The Sauk Centre herald., 1909-05-13

| sodes during the heat of the cam
paign;; but Newcomb knew how and
when to laugh. He answered oues-
tions from the platform, and the ILL
hammered were invariably put to rout
by his good-natured wit Once they
hoisted him on top of a bar in an OBJ
scure saloon. His shoulders touched
the gloomy ceiling, and he was forced
to address the habitues, with his head
bent like turtles, his nose and eyes
offended by the heat and reek Of kero-
sene and cheap tobacco. They had
brought him there to bait him; they
! carried him out on their shoulders. To
those who wanted facts he gave facts;
to some he told humorous stories,
more or less applicable; and to others
he spoke his sincere convictions.
Meantime Willard took hold of af-
fairs. but in bored fashion. He did
the best he knew how, but 1t wasn't
the best that wins high place in the
affections of the people.
The betting was even.
Election day came round finally-
one of those rare days when the pallid
| ghost Of summer returns to view her
past victories, when the broad wings
of the west go a-winnowing the skies,
and the sun shines warm and grateful.
On that morning a change took place
/ in Newcomb's heart. He became filled
with dread. After leaving the voting
polls early in the morning, he returned
to his home and refused to see any
one. He even had the telephone wires
cut. Only his mother saw him, and
hovered about him with q thousand
kindly attentions. At the door she
became a veritable dragon: not even
telegraph messengers could pass her
or escape her vigilance.
At six in the evening Newcomb or
dered around his horse. He mounted
and rode away into the hill country
south Of the city, into the cold crisp
autumn air. There was fever in his
veins that needed cooling; there were
doubts and fears in his mind that
needed clearing. He wanted that
sense Of physical exhaustion which
makes q man Indifferent to mental
blows.
The day passed and the night came
Election night! The noisy, good-na-
tured crowds in the streets, the jost-
ling, snail-moving crowds! The illum-
mated canvas-sheets in front of the
horns, the cries, the yells, the boots
and hurrahs! The petty street fights!
The stalled surface cars, the swearing
cabbies, the venders of horns and
whistles, the newsboys hawking their
extras! 1t is the greatest of all spec
tacular nights; humanity comes out
into the open.
The newspaper Offices were yellow
with lights. 1t was busy time.
There was a continuous coming and
going of messengers, bringing in re-
turns. The newspaper men took of
their coats and rolled up their sleeves.
Figures, figures, thousands of figures.
to sift and resift! Filtering through
the various noises was the maddening
click of the telegraph instruments.
Great drifts of waste paper Uttered
the floors. A sandwich man served
coffee and sandwiches. The chief dis
tributed cigars. Everybody was writ
ing. Five men were sent out to hunt
for Newcomb, but none could find him
His mother refused to state where he
had gone; in fact, she knew nothing
save that he had gone horseback rid
ing.
At nine there was gathering at the
club. willard was there, and all who
had charge of the wheels within
wheels. They had ensconced them
selves in the huge davenports in the
bow window facing the street, and
had given orders to the steward to
charge everything to Senator Gordon.
A fabulous number of corks were
pulled; but gentlemen are always or
| derly.
Willard, however, seemed any
thing but happy. He had dined at the
senator's that evening, and something
had taken place there which the gen.
eral public would never learn He
was gloomy, and the wine he drank
only added to his gloom.
The younger element began to wan
der in, carrying those execrable
rooster-posters. A gay time ensued
Newcomb had ridden IL miles into
the country. At eight o'clock the tenn
perature changed and it began to
snow. He turned and rode back to-
ward the city, toward victory or de-
feat. Sometimes he went at canter,
sometimes at trot. By and by he
could see the aureola from the electric
lights wavering above the city. Once
he struck a wind-match and glanced
at his watch. Had he lost or won?
A whimsical inspiration came to him.
He determined to hear victory or de-
feat from the lips of the girl he loved
The snow fell softly into his face and
melted. His hair became matted
over his eyes; his gauntlets dripped
and the reins became slippery; a
| steam rose from the horses body, a
big-hearted hunter on which he had
ridden many mile.
Good boy!" said Newcomb; we'll
have it from her lips"
Finally he struck the asphalt of the
city limits, and he slowed down to
walk. He turned into obscure streets.