The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1907-05-11

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as if they lived in his own city !!
There was only one answer to that
question and he knew it; and all the
while he had sat there in his chair
before the committee and lifted no
voice in defence of his peoples rights.
On the contrary, he had gone behind
the scenes and dealt oeath-blow to
the good of true and honest men by
acquiescing when it was determined
that because that thing without a
soul or body, the organization, asked
that the bill he passed, therefore it
should be passed.
Next morning Sam got -up more
tired than when he lay down. He
had been fighting a hard battle. And
as soon as he could he went to the
capitol and began a most systematic
canvass of the members as to their.
standing on the bill which had been
haunting him for the past few weeks.
He found that the members were
about equally divided astoi its merits.
From the best information he could
get, the fate of the measure might
turn on one or two votes. 1t made
him sweat to think Of it. He had
thought that perhaps he might rea-
sonably be excused from voting.
That seemed to he out of the question
now.
A few minutes after the house was
called to order that morning, a mes
senger laid letter on his desk.
Breaking the seal check dropped
out. Hurriedly he turned it over
and looked at its face.
Three thousand dollars.
His heart stood still. What did
those words brlug to his mind. Was
it only chance that the sum was ex-
actly that of the mortgage on his
home?
A note came with the check. His
hands trembled bit as he unfolded
the sheet.
".Sam II have been thinking
about the mortgage on your home.
You're too good a man, and Molly is
too good a woman to be harrassed by
debt. Go down and clear the mort.
gage up. Pay me when you feel
like it. Do as say, and do it now.
The Speaker will excuse you for
once. Things will go right along as
usual. We will attend to that. Go,
and come when you and Molly have
had little jollifcation.
THE MAJOR.
Sam glanced at the clock. 1t was
close on to ten. A train left at
quarter past.
A train left
What He, Sam Markham, think
ing of that -? But stop! While he was
gone what could happen? The Major
had said that business would goright
on as usual. Of course he knew that.
He was not fool enough to think that
the wheels of the worlds work would
stop if he went away a little while.
But what particularly would be the
consequence of his failure to be at his
post? Why, the vote on this bill
would be taken, and if he should stay
and vote as he had planned to do, in
the negative, it would be lost. If he
went
Then Sans mind swiftly went
back home. In the vision of that
moment he saw sweet faced woman,
with eyes as pure as the sunshine
and a smile that might keep an an
gel from falling. He saw the shadow
which came over her face when first
she learned Of the mortgage. He
heard once more the cheering words,
"It will come out all right, Sam.
Well save it in little while. Just
be true !"
Then his heart began beating again.
"Dear little Molly % he whispered.
"You're my good spirit /"
He pushed his fingers through his
hair and looked about him with some
thing of defiance in his glance. The
very first person he saw was the Major
sitting just outside the rail where he
could watch every movement of the
young member.
A card was handed to him. It
bore the name of the Major. Sam
dropped the letter and the check into
his desk and went out to meet his
tormentor.
You'll do it?" the Major asked,
leaning across the railing.
Sam answered simply: "Wait and
see p
"I won't wait You must do it,
and do it now! There's no alterna-
tive"
Sans jaws came together, but he
made no reply. Going back to his
seat he took the check out of his desk,
crumpled it up and tore it to shreds.
That was the end of that. Then he
sat and waited.
The clerk was calling the roll on
the franchise bill in the old monoto-
nous way. Sam was conscious that
the chamber was deathly still. The
call was down to the KS. Some were
answering "Aye," some "Nay," as
their names were called.
Markham.
Was that his name?
Markham" again came the call.
It certainly was his name. He must
vote one way or the other.
Slowly he pulled himself to his feet.
Every eye in the room was upon him.
He felt the gaze Of the Major burning
straight through his soul. His face
was white, but clear light shone in
his eyes.
"Mr. Speaker" he began camly,
"I ask to be excused from voting and
will briefly explain why"
This was the only way he could
have gained the floor while vote
was in progress. 1t was in order for
member at any time to ask to be
excused from voting. Under covei
of this request he might speak his