The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-04-19
GENTLEMAN
FROM INDIANA
BY BOOTH HARRINGTON.
Copyrighted by Mcclure, Phillips & Co.

Trusting that your recovery will be
rapid, I am
yours truly
H. FISBEE"
Harkless dropped the typewriter
sheets with a sigh.
II suppose 1 ought to get WELL" he
said YEARLY.
Yes" said Meredith, 81 think you
ought: but you're chock full of ma
laria and fever and all kinds of mean
ness, and"
you tend to your own troubles"
returned the other with an imitation
of liveliness. II don't think it in
terests me much" he said, querulous-
ly. He was often querulous of late,
and it frightened Tom. I'm Just
tired. 1 am strong enough-that is.
think l am till l try to move around.
and then I'm like log, and a lethargy
gets me-thats 1t; l don't think it's
malaria; it's lethargy."
'Lethargy comes from malaria"
It's the other way with me. I'd
be all right if / only could get over
this-this tiredness. Let me have that
pencil and pad, will you, please, Tom?'
He set the pad on his knee, and be-
gan to write languidly
"Rouen, Sept. 2.
Dear Mr.. Fisbee: Yours of the 1st
to hand. / entirely approve all ar
rangements you have made. 1 think
you understand that l wish you to re-
gard everything as in your own hands.
You are the editor of the Herald and
have the sole responsibility for every
thing, including policy, until, after
proper warning, I relieve you in per-
son. But until that time comes. you
must look upon me as a mere specta-
tor. l do not fear that you will make
any mistakes; you have done very
,l, H., 4
have done myself. At present l have
only one suggestion: I observe that
your editorials concerning Halloways
denomination are something lukewarm.
1T is very important that he be re-
nominated, not altogether on account
of assuring his return to Washington
for he is no Madison, l fear), but the
fellow McCune must be so beaten that
his defeat will be remembered for
twenty years. Holloway is honest and
clean, at least, while McCune is cor
rupt to the bone. He has been bought
and sold, and l am glad the proofs
of it are in your hands, as you tell
me Parker found Them as directed, in
my trunk, and gave them to you.
The papers you hold drove him out
of politics once, by the mere threat
of publication; you should have print
ed them last week, as l suggested. Do
so at once; the time is short. You
have been too gentle; it has the air
of fearing to offend, and of catering,
as if we were afraid of antagonizng
people against us; as though we had
a personal stake In the convention.
Possibly you consider our Subscrip-
ton books as such; 1 do not. But if
they are, go ahead twice as hard.
What if it does give the enemy a
weapon in case McCune is nominated;
If he is, and 1 begin to see a danger
of iD we will be with the enemy. l
do not carry my craftsmanship so far
as to help elect Mr.. McCune. to Con-
gress. You have been as non-commit-
tai in your editorials as If this were
a fit time for delicacy and the cheaper
conception of party policy. My notion
of party policy-no new one--is that
the party which considers the public
service before it considers itself will
thrive best in the long run. The Her
aid is a little paper mot so little
nowadays, after all, thanks to you),
but it is an honest one, and it isn't
afraid of Rod McCune and his friends.
He is to be beaten, understand, if we
have to send him to the penitentiary
on an old issue to do it. And If the
people wish to believe us cruel or
vengeful, let them. Please let me see
as hearty a word as you can say for
Holloway, also. You can write with
ginger; please show some in this mat
ter.
MY condition is improved.
II am, very truly yours,
JOHN HARMLESS"
When the letter was concluded, he
handed it to Meredith. please ad-
dress that, put a Special on it, and
send it, Tom 1t should go at once,
so as to reach him by tonight"
III. Fisher"
YES; H. Fisbee."
Il believe it does you good to write,
boy" said the other, as he bent over
him. you look more chirrupy than
you have for several days.
ITS that beast, McCune; young Fis-
bee is rather queer about it, and 1 felt
stirred up as l went along" But even
before the sentence was finished the
favor of age and utter WEAKNESS re-
turned, and the dark lids closed over
his eyes. They opened again, slowly,
and he took the others hand and look
ed up at him mournfully, but as it We're
his soul shone forth in dumb and elo-
quent thanks.
I'm giving you a jolly summer,
Tom" he said, with a quivering eff
fort to smile. Don't you think / am?
/ dont-I don't know what 1 should
have-done-"
You old Indian!" said Meredith,
tenderly.
Three days later, Tom was rejoiced
by symptoms of invigoration in his
patient. A telegram came for Hank
less, and Meredith, bringing it into
the sick room, was surprised to find
the occupant sitting straight up on his
couch without the prop of pillows. He
was reading the days copy of the
Herald" and his face was flushed and
his brow stern.
whats the matter, boy?"
Acknowledgement, l hope" said the
other, in a strong voice. Worse, per-
haps. It's this young Fisbee. l can't
think what's come over the fellow.
thought he was a rescuing angel, and
he's turning out bad. I'll swear it
looks like they'd been-well, 1 won't
say that yet. But he hasn't printed
that McCune business l told you of.
and he's had two days. There is less
than week before the convention.
and" He broke off. seeing the vel
low envelope in Meredith's hand. "Ts
that a telegram for me?" His com
panion gave it to him. He tore it open