Show 7 A Politicians Daughter BY ESTHER WAGGAMAN NEILL I 1 r i yr 1 Vr K r Would you like me to be brutally frank h c said a Mid is he extraordinary ox I nar too Le LetUla Letitia tUla titia Manton turned at the question and an fixed her round blue eyes upon the tho speakers face Oh Miss OConnor OCon OConnor OC n nor nor sho she suid said with the frightened air all ofa of a debutante I never know whether er you aro are in earnest or notI not n I ileen leen full red lips parted wide in a smile displaying rows of teeth dazzling in their whiteness You funny child sM she sh said Of course I to to find everything Washing in Washington ton extraordinary Well Nell he said ald Letitia Latitia decidedly decidedly edly glancing at the subject ct of their conversation cn Mamma says S s matri matrimony mony is his profession How many times so far farOh farOh farOh Oh not onca yet et said lietitia Letitia with charitable haste They say sa he heit hei heis i is it looking for a rich wife wi c He will probably ba be bb very cry attentive to t you you ou And so you ou are forewarning my m vanity said Miss OConnor Lelitia looked lo ked a little bewildered Hes only a government clerk she said irrelevantly But he owns a plantation in Virginia and people here call him him le Ie grand seigneur for hes considered so exclusive I heard him toll mamma that lb t hn hI had a horror of the nouveaux riches Miss large gray eyes nar narrowed narrowed rowed under their heavy lashes and for a moment she regarded Letitia L sus suspiciously but that persons eager lit little little little tle face was guileless Then your friendly fears for me are groundless s she sh said b Will you ou kindly tell Mr 11 name Mr Philip Kerwin Well Nell tell him please that Im from the woolly west and that my m grandfather drove droe pigs in Ireland and that my grandmother tended cows un until until until til they thoy came to this country and that afterward she took Jk In washing I sus suspect poet peet She delivered these bits hits of her family history without bitterness or And when Mr lIr Philip reached her place in the line and was introduced to her she said I sup lUp suppose suppose pose I ought to continue my afternoon conventionality and tell you OU that Im glad to meet you but Ill indulge In the luxury of truthfulness Im sure we like each other Mr Ir Kerwin showed neither surprise nor embarrassment Perhaps you OU are rash In your Judgments he said pleas pleasantly pleasantly antly and the next moment he had passed Indifferently on Oddly enough Miss OConnor w was thinking of this first meeting as qs s she stood on the rail of ot a leaning fence that outlined a dusty dust Virginia road roadway roadway roadway way Here she was in a torn tom riding habit her hands scratched and bleed bleeding bleeding ing lag her hair hall disheveled her silk hat dented in the crown standing like a alone alone alone lone tramp amid strange surround surroundings inge ings without her horse and without hope of company to guide her on her herway hera herAs herway way a As she stood there she suddenly re remembered remembered remembered that Letitia had told her h he that the old Kei Ke Kerwin win vin home was w s five fie miles from the place and in spite of her predicament she began idly idl icil to wonder as she had so often done before why wh this man had seemed to avoid her purposely whenever w enever they the met in their social rounds In Washing Washington 1 ton If he were really rea 11 looking for a arich arich arich rich wife her wealth ought to have proved an attraction for the daughter of Croesus OConnor as her father was called was not unmindful of this reputed attraction Had she been ugly or nr Stupid or awkward or less admired by bJ other othor men she sho would bave have accept accepted ed his neglect indifferently or humbly and thought no more about it But as asit asit asit it was he haunted her as a ical It was at this moment that Philip Kerwin appeared ared comin comIng around a bend in the road mounted on ona ona ona a lean horse and leading her own His panting horse showed that he had been riding hard Youre not hurt he called out in ina inn ina a n relieved tone as he caught sight of her Youre not hurt I i You speak regretfully regret full she smiled I clambering down to meet him No Im not hurt I 1 only feel like lIko a heroine In a melodrama or a re reIncarnation reincarnation reincarnation Incarnation of Mme practicing practicing practicing telepathy Why he asked with his usual calm descending from his horse Because I was thinking of you OU she said sald with an indifferent candor condor that precluded boldness Im lost was wondering about the natives It suddenly occurred to me that your house was near here and I thought I might discover spree Ime of your old retainers to guide me on my way wa My horse fell lell and threw me into the ditch And I caught cau ht him a mile down the th road he returned I recognized him himas hima a as I 1 have seen you ride In Wash Washington ington I was you had met mcl with a serious accident Were Vere you ou all alone 1 Yes I escaped this morning Prom From where whereFrom whereFrom whereFrom From Senator they have hac collected a house party part did you ou come today as one me of their guests Io No o I came yesterday to spend two weeks my holiday and to look after things at homo home Ail he spoke she noticed a subtle change ch in him He seemed younger I f more buoyant with a happiness and an enthusiasm of which she had never nevor neverseen neverseen seen any evidence before It is be beginning beginning beginning ginning to rain he said looking up at the lowering sky My Iy home is near here herel I would like you to meet my mother Thank you yiu she said with an Odd dd I sort of humility I confess to being surprised by the fact that t at you have a am mother m ther though Letitia told me Some Somehow Somehow Somehow how I never associated you in my mind with any close family ties He smiled faintly as he helped her into her saddle A man proclaim the num number number number ber of his relatives he le said We Ve shall have haye to hurry the rain Is almost here lere and anti the wind Is turning cold it has been a most unnatural day da for De December December December cember In every very way wa she agreed as she wait d for him to mount I seek soli soIl solitude solitude tude and even een my m horse deserts me and I find you ou the only man in Wash Vash Washington Washington ington m who has resolutely and unremittingly unremittingly avoided me Please dont think I mind she added as they the role rode along under the ominous creaking branches of the trees Im only cu curious curious rious and I would like to ask you a question Life LICe is so short we can un understand understand understand sd so little after all that I think it is a mistake not to be blunt at inter intervals intervals intervals vals I really would like to know why we have never exchanged more than thre sentences 9 at a time in Washing Washington ton For a moment he regarded her cu curiously in silence Would you like me meto meto meto to be brutally frank Yes I would like you ou to be brutally frank He turned to her with boyish candor Because I dont like your father he said This Tills prompt unconventional confes cones confession confession sion brought him a sudden sense of friendship for the one who had com coin compelled om it for instead of being hurt hUF by his answer she smiled and said What a simple solution It was stu stupid stupid pid phI of me not to think of that I be believe lieve my wits have gone wandering since I came to Washington I find the place has a deadening ef effect effect f feet on me he replied But you Ou will think Virginia irginia is even een a worse place to live Jive for we are going to have a astor storm stor and we shall both get a drench drenching ing turn here this is the gate but hut there is a long avenue before we reach the house houseEn Eileen En en saw with some astonishment that they were approaching what ap up appeared appeared poured to be a ruin for one of ot the thO wings wins of the low rambling house had been dc destroyed by b a bursting burs ling shell dur during during during ing the war From the corner of the wide porch came a shambling ne te ro boy to take charge of the horses Phil lip opened the heavy door and led the way into the warm hall My Iy mother will be waiting for far us 11 ushe he Said aid I saw her at the window as we came ame up the hill hili Miss OConnor had at first felt a pity uit for the th shabbiness of this old home and ard its Inmates but this feeling now rave gave r way to tc a respect approaching reer rever reverence ence The hallway was so different from anything she had ever seen so quaint in its splendor And then as a if to complete the picture cf tf vanished days Mrs Kerwin came smil ing down dawn the stairway Im Ini so glad to see you ou she sh sari sail hurrying forward with both hands out aut outstretched ut stretched without waiting for the th 1 t r mality malit of an Introduction I hone hooe YU yon ou are not hurt One of the men ii il Me Ile field me that Phillip had cau t a runaway horse and I feared there had been some serious accident Nothing more serious than a torn habit said Eileen smiling I was only dropped in a dry ditch Miss Mils OConnor is staying at Senator Wantons said Philip Phili And that is five miles away Eileen continued I rode further than I in intended intended tended I would like tp t stay sta here if you ou dont mind until the rain Is over Why Wh my dear child said the old lady with a true southerners hospital it we are arc so glad to meet any of Philips friends Your habit is drenched I must find a dry dress for you ou Phlip came and put Dut his arm about his mothers waist Her head mead did not quite reach his shoulder What can we do he said with a humorous expression of dismay I fear Miss OConnor will ill have some dif difficulty difficulty finding a gown of yours 10 to o fit fitChen Then Chen perhaps Minnie has some something something something thing said the gentle lady intent only on the comfort of her guest Minnie linnic Minnie she called A door opened on one orie side of the hall halland halland halland and a young oung girl appeared with a book bookin in her hand Miss OConnor from Washington my daughter said Mrs Kervin We must mut find Miss OConnor a dry gown I fear tear she will take cold Minnie Minn If looked up at the tall taU girl with unmistakable admiration and holding out her plump hand she said You were caught In that dreadful rain How wet you are And mother r and ind I are two such tiny things that none of our gowns will fit you ou But she added hesitatingly there is a trunk full of my grandmothers clothed clothe in the th garret she was very eI tall If you dont mind anything so I In old fashions said Miss OConnor but Im proving a trouble troublesome troublesome troublesome some guest I fear If U you only knew how I 1 delight in rummaging in the garret said Min Minnie Mm mile nie with naive enthusiasm Come to tomy my room and Ill I Il dress you up so you look like Uke a picture and we ti e wont let letie the ie habit get dry until morning Philip Phiiip to quiet his mothers fears about his own stalwart health wont to 1 Is room to change his coat and then I going into the library settled himself I In a deep D armchair to read such news DOWS from Washington as filters slowly Into the tho county papers Half an hour later attracted by a slight noise on the other side of the room he looked up to find Miss OConnor standing before tie the t e lire lir In a gown of rod satin of the fashion of a half century ago Dont let mo me disturb you ou she said saidI I am m merely experiencing a new de desire desire sire I believe I am actually longing for a grandfather She rested both hands upon the tho man mantel mantel mantel tel and stared up at a picture in a frame It was the portrait of a delicately featured young oung man arra arrayed ed in black and wearing a flaring Byronic collar Who Vho was he she asked He lIe was wa your husband if you yea are the ghost of my m grandmother he said rising and coming closer to the fire I d feel like a ghost she said mid dreamily I feel as if my m world worM was left eft so far behind Her H r cheeks were flushed and In h hr r deep gray gra eyes there was a new ex expression expression expression of sadness Philip regarded regard ad heritor a few moments in silence Are the sensations of a ghost pleas pleasant p pl a ant he asked Oh I dont understand she sail sat 1 tapping her foot toot Impatiently upon the Uie bearskin rug I doubt If it a man ever understands a woman Did it ever P e 1 cur to you what part you ou men call cail ca l on en onus onus enus us to play We 0 must be good looking no matter how old Wa We must be gay gny ga gato y to make you ou glad W Wes V must thinK o of f you always always or else you ou fort forget fortus t us and then we are powerless either for or for Cor evil eIl Not at all he said in blunt con contradiction contradIction contradiction Your Tour viewpoint is bein being g colored by the fashion of your gown No woman is as helpless as In the days day s of our grandmothers Oh I know Im Pm taking the worldly point of view she said wearily Th The e narrow political point Ive been up upstairs upstairs upstairs stairs talking to your sister she is so s stender 0 tender so good so unworldly that sh she e has made me remorseful and because I was troubled I selected s the gayest gown in the garret Minnie has gone to see about luncheon she will return in a moment and I I dont know that I shall ever have the chance to talk to you again At present Im animated by a feeling of loyalty to my father You said you did not like him He was silent making no attempt to 5 soften often his first statement He wa was thinking that she was beyond classi classification classification classification and was wondering why her herrich herrich herrich rich beauty had never appealed to him before I fancy that your dislike Is founded upon his political methods she went wenton on You dont approve of the means by which he gains his ends I wanted to tell you that I have helped him It does not seem fair fall that you should blame him without blaming me meI I am sharing sparing his success Dont you under understand understand understand stand that honesty demands that I share his shame sh me as well He opened his lips to speak but she stopped him Let me go on she said I want to tell you that I think you are a lit little little little tle hard In your judgments Perhaps you might make allowances if you had ever felt as we have felt if you OU had sprung from common stock and seen the real sordidness of poverty the shrieking squalid shirtsleeve sort the kind in which my grandfather lived and died and which fathers life has been a struggle to keep from falling failing back into He managed by hard work to get some sort of ot an education He was reasonably successful In his busi business business business ness ventures and be h gave me all the advantages that a girl could ask My M father was civilized by my mother long before I knew him If my mother had lived I might haye have been different but my father was a strong man and amI I unreservedly accepted ids his viewpoint When he first went into politics he wanted to enter the legislature His election depended upon his being nom nominated nominated by the vote of the majority ofa of ofa a few delegates This nomination was equivalent to an aim election At the th primary prImary primary mary election they were evenly divided That afternoon father fath r found that one of his delegates had been bought bythe by bythe b the other side sid That evening at a ball MIl ballI MIlI I met two of the opposing delegates and I bought them before the evening was over I 1 had of my m own In Inthe Inthe inthe the bank and I gave them apiece Father won the political leadership I began my political |