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Show Tkissing babies j PURSUE ROOSEVELT j Owing to the anall-llfe pace of some of the post office people in Idaho, some of the matter prepared by. the gentlemen gentle-men of the press on President Roosevelt's Roose-velt's train specially' for The Telegram, was received in Salt Lake nearly thirty hours after the President arrived here. The matter Is In the nature of personal notes and will be found interesting even at this late date . . - - Kissing babies still pursue President Roosevelt. But for his muscle and grim determination not to be caressed at Butte he would surely have fallen a victim to the burning kisses of one of Montana's fairest little daughters. ' As It was he came out of the encounter somewhat the worse for wear and temper. tem-per. ' It all occurred out on the parade when he passed in review before the school children. There was a pause in the march and a Uttle girl of perhaps 8 or 9 years stepped up to hand the President Presi-dent a bouquet of flowers. He accepted the posies as graciously as is his custom and thanked her most cordially. - The little girl v approached closer yet. Her father and mother were behind her. Her lips were puckered and she wore her sweetest smile. Even now the President Pres-ident did not realize his peril. He was about to turn to bow to someone else when the maiden was thrust right up into his face by the strong arms of the father and the mother. It was too late to call upon the trusty secret service men for protection. One of them was on the box of the carriage and the others were several feet away on either side of the vehlole. The puckering lips were very close to the smiling but unkissed face of the President. Presi-dent. Desperately putting out both his hands the President caught the rosy i cheeks of the child and held her at arm's length. The father and mother pushed in the opposite direction. For one brief terrible moment it looked as though the little girl was about to lose her head. Few ia that great crowd were aware of the terrible struggle until it was over. With a mighty effort the President forced the parents' pride and Joy back into their unwilling arms and went on with the parade. The child sobbed her way after her father and mother and disappeared from view. Several weeks ago the President is reported re-ported to have kissed four babies In Des Moines, Ia, He indignantly denied the charge just as soon as he saw it in print, but the damage was done. He received re-ceived telegram after telegram, letter after letter from his more Intimate friends chaffing him on the supposed exploit. ex-ploit. Among those'who sent him these Jollying messages were Secretary of State Hay. Senator Henry Cabot Lodge Rnd Attorney-General Inox. Even Mrs, Roosevelt was moved to w rite him about it and he was far from happy over the affair He saw babies with kissable lips in all his dreams, and when he spoke on the subject Ito the newspaper newspa-per correspondents abourd his train, who had first sent out the report, his language was somewhat torrid. He had forgiven them for the publication, pub-lication, however, long before Butte wasj reached, and had about concluded that he had heard the last of it when up came the would-be kisser to revive, with added horror, the sensation in his breast. It may be officially announced that the President does not kiss youngsters, young-sters, pretty, passable, or homely, on this or any other tour. If the babies of the country as well as their fond mothers moth-ers and proud fathers will accept this as final they will save the President a great deal of annoyance and themselves them-selves rebuffs that are likely to be far from gentle in the future. The President Presi-dent has Fix children of his own who are entitled to his kisses, and if he supplies sup-plies them with their full share he ftTte that his duty will be done. I |