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Show iNflMTe mk MlETY I If ljr Skated Wnilocic 'HBK xuvsthations 3JrMifMl COPYRIGHT K07 tf "'''BU CHAPTER I. Amelia c.unn running eagerly down tho wide stairs, and though she was smiling with the Joy of Vernon's coming, com-ing, Bhc stopped on the bottom stop long enough to shako out the skirt of tho new spring gown she wore, with a manner that told slio had it on that ovening for the first time. Vernon hastened to meet her, and it was not until he had kissed her and released her from his embrace that sho Baw tho dro8slng-casc ho had sot down in tho hall. "What's that for?" sho asked in alarm. Her smllo faded suddenly, leaving leav-ing her face wholly serious. "I havo to go hack to-night," ho replied, re-plied, almost guiltily. To-nighU" "Yes; 1 must be in Springfield in tho morning." "nut what about tho dinner?" "Well," he hogan, helplessly, "I guess you'll have to gel somebody in my place." Amelia stopped and looked nt him in amazement. ' "I thought thQ senate never met Mondays until five o'clock in tho afternoon?" after-noon?" sho said. "It doesn't, usually; but I had a telegram tel-egram from Porter an hour ago; there's to ho a conference In tho morning." morn-ing." . They tftarted toward tho drawing room. Amelia was pouting In her disappointment. dis-appointment. "I know something would spoil It," she said, fatalistically. And then she added, presently: "I thought that Monday Mon-day afternoon session never lasted longer thnn a minute. You nover wont down before until Monday night." "I know, dear," said Vernon, apologetically, apolo-getically, "but now that tho session Is Hearing its close, we're busier than wo havo been." "Can't you wire Mr. Porter and get him to let you off?" sho asked. Vernon Inughed. "Ho isn't my master," ho replied. "Well, ho acts llko it," sho retorted, and then as If sho had suddenly hit upon an unanswerable urgument she went on: "If that's so why do you pay any attention to his telegram?" "It Isn't ho, dear," Vernon explained, "it's tho party. Wo aro to have a very imnortant conference to consider a situation sit-uation that has just arisen. I must not miss It." "Well, It ruins my dinner, that's all," sho said, helplessly. "I wanted you here." Vernon had como up from Springfield Spring-field ns usual for tho week's end adjournment, ad-journment, nnd Amelia had counted on his waiting over, ns ho always did, for tho Monday night train, beforo going back to his duties in the senate. More than all, sho had counted on him for a dinner she had arranged for Monday ovening. "What tlmo does your train leave?" sho asked, In tho voico of ono who succumbs suc-cumbs finally to a hopoless situation. "Elovon twenty," he said. "But I brought ray luggngo over with mo, so I could start from hero at tho last minute. I'll go over to' tho Twenty-third Twenty-third street station and catch it there." Amolla had had tho deep chair Vernon Ver-non liked so woll wheeled into the mellow circlo of the light that fell from a tall lamp. Tho lamp gave tho only light in tho room, .and tho room appeared vast in tho dimness; an effect ef-fect somohow aided by the chill that was on It, as it tho fires of tho Ansloy house had been allowed to die down in an eager protonso of spring. It was spring, but spring in Chicago. Sunday morning hnd been bright and tho lake had sparkled blue in the warm wind that came up somewhoro from the southwest, but by night tho wind had wheeled around, and the, lake resumed its normal cold and menacing mood. As Vornon sank into tho chair ho caught a narrow gllmpso of tho boulo-vard boulo-vard between- tho- curtnlns-of-tho large, window; In the brilliant light of n street lamp ho could sea a cold rain slanting down on to tho asphalt. "How much longer Is this legislature to last, anyway?" Amolla demanded, as she arranged herself In tho low chair beforo him. "Threo weeks," Vernon replied. "Throe weoks more!" Tho girl drow tho words out. "Yqs, only throe wcokB," Bald Vernon. Ver-non. "And then wo adjourn sine die. Tho Joint resolution fixes tho dato for Juno second." Amelia said nothing. Sho was usually usu-ally disturbed when Vernon began to speak of his Joint resolutions; which was, perhaps, tho reason why ho spoko of them bo often. "Of course," Vornon went on, with a cortaln impression of relief In his words, "I havo another session after this." "When will that bo?" Amelia asked. suddenly taking a different courso with her, " you could bo a gront holp to me. I nover nddress tho senato that I don't think of you, nnd wish you woro thero to hear mo." "I should llko to hear you," said Amolla, Boftoning a little. "Hut of courso 1 couldn't think of appearing In tho senato." "Why not? Ladles often appoar there." "Yes, overdressed, no doubt" "Woll, you wouldn't havo to bo overdressed," over-dressed," Vernon rotortod. IIo seemed to havo tho advantage, but ho docldod i to forego It. He Bank back on tho cushions of his chair, folding his hands nnd plainly taking tho rest a sonator needs after his legislative labors. "Of courso," ho Bald, "wo needn't discuss it now. Tho governor may not cnll tho special session. If tho party " but ho paused, thinking how little interested sho wus in tho party. "I wish you'd lot politics alono," Amolla went on relentlessly. "It scorns so so common. I don't sco what thoro Is In it to attract you. And how am 1 over going to explain your ubsonco to thoso pcoplo to-morrow night? Tell them Hint politics detained you, I suppose?" sup-pose?" Sho looked nt him sovoroly, nnd yet triumphantly, ns if sho had re duced tho problom to nn absurdity. "Why," said Vornoon, "you can tell them Hint I was called suddenly to Springfield; that an Important matlor In the Bcnnto " "Tho sennto!" Amolla sneered. "But, dearest," Vornon began, leaning lean-ing over in an attitude for argument. Sho cut him short. "Why, Morley, do you think I'd She Stopped on the Bottom Step Long Enough to Shake Out the Skirt. "Winter after next. Tho governor, though, mny call a special session to deal with tho revenue question. That would talco us all back thero again next winter." "Next Winter!" sho cried, leaning over In alarm. "Do you mean you'll havo to bo away all next winter, too!" Tho significance of hor tone was sweet to Vornon, and ho raised himself him-self to take' her hands in his. "You could bo with mo then, dearest," dear-est," ho said, softly. "In Springfield!" sho exclaimed. "Why not?" asked Vernon. "Other members havo their wives with them some of them," ho qualified, thinking think-ing how few of tho members cared to havo their wives with them during tho session. "What could ono do In Springfield, pray?" Amelia demanded. "Go to the legislative hops, I Bupposo? And danco reels with farmers and West sldo politicians!" poli-ticians!" Sho almost sniffed hor disgust. dis-gust. ., ".Why, dearest," L .Vernon . plonded.. "you do them a great injustice. Somo of them tiro really of tho best people; tho society In Springfield is excellent. At tho governor's recoptlon at tho mansion tho othor night " "Now, Morley," Amelia said, with a smllo that was intended to reproach him mildly for this attempt to Impose upon her credulity. "And, besides," Vernon hurried on, over let on to thoso Eltons that I know any ono in nolltlcs?" "Don't thoy have politics in Now York?" he asked. "Thoy won't oven kuow whore Springfield is!" she went on lrrolo-vantly. lrrolo-vantly. "What'll thoy say when thoy recelvo our cards next fall?" ho asked with a smile. "Well, you needn't think your namo will bo engraved on them as senator, I can assure you!" Hor dark oyos flashed. Vornon laughed again, and Amelia went on: "You enn laugh, but I really bellevo you would If I'd lot you!" Thoy were silent after that, and Amelia sat with hor olbow on tho arm of her chair, hor chin In hor hand, meditating gloomily on hor ruined dinner. "If you did any good by bolng In politics," sho said, as If speaking to herself. "But I fall to seo what good you J.lU What good doou jlo?" Sho. lifted her head suddenly and challenged chal-lenged him with a high look. "Woll," he said, spreading his hands wide, "of courso, If you don't enro enough to look in the nowspapors!" "But how could I, Morley?" said Amolla. "'How was I to know whoro to look?" "Why, In tho Springfield dispatches." "I began -by reading tho papers," Amolla said. "But, really now, Mor- (HH loy, you know I couldn't find anything il In them about you." J jf "Tho most important wort n tho liLH leglslnturo Isn't dono in tho newBpa- H pars," said Vernon, with a slgnlllcnnco that was Intcndod to hide his lncon- .H slstnncy. "Thero are commlttco meet- Ings, and conferences and caucuses; ''iiH It Is thero that policies are mapped jH out and legislation framed." :H Ho spoko darkly, ns of secret sob- 'jl slons hold nt night on tho upper floors .,, f'liiiH of hotels, attended only by thoso who i'lH had rccolvcd whispered invitations. igil "But If you must bo in politics," alio TH said, "why don't you do something big, jH something great, something to mako H a stir? Show your friends thnt you ' aro really accomplishing something!" -iH Amelia sat orcct and gave a strenu- ous gesturo with one of her little fists ( clenched. Her dark oyes showed tho 'il excitement of ambition. But Vornon 'H drooped nnd placed his hand wearily tu his brow. Instnntly Amelia started up from hor chair. o'Hpl "Doob that light annoy you?" Hor il tono was altogether different from her ambitious ono. Sho wns stretching out -H a hand townrd tho lamp, and tho white flesh glowed red between hor fingers, j jH held against tho light. I "Novcr mind." said Vernon.. "It ! iBIIH doesn't bother me.' But Amelia roso and twisted tho shade of tho lamp about, and thon, na sho was taking her seat again, sho , 'H "I supposo it'll be worso thon ever ' ' ,H after nftor wo'ro mnrrled." Sho fnl- H torod, and blushed, and began ranking -H little plaits In hor handkerchief, study- , ,H lng tho effect with a sldewlso turn o! tH her :H Vornon bent over nnd took both her hnndB In his. jH "If It woro only Washington!" .H Thoro wns a new rcgrot in hor tone, as - ' fH thero was in the inclination of her V. ;iH "It shall bo Washington, dear," ha - Amelia's oyollds fell and sho blushed again, oven in tho glow tho lamp shed tH upon hor faco. They woro silent for ltH a moment, and then suddenly sho- looked up. H "Washington would bo over so much sl better, Morley," sho said. "I should fool as If that really amountod to somo- . v- v' thing. We'd know nil thp diplomats, "IH and I'm suro in thnt atmosphero you IH would becomo a great man." "I will, dear; I will," ho declared, "but it will bo all for you." 'JH (TO BE CONTINUED.) |
