Jacob A. Riis (1849–1914). Theodore Roosevelt, the Citizen. 1904.
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| man came out of the woods, waving a yellow envelope in his hand. |
| Silence fell upon them all as they watched Mr. Roosevelt break it and read the message. It was brief: “The President’s condition has changed for the worse.—CORTELYOU.” That was all. He read it over once, twice, and sat awhile, the message in his hand, grave shadows gathering in his face. Then he arose, the food untouched, and said briefly: “I must go back at once.” |
| They fell in behind him on the homeward trail. Silent and sad, the little procession wound its way through the gloomy forest. Dusk was setting in when they reached the cottage. No news was there. The Vice-President’s secretary, warned in the early morning by despatches from Buffalo, had started for the mountains on a special train, but the road ended at North Creek, more than thirty miles away, and from there he had been telegraphing and telephoning all day that he would wait till Mr. Roosevelt came. Of this nothing was known on the mountain. The telephone line ended at the lower club-house—ten miles farther down, and the messages |