Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1921-01-26

The bomb exploded with a deafen-
ing crash. and with q howl and a
shrek his foes were upon him. Rend-
ing the disclosure as pack Of wolves,
they clawed II, CRASHED II, made It
ugly and held It up greedily to the
public gaze.
And then when the rumble and bonn
bast had died away, when the blood
and smoke had passed, Hugh Daniel
Fitzrandolph stood before the populace
"a hero. The city which reveres the
memory of man who, starting as a
clerk, later saddled with debts, hewed
his way through adversely and became
the Merchant Prince" Of the world,
of another who struggled from a
butchers apprenticeship at two dollars
week to the pinnacle Of the Union
Stock Yards of scores of others
of ignoble beginnings and vast
achievements a city was not
slow to erect pedestal for one who
had once been Yagabond and was
now become a multi-millionaire candi-
date for the highest honor the city Of
his adoption could pay him. Thus,
for the hour, Daniel had become an
idol of the people.
Daniel rushed his campaign onward
with a tireless zeal that outdistanced
his rivals and lost them to view. Here,
as in the wheat pit, his endurance and
energy were marvel to all who knew
him. He snatched only five hours from
the twenty-four for sleep. and less
than one hour for meals. Every min
ute Of the remaining eighteen was a
busy minute.
The campaign came to a whiriwind
finish. Daniel rose ut daybreak on
election eve and was on the go cease
lessly for twenty hours.
While smoking a goodnight cigar
with Hunt at two o'clock next morning
he remarked:
Altogether. Harry, IT has cost me a
warm million dollars. But 1t has been
worth it-every cent. I've had a mil
lion dollars worth of fun"
Yet an hour later. had one looked in
the front room Of Daniels apartment.
one would have doubted 1t. The room
was quite dark, and before the front
windows overlooking Grant park he
was sitting very silent and motionless
A gray fog was rolling damply in from
the lake, thickening the night with its
clammy embrace.
From the avenue below came sounds
Of an irresponsible quartette. They
We're rendering The Heart Bowed
Down." and even their untutored
Threats, cultural with libations, could
not wholly mar the tragic sweetness
of Balfe's sad melody.
The melancholy strains, something
softened by the distance, fioated dole
fully up to him. Music-even the
worst-always had a singular effect
upon Daniel. Good or bad, he could
never listen to 1t without feeling with
in him responsiveness transcending
the composers note. 1t was as though,
sounding the keynote, he scared on in
to realms the composer essayed, yet
failed to attain.
His elbows resting on the arms Of
the chair. his chin on his interlaced
fingers. he sat for long while gazing
into the foggy gloom. And mirrcred
in his face was an ineffable loneliness
which by its very profundity must
needs be mute.
He pressed his hands to his fore
head and slowly shook his head, again
and again, his eyes closed.
Yes. Yes, he had failed once more.
He would fail next time. He would
always fail. He could not forget. He
could never forget.
Daniel started. sat up suddenly,
looked round with jerk. 1t was past
nine o'clock. He had been asleep in
his chair five hours.
After casting his ballot the day
seemed a void. There was nothing
more to do. 1t was all over now. Al
ready the election was practically set
tied. He lunched In an obscure little
restaurant and went motoring.
Returning, however, he left the car
at Twenty-fourth street continued
afoot toward town, his raincoat collar
turned up, his soft hat down, and wan
dered aimlessly about, taking studi-
Gus care to shun his usual haunts.