Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-11-24

A smile lighted his dark eyes, but
faded out near his mouth, cold and
rigid.
| At the farther end of the last room
hung the huge painting Of a leopard so
vivid and real its black and tawny col
ors, so furtive and wild its restless
eyes, II SEEMED alive and moving be-
hi d invisible bars.
Just under 1t, gorgeously set In Its
| jewel-studded frame, stood the magic
green table on which men staked their
| gold and lost their souls.
| The rooms were crowded with con-
gressmen, government officials, officers
Of the army and navy, clerks, contrac-
tors, paymasters, lobbyists, and profess
sional gamblers.
The centre Of an admiring group was
congressman who had during the
/ last session OF the house broken the
"bank" in a single night, winning
more than a hundred thousand dollars.
He had lost II all and more II two
weeks, and the courteous proprietor
now held orders for the lions share OF
the total pay and mileage Of nearly
every member of the house Of repre-
sentatives.
Over that table thousands Of dollars
Of the peoples money had been staked
and lost during the war, by quarter
masters, paymasters and agents In
charge Of public funds. Mary a man
had approached that green table with
stainless name and left II a perjured
thief. Some had been carried out by
those handsomely dressed walters. and
| the man with the cold mouth could
point out, IL he would, more than one
stain on the soft carpet which marked
the end of a tragedy deeper. than the
pen Of romancer has ever sounded.
Stoneman at the moment was play
ing. He was rarely a heavy player. bu'
he had just staked a twen:y-dolar
gold piece and won fourteen hundred
dollars.
Howle. always at his elbow. ready
for Sleeper or a stake, said:
Put a stack on the ace"
He did so, lost and repeated 1t twice.
do 1t again." urged Howle. I'll
stake my reputation that the ace wins
| this time"
with a doubling glance at Howle,
old Stoneman showed a stack Of blue
chips worth fifty dollars, over the ace.
playing 1t to win on Howle's judgment
and reputation. 1t lost.
without the ghost Of a smile the old
statesman said:
"Howle, you owe me five cents"
AS he turned abruptly on his club
editor and his friends. western man
ufacturer, and a Wall Street banker
They were soon seated at a table In
private room, over a dinner Of choice
oysters, diamond-back terrapin, can
vas back duck. and champagne.
They presented their plea for a
truce in his fight until popular passion
had subsided.
He heard them in silence. His an
swer was characteristic:
1.-The will Of the people, gentlemen.
is supreme" he said. with s1eer.
| "we are the people. The man at the
other end of the Avenue has dared to
defy the will Of congress. He must go.
| II the supreme court lifts a finger In
this fight. we will reduce that tribunal
| to one man or increase 1t to twenty at
| our Measure"
But the constitution" broke in the
chairman"
There are higher laws than paper
compacts. We are conquerors tr"ading
conquered soil. Our will alone Is the
source of law. The drunken boor who
claims to be president Is In reality an
alien of a conquered province"
1--WE protest" exclaimed the man Of
mo~ey. "aeainst the use Of such cpl
thets in referring to the Chief Magts-
| trate of the Republic!"
"And why, pray" sneered the Com
| moner.
I'm the name Of common decency
law, and order. The president Is
man Of inherent power even II he did
learn to read after his marriage. Like
mary other Americans he Is a self
made man"
"Glad to hear It." sna pned Stoneman.
"It relieves Almighty God Of fearful
| responsibility"
They left him in disgust and dismay.
TO BE CONTINUED.