The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1913-07-29
zan. HIs slear eye. Nere .tllmy ri.h

disappointment
HE votes for John W. Underwood.
iMisther Chairman" said Nolan com
lplacently. The vote was unchanged.
The chairman ordered another ballot.
And then. all at once. as II q breath
from a sanded desert had blown into
the room. Underwood was sensible OF
a change in the atmosphere. The air
was perhaps no hotter than II had
been for hours at the close OF that
sitting day. no bluer with tobacco
smoke. no heavier with the smell
borne in from Clark street on bet
winds that had started cool and fresh
from. the lake four blocks away. q
smell compounded OF many smells. the
smell ascending from foul and dark
cellars beneath the sidewalk. the
smell OF stale beer. the ammoniac
smell OF filthy pavements. mingled
with the feculence Of unclean bodies
that had sweated for hours in the vi.
tiated air Of that low-ceilinged. crowd.
ed room.
: A hush fell. Muldoon. his black.
curly locks shining with perspiration.
was leaning on his improvised gavel.
his keen eye. the Irish eye that Sd
readily SEXES such situations. dart.
ding into every face before him.
And suddenly came that for which
they were waiting. A man entered the
mall and strobe straight across the
floor into the Fifth ward delegation.
into the group where the Underwood
,men were clustered about their lead.
.er. He wore evening clothes. his
black dinner coat and white shirt hos
iom striking a vivid note In the scene.
HE walked briskly. but his mind was
so intent upon his pose that Il was not
until he had removed his cigarette
from his lips and had observed I'm.
''derwood. that his white teeth showed
beneath his reddish mustache In the
iwell-known smile Of George r. Bald.
win. He elbowed his way into the
very midst Of the Underwood men
from the Fifth ward. and leading one
.of them aside. talked with him an in.
slant. and then returned him, as II
were, to his place In the delegation.
Then he brought forth another. whis.
'pered to him for an earnest moment,
and sent him back. with a smile and
a slap on the shoulder. The third
delegate detained him longer, and
once. as he argued with him. the
slightest shade OF displeasure crossed
Baldwin's face. but In an instant the
smile replaced It. and he talked-con.
lvincingly. II seemed. Before Baldwin
returned this man to his delegation,
he shook hands with him.
The secretary was calling the
wards. and Nolan had announced the
result in his delegation. The Fifth
ward was n long while In preparing
Its ballots. There was trouble OF
isome sort there. among the Under
wood men. Nolan was urging. expos
'tulatlng. curslng, commanding. The
air was tense. II seemed TO Underwood
that It must inevitably be shattered
by some moral cataclysm IN the soul
of man. Grogan's brow was knit, as
he waited. hat In hand. The delegates
voted. Feverishly. with trembling fin.
igers. Grogan opened and counted the
bits OF paper. Then he sprang to his
feet, with Wild. glad light In his
face.
A.; Mister Chairman" he cried, "the
Fifth ward casts twenty-five votes for
Conway and four for Underworld" .
The three boilers In the Fifth ward
delegation sat with defiance in their
faces, but they could not sustain the
expression. even by budding close to.
:gether. They broke for the door,
.wriggling their way through masses
of men, who made their passage I'M.
certain. almost pefilous. a bniow Of
applause broke from the Conway men,
and submerged the convention. Dele
gates all over. the hall were on their
feet. clamoring for recognition. but
Malachi Nolan's voice doomed heavily
above all other voices. His fist was In
the air above all other fists.
/, "Misther Chairman" he yelled, 81
challenge that Yote!"
"Misther Chairman" yelled Grogan,
"a point OF order! The gentleman
isn't member Of the Fifth ward dele.
cation and can not challenge Its
Totei"
The point OF order Is well taken"
promptly ruled the chair. THE gen.
ltleman from the First ward Is out Of
order-he win take his seat"
Men were screaming. brandishIng
fists. waving hats. coats, anything,
:scraping chairs, pounding the floor
with them. There were heavy, brutal
ioaths, and. here and there, the smack
of fist on face. In the tumult, the
Ave Simmons votes went to Conway.
rMuldoon was beating the table with
his club and crying:
: Order! order! order!"
, ITO hell with order!" bawled some
one from the First ward delegation.
"on this ballot" Muldoon was call.
ing. there were sixty-nine votes cast;
necessary to a choice. thirty.tive.
James P. Conway has received forty
votes; John W. Underwood, twenty.