The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1913-07-28

tracted to sharp points under angry
brows. The governor scrutiniEed tho
two men closely as he advanced. and
said. speaking in q calm tone:
And SO. II you gentlemen have con.
cluded your business"-he paused-"I
shall proceed 10 the execution OF that
duty"
II am" he added. a moment after.
ward. perhaps fortunate in finding
you here, Mr.. Mendenhall. You may
be able to assist me-"
He drew toward them. and they
stood aside. He entered the vaults
where a gas;jet glImmered, It's light
glinting on the nickelplated knobs Of
the great steel doors. He tried the
doors. They were locked He re-
manned an instant In thought, and
then took from his pocket stick OF
red sealing wax. He hesitated an.
other instant.
No" he said; "the great seal could
mot be utilized"
The great seal Of state OF the state
of Illinois. though It has political
history. is nevertheless. physically.
but huge overgrown seal such as no.
taries public use in their little bust.
nesses. And In Illinois the governor
has no privy seal as he has In
some commonwealth. The governor
warmed the sealing wax In the gas Jet
that h1ayad hasida htn, In ,ho ,,,,t
When 1t began to melt he dribbled
and danbed its softened surface. drop
by drop, on the combination OF the
huge safe, as girl would seal a let
tier. When he had quite covered the
lock with the molten wax. he sealed
1t with the seal ring he wore on his
left hand, ring which bore the Soat.
ofarms OF colonial governor. The
midnight secret OF those two men.
whatever It might be, was either safe
with them or more safely still, sealed
with other secrets behind those mas.
sive doors. And then he turned the
gas down until only a tiny star blnked
In the vault. and came out, and swung
together the big steel gates that
clanked like prison bars. their locks
swapping automatically.
He returned to the outer door Of the
department and placed his hand upon
the knob.
|. Gentlemen" he said tremendously,
II await your pleasure"
He bent his gaze full upon William
,Grigsby, and that little man. throwing
back his head with something like de-
fiance. strobe on his short legs out Of
the high.ceiled room. and Mendenhall
followed him, but meekly. As they
filed past, Grigsby, with face upturned.
face that now in anger had taken
on the blue tinge Of butchered beef,
drew his hands from his overcoat
pocket and clasped them behind his
back. The governor bowed as the lit.
tile man and Mendenhall swept out
before him. And then he drew the big
/ walnut door to.
Standing out In the corridor Grigsby
waited. and as he stood and waited
he fumbled In the outer pocket Of his
! Iovercoat. Suddenly he drew forth his
hand. His face had turned white, the
white Of a fishs belly.
As the governor drew the big wal
nut door 10. and as It swung behind
him. II pushed before It, scraping
with the peevish voice OF q ratchet
along the matted floor. piece OF
,crumbled paper. Grigsby. who had
turned toward MendenhaH with a look
OF deaths despair. saw 1t, and started,
a faint ray Of hope beamIng in his
eye. But the paper lay under the gov.
ernor's feet.
The governor closed the doors.
"You may lock them, Mr.. Menden-
hail." he said.
The assistant state treasurer drew
a jingling bunch Of keys from his
pocket and locked the door. Grigsby q
eyes were fastened on the paper at the
governors feet His heart was swell.
Ing in his throat. His fingers were
twitching, and he was sweating like
"a stoker. At Mendenhall's approach
the governor placed his foot upon the
paper. When Mendenhall had done
the governor picked It up. He
smoothed 1t out In his fingers. and
slowly adjusted his glasses. BY the
dim light that always burns at nigh,
Just outside the door Of the state
treasury he read It. Then he placed II
In the pocket OF his overcoat. He
kept his hand upon It The blue oil
Grigsby's face deepened.
The three men went down the
stairs, the governor standing aside at
the top to let them precede him. They
crossed tie rotunda. past the slumber,
Ing janitor whose shores assembled and
exploded in the east corridor and so
out into the darkness, They walked
together down the wide stone walk,
the stone walk as wide as a street,
that sweeps. with a strip OF sward
down its middle. across the state
house lawns to Capitol avenue. The
governor did not turn up Second
street by the way he had come. He
kept on with his two companions, and
fan three were silent. Not a word
had any one Of them spoken. They
were drowned In thought. II matters
not Of what the assistant state treas.