The Washington herald., 1909-05-30

Good Lord" he whispered, dropping
bnck into his chair
But the captain could not fathom this
What does It mcnny' he asked.
"Meau2 Mean? Can't you see| the
tiontly, he continued mo don't s'pose
you can. You've boen away where you
We're ont of touch, so I,il have TO tel
afraid IL means"
lie stopped long enough TO point n
finger ont through the window, where a
white aud green light were now dash
ing together showing that the vote thus
faf oon was practically tie .nan,.. noo,
10 neck" lie leaned over and jotted
down some additional figures, then
swung around untl in the darkness OF
white and severe In the reflected light
from the square below.
years, this country's been doddlng along
With all sorts OF people, ana all sorts OF
NJ their muscles for a light TO hni ish
They've had seasons OF graft, times when
the trusts tried TO throttle them, race-
disputes tarin rows. Immigration wran-
glcs-and, biggest OF all, labor-disputes.
These men have all had parties OF their
own They haven't tangled mp in earnest
before ana jumped out M the tap OF
the gong, because they've been all slot
TO pieces ana no one party has hoen big
had safety-yalves In the way OF social.
ist parties, labor parties prohibition tick
cts, lndependcnt tckCts Qnd the TWO Dlg
old stand.bys conservative and liberal
They've all had questions which nobody
could decide The laboring man has felt
conditions were getting worse ana worse (;
ana the capitalists have thought they're
gcttln the measly end OF the tally sheet
They couldn't even agree on how this
ana pay It's bills. which It's got TO do
because It's just like man runnin his
the tariff and part OF 'em Kicked for
H. Then, they got sore. Nobody Knows
hoyw II happened, bnt ta9eey. al woke up
nal, we've hddled along ON these things
long enough, aud hore's whore Wen join
hands and put the klbosh ON this business
Just two parties and two platforms out
here tonight. and every man jack that
In for what the wise guys call an alb
straCt proposition hut for himself. It
was his day. Ills day, ] say, His vote.
lie himself was the man behind the gun.
and ne didn't aud he won't. stand any
monkey business. DO Syou get what ]
mennT His voice had risen as he went
on, and his face had gone forward until
bis square-set jaw was thrust out almost
Tor the first time the full gravity of
the situation dawDed upon the listening
officer.
You mean ne said 'thnt where
mems personal interests are so completely
east on an issue as now, an election be
comes Of the most terrific personal Inn
pCrtonce"
Eyes. But that isn't all" Tiger"
Reilly jumped TO his feet, and gesticu-
lated toward the window where the two
lights were still thrust aloft together.
Now his hand was clenched. means
that, If at midnight them two lights are
still there and the decision afterward
isn't mighty plain, these men down be
low" his hand opened and waved
trembling sweeping gesture, over the 81
lent crowd--"these men will fight 10 the
death, by Cod 20 the death, l say! This
cOuntry's In moro serious condition
here, now, tonight--than It's ever been
In since lot OF farmers ran down the
road at Lexington and fired back at red
coats who were trying TO keep 'cm from
havin' country OF their own Here,
HoW-down there below us-are two bodies
OF men, determined, absolutely sure they
arc right and damned good and ready
to fight for what they believe Is their in
dependence. And that isn't nlli Wherever
there's a bulletin board I'm the United
states, there's the same kind Of crowd
II OR long time, the Judge said no more
Il and the oflcor Forgetting his own
woes or what personal interests he had
at stake, sat by his mentors side, walt
as one after another, cold, white ana In
cNornble as fate, they told their stories on
tho screen. Now IL was the green and
now the white SHAFT OF light that chron
sides Sometimes, for many minutes,
they held themselves aloft until to the
strained eyes they appeared giant oppo-
nonts waiting TO clash together I'm de-
packed Itself more closely and the police
men. who had boon valnly striving 20
keep an open pathway, abandoned the
task. The clangor Of slow-movlng cars
.-cverythlng had stopped, 1t seemed as
II the whole world, silent. hreathless,
tense, were waiting for the judgment.
CLOSE toward the cud-close toward