The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1913-08-02

| hciduu, Tue "luuOWs Oh WHICH looked
down on Sixth street, a short. fat man
was pacing the floor.
He'll" he would say, why the
devil doesn't he comet"
The little man was William Grigsby
and he was the encouragement of the
state of Illinois. He had come down
from the 10 Daviess hills, to serve a
term in the house, and been nominated
for the Office he now held by the gov.
ernor. John Chatham. John Chatham
was his political creator, and the two
men had once been friends. The ad.
ministration had begun tremendously
enough, but before two of the four
years Of its political life had expired
there was a split, and factions had
formed. There had been a fierce fight
for the control of the state central
committee that year, and the struggle
had been carried into the state conven.
ton, which nominated a state treas.
urer, superintendent of public in.
struction. and trustees Of the univer'
sity of Illinois. In one faction were
the governor, the auditor of public &C
counts, and, Of course, his appointees
the acknowledgement, the railroad and
warehouse commissioners and the
trustees Of the state institutions. In
the other were the encouragement
and the secretary of state, Jennings
Lockhart, the state treasurer. had
been neutral. He was everybody S
friend
And now Grigsby was an avowed
candidate for governor, in opposition
to his old friend, John Chatham. the
man who had made him.
The Encouragement continued to
smoke and pace the floor, and swear
After a while he consulted his watch
again, and then gave the old-fashioned
brass bell-pull a vigorous jerk. Pres.
emily a negro boy came bearing a pre-,
sumptive pitcher of water, the tinkling
of the ice heralding his approach. The
encouragement would have welcomed
ice water in the morning, but now he
seized it from the black boys hand
set it down with a splash on his wash.
stand, and shouted:
go and tell Jim to mix me a com
modore."
Just as the boy reached the door. il
opened. and a tall man entered. The
tall man seeing the boy, looked at
Grigsby.
"Whatll you have, HANK" said the
encouragement.
"A little whisky"
Bring Mr.. Jennings some whisky,
ordered the encouragement.
Bourbon, boy" added Mr.. Jennings
The boy withdrew
The encouragement paused before
the fire. and looked up into the face
of the secretary of state.
We'll, Hank" be said, 81 began to
fear you hadn't got my message
Heard the news?"
What news?"
why" replied the encouragement
haven't you heard? Jim Lockhart's
dead"
THE hell he Isl" responded Jen
nings. II hadn't heerd airy word
When'd he die?"
This afternoon"
Sudden"
Rather"
What was ailin' of him."
The attorney general smiled, a pecu
liar. mirthless smile.
! The secretary Of state ceased to
rock.
you don't reckon now"
That's it, exactly"
81 didn't know it'd got that bad
What'd they give out fer the cause?
"Oh, heart failure, ] suppose"
Beats hell, don't it,"
! The secretary of state was silent
Presently he spoke again in an alb
stracted way:
We'll, Jim as a devil of good fell
Ter: as good as you'd meet up 18th in a
coons age An l reckon when II
come to a showdown. he as our
friend. II the boys 'p'ints an investi'
gatin' committee-Jim as alays lee
tie too free 18th the stuff"
Hank, / didn't send for you to.
night to hold memorial services over
Jim Lockhart There's something more
important than that-theres some
thing damned important; and it con
Germs me-"
Your"
YES, me. I'm in this thing just
twenty thousand dollars"
1.-THE hell you are!"
"Just-twenty-tho usand-dollars."
Grigsby sank, into a chair.
Borrowed" asked Jennings.
yes"
public funds?"
"Well-I don't know. Course"
Jim Lockhart didn't have no pri.
vate fortune-'ithout it as the in
trust"
well. suppose 1t was"
"An'thin' to show fer it?'
81 gave him three notes-one for
ten. two for five thousand each"
well. you're a bigger damn fool
than | gave you credit fer bein'."
The attorney-general. clutching his
fingers into his hair. rested his elbows
on his short knees, and bowed his
head. "And with the governorship
Just in plain sight, too" he groaned.
We'll. it wasn't so damn plain" said
Jennings.
Then as his eye rested on the man
bowed beside him, the sweat trickling
down his sallow face. something in
the droop Of the figure touched chord