Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1913-08-16

Copyright BY The Bobbs- Merrill Company

D
| guish the words in which he bawled
his tidings. and she thought nothing OF
II. One OF Jimmy's few rules was that
she was not to read the papers. But,
when the heavy voice was gone, she
found that 1t had had a strange. de-
pressing effect upon her; she longed
for Jimmy TO come; the day had
dragged itself by so slowly, and some
thing of It's somberness had stolen
into her soul. She sighed, and leaned
her chin on her arm; her back was
growing tired, and beginning to ache.
Then suddenly she heard horses hoofs
and the roll of carriage in the street
She rose and leaned far out of the
window to welcome him. The cab
drew up: it stopped; the door opened.
But the man who got out was not
Jimmy. 1t was Father Daugherty.
She knew him the instant she saw the
fuzzy old high hat thrust out Of the
cab, and caught the greenish sheen of
the shabby cassock that stood away
from the fringe Of white hair on his
neck in such an ill-fitting, ill-becoming
fashion. The old man did not look
up, but tottered across the sidewalk
Annie gasped, and scarce could
move. In a moment more she heard
the old steps on the stairs. the steps
that for forty years had gone on so
many errands for others. kind and
merciful errands all of them, though
for the most part sad. He was soon
beside her, and she looked up into the
gentle face that was so full of the
woes of humanity. He had driven at
once from the hospital in the cab they
had sent to fetch him. Jimmy's last
words had been:
What will become of Annie?"
The death of Alderman Jimmy Tier
nan at any time would have been a
shock. When death came to him by
a pistol ball it created what the news
papers. in the columns they were so
glad to fill that Monday morning. de-
fined as a profound sensation. This
sensation was most profound in two
circles in the city, outwardly uncon-
nected, though bound by ties which II
was the constant and earnest enort
of both to keep secret and unknown
The city council had had a special
session on Saturday night, and had
passed the new gas franchise Alder
man Tiernan had had charge of the
fight. Malachi Nolan was away, and
Baldwin had picked out Tiernan as
hn hu nd IF
those of the gang who were left be-
hind. Jimmy had felt the compliment,
and gloried in it. 1t was the biggest
thing that had fallen to him in his
political life, and he was determined
that he would make all there was to
be made out of the opportunity. Not
in any base or sordid sense-that is.
not wholly so; that would come, of
course, but he felt beyond this a Joy
in his work; the satisfaction of mere
success would be his chief reward, the
glory and the professional pride he
would feel. He relished the fight
against the newspapers, against pub
lie opinion" whatever that was;
against the element that called itself
the better" element
He was fully determined that no
step should be misplaced; he count.
ed his men over and over again; he
checked them off mentally, and II all
turned out as he had said. Every one
was present, every one voted, and vot-
ed right" when the roll was called;
the new gas franchise was granted;
Jimmy had delivered the goods.
1t was natural that such glorious
victory should be celebrated and the
gang, when it assembled in Jimmy's
place, Immediately after the session
was over, could not restrain it's impa-
tience. The boys longed to have the
fruits of the days work; with their
wages they could celebrate with glad,
care-free hearts. But Jimmy was Of
Gaelic cunning. He would not jeopar-
die the victory at that stage by any
indiscretion. He saw at glance the
mood the gang was in. He smiled, as
he always smiled-and any one, to see
his smile, must have loved him-but
he shook his head.
THE drinks in you, boys" he said.
"and you can't trust your tongues.
You'll have to wait Monday night
you'll be over. Then well talk bust
ness"
Subconsciously, they still were so
Der; in a strange dual mentality they
saw the safety there was in his de-
cision; and, in the paralysis Of will
his magnetism worked in them, they
loved him the more for It. They re-
membered that 1t was just what Mala-
chi would have done. And SO. noisy
and excited as they were, they ap-
plauded his sagacity. Then they gave
themselves over unreservedly to their
appetites. II was a famous night in
the annals of the gang. Jimmy him
self Joined in the revelry. And in the
calm, silent Sunday morning. with the
new sunlight of spring glazing in his
swollen, aching eyes, he found him
self, with companion, In Clark
street chop house. Just as they were
going to order breakfast, a young man
came In, with black look in his eyes.
No one saw 1t then, though they all
remembered 1t afterward Jimmy
greeted him as gayly as he greeted
everybody, but the young man did not