The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1913-09-13


At times some politician would come
with a scared face and inquire about
the colonel. and the doctor always de-
manded news OF the battle. before he
answered the questions The reports
brought by the politicians were not
encouraging, and they hurried outside
again. Their visits, IN the afternoon
waned, became fewer. Even Mosely
and Garwood had been glad OF the eX-
citing excuse offered by the First dis
trict convention in Italia hall down
Clark street to escape from the shad-
owed headquarters. At o'clock
no one had been there for an hour
save some sympathetic bell-boys and
porters from downstairs, and Carroll.
| of course-he came every half hour
| from the convention, disheveled.
/ bathed in perspiration. his eyes burn
/ ing with excitement and suspense.
/ Foerder would not allow him TO see
the colonel, who lay behind the white
door, his eyes half closed, too weak
any longer to whisper.
| At o'clock the reporters came, and
| Doctor Foerder, as they put 1t, issued
bulletin.
He's alive" the doctor said, pulse
100 to 124. respiration % to &c, tenn
perature 9S. His remarkable nerve
alone sustains him. He's making the
most magnificent fight | ever saw in
all my life-have you heard anything
from the convention"
They're all over but. the one IN
the First district" one Of the report
ers said, while they scrubbed down
the physicians figures. 1T all depends
now upon what that does. It's the
worst fight ever known in Chicago.
They say Warren has spent twenty
five thousand today"
Does it look as If he could be
elected therein the First, you
know"
The reporters smiled and winked
one at another.
The colonel lay like one asleep, I'M
til far along in the evening. Once or
twice he opened his eyes and looked
! an inquiry into the doctors eyes, but
Foerder could only shake his head
And once or twice he muttered some
; thing about Baldwin, and was trou-
, bled that they could not understand.
r Then he sank into a state of coma,
, and the news for which all were wait
: ing would not come.
Doctor Foerder was forever glanc-
ing at his watch and asking Lambert
{ how he thought the First district
1 convention would turn out Lambert
had no idea.
1 Il hope we'll win," Foerder would
J, say. Finally he sent Lambert down
: for news. Lambert hurried back
D They had taken forty-six ballots, ne
/ said, and the vote was tied. AT ten
i o'clock Doctor Foerder examined the
: colonel again, examined his eyes, his
e finger-nails, drummed on his chest
e listened to his heart.
You're magnificent" he could MOI
q refrain from whispering, but his pa
d tient did not answer or look. or ever
e smile this time. He was growing yer!
= weak. His breathing was faint. he In
n hailed the air through livid lips. III
did not arouse lIOLu ulS StuPoi'
Ii Doctor Foerder got very impatient
I'VE can't wait much longer" he said
4 Its all we can do, now" said Lam
h bert.
% Foerder went outside. The ante
if room was deserted. The politician
;. came no more. He would sit dowr
~ then instantly get up, walk back an
70 forth: his eyebrows knitting in nj
is scowl, his lips twitching in that mirtf
20 less smile. And he smoked cigarett
"a after cigarette. He did this for a
to hour
20 Along toward midnight he heard
In stem. Flying to the door, he saw Cal
roll. dragging down the hall with tn
4 step of defeat and exhaustion. IN
bov's hair was matted under his ha
"A his eyes were dull, sunken, black a
in night.
n. Licked" he said, waving his hand
of with a gesture of despair. as II tn
"A world had come to an end Foerde
&c went inside. leaving Carroll to sin
no into the first chair. But a momer
10 later the physician opened the whit
no door. and beckoned with his hea'
"a The motion was conclusive. final. II
N held the door ajar. and Carroll el
49, tered. The useless drugs had bee
no pushed aside. The room was nile
~ with the strange silence, the odor
49, death. Lambert stood at the WI
on dow. looking out into the darkness
81 The nurse stood by the bed. waitir
TO perform her last Office for the d
ing man.
Carroll timidly approached ar
l., looked down at the long form, scare
-. ly outlined by the sheet, at the rig
head. at the great. waxen brow. at Il
ro- little blue spheres formed by u
- closed eyelids. at the mouth slight
omen beneath the white mustacl
with its tinge Of yellow. Doct
J. Foerder was pressing his fingers
- the colonel's wrist. The breathing hi
'n' lost all human quality, 1t was but
~ series Of automatic gasps, which.
' seemed. would never end Final
they grew shorter, at last they cease
there was one faint inspiration, al
Doctor Foerder. laying the thin o
hand down upon the coloners brea'
- said:
ITS all over"
There was silence for whole mi
ute Then Doctor Lambert tossed
.ho u,;pdov and Carroll heard In [