| Show fe S HONORABLE L LA LS UNCLE L LETHEL A S r ETHEL i WN N U. U SERVICE U Ua fruit C c. c a CHAPTER Continued Continued 19 19 Inside the Senator house home telephones telephones tele tele- phones rang glasses clicked and andIn andin in the library the radio blared re reo re- re turns Lehman and Dewey running neck and neck Willis has a slight edge edgein in Indiana Gillette of Iowa is trailing Wagner forges ahead Barbour Harbour is out in front Its IOU a landslide in Maryland The Solid South still South still solid Murphy lags in Michigan far in the lead McCarran holding his own in Nevada Youre wanted on the phone said Hilda to in a diplomatic diplomat diplomat- ic whisper They been trying to get you thirty minutes but couldn't worm through them Limpy ran up to the telephone once more Limpy It was Adeles Adele's voice Darling Len Darling Len feels terribly terri tern bly darling I haven't cheered him up as much as I expected The Governor is furious at though him him though very polite in public And hes he's out of a job as 81 I expected And after all Im I'm entitled to part of the insurance Insurance ance ante dont don't you think so And I think ft its it's really my duty to use it my share of it I mean to keep the wolf oft Len till he gets a job job Are you listening Limpy Am I listening Are you nuts You sound nuts Listen Adele this rackets racket's too tough for us We haven't got the alligator hides to take it Now you take an aspirin and call the doctor and and It Weve already called a clerk to rig up a marriage license and weve we've arranged for Brother Wilkie to perform per form the ceremony and we think wed we'd better just get married darling darling dar ling and settle down finished Adele Limpy swallowed hard This was worse than she had expected It sounds like something Len Hardesty would cock up the worm she said with tears in her eyes Where do you plan to do this dastardly this dastardly deed Here Limpy At the Governors Governor's mansion Theres There's not much going on here Adele now you listen to me for fora a change Im I'm coming to the wedding wedding wedding wed wed- ding Oh yes I am Ive I've got some family rights haven't I Ive I've been cheated here here and and cheated cheat cheat- ed there there but but this time Im I'm coming I want to be the bridesmaid Limpy please think of Aunties Auntie's nerves I Think of fiddlesticks I quoted Limpy fiercely If H you do anything anything any any- thing before I get there Ill I'll file papers of annulment Ill I'll get Aunt Olympia to sue somebody Good Limpy raced downstairs The first thing she caught was Cecils Cecil's eye She gave him an inviting lilt of her small head Cece she whispered Ive got gotto gotto gotto to disappear for a few minutes Well Ill I'll disappear with you you No you cant If H we both disappear disappear disappear dis dis- dis- dis appear Aunt get out a search warrant Im I'm in a very a-very very tight place I Ive I-I've Ive I've got nobody but you Cece to depend on Aw Cece What do you want me to do he demanded I want you to keep yourself right in front of Aunt Olympia till I get back so she can see you every minute minute minute min min- ute and know youre you're not off oft some someplace someplace someplace place looking at me I feel terrible left left alone and alone and lonesome Cece I dont don't know what Id I'd do if ti I hadn't you to depend on i Okay he said Dont be gone long or Ill I'll pet get out a search warrant myself Can I get you started or anything How good are you to me Cece she said gratefully No Just get in front of Aunt Olympia Suddenly remembering that although although although al al- al- al though the day had been mild it was a fall night and the papers had predicted a cold snap with flurries of snow she caught the first wrap she could lay hand on It was a avery avery avery very nice squirrel Jacket It belonged belonged belonged be be- longed to Mrs Mabel Shane Shane Tomp Tompkins Tomp- Tomp kins Chairman of the Ladles Ladles' DIvision Division Di DI- vision of the State Committee As she was struggling to get her arms into It it she was disconcerted to find Hilda helping her Oh Its It's you you she said Then If U Aunt Olympia asks about me met you can just say Ive I've gone to to- to snatch a little rest rest and and Ill I'll be back pretty soon and Im I'm quite all right now and Ive I've taken an aspirin and lond tomorrow will be plenty of ot time to call the doctor Hilda gave her a very ery ugly look It doesn't seem leem as 81 if ti to me youre you're I exactly dressed for no rest she saidI saidI said ald I do my best resting In furs said Limpy firmly Its It a habit Tell her Ill I'll be back back I I m mean an down very very soon Then she put her swathed squirrel arms arma around Hilda and kissed her have Oh Hilda she said to b be b. a sister Hitter to me from this on They're both They're-both both gone Youre You're all allI I ha have ve left Hilda squared her very square shoulders Ill stand guard on your door over my dead body she he said You got a car No Ill I'll find a taxi running around somewhere You better go out through my kitchen They got a hired doorman in front Hilda went with her Rushed as at she was and for all her fury of indignation in in- Hilda realized that Limpy Limpy Lim Lim- py was the big job around that house She called a policeman and had him pick up a car and waited with Limpy till it came Hilda gave the driver his orders You take her wherever she's goIng goIng going go- go Ing and wait walt for her and bring her back I got your number and I got influence with the Senator and you take her and bring her back with no talk back-talk from anybody or I speak to the Senator about it it Hilda was no coward She went straight to Aunt Olympia I just put Miss Limpy where seems as if to me maybe she can get a little rest for a while and God knows she needs it and Ill I'll have beron her ber heron heron on hand for when they get through giving all them dumb states nobody ever heard of and we cut the Victory Victory Victory Vic Vic- tory Cake and heres here's another plate of sandwiches That was very nice of you Hilda JIll fill da said Olympia gratefully Very nice Did you give her an aspirin I gave her everything she needed need need- needed ed said Hilda with surprising di dl And nobody's to bother her in no way till I say so 0 or I speak to the Senator fine You keep watch over Limpy and Ill I'll keep an eye on Cece and and the other guests she added quickly wins in a walk announced announced an the radio Murphy lost in inthe inthe inthe the shuffle Van Nuys and Willis neck and neck Gillette after trailing a while pulls slowly ahead Case of South Dakota wins by the largest majority ever gives a candidate in that state Lehman increases his lead Its It Its all over with Wilkie he be can never never overtake the Senator CHAPTER When it was evident that the Senator Senator Sen ator had indisputably won when Brother Wilkie had conceded his defeat defeat de de- feat they had a fresh bowl of punch and cut the Victory Cake Aunt Olympia wouldn't allow the girls to tobe tobe tobe be disturbed It was Cecil Dodd who first suggested it it and that alone was enough to stiffen her nation Hilda put them to bed and they're staying in bed she said decisive decisive- ly Well save them a piece of cf cake Tomorrow Ill I'll buy them a whole cake if they want it They're not to be disturbed any more tonight to to- night Presently the guests began driftIng drifting drift- drift Ing tog away They had worked hard during the campaign They were worn to the ragged edge Now well dined well wined they were ready for bed Mrs Mabel Tom Shane Torn Shane kins was a good deal disconcerted not to lay immediate hand on her squirrel jacket and muttered a few disagreeable remarks about what you could expect among politicians drunk with the spoils of victory But Hilda Ililda was sardonically diplomatic diplomatic diplomatic diplo diplo- matic about it Ill give you a receipt for the coat and see you get it and here I got Mis' Mis mink coat for you which cost the Senator plenty dough and as 81 good as 81 new I been sort of removing things around and putting em away in safety including including ing Miss Limpy and I probably put your squirrel away in safety but I got no time right now to get into the the storage storage fer it Ill I'll see you get it tomorrow and you needn't give me a receipt for Mis' Mis mink cause I know you got it so you take the mink and if it you dont don't get your squirrel tomorrow you can keep I the mink and Mis' Mis can fight it out with the tile Senator I INot Not more than a dozen remained clustered in the library avidly drinking in the late returns when Hilda who had been a good deal upset over the whole matter In her cold Scandinavian way saw a cab turn Into the drive and pull up to the western veranda She had the thedoor thedoor thedoor door open for Limpy You forgot your aspirin and Mis' Mis a good deal upset about It and kindly give me that squirrel cause Mis' Mis going to be beas beas beas as mad as 81 a wet hen if she doesn't get back her mink that cost the Senator two thousand dollars and wasn't worth it in my opinion washer was washer washer her surly greeting And they're all in the Library now and asleep on their feet and me the same Limpy gave her the coat coaL Oh I Hilda ililda she said IBid If U I feel very vur lonesome tonight tonight and and cant can't sleep sleep- may I come and get in bed with you I feel very feel very lonesome Ill change the sheets said ald lilt Hn- da Ill bring you a turkey sand sand- with Limpy opened the door of the li li- li She looked very small and pale Oh Aunt Olympia Ive I've got bad news for you she said timidly Bad news I There is no bad news Why he won in a walk Oh how terrible I said Limpy Are you sure Then probably hell he'll never get a job and it will take all the Insurance money to support them and Im I'm no better than a pau pau- per Uncle Lancy straightened his glasses for a better look at her Cecil Dodd turned off the radio Every Ev ery cry eye was on Limpy My dear said the Senator reproachfully reproachfully reproachfully re re- re- re she feverish I Haven't you been keeping an eye on her Hilda came to the door Well heres here's two sandwiches and a glass of cider and youre you're wanted on the phone and end its it's Iowa again Limpy didn't bother to go up up- stairs She leaped lithely to the phone on the Senators Senator's big table I Darling she said And after a long pause Darling I Oh darling Good Goodby Three dollars for three darlings darlings dar dar- I lings said Aunt Olympia And cheap at the price said Cecil Dodd Hilda Ililda had waited dourly with the sandwiches and cider better eat a bite she said You look pretty washed out outto outto outto to me Limpy took the plate with a meltIng melting melt- melt Ing tag smile into Hilda's Hildas resentful blue eyes Oh thank you youl How go good d you are to mel met Oh Auntie I forgot to tell you the bad news There isn't any bad news said IBid Aunt Olympia Brother Wilkle's Wilkie already conceded And then in a panicky voice she added Unless youve you've got a chill chilli Hilda wheres where's that aspirin I haven't But Auntie you Auntie you you remember Helen dont don't you Aunt Olympias Olympia's lips parted but she had nothing to say Uncle Lancy coughed deprecatingly Well she voted all right And her ber vote counted count ed too Her congressman won But that isn't the worst of it You know Helen She wasn't satisfied with just voting for a candidate so 0 she went right ahead and married and married him She wore her wind wind-up costume to do it in A swell chap Uncle Lancy though Republican The Republicans Republicans cans are quite good class in Iowa She married a congressman congressman- elect ejaculated Aunt Olympia What she going to do about that grocery store Oh that's so so too tool Well you know I Iowa Auntie Such a state I The grocery store turns out to be the elect congressman-elect and now hes he's my in brother Aunt Olympia was surprised but she rallied After all she had known from the beginning that Helen was lost to her Well she said cheerfully that bucks up my grocery bill no endWell endWell endWell end Well charge from this on Oh but darling that Isn't all said Limpy warningly What a day it has been You mean theres there's more Dont Don't tell me she's she suing for a divorce already I INo No Its It's Its Adele The sudden silence rather frightened frightened frightened fright fright- ened Limpy Uncle Lancy took off and put on his glasses several times Aunt Olympia sat motionless You see see Auntie darling Auntie Adele she's Adele she's so tender-hearted tender I She felt so sorry for Len the poor dumb cluck with the Governor mad madat madat mad at him and no job and Adele not speaking to him for six weeks So Soshe Soshe she ahe went over for a minute She went over where Oh Just over to the Governors Governor's mansion To see gee Len a minute and cheer him up And so they decided I I they'd better get ct married and nd 1 went over and Brother Wilkie married mar sled ried them I was sad about it it of course but It was rather amusing It wasn't at all political Uncle Laney Lan Lan- Lancy cy ey Brother Wilkie performed the ceremony and they used the defunct victory cake for a wedding cake And the brats and I were wore the brides maids but the beldame got mixed up and thought it was another speech and right in the middle of the ceremony ceremony ceremony cere cere- mony she banged with her trumpet and shouted Tell em But you certainly cant can't blame Adele for what could she do about it She's She always alway been tender tender hearted Aw Uncle Lancy The Senator wiped his glasses glasse Hes lie a nice boy he be said I always always always al- al ways liked Len Aunt Olympia rallied to this more slowly You mean mean she's she's already married married mar mar- ried sled him she asked In la a strangled voice Yes And perfectly legal too Ant quite impressive Impressive except except for the beldame and the brats It was almost al most elegant She had lovely flowers flow flow- ers ers but but no ring they hadn't time Ume for that and probably no money for forit forit forit it it either They're going to live on our Insurance until he lands a job Well theres there's one thing Del said Olympia if ii you run for th the presidency youve you've got a publicity man Im I'm not afraid of Len Hardes Hardes- ty It just takes a firm hand to hold him down and Ive I've got a firm hand Sit down Limp Limpy Hilda bring her heran heran heran an aspirin I mean a sandwich Oh but Auntie darling Auntie darling wailed walled Limpy You haven't heard the bad news yet yeU The news The bad news There cant can't be morel There couldn't be more Del Dell she said in a voice suddenly accusing About me me said Limpy humbly Aunt Olympia went weak then She looked dully in the direction of Cecil Dodd She couldn't even find voice to express her intention of strangling him Limpy broke in quickly with diplomatic diplomatic dip dip- acumen Oh no darling not that thaU she said I mean mean- youre you're stuck Stuck Were We're stuck You mean the election Have things gone wrong Turn up that radio Oh no Auntie not the election Just me Youre You're stuck with me from this on said Limpy cally tally Here I am am one poor lone orphan no home no Helen Helen Helen- no Adele no insurance money Of course Helen and Brick say I can live with them and Adele and Len say I must live with them but I dont don't approve of outsiders going to live with young married couples do you Aunt Olympia So youre you're youre you're Just just stuck stuck you take for your option Senator said Cecil Dodd briskly Aunt Olympia broke into happy tears She held out her arms to Limpy My child she said Limpy started but the Senator being closer caught her first We wont won't let you be lonesome Limpy he assured her You can cango cango cango go around with me as much as 81 |
