The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-04-19

/ mer infexibIe rule of total abstinence
There stood his invariable pot of tea
| Clearly. it was not drink that enabled
| him to enjoy a situation which, as il
/ seemed to me- was fully as unattrac
/ tive to him as for his fellows.
Soon the door opened and in strobe
| Cronfut: handsome. picturesque, with
| his pose of dashing. brave manhood
| which always got the crowds into a
| mood for the frenzy his oratory con
| Jured. Croffut seemed to me to put
| the climax upon this despicable COM
| pany-Croffut, one of the great ora
! tors of the party, adored by the
people that, but for overwhelming SUI
| periority in the state, / should never
| have dared eject him from Office. Since
I elected him he had not spoken to
me- Dominick looked at him, said
in voice that would have fiared even
the warm ashes of manhood into a fu
rious blaze: Go and shake hands
with Senator Sayler, Croffut, and sit
DOWN
Croffut advanced, smiling. II am
fit for my company" thought l as
let him clasp my hand
Better tilt Granby's ghost out OF
that chair, Croffut," said Dominick, as
the ex-senator was seating himself.
And in his animal exuberance of de
light at his joke and at the whole
situation he clapped Roebuck on the
shoulder
Roebuck shrank and WINGED Nor
al humiliation he could shed as ar
armor-plated turret sheds musket
balls. But a physical humiliation, es-
pecially with spectators, sank in and
sank deep. Instantly, alarmed lest
Dominick had seen and understood, he
smiled and said: That's vigorous
arm of yours, Mr.. Dominick."
Not bad for a man of Co." said
Dominick
/ ate because 10 eat was a neces-
sary part of my pose to absolute
calmness; but l had to force down
the food. 1t seemed TO me to en-
body the banquet there set before
my mental appetite. l found | had
no stomach for that banquet. 1t
takes the coarse palate of youth or
the depraved palate of more de-
bauched manboo than mine to en-
JOY such a feast. Yet, less than a
year before, l had enjoyed, had de-
lighted in, a far less strenuous con-
test with these mutineers. As j sat
holding down my gorge and acting
as if 1 were at ease, | suddenly won
dered what Elizabeth Crosby would
think of me if she could see. And
then / saw her, with reality of i'm
agining that startled met was as
hnr
eyes lifted to mine in that slow,
steady. searching gaze of hers.
| suppose if a soldier thrusting his
saber into the bowels of his enemy
on the battlefield were suddenly to
see before him his mother or the
good and gentle wife or daughter
he loved, he would drop the saber and
fly to hide himself like a murderer
So, l. overwhelmed, said to myself:
Il cannot go on! Let these wretches
wallow in their own vileness. ] shall
not wallow with them. / am no
swineherd."
AS | was debating how to escape
and what one of the many other ways
of saving my friends and lieutenants
should adopt, Dominick touched me
cu thC oil lii "a Woia WIN soot SOh-
ator," said he.
He glanced at the others as IL he
were debating whether he should or
'er them from the table while he
liked with me. If he had ordered
they would have gone. But re
trained. perhaps by his crude though
weren't sense of convention, he rose
md led the way over to a corner.
II want to tell you, senator, that
rs soon as l got on to what this
here push was plottin, / wired you
askin' an appointment. You'll find
the telegram at your house when you
80 home. / don't stand for no foulin'.
| play the game straight. / came be-
cause l thought you'd want the party
TO be represented at such a gatherin'."
l saw that he had come to the din
ner doubtful whether any enterprise
against me. promising enough for him
to risk embarking, could be launched;
as soon as | entered the room he,
like the rat when the cat interrupted
the rat-and-mouse convention to dis
cuss belling it, unceremoniously led
the way to safety. But this was not
one of those occasions on which it
is wise to show a man that his lies
do not fool you. Il am glad to hea!
on say these things, Dominick," sal
Il am glad you are loyal to IL
arty.r
You can trust me, senator" said
arnestly.
L can trust your common sense
nd l. And / proceeded to gra
lis lucky chance to get away.
IN leaving" | went on, las soon
se coffee is served l shall look
GU TO send these gentlemen home
proper frame of mind toward Il
arty."
His eyes gIis.ened. Except h.
rowing fortuna. nothing delighte
i'm so much as chance to "roug'
ouse' his eminently respectful
pals" He felt toward them tn
uaint mixture of envy, contempt a.
Z desire TO fight which fills gam
[ sight of fashionably dress
~. He put out his big hand a
ampened mine with it. You c.
mt on me senator. he sa
.tef-llv 'sI'iI trim EN- comb al