stantly
running up and down the stairway, and crowding in and out the dingy,
dimly lighted court-room, which was roaring with voices, blue with
smoke, and foul as a dungeon--with tobacco and vitiated breaths.

All the men of the town seemed to be present, from old man Dickey, the
chicken thief and fisherman, to cold, aristocratic R. F. Russell, the
banker. Rowdyish boys pushed and banged and howled, playing at
hide-and-seek among the legs of the men, who filled every foot of
standing space, or were perched on the railings or tables near the
Judge's bench, from which the returns were being called. The kerosene
lamp shed a dim light, through the smoke. There was no fire, and the
excited partisans kept their hats and coats on, and warmed themselves
by wild gestures and stamping.

Occasionally a boy's shrill yell or whistle, or some excited Democrat's
calling, "It's a whack! I'll take yeh!" rose above the clamor. Upon the
benches piled up along the wall, to leave the middle space free, groups
of the less demonstrative citizens of both parties sat discussing the
chances of the different candidates. Bradley was not there, but young
Mason and Milton were considered his representatives, and were
surrounded by a constant crowd of sympathizers. It was about nine
o'clock at night before the decisive returns began to come in.

Occasionally the sound of furious pounding was heard, and a momentary
lull was enforced while the clerk read some telegraphic message or
report of a neighboring town. While he stood upon the Judge's bench, at
about nine o'clock, the crowd, aware in some mysterious way of the
arrival of decisive news, made a wild surge toward the clerk, and
shouted for silence, while he announced in a high nasal key: "Rock
River gives a hundred and ninety-one for Kimball, two hundred and
twenty-five for Talcott." At this a wild cheer broke forth, led by
Milton and young Mason.

"That means victory!" said Milton.

"Don't be too sure of it! Wait for Cedarville."

The reading went on, with occasional yells from either the Democrats or
Republicans, according to the special quality of the report, but it was
plain that the most interest was centered in the contest for
representative.

As the evening wore on, messengers clattered up on horseback from other
towns of the county, and amid yells and cheers were hustled up the
stairway, through the crowd to the clerk, carrying in their hands
envelopes filled with election returns