The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-04-30

h1Dlt IN desperate straits, thereby
winning credit for cool courage.
We're a merry company" said I.
as we sat This, with a glance at
Dominick heaving in the subsiding
storm of his mirth. My remark set
him off again. I glanced at his place
to see if he had abandoned his for
mer infexible 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 it
seemed TO me, was fully as unattrac-
tive to him as for his fellows.
Soon the door opened and in strobe
Croffut; 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 despfcable 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
| elected him he had not spoken to
me. Dominick looked at him, said
in voice that would have fared 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. 81 am
fit for my company" thought I as I
let him clasp my hand.
Better tilt Granbys 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 an
armor-plated turret sheds musket
balls. But 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, Mr. Dominick"
mot bad for a man of co." said
Dominick
/ ate because to eat was a neces-
sary part of my pose to absolute
calmness; but 1 had to force down
the food. 1t seemed to me to en-
body the banquet there set before
my mental appetite. 1 found l had
no stomach for that banquet It
takes the coarse palate of youth or
the depraved palate of a more de-
bauched manhood than mine to en-
Joy such feast. Yet, less than
year before, l had enjoyed, had de-
lighted in, far less strenuous con-
test with these mutineers. As 1 sat
as If l were at ease, l suddenly won
dered what Elizabeth Crosby would
think of me if she could see. And
then l saw her, with a reality of i'm
agining that startled met was as
if she were in the doorway; and her
eyes lifted to mine in that slow,
steady, searching gaze Of hers.
I 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, /, overwhelmed, said to myself:
II cannot go on! Let these wretches
wallow in their own vileness. l shall
not wallow with them. 1 am no
swineherd!"
AS I was debating how to escape
and what one of the many other ways
of saving my friends and heutenants
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 a corner.
81 want to tell you, senator, that
as soon as I got on to what this
here push was plottin', l wired you
askin' an appointment. You'll find
the telegram at your house when you
/ go home. l don't stand for no foulin'.
1 play the game straight. l came be-
cause I thought you'd want the party
to be represented at such a gatherin' 4"
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; ;
1 as soon as l 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. 81 am glad to hear
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