Show the honorable uncle lancy lanc y 0 babbs co by ETHEL HUESTON service THE STORY THUS FAR left orphans by a tragic automobile accident which claimed the lives ot of their mother and father throe three sisters helen adele and lampy 11 are visited by their aunt olympia Olymp la politically minded wife of senator delaporte shire she insists that the girls return with her to washington to make their home with them in addition to loving the girls aunt olympia knows they win will be a terrific political asset senator Slop shire has as his political opponent one broar wilkle wilkie a minister whose political campaign is furthered by seven unspeakable k le brats who sit on the rostrum with him while he makes speeches senator Slop shire a pleasantly foggy individual who depends on the astuteness of his wife prepares for their coming though limpy the youngest Is 16 and helen the oldest Is 21 the senator buys them all the toys and gifts he can find when they first meet their uncle laney lancy as he Is to be known the girls take him to their united bosom soon adele most beautiful of the sisters meets len hardesty publicity man tor for brother wilkle wilkie though jt it Is lens job to help defeat the senator he promptly falls in love with adele olympia buys an automobile house trailer which will accommodate the five of them and from which the senator will campaign then she decides to hire a publicity agent tor for the senator securing the services of dave cooper and as his assistant young cecil dodd at a washington tea helen meets gabriel dAl ballotti dAllo lotti gabriel then searches out olympia Olymp la and asks it if he might call olympia acquiesces thinking it might make helen forget her suitor back in iowa brick landis brick owner of a grocery store Is also running tor for congress during one of dAl lottis visits with helen she turns to uncle laney lancy for or advice concerning national coastal fortifications she and dAllo study politics together CHAPTER VI continued 9 aw uncle lancit lancil wailed limpy ive never seen a lordi you he ejaculated well well think of that now ho great shakes in my opinion but if you want to see one go and take a good look I 1 dell protested aunt olympia why ashes a mere child well ashes a nice child he in aisted if a cat can look at a king I 1 reckon a child a nice child can have a squint at a lord in the making theres nothing worldly about garden parties in my opinion its children given for 4 garden parties said aunt olympia severely are worth the tt y wages of a gardener tor for the ciga aciga rette ashes they keep off the rugs alone it was very nice helen wrote to brick landis they served champagne punch under a marquee at one end of the garden and the refreshments a long way oft off at the other end under another aunt olympia said that was to make it harder and take longer for guests to go dashing back and forth consuming liquor and refreshments they served exquisite big strawberries and an american substitute for devonshire cream you know how limpy loves strawberries uncle lancy braved that formidable line of butlers three times to get extra portions for her he said she was entitled to still more under her quota because she drink champagne limpy said she think the ambassador was half as lordly looking as uncle lancy and he wiped his glasses for ten minutes and the top of his head turned so pink that somebody asked if he was sunburned he stopped the car on the way home and bought her six big boxes of strawberries and I 1 dare say shell break out in a rash the invitation said from five to seven and exactly at seven the orchestra came out from behind the bushes and played god save the king and everybody stood up and the chairs just seemed to melt away out of sight and everybody went home limpy told aunt olympia she ought to try that way of getting rid ot of people at her parties when she 6 invites them from five till seven tor for a dozen or more stick around till nine or ten and len hardesty go till he is put out but aunt olympia said it work with americans said somebody would slip the orchestra leader a dollar to swing it and all start dancing arid she shed i d have them on her hands for breakfast adele complained that they did not serve nearly so much as at most of the embassy things the south african union for instance where it was a banquet as it always is fis at the siamese legation aunt olympia says its the law of compensation the smaller the nation the bigger the feed 1 I finally put gabriel ballotti dAl lotti to shame on the pacifist question by proving that we are not as vulnerable as we look and sound uncle lancy pointed out all the bidd hidden 1 en de ft to me and I 1 made a lovely covely map of them im keepin git glit tor for you in case you go on national defense and oh brick you surprised at ed eicher retiring from the race for congress after he had won in the primary and what a break tor for us iowa republicans public ans sl aunt olympia was furious she said in her opinion it was a congress mans christian duty to hang onto a good seat instead of chucking it to the wolves by wolves she means us R iowa she wanted uncle lancy to call him up and give him a piece of her on a morning in june the girls were amused to find aunt auni olympia sitting at her desk very red of face frowning intently at a thick pad of paper and chewing the rubber vt of a pencil with a long sharp point As they watched she bent forward smiling broadly and wrote a few lines very fast when she had finished with a big black period she looked up at the girls with a slight smirk it cant be her expense account said limpy for even in a dumb thing like trig they figure things out in numbers its my speech said A aunt t olympia obviously well pleased with what she had written your speech for the campaign she explained pla ined you know helen said limpy reproachfully that trigonometry of yours has got me clear off the english language what cosines and tangents do to a brilliant mind I 1 understood her trigonometrically trigonometric ally speaking to say she make speeches you understood me all right said aunt olympia but there always comes a time quite late in the campaign I 1 select the time when the senator is delayed in an important conference perhaps with parley farley or maybe just a long dis tance call from the white house and just to fill in the gap till he comes I 1 arise and make a few extemporaneous remarks and I 1 always like to be prepared len hardesty taught me that trick and its a good one he helped write my last speech and it was the hit of the campaign but now I 1 can do all right alone you know brick helen wrote quite anxiously theres no getting around the tact fact that this is the crook edest racket you ever heard of not exactly crooked perhaps but definitely bent maybe better stick to groceries I 1 think I 1 can get you an appropriation from congress brick you cant believe a word anybody says aunt olympia looks so honest so openhearted open hearted and frank and here she is even before congress has adjourned writing and practicing her extemporaneous speech to fill in a strategic moment that she selects herself brick when we do get around to getting married if you stick to politics I 1 warn you that if you rise at the wedding to make a few extemporaneous remarks I 1 shall arise myself and publicly denounce you ive learned chat there is is nothing extemporaneous in politics the next time len flew down to washington adele who had what was virtually a unique quality for a beauty straightforward frankness looked him gravely in the face 1 I told the folks that it it is at all dangerous or it if it embarrasses them in any way I 1 would not see you again until after the election figuring me I 1 suppose as some sort of electrical current that can be turned off or on at will 11 1 I meant it len yes dear adorable little devil IU ill bet you did what did they say they said it was not necessary that you do not embarrass them at all well they embarrass me no end he said bitterly sitting around making me talk politics when I 1 could relax and gaze into your eyes not that theres anything very relaxing about your eyes they embarrass me by making me fight them when im on their side crooked beautifully beautt full I 1 hate to see you messed up with them it I 1 could just tell the constituents what they roped me into elect the brats biats in a minute len she said hesitantly they are so friendly to you and treat you so nicely you use anything you hear here against them would you sure I 1 would if 11 I 1 had a chance my job and use me A 6 4 APO len hardesty hardest taught me that trick too in a minute they would and no doubt do they ruined this campaign for or me pinning me down to the other side and then springing you on me but len how could you do anything against them when they are are so magnificent to you and to us too because darling if I 1 dont pull every trick from my bag be the first to despise me this is a job adele 1 I dont like it she said faintly adele ive known those two a long time they are swell sports game as they come but it if I 1 fell down on this job because I 1 like them and adore you be the first to sneer and be next listen sweet I 1 dont want them beaten but im going to try my best to beat them it if I 1 dont do you think olympia will ever feel the same we cant beat them unless we get some breaks I 1 cant foresee what im on the lookout tor for the breaks and it will mean a lot for me if I 1 put it across the governor has promised me anything I 1 want anything we could get married then I 1 could take care of you 1 I dont want to be taken care of at their expense you dont know how lovely they are to us I 1 dont want anything taken from them talk to olympia len said she knows this racket its always a scrap they can take a beating but they cant stand a quitter 1 I think it is despicable she said and there were tears very becoming tears in her lovely eyes its the democratic form of government ern ment he said gently and kissed the tears away but dont take my word for it sweet ask them but it if you were with us len it would be so perfect to have you go with us and plan with us and be on our side yes it would be perfect but it if I 1 broke my contract it would be the best weapon the governor could hold against him they would claim that by influence and money the senator had treacherously hired a man to break his contract it would beat him quicker than anything else but len principle got anything to do with it do you think the governor would make a better senator than uncle lancy no sweet I 1 dont but that a thing in the world to do with it no I 1 dont think so but thinking my job publicity is its appalling brick helen wrote distractedly im just terrified of the whole thing it all simmers down to the fact that the outs wants in and the ins want to stay where they are I 1 dont believe there is a single thing at stake but that brother wilkie and uncle lancy agree on almost every point except that the governor thinks the republicans could do a better job finishing what the democrats started I 1 asked aunt olympia what is the real issue in this campaign the issue she boomed the issue why the issue is just whether the senator is going to be beaten by that treacherous worm who ought to get back where he belongs all the time brick all the money all the scheming and planning all the heartaches just for that aunt olympia was was packed and ready for adjournment by the tenth of may still cong congress ress dawdled filibustered bust ered talked the second week in june she sent hilda on up to maysville with most of the baggage and with orders to get things ready for their arrival it be long now the most stentorian congressional voice was frayed and rasping A hog caller stick it out much longer she told the girls hopefully and then on june congress I 1 adjourned helen drew a deep tired breath at bastl its over she ejaculated olympias snort was deep and gusty she rais raised edher her shoulders like a champing champine cham ping pegasus pluming for flight overl she boomed overl over why it even begun CHAPTER VII aunt olympia was justly proud of shires the senatorial estate near maysville maysville the capital of the state headquarters both of republican and democratic state committees mit tees was an ideal location for the senator in a campaign year it was an ideal loca location i ion for len hardesty too though working tor for the opposition No teven a slave daiv er with seven brats can keep me on the go day and night all summer he told adele confidentially ive got to relax occasionally and I 1 expect to do all my summers relaxing at shires the house itself was low rambling and wide aide with porches on every side with high cupolas and low stoops and broad fireplaces with great rooms huge windows and crystal chandeliers artistically old fashioned to the last detail yet the old of it was more apparent than thai real for it was only ten years old and its equipment was modern to the extreme in planning their arrival after the adjournment of congress aunt olympia always had a plan for everything ery thing minutely laid out in advance she had been bitterly torn between natural thrift and pride she wanted the girls to see shires first in all its pristine beauty and yet wishing to safeguard and pre serve that beauty she trembled physically at thought of the havoc to be wrought on it by the first horde of friendly callers love tri urn phed the girls should see shires as it was for was it not to be their future home with her and the senator or at least lampys future home she ordered hilda to have the place in the pink of perfection for the girls arrival ts lightie and be ready tor for a change she said grimly have hake the campaign drapes and curtains ready get the summer rugs cleaned have the packing cases and mothproof moth proof bags opened and aired tell martin to get the tubs and fences and railings failings rai lings ready to put up at a minutes notice lay in moth balls and wire screening and plenty of bolts and nails and padlocks ten tell martin to have the tree guards painted and laid out but be sure to have everything out of sight when we get there I 1 want them to see it right the first time the girls remembering the down at the heel parsonages personages nages that had been their previous homes were almost speechlessly thrilled with shires there a farm arm in iowa could hold a candle to it they liked everything ery thing about it from the h suckle and wild roses over the porch rails with such apparent abandon though really guided and compelled by the stern hand of the farm manager Martin to the cunning chicken incubators and brooder houses yes its nice assented aunt olympia modestly crimson with delight in their delight but we never should have called it shires too aristocratic shires is now that the tide of public opinion has turned against elegance well probably lose a thousand votes by that name it if wed called it cozy rest or happy home or old mill meadows wed be better off why dont you change it then just till the campaigns over aunt olympia shook her head len hardesty she explained briefly hed get a nationwide nation wide hookup hook up to accuse us of finagling fina gling tor for votes she was anxiously apologetic about the rooms she had assigned them now you dont have to take them unless you want to she assured them weve got plenty of rooms and after the campaign you can have one apiece and easy but during the campaign we have extras here nearly every night committeemen mitte emen or reporters and we have to save a room tor for cece dodd and dave will be here a good deal so if you can be comfortable in just two rooms till after the campaign be a help the girls were joyously sure they could be comfortable aunt olympia had chosen two connecting rooms for them at the opposite end of the hall from the huge room with two baths that she 0 with the senator in the I 1 ar ail the two rooms |