Show the honorable uncle lanc lancy B by y ETHEL HUESTON 1 0 alou babo macrill co saks CHAPTER Is 18 aunt aun t olympia Olymp la becomingly gowned a and nd beaming rosily received the gentlemen of the press that afternoon in ample time tor for them to get their stories in for the morning papers she smilingly but firmly re fitted their pleas for five minutes three minutes just a look then at the girls no she said in her most motherly e Y voice 1 I am sorry to refuse you anything but you do not understand der stand a mothers feelings the campaign is important yest yes I 1 but the health and the nerves of these children come first with their uncle lancy and me remember Hena ember the terrible ordeal they were dragged through they need rest they need quiet they have stood all they shall chall be permitted to stand but I 1 must say that three more gallant public spirited young citizens never lived than those children mine and the senators tired nervous suffering with chills and fever as the she was helen shea the oldest ashes twenty one got up this morning and took the six plane out u to iowa to vote ashes a resident d ent of iowa exhausted worried tick sick she just rallied her forces and out she went to exercise the sacred franchise olympia went to her desk and shuffled among the photographs this la is helen she said ashes very studious she graduated from college with all kinds of honors when the she was only twenty this shows her at work at the senators table making out her grocery list I 1 fancy adele and little lim lampy py are more playful heres a nice one of them together in the big swing at commonwealth park sweet it itt here they are raking leaves tor for a bonfire on halloween this Is limpy named tor for me of course and some people think she looks like me too in a small way the girls spent the day quietly upstairs and amused themselves very well with the papers smirking over the photographs which were surprisingly good limpy was not so well pleased with the verbatim report of her speech 1 I see what aunt olympia meant she mused it pay to be too extemporaneous flowers came tor for the girls telegrams letters small gifts and tor for limpy a big ivory donkey handsomely autographed in green ink 11 limpy for president in 58 f and tor for campaign manager 1 your old pal jim aunt olympia her weariness tor for gotten her ill humor dissolved in contentment was deliriously happy she too received flowers telegrams and gifts she read the basketful of congratulations she cooed coded into the telephone she crooned over the girls she almost felt satisfied with the senator the senator made his final appeal over the radio on monday night and an effective job he made of it speaking with quiet dignity restraint and reasonableness pointedly ignoring personal phases except for or one paragraph which the entire staff had a hand in preparing my friends I 1 address you tonight on the issues of this campaign I 1 speak only of the issues the sad infringement of the sanctity of my home is not one of these issues my personal feelings in that tragic matter are relegated to the background at this time but to those thousands of you my friends who have written telephoned and wired solicitous inquiry as to the health of my young wards and whether they have suffered serious in ill effects from the physical and mental anguish of their tragic and deplorable experience I 1 am happy to relieve your fears the children are young but they are brave and high spirited in the sate safe serenity of my home at maysville in quiet seclusion they are recovering from the brutal shock to their innocent trust and ana confidence which was even greater than their physical discomfort and the eldest of them helen has arrived safely in iowa by plane where on the morrow she is to cast her first vote as an american cl citizen 11 tuesday the eighth elath of november wa was s election day the senator and mrs mr s Slop shire had planned and made public pronouncement to that effect that after casting early votes they would spend the day quietly at home with the children having a large family dinner a pre thanksgiving it was really in the middle of the day and in the evening from six on would be at home to their friends with a buffet supper and listen to the returns in the governors mansion on the other side of Mais mainville ville the opposition was to be entertained at an evening reception with light refreshments fresh ments be light said olympia Olymp la reading tha th announcement in the paper very light almost too light to lift hes already begun cutting down ever since adele pointed out the handwriting on the wall olympia although she wanted desperately to have the pride of the he girls with her to the polls finally decided against it they vote and she was a little afraid it would look like putting on she above putting on all she could but she want it to look obvious this she felt would look obvious and then at the last moment she had cause casuso to regret her restraint ben baldy had drawn the big car up to the west veranda to convey them to the voting place the senator was waiting hat and gloves to in hand band limpy and adele were there dancing a tiptoe with excited farewells speeding them on to victory dave was stolidly planted in the front seat with ben baldy aunt olympia Olymp la having kept them waiting only fifteen minutes came out in a rosy flush she kissed the girls and permitted the senator to assist her into the and seat himself at her side come along cecel she boomed joyously oh im not goin gill said cecil dodd im not a resident ot of this state I 1 cant vote here well why dont you go home and vote then youve time enough to make itt 1 I cant I 1 was so worked up over the campaign I 1 forgot to register well come along any anyhow howl said olympia sudden anxiety darkening her happy eyes come along and watch us 1 I canal said cece desperately ive got to shave she boomed angrily shave if you arent shaved already yes and half an inch below the surface then ive lived with whiskers for nothing okay benl beni said the senator cheerfully heer fully goodby good by be good children now and the big car rolled away everything lovely exulted limpy everything sweet arent you happy 1 I am right now said cecil dodd but it wont last they ought to make voting more difficult and more prolonged it ought to take at least as long as making out your income tax oh well make the most of the minute minu tel said limpy she caught a hand of adeles one of cecils and led them gaily back into the ho house use lets do something to cele celebrate bratel something exciting 1 i something naughty if possible its exciting for me just to be able to look where I 1 want to said cecil dodd and nothing naughty about it either think of something naught u urged limpy no lets not said adele weve been naughty enough and I 1 feel responsible with everybody else away better keep your eyes on me cece hilda entered the room with a tray 1 I brought some cider for you gir ladles ladies she said crossly and a little pickup pick up for mr dodd its customary to drink the health of the polls oh nicel nice maybe we should have a pickup pick up too adelel adele I 1 that would be very naughty hilda come here beret I 1 where are you going dont you drink to the health of the polls how irreverent you arel are cecil filled the glasses hilda acquiescent but indignant accepted her glass and stood by in angular disapproval clicking her glass with the others as they drank their toasts sloppy tor for senator sena torl more votes to Slop slower votes tor for Slop from C cecil ecil dodd down with Wil Will klel del up with olympia I 1 bigger and better eyes tor for me said cecil dodd doing very well with those he had when they had finished limpy made them all hold hands bands and dance around the low coffee table that held the cider pitcher and the siphon and glasses here we go round the mulberry bush she be sang lets give sloppy a landslide push suggested cecil dodd and they sang it gaily time flies files fast and wed better hush pronounced like bush said adele and they sang that 1 I got to go now said hilda 1 I forgot to tell you mr hardesty called up and says he feels the same and hes as good as out of a job right now and hell be here for breakfast tomorrow she stalked away adele dear adele said cecil dodd poor benl think of his his anguish I 1 know my anguish pity him in his distress wot kot only has he nothing to look at he has no job dont you think you should go and call him up or write him a note or just go off into some remote silence and send him a ten der thought 1 I do not think any such guch thing said adele laughing 1 I think I 1 shall be an assistant aunt olympia and stick around however I 1 am going out on the west veranda to pick a few of those late chrysanthemums the mums and as soon as I 1 hear the car coming ill be right back on the job again she went out laughing ashes a swell gal said cecil dodd he went then and sat on the arm of limpas chair the trouble Is he said aid gravely that im the only person on earth who realizes realize ha how w old you are well you cant may lay I 1 told said aid limpy indignantly cecil started to put his big arm am around her then ihen he stopped stood up moved a few steps away from her another trouble Is be h went on en gloomily nagged at me 10 30 much and harped on it so consistently im beginning to think maybe you are young limpy lampy frowned at that well veil just remember that ive got a job as campaign manager for 40 and more than any of you ansede lucians can cayll say cecil frowned too that was a funny thing and they get his bis name but I 1 daresay you know who it was certainly I 1 know who it was in about twelve hours hes going to be the newly elected republican congressman from our district in iowa and helens going to marry him when they get around to it cecil broke down then he threw both arms ams around limpy and kissed tier her on the ear then his ups lips crept along her cheek and arrived at last timidly at her lips ill tell aunt olympia Olymp la she said finally not having hurried him ausker AU a 1 I sang A adele dole warningly before the she entered the I 1 1 I am the only person on earth who realizes how old you are room 1 I hear the hum ef cf returning votes wheres your razor cece A swell girl I 1 always said so said cecil over his shoulder already on his way upstairs aunt olympias first words were cece been doing he said he had to shave said adele her eyes and limpas eyes went guiltily to the low coffee table but hilda tidily and unobserved had removed tray and glasses the rest of the day passed in comfortable for table quiet ben took the big car and martin the two seated ford to help round up delinquent voters and deliver them safely to the polls the girls played tennis between showers er with cecil dodd under the watchful eye of aunt olympia sitting near by in a large camp chair sheltered against both intermittent rain and sun by a large umbrella dave cooper treated himself to a well earned nap on the library divan hilda reinforced by two assistants si had bad a hard day making preparation for the evening buffet which as aunt olympia said and said it ungrudgingly too aioo had to be worth a months salary at five she began laying the tables hilda was adept at this she had learned from experience that while the spread must at all times look bountiful and even lavish an abundance must be held in reserve for belated arrivals but the provision was ample for or any contingency tin gency there were roast turkeys baked hams sliced tongue and pickled pigs feet tor for the more mor e aristocratic constituents who liked to go plebeian on election night there were sandwiches salads baked beans deviled eggs and aspics aspiss there were cheese candles candies nuts cigarettes and cigars there were ices tea teacakes cakes kes and pies and an on a small ta table ble beautifully decorated and lighted i with candles stood the victory cake two feet high three feet in diameter aunt olympia was glad she he ant canceled that order by seven when the polls closed the household was in readiness uncle lancy looked suave and senatorial aunt olympia learned beamed like e a sunburned and over nourished favorite of jove cecil dodd took advantage of the occasion to present himself in white tie and tails but dave stuck to his bis sack suit and at the last minute decided against changing his bis shirt the girls were a little distressed a bout about the still unworn windup wind up costumes 1 but aunt olympia decided they were a little ittle too autumnal tor for an indoor reception and recommended graceful and be coming becoming though old chiffons exactly at seven cars began A streaming eig 11 into the ril grounds and laughing joyous congratulating guests were soon drifting through the house and lining up at the tables only in the library the doors were closed and silence was maintained for or there the elect were to listen to the returns loudspeakers loudspeaker had been set up in other parts ot of the tha house too but not much attention was wa paid to them except that every mention ot of senator Slop shir e brought cheers and a demand tor for one more toast adele cai catching ching limpas eye ar summoned he her to a comer corne ot the corridor with a suggestive lilt of silken lashes darling she whispered everybody says it Is a landslide tor for uncle lancy len must be sick just the governor I 1 Is a out and len wl will 11 not have a job and dont you think darling it wo would d be nice tor for me to slip over to the governors mansion a minute and sort ot of cheer him up get your picture taken warned limpy oh no I 1 won wont t I 1 ill 31 change into my windup wind up costume nob odys seen that and they dont know me so well over there ill wear a dark veil only len will recognize me m and heu hell hold them off well as an a holder off I 1 cau call him tops in myself said limpy 1 I feel so sorry for him darling ive made it awfully hard tor for him and even aunt olympia says it his fault maybe mayba my conscience hurts maybe its lust just your heart said limpy theres some kind of tie up between them but think how much better he would feel just to se see e m me e a and n 4 know that every things going to be all right youre wanted on long distance interrupted hilda crossly the both of you its iowa helenl He lent the girls raced upstairs to the study telephone adele being older took the receiver hello dar lingl she said adele is limpy there are 3 you OU an all right how is the senator coming co ming along oh fine A landslide they say listen darling get limpy close to the phone so she can hear too the returns wont begin coming in here for three or four hours but brick and I 1 are going to get married right away girls I 1 wanted you here but boutwe we want to do it now so we will be together however it goes at eight girls so at eight you slip off and say a little prayer for brick and me will you better not tell auntie till tomorrow I 1 yn imagine what a wreck she 1st lampys speech great everybody is crazy about it out here adele I 1 know you and len will get together again but tell limpy Lim she is to come and live with us brick wants her too it may be congress and it may be the same old grocery store but we want limpy dont forget girls at eight the girls waited and a little before eight they went upstairs together and closed the door of their room and locked it they both stood up holding hands and at eight adele said god bless helen helea and brick and limpy said amen 11 and then they wept but happily in each others arms As a matter of fact helen was not married till a full hour later tor for the girls had forgotten the difference between eastern standard and central time but already their loving prayer had gone winging on its way then adele wrapped in a long dark cipe cape over her expensive windup costume with a dark veil shield ing her face under the jaunty felt hat kissed |