Show anlu SERVICE CHAPTER X continued 12 think del was some sort of a heathen said aunt olympia the day after they arrived at shires and im not sure but in some ways he Is she added thoughtfully seems to me even a heathen would have the nerve to speak to that worm about his conduct my dear remonstrated the senator that Is one thing that cant be done in any sort of political circles what cant be done speaking to your opponent about his conduct chos talking about your opponent im talking about cece dodd I 1 want you to tell him to keep away from here ive got trouble enough my dear bebas he was supposed to stay with us what you hired him tor for it well I 1 hire him to go calf eyed over limpy you tell him to quit looking at limpy every time I 1 glance up I 1 see him looking at limpy its getting on my nerves you tell him to stop it my dear he said in a pained voice 1 I cant do that he a boy you know hes doing a good job you cant tell a man what hes to look at even if hes working for you have me up before wages and hours in no time do you see any sense paying a man wages to spend his bis hours looking at at an infant Is that what the N L R B stands tor for my dear youre making too much of this limpy Is only a child and a nice child I 1 like to look at her myself shea a mere child you silly dont you know children arent what they used to be thus frustrated on every hand olympia conceived the notion of dropping a few delicate hints herself she come right out in the open about it because she realized that even if limpy herself felt elt no personal interest in cecil she did enjoy being admired and open opposition would arouse her and her sisters with her to her own defense so olympia decided to be diplomatic well coco cece she began pleasantly when she bhe finally cornered him alone what do you think of our girls 1 I think lovely he said with a worm warm smile maudlin clym pla called it just lovely in tact fact when I 1 think of poor len stuck with those brats I 1 think I 1 struck it pretty lucky olympia ground her teeth but silently adele beautiful she asked leading him on they all are he said generously every one of them adeles the most beautiful and coif you cant deny it r she he persisted doggedly 1 I dont agree with you he lighted a cigarette looking worldly and sophisticated beauty De auty you know Is entirely a matter of taste it is hotl she said rudely its a matter of complexion and features ond and hair and it may interest you tu know th that atall all real authorities on beauty artists and sculptors and real authorities say adele is far lind and away the most beautiful oh ber perhaps haps from their point of view he conceded personally I 1 dont agree with them well wrong with her looks you silly dunce she demanded irritably nothing nothings wrong with them her looks are lovely but in my opinion her kind of beauty Is well its not natural its not spontaneous it looks artificial almost theatrical aunt olympea could hardly believe her ears she was speechless now you take beauty well like limpas tor for instance he said warming to his subject now lim pys beauty is honest andelean and clean cut and straightforward theres nothing stagy about it its just plain unvarnished straight to the heart beauty adeles not varnished either she said feebly ive seen her come straight from her bath ive watched her make up 1 I krow know what im talking about oh probably not he said indifferently but the effect is the same it looks made up lim lampys pys different do you realize began Olymp la a half choking that limpy is is a perfect infant A mere child to a man of my age and general experience he said gently there is nothing in the world so beautiful as a brave glowing little bud just blossoming bloss oming out aunt olympia got up tip and walked str straight alghi out of the room she had to she was afraid if she remained she would choke him with her bare hands and that would end the campaign in n a hurry burry probably end up by my do ing it anyhow she told the senator savagely but im making every effort to wait till after the election you cant really blame him my dear for liking the childs looks he argued mildly everybody likes her looks you know ouie ollie to tell the truth he continued hesitantly 1 I like her looks better than adeles adelea myself olympia groaned that was the gall and wormwood of it she did too her distress was so great that the senator decided to speak to cecil himself without telling her anything about it for the senator was devoted to olympia and would humiliate himself to almost any depth to spare her distress he had cecil sent up to his library and closed the door see here cecil he began mat ter of factly 1 I want you to stop flirting with limpy cecil rose right up out of his chair to answer that flirting with limpy sirl im not flirting with Limp limpel youre hotl youre not flirting with limpy well what do you call it 1 I dont call it anything sir but I 1 know it flirting im crazy about limpy 11 well stop her aunt and I 1 will positively not permit anybody to be crazy about limpy until after the election 1 I dream of flirting with limpy said cecil any time the election has nothing to do with it well youve got he her aunt all upset about it and we cant worry rorry about limpy and win an election at the same time but what have I 1 done senator ive been very careful I 1 only gave her that pin and everybody wears sloppy pins and mrs Slop shire asked me to be nice to the girls to the girls yes not to limpy ju just s t to helen and adele as good as married anyhow not limpy you know senator cecil confessed shyly 1 I could get married myself if she was old enough with my political experience in this campaign im sure to land a good job somewhere and ive got money enough to take care of a wl wi a woman I 1 could do a lot better for a girl than lon len hardesty youve got to stop looking at her said the senator firmly but senator you must realize theres no place else to look when limpas there remonstrated cecil desperately im sorry cece but youve got to stop it pay attention to your work and when you are discussing the campaign with us you address your remarks to limpy ashes not running for office and I 1 am ill try senator he said unhappily 1 I dont want to upset mrs Slop shire and I 1 do want the campaign to go through all right but senator you must see how impossible it Is to look at anybody else when lampys in the room ill keep her out of the room as much as I 1 can promised the senator kindly you keep your eyes glued to mrs Slop shire discretion is the best policy at your age when you get to be my age a glance or two at limpy wont hurt you even set you up i u little but tor for the time being you stick to mrs Slop shire CHAPTER it XI during the firs t week of october the trailer entourage established Bays town as headquarters and were giving parking facilities in the tha community center from this base the campaigners went off daily on flying junkets by automobile with a noisy escort of police it had been a hard week tor for this was the beginning of the senators statewide state wide sweep for votes on saturday aunt olympia exhibited a degree of nervous energy for or which not even the hard week could be held entirely accountable she spent the morning relaxing in bed and studying manuscript she spent the afternoon having a facial a wave a mud pack and a hot bath the senator had gone off with dave and cecil to attend a picnic of the young democrats at hardcastle planning to return to bays town in time to address the big rally in the auditorium at eight he had wanted to take the girls along but aunt olympia had put her foot down on that no I 1 want them to get rested up so EO be pretty and fresh tonight she said and if limpy were off with you and cece I 1 be able to concentrate you go and keep your eye on an cece if he gets back here ahead of you ill have him arrested aunt olympia made the girls take a brisk walk she had tea and sandwiches ready tor for their refreshment on their return 1 I want you to wear your prettiest frocks tonight and look your sweetest our windup wind up costumes asked limpy eagerly tor for those fetching gowns had been kept under lock and key all summer no net those the next to pret biest Is this a special meeting auntie asked ad adele ele well its apt to be admitted aunt olympia nervously and its my P policy to be prepared tor gor anything you see very possibly this may be the night the senator will be late and call on me for my extemporaneous speech why I 1 ordered these little corsages tor for all of us rosebuds I 1 prefer orchids but they look too expensive tor for a campaigner but why do we have to wear corsages and look nicer than usual they wont call on us will they oh no dears of course not but you will have to sit on the platform and look nice and take a bow or two but we always do thail yes but when I 1 make my extemporaneous speech we always have extra photographers on hand ladies and gentlemen 0 she murmured working on her chin and smiling urbanely at six groups began streaming into the park microphones had been set up all over the grounds so that those unable to crowd into the auditorium might hear at seven floodlights flood lights were turned on and the band struck up wed better dress now said bald aunt olympia its very crowded for four fou r to dress in here objected adele cant we take our bags and dash over to the hotel no its more effective for them to summon us from the trailer in case they call on us of course V t adeles not varnished either she said eald feebly better take the full length mirror adele it make maceso so much difference about the rest of us aunt olympias Olymp las words were prophetic at eight after preliminary speeches and introductions jim allen alien the state chairman shouted into the microphone attention attea attention tion attention ladles ladies and we have just received word that our good friend senator has been unavoidably detained at hardcastle he will not waste a moment getting here but in the meantime out here in the trailer just AnI finishing shing their quiet supper we have that grand old trouper olympia Slop shire the senators wife and her young nieces shalli shall try to induce olympia to make a few remarks until the senator gets here A roar of applause went up jims probably mentioned trying to induce me said olympia Olymp la bland ly dusting her face with powder and tucking back a nervous curl jim allen alien banged on the trailer door olympia opened it mrs the senator is unavoidably detained a few minutes wont you come over and just say howdy to the me folks just pass away the time till the senator gets here now jim you know I 1 dont know a thing about political I 1 leave all that to the senatore Sena torl protested aunt olympia i well they want to see you anyhow just hear them cheering over therel you dont have to make a speech just give them a cameon Co come meon on mrs I 1 come on girls dont forget any of those extemporaneous wise cracks youve been thinking up oil all summer whispered limpy it if I 1 do you can prompt me said aunt olympia in high good humor the auditorium was packed to the door packed a hundred feet beyond the doors in tact fact there was a rear entrance giving easy access to the platform but jim allen alien forced a way through the crowd to lead his smiling contingent right through the voting public there she 1st there they arel good evening mrs Slop shirel rah rah rah the lawlest lad lesl lest the ladies adies tod pod bless them halt half a dozen hands reached down from the platform to assist them to mount olympia Olymp la helen adele and limpy the applause continued for ten minutes while the ladies indies looking very pretty stood bowing smiling waving their hands limpy remembering the brats throw threw kisses then jim allen alien roared for silence Ladles ladles ladies and gentlemen this lady needs no introduction to youl ashes your ladal this is our old friend olympia she wont make a speech she just wants to say howdy I 1 your lady ladles ladies and gentleman olympia Slop shirel olympia advanced smiling to the rostrum and put her handbag and gloves on it then she turned and shook a playful finger at jim now jim allen alien you only asked me to come and take a bowl you say a word to me about making a speech she protested gaily 1 I cant make a speech I 1 dont even know how to begin especially on politics I 1 always say one politician in a family is enough sometimes I 1 think it is more than now if you wanted a spee speech h on keeping the house on running the family budget on cheap recipes tor for conning canning fruit and making preserves I 1 could talk till election why I 1 am not even enough of a politician to call you constituents constituent sl I 1 she he cried keeping well in range of the microphone youre not constituents S to mel youre just friends old friends and neighbors all I 1 know about politics now because you are only my friends and neighbors I 1 want you td meet these three dear little children of mine who have made me so happy and kept my heart and hands to so full this year girls come on stand cupl I 1 want them to see what you look like the girls tripped up and stood smiling grouped about her now those of you who have families she went on understand that between providing nourishing meals doing the mending and darning superintending super intending the laundry safeguarding the health of my husband and these three children I 1 have time to meddle in politics if I 1 wanted to but the girls mean more to me than politics why I 1 want you to be their friend and neighbor as you are mine this is helenl this la Is adelel and this 1 is my little limpel stand up on an a chair limpel so they can see youl limpy was boosted blushing upon a chair but she rose to it gallantly and threw more kisses you can sit down now girls but I 1 would not give you the wrong impression about my attitude continued aunt olympia with sudden earnestness 1 I am interested just as you are in every detail every mo movement every law every national policy that ahat affects our state and our country womer women are concerned with politics because all problems that touch the home the family the school the church the health are problems I 1 what to is there that concerns our nation that does not eventually lead straight to our homes your home and mine labor relief flood control wages and hours taxation even war itself rearmament a naval policy the affairs of commerce and agriculture all these are powerful electrical currents by which our homes are made safe and sweet or are destroy edl and since by our american system of government the most glorious system ever devi may it never grow lessl lesil since by our system all these dell delicate bate problems of gov government emment of justice of fair play and of protection must be worked out through politics then yes I 1 am interested in politics esl 1 what women woman worthy the name of wife of mother could remain uninterested and indifferent to the system by which food clothing and shelter aro are provided for her children which gives them education which safeguards them from the ravages of war which insures the security of their future and endows them forever with the sacred right of freedom so yes to that extent I 1 am interested te in politics well now in this campaign you may be surprised to know she said with a light laugh that these girls and I 1 are tor for senator Slop shirel arent we girls arent we tor for the senatore Sena torl the girls applauded prettily and why are we for the senator because we know him we know he can be trusted we know he understands our needs our problems and will work day and night and give his lifeblood IKe blood it if no necessary for our well being and the well be ing of our friends and neighbors neighbor now if Lt I 1 thought hought someone els else say some dentist or some grocery clerk or even say brother she was silenced by a roar of boos |