Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-07-23

CrOHutj nanuSome, picturesque, Wltn 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 ejected him he had not spoken to me. Dominick looked at him, said in a voice that would have flared even the warm ashes of manhood into fu- rious blaze: GO and shake hands with Senator Sayler, Croffut, and sit down." ..t
 Croffut advanced. smiling. q 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 winced. Nor al humiliation he could shed as an 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 a vigorous arm of yours, MT. Dominick."
 Not bad for man of 60." said Dominick.
 I ate because to eat was neces- sary part of my pose to absolute calmness; but I had to force down the food. It seemed to me to em- body the banquet there set before my mental appetite. l found had no stomach for that banquet. It takes the coarse palate of youth or the depraved palate of more de- bauched manhood than mine to en- joy such a feast. Yet, less than a year before, I had enjoyed, had de- lighted in, a far less strenuous con- test with these mutineers. AS l sat holding down my gorge and acting as if l were at ease, 1 suddenly won dered what Elizabeth Crosby would think of me if she could see. And then I saw her, with reality of i'm agining that startled melt was as if she were in the doorway; and her eyes lifted to mine in that slow, steady, searching gaze of hers
 suppose if 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, I, overwhelmed. said to myself: q cannot go on! Let these wretches wallow in their own vileness. Ishall not wallow with them. l am no swineherd!"
 As I was debating how to escape and what one of the many other ways of saving my friends and lieutenants I should adopt, Dominick touched me on the arm. "A word with you, sen ator," said he.
 He glanced at the others as if he were debating whether he should or der them from the table while he talked with me. If he had ordered it, they would have gone. But re- strained. perhaps by his crude though reverent sense of convention, he rose and led the way over to corner.
 T want to tell you, senator. that as soon as got on to what this here push was plottin', I wired you askin' an appointment. You'll find the telegram at your house when you go home. I don't stand for no foulin' l play the game straight. I came be- cause l thought you'd want the party to be represented at such a gatherin'. |" I 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; i; as soon as I 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 1t is wise to show a man that his lies do not fool you. T am glad to hear