Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1913-08-02

The two men did not reply. and the
governor spoke again.
Under the law. gentlemen" he
said, the duty devolves upon me of
closing and iocki~s the treasury and
temporarily assuming possession OF
it,"
stu the men did not reply. The
tissues Of Grigsby's face had become
haccid. and a greenish shade had
overspread them. His eyes had con
tracted to sharp points under angry
brows. The governor scrutinized the
TWO men closely as he advanced and
SAID, speaking in calm tone:
And so. If you gentlemen have con
cluded your business pauSed-"I
snail proceed to the executan of that
duty"
! am, he added a moment after
ward, perhaps fortunate in finding
you here. Mr.. MendenhaU. You may
be able to assist me"
lie drew toward them. and they
stood aside. He entered the vaults
where a gasjct glmmered. It's light
gllnting on the nickelplated knobs of
the great steel doors. He tried the
doors. They We're locked. He re.
manned an instant in thought. and
then took from his pocket a stick OF
red sealing wax. He hesitated an.
other instant.
No" he said the great seal could
not be utilized"
Inc great seal of state OF the state
or Illinois. though it has a political
history. is nevertheless. physically
but a huge overgrown seal such as no
tarles public use in their little bust
nesses. And In Illinois the governor
mas no privy seal as he has in
some commonwealths The governor
warmed the sealing wax in the gas Jet
that blazed beside him In the vault
when IT began to melt he dribbled
and daubed its softened surface drop
by drop, on the combination of the
huge safe. as girl would seal a let.
ter. When he had quite covered the
lock with the molten wax. he sealed
1t with the seal ring he wore on his
left hand, a ring which bore the coat.
of-arms OF colonial governor. The
midnight secret of those two men.
whatever 1t 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 tiny star blinked
In the vault. and came out. and swung
together the big steel gates that
clanked like prison bars. their locks
swapping automatically.
lie returned to the outer door of the
department and placed his hand upon
the knob.
Gentlemen" he said tremendously,
Il await your pleasure"
He bent his gaze full upon William
Grigsby, and that little man. throwing
back his head with something like de-
tiance. 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 1T
tie man and Mendenhall swept out
before him. And then he drew the big
walnut door to.
Standing ont in the corridor Grigsby
waited. and as he stood and waited.
he fumbled in the outer pocket of his
overcoat Suddenly he drew forth his
hand. His face had turned white. the
white OF fsh's belly.
AS the governor drew the big wal
nut door Ito. and as it swung behind
him, it pushed before 1t, scraping
with the peevish voice OF a ratchet
along the matted floor, a piece OF
crumbled paper. Grigsby. who had
turned toward Mendenhall 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 iingling bunch of keys from his
pocket and locked the door. Grigsby's
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 1t up. He
smoothed 1t out in his fingers, and
slowly adjusted his glasses. BY the
dim light that always burns at night
Just outside the door of the state
treasury he read 1t. Then he placed ii
In the pocket of his overcoat He
kept his hand upon it. The blue of
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 the rotunda. past the slumber
ing janitor whose snores ascended and
exploded in the east corridor and so
put into the darkness. They walked
together down the wide stone walk,
he stone walk as wide as a street.
hat sweeps. with strip of sward
down It's middle, across the state
house lawns To CaDitOl avenue The