The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1913-07-28
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Hennessey held the bag out toward

! Hennessey held the bag out toward
the secretary Of state.
J No" said Jennings. who was pour
ing himself q drink, give 1t to the
I gineral."
The attorney general took the bag
and opened It. Inside were four big
bundles Of bank bills. He lifted them
out Each bundle was composed Of
ten smaller packages. held by rubber
bands, and each package was bound
with a pink paper strap neatly pinned
and marked five hundred" He
counted and replaced the packages In
the bag. Then taking his coat and
hat, he turned to Jennings and said:
We'll. let's be gone"
The secretary Of state rolled his
head toward the attorney general.
waved his long arm and tapped his
hand fn.like at him, and said:
We'll wait here. Mike and me. You
won't need us"
The clock in the hall OF the execu-
tive mansion had struck the half.hour
after midnight, and the governor was
descending the stairs in a gray bath.
robe and slippers. The old house
was dark and still. Even the room oc.
cupied by Gilman. who should. at that
hour. have been reading the maya.
zines In bed. showed no light. The
governor. softly treading. entered the
library. The last embers Of the FIRE
were smoldering. The governor light.
ed the lamp. and In the circle Of soft
light It spread on the library table. he
bent over a book. his glasses on his
nose, their cord hanging down into
his lap. 1t was not The Thoughts Of
Marcus Aurelius. 1t was the second
volume Of The Revised Statutes Of Hi.
nois, stupid work which many men
consult. laboriously, far Into the night.
He softly rustled over the leaves un.
I'll he found chapter one hundred and
thirty. He ran his finger down the
pages till It stopped at section six.
,teen. And then he read very slowly:
I'm case of the death OF the treasurer,
1t shall be the duty of such governor
ito take possession OF the Office OF such
treasurer and cause the vaults there.
rof to be closed and securely locked,
land so remain until" He read the
words again. and again third time,
and yet again.
! He closed the book. put out the
lamp and slowly felt his way back up
THE stairs.
I. Ten minutes later he descended
again. and cropping in the hall, drew
Ia greatcoat over his broad shoulders
covered his head with the SLOUGH hat
he wore when he went down into
southern Illinois. and let himself out
'of the wide front door. The asphalt
driveway that filings its long curve
through the grounds Of the guberna'
.torial residence from Fifth street to
Fourth, cleaned like the surface OF q
river at night. The rain no longer fell
but the trees dripped dismally. Across
the low night sky black clouds were
!nying. The governor walked down the
driveway to the big iron gates a,
Fourth street, whose watered surface
Jas far as he could see, wavered under
:the electric lights at the crossings
THE governor turned at Jackson
street and walked down the sleeping
little avenue toward Second street
Below a low brown house trickling Its
leaves behind two sentinel cedars. he
walk. and pulled the white bell.knob
THE bell tangled harshly upon the
sleeping stiffness. The jangling trem
bled away. He rang again. There
twas a reluctant stir within and q
voice. scared woman's voice, said:
Who's there?"
1.-THE governor" he responded. '1s
Mr.. Mendenhall at homer"
!, mo. sir; he hasn't got In yet"
The governor strobe on into Second
street. past the residence OF the
bishop OF Springfield. standing behind
white pillars deep in Its naked grove
past St. Agatha's seminary sleeping In
| fits gloom. until he reached the state
house. The brooding building doomed
above him. dark and dour, heaving
its great gray dome into the grim
night. Huge granite pillars lifted
themselves above him. he was lost II
the shades Of the left portico. He
unlocked and pushed open the heavy
door. The great marble corridors
were dark and echoed TO the touch
OF his heel upon the stones. In the
wide rotunda, under the enormous
dome. thick with billowing gloom, g
}an'tor. the peoples solitary nigh
watch. slept profoundly In his chair
his mouth open. his white beard upon
his breast, His gossips had departed
Their deserted chairs stood aimlessly
about. He had finished the nightly re
cital OF the strenuous part he had
borne In the great rebellion. and be
slambered. his sRores eehoiRg In the
monstrous inverted bowl above him
The governor assembled to the fool
above. and turned down the north
corridor. A golden bar Of light was
thrown across the marble floor. II
streamed from the open door Of the
state treasury. The governor quick
ened his steps. He heard the luage Of
huge bolts as they were tumbled
home. He heard the dull spin OF q
combination lock. and as be reached