The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-03-17
Copyright. 1907, by Albert Payson
Terbune All rights reserved.)


his every faculty to Withstand 1t. His
breath was coming hard from his heav-
ing chest, and his head swan with
fatigue and excitement. More than one
heavy blow had reached his face and
body. Then
Clear the way there. youse!' howled
an insane, rnumbling voice. "Lemmc
at i'm! Ill pay i'm for this smashed
jaw!'
The press Immediately in front OF
Give Standish slackencd and the crowd
opened. In It's centre reeled a horri-
BILE figure-blood stained torn OF cloth
ing, raging and distorted OF face, one
hand nursing an unshaven jaw, while
the other hourished revolver.
"Lcmmc at 'im" mumbled the pain.
maddened tough through a hedge OF
splintered teeth. Clear the way or Ill
shoot to clear!"
Then. finding himself directly in front
OF 6tandish the maniac halted and
levelled his weapon.
Something swished through the air
from behind Clives head. A big shape
less object hurtlcd forward and smote
the broken-jawed tough full across the
eyes on the very instant he fired at
point-blank range.
The ball went wild, and surprise at
the odd blow he had received (appa-
rently from nowhere). caused tho
mans pistol to clatter to the ground.
The girl In the box-innocent cause
OF the whole battle-hnd paid hsr debt
TO the man who had imperilled his life
In her defence. She had crouched,
trembling, In tho background watching
the progress of the fray. But as the
Intended murdcrers trigger-finger had
frightened. she had hurled at his face,
with all her frail force. the huge bou-
quet she carried. For once a woman's
aim was uncrring, and thereby a mans
life was saved.
Her act-melodramatic. amazing, UNI
looked-for. eccentric in Its poetic JUS
tive and theatric eifects--sent roar OF
applause from the onlookers, even az
the pistol-shot momcntariiy startled
the group Of ruflans into sanity. Give,
without awaiting the result of the snot
had flung himself upon the little knot
OF toughs who were locked in death-
grip about Ansel
But even as he did so, n cry OF warn
Ing rang from dozen parts OF the big
building.
THE cops! Lights out! The copsw
The hastily-summoned cohort OF blue
coated reserves, pistols and nightsticks
drawn, charged down the centre aisle.
And before their onset the rabble melt
ed like snow in April.
The historic Grafton Opera House
riot was thing Of the p st.
An hour later Give standish sat
j alone in his hotel room Ansel had
just said goodnight to him and LEFT
him to his own miserable reflections.
Now that the excitement was over,
he had time to realize what CHASTITY
failure, from a campaign standpoint,
his Grafton meeting had been. 1t was
the climax of HIS long, unbroken Sc
ries OF failures He was beaten, and
he could no longer force himself to
think otherwise
Heart and mind and pride We're as
sore as the aching, bruised face and
body from which he had so recently
washed the stains OF battle
AT other towns he had scored nothing
worse than failure. Here at Grafton
The Railroader had made the people
look on his young opponent as a cheap
u trickster The very class Give was
working to rescue from Boss mlsrula
would brand him as a charlatan,
Yes, he was beaten. How could a
man hope by clean methods to stand
against such powers as Caleb Conover
The fight had been hard. And now 1t
was over. He had done his best. No
one could have done more. And he had
failed.
The reaction from the violent physi-
cal and mental strain OF the riot was
upon standish. Hope, vitality, even
self-trust were at their very ebb
A knock sounded at the door,
"Come in" he called YEARLY, sup
posing Ansel was coming back for
something he had left.
Thanks. WILL" replied Billy Shev-
lin, siding into the room and closing
the door behind him.
Give stared in blank establishment
at his unexpected visitor The latter
criminal 1aaaant1V ont llmSelt
down, unasked, In chair near the
loor, tucking his derby hat between his
feet,
"Good evening, Mr.. standish," said
Billy. PLEASED to see you again
Same here says YOU" no added, after
an embarrassed little pause which
Give made no move to break.
"What do you want?" asked the can
didate at last.
"Just little gabfest with you
That's ell. II
"You come with message from Mr.