement of her husband; and. unlike
most husbands. / fancy. / told her I
wouldn't have it,"
McDougal laughed a little, looked intent
ly into the ring of smoke he had just sent
circling upward, laid his cigar on the table
with care that the burning end should pro-
ject from the edge, leaned forward SO that
one hand could reach Shacklett's knee,
looked Shacklett full in the face for half a
minute, and then, after all this delibera-
ton, began the real conversation, which
continued for nearly an hour. When
Shacklett left the room he was a return to
the type and much the same Shacklett who
haunted the same upper halls of the same
hotel years before, when he was a part OF
the third house-that portion of the state
government not recognized in the Consti-
tuition, but the most effective of any.
BY that time the thousand and more men
who had come to Springfield to take pos
eaSviap nf the town like "A swarm Of To-
Gusts were beginning to gather at the
Statehouse again. There had been no word
from Governor Ramsey, the head of the
organization. and when the gains claimed
by each candidate were tabulated they
showed the maintenance of the status quo
as regards all three of them. The dozen
men who by this time knew whom the con-
vention would nominate were expressing
the most hopeless Ignorance; the newspa-
per men were in a state of taut mental
tension, waiting for the sign hat might
come at any moment to solve the mystery;
the delegates were beginning to consider
whom they really preferred to nominate If
il should be that they were allowed to vote
their own preferences; the people in the
galleries were already in place and making
a buzz of conversation, each asking whom
ever might be beside him for some definite
information. The force controlling the sit
uation had become perfectly intangible
again, and seemed to have stopped It's gen.
orator of opinion. or to have really decided
that this time the unswerved opinion of the
masses of the people--that is. the county
politicians-had better be left to send the
nomination where it pleased.
ITO be Continued