noon
Since only routine business was under way there was no urgency , and when at length they returned to the House chamber the clock pointed to five minutes to twelve . Rawson and two or three of the staunchest Hardy men relieved Farnum of his charge in the cloak room and took care of the two doubtfuls . The seats of Bentley , Miller , Pitts and Killen were still vacant , and there was a tense watchfulness in the room that showed rumors were flying of a break in the deadlock . Already the state senators were drifting in for the noon joint sessions , and along with them came presently the missing assemblymen flanked by O'Brien and Frome adherents . The President of the Senate called the session to order and announced that the eleventh general assembly would now proceed to take the sixty-fourth ballot for the election of a United States Senator . In an oppressive silence the clerk began to call the roll . `` Allan . ''