Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-11-18

giving him occasional word of cheer,
occasional hint of warning. Ever
since the robbery and Langdon's sad
departure from their midst he had been
ctaselessly and secretly at work in the
effort to detect the guilty parties. he
had his theories and was bent on push
ing them through.
Another gathering of business men
followed within week, called for by
most alarming resolutions at the big
gest mass meeting yet held in Brent
wood. Bonfires had burned in the pub
lie square, and great orators of the Ia
Dor party spoke in the silence of the
September evening to thousands CT lis
tening. eager ears and ceased amid
thunderous applause
Where is your Mr. Langdon?" anX-
iously queried the mayor in swift
aside to Mr. Cresswell that night.
I'm Sioux City, shaving at shilling
an hour-teaching," was the answer
Well. get him out here quick.
can't give him anything in my office,
as YOU well understand. but you can,
and We'll make up purse if have to
go down into my pockets for every
cent of it,"
And so it happened that Eric Lang.
don, whittier, thinner, even shabbier ia
raiment than when he left, came back
to Brentwood, and after a conference
where only five men We're present
Cresswell, Boniface, Armstrong, the
editor, and Bingham, the maycr-the
returned wanderer took q desk in
CresswelIs anteroom and took up
again the study Of law, to which he
had been devoting his evenings. Then
Perrigo senior was advised to induce
his son to resign the captaincy of the
Brentwood rifles. He wouldn't
"All right said certain merchants.
"Our money won't be safe here if the
mob gets another start. Well transfer
our accounts to Omaha" Perrigo
"wilted" in less than a week. The
resignation went in to the governor,
and amid a pounding on the floor of
shod rifle 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
1t was resolved to have three drills
week until the company had caught up
again. The next week 40 men re-
sponded to roll call and II applied for
membership. The first week in Octo-
Der business meeting was held and
telegram read announcing that Peril
COS resignation, which had unhccount-
ably lung fire, was at last accepted.
Langdon was unanimously elected cap
tain and the certificate forwarded to
the capital. The second week came
without the expected commission, but
The Sun announced that as the cleo
ton was held before the vacancy Off
cially existed it was therefore illegal.
Try it again, said 1.-The boys" and then
came an embarrassed adjutant general
best not to Insist on the election of Mr.
Langdon. With the kindest feeling for
him in the world the governor could
not see his way clear to giving him
commission. Indeed The Sun and Ex-
amiuGr shriekcd that the community
never would stand it. A political ad-
wiser told the executive he would lose
the vote of Brentwood and an anony-
nous letter or two informed him his
grave was dug and the corpse should
be ready if ever he touched pen to
parchment with the name of Eric.
Langdon ON it. No wonder the gov
.rnor sent his adjutant general to con-
III hn D,,+,
boys" had got their blood up. No Per-
rigo dollars were Forthcoming to boil it
down. and the shout went up, lang
don or nobody" and the adjutant gen
eral left in Il huff.
Then came State Senators Brent and
Foster to see Colonel Cresswell, who
was opposing the administration"
even though politically III accord. L:
was an off year for the legislature. and
the eyes of many senatorial possibili-
~ were following the tottering foot
steps of silvery haired Statesman
who would probably never resume his
scat in the senatorial tank at the north
wing at Washington. The vacancy
would be filed by the governor and
WHO, Sa!u tleSe gentlemen III lne c0!lll-
dence of the eXecutive-wno so likely
to succeed to the toga as the brilliant
and distinguished Colonel Cresswell
provided he did not kill his own chance
by further embarrassing the governor?
Cresswell bit. 1T would put the gov
ernor in the roll of an intimidation"
said the emiSsaries. ito openly com
mission Mr.. Langdon. OF course we
may need him and all that and have
every appreciation of him. but it won't
do to fly in the face of the people. Let
| them think they are having their way
but quietly. you understand. work
things so as to have ours" And
| Cresswell was at least sufficiently pro-
found Il statesman to see the political
wisdom of their position, especially
when coupled with that hint as to the
senatorial succession. SO he conferred
| with Langdon and saw and talked With
1.-THE boys" one or two at Il time. Ev
| cry business body seemed to feel by
this time they must have Langdon to
| instruct and command their company,
but the few i'll the confidence of the