The Argosy, Vol. 61, No. 4 — page 74: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

632 “ They’re locked up in the room where the election took place to-day.” ‘Are they safe there?” ‘Sure! Didn’t I say they were locked up? Besides, there’s Pete.” ‘But that’s just what was worrying me. Pete shouldn’t have charge of the town hall. He’s nothing but a drunken old reprobate. When I get to be presi- dent,” said Hicks, ‘‘ Pete will lose his lifelong job as engineer for the water- works of Oak Forest.” ‘“He’s a fair worker —” began Spooner. ‘When he isn’t drunk. No, sir. I’m worried about those ballots. Pete is no protection ; just because he lives in the top room in the town hall is what makes me afraid for the safety of that ballot- box. He always gets drunk on election night, and while he’s away the other par- ty might try to steal the ballots.” “They would hardly stoop to such a practise,’ smiled Spooner. ‘It has been done,’ replied the man who thought he had a sure thing in the election-box as it stood. “Well, Pete’ll be all right. Ill go over and give him five dollars to stay around the hall to-night and not get drunk till to-morrow.” : ‘Lot of good that’ll do. He always has had a celebration with the boys on election night.” | “Well, don’t worry, Hicks. Every- thing will be all right. It’s absurd to think that anything will happen to the ballots. It’s a State’s prison offense to tamper with them, you know.” At about the same time a similar con- versation was going on in Pierce’s house. Pierce was led by his backers to believe that on the recount next day he would be acclaimed the victor. This made him exceedingly timorous concerning the safety of the ballots. mean a good deal to him, and he could afford to run no risk. ‘“Couldn’t they put them in the safety vault at the bank?” asked Pierce. ‘Well, they could have,” replied one of his backers, ‘“‘ but all that, you know, is up to the judges of election. They de- cided to leave them in the ballot-box in the room. ‘The town hall is safe, Pete is on the job there; and everything will be all right.” The victory would THE ARGOSY. ‘Pete! Yes, that’s just the fault I have to find,” cried Pierce. Then he went on with an objection similar to Hicks’s. That night the influential men of both parties had meetings to talk over the re- sult of the election. The meetings had been planned before, and both had had the idea that that night they would cele- brate the victory of their candidate. It was for this reason that the two little gatherings were not enthusiastic. So much depended on the next day that they could hardly give themselves up to smoke and eat and have a good time, as had been planned. For this reason both parties broke up at eleven o’clock and went home. Both Hicks and Pierce had been jol- ‘lied all evening by their backers for the fear they expressed concerning the ballot- box in the town hall. Hicks paced the floor for an hour after he reached home. He could not get the thing out of his mind. Suddenly he made a resolution. ‘Tell- ing his wife that he wanted to get a little fresh air before going to bed, he put on hat and coat, secured a heavy stick, and sauntered out into the night. Now, Oak Forest is a lonesome burg. Every self-respecting citizen is in bed at twelve, and there are none but self- respecting citizens in the town. So Hicks felt something between a bur- glar and a murderer when he sauntered out at that unholy hour and sneaked along the silent streets in the direction of the town hall. He merely wanted to be quite sure that the ballot-box was safe. One little glimpse of it through the window would satisfy him and allay his suspicions. Without that he felt that he could not sleep. The night before he had not closed his eyes, and this night he must rest. So he stole along quietly until he made out the town hall ahead. It was a small structure. The power-plant for the water - works occupied one room; the meeting-chamber of the village fathers was next to this, and that was where the ballot-box reposed. Above was a little room where Pete slept. The thought of Pete suddenly entered Hicks’s mind. If Pete were at home and OO Cc (©