The Washington herald., 1909-05-30
LITERARY MAGAZINE

read aloud that Indiana had gone over
whelmingy for Barnes,
ing around la burst OF boyish enthusi-
a%sm % TO- grasp his componlon's hand
~ hope So" he said feryently, in n
tone OF unusual solemnlty; but. my boy
I'm afraid afraid OF what's goin' 10 hap
pen There's only one more state--thls
state--to hear from | don't see what
makes 4 so slow. i means just one
thing--that Ina every booth cverywhere--
they're recounting their ballots"
They stood looking at each other for n
moment. The murmurs from without had
died away, until the ticking of "A little
ormnlu clock, cleaning duly from n
mantel In the office, sounded loud ana
distinct They again looked through the
in the blncknesg OF the vault overhead.
Not 2 star was . IN, IN sight In lhe dome Of
over the city with dread Significance.
knees and supported his chin on both
hands and elbows on tho cold stone ledge.
minutes. ten minutes, nftcen we're checked
Off on the illuminated dial ON the Herald
Building, which appeared like gigantic,
the passionate creatures down below.
Slowly, az IL with reluctance, row OF
characters appeared upon the screen I'm
aim outline were adjusted, and flashed
out IN bold black figures. The green
shaft disappeared. and in It's stead there
hared up the long white streamer. bomb
exploded, telling that the final returns
were in; cluster Of rockets tore up
through the night with shrill screams.
dlssipated themselves I'm clouds Of blue
sparks that In turn died away into float
MY fathers whipped" the officer
groaned hopelessly, getting stihiy TO his
But Tiger Reilly was whispering
hoarsely: My Godl My GodW
rising from below, swelling In volume
until IL became a turmoil Of interminged
shouts groans, curses ana cheers. The
black thing spread out over the square
was swirling and twisting like the torn
eddies of tide-rp In a darkened sea. At
swayed this way and that, with waving
hags and elenchcd lists held aloft, betray-
Ing two Sides to its emotions. Unlike
selves over the record OF elections since
the days when the great Washington ran
for office, there Was no jubiation, no
Tory The bulletin before them told that
by less than two thousand votes the Con-
seryatiye eandidate had been elected; IT
selves were sinister. II was known TO
every man that contest threatened
which might have terrible results As lf
the significance OF such an awful struggle
were being borne In upon them, those
who formed that eddying moving, deadly
than before was upon them.
Clear and distinct through the hush
driven to the utmost revolutions Of speed
AS II lnt DedNthH nhu ODthfu hnu were
lending themselves 20 drown the throat
ened connagra tiOn, great sheets Of cola
penetrating rain fell suddenly from the
clouds above. The crowd, still murmur-
ing hoarsely, still torn 10y conflicting pas
sions. stlll deadly, started for shelter In
a sullen, obstinate way, as IL loath TO
leave it's questions undecided 1t was like
the retreat OF two determined armies,
neither OF which was willing TO relinquish
"A hard-fuught field.
The. voices of a group OF laboring men,
hurrying along beneath the window at
which Tiger Reilly stood with his arm
around the officers shoulders, waited up
In fierce mutterngs. High above, I'm tho
faint reflection of light over the Herald
Building. a huge bronze figure became en-
dowed with life swung It's hammer I'm a
broad arc ana struck a rosounding blow.
Vibrant, decp-toncd and with weird mel
ancholy, the first stroke OF a bell rang
out From the opposite side the other
bronze figure, as II I'm retort, struck forth
an equally sombre sound. II was as II
these two cyclopaean men with huge ham
mers In hand were alternately beating
out the knel OF Il nation while the clock
beneath was registering the time OF its
downfall, ana the people rushing through
the rain-swopt streets were fleeing from
some dread cloud OF calamity that had
suddenly burst above them,
Continued next week.