| Show lueen oane 5 lace jace vy by FRANCES PARKINSON KEYES C frances parkinson reyes PROLOGUE 11 clarence hathaway who as every one knew was to be tie the next ambassador to great britain if 1 the president elect had hlo hie way and the president elect was accustomed to having his way emerged from the impressive doorway of his residence ant and stood for a moment before he signified hla his consciousness that a gleaming nis his pana sulza aulza waited before him a chauffeur in maroon livery at the wheel a footman similarly attired holding open the door it was a perfect spring morning from the marble balcony on the second story an american flag flew stilt in the breeze and shone to in the sun gravely hathaway saluted the chauffeur and footman shaken from their stiff correctness faced the american flag and saluted in their turn hatha way turning to them smil smiling ln A fine day for the president jarvis a great day for all of us I 1 yes tes indeed sir squires and I 1 ave are been remarking it the shoreham Shore ham jarvis were stopping there for the attorney general designate and his mother and governor and sirs mrs 1111 dreth yes sir the dignitaries in question were already standing on the steps of the shoreham Shore ham as the hispania IIi sulza aulza slid to a silent stop in front of the hotel hathaway athaway II alighted and greeted them in turn torn good morning mrs griffin well how does docs it feel to be the mother of a cabinet member mabel abel you look as fresh as a may morning what a dayl day I 1 made in heaven anne would say bless her heart 1 I wonder how she Is this morning the new attorney general spoke with IL a slight lisp oh ashes finely announced mabel hildreth nil 1311 dreth settling herself comfortably in the corner of the car both the viso governor vernor and his wife bore A c signs of lorig long continued rural tx wt erity 01 er which a slight veneer 01 ot recent official importance lay somewhat insecurely but there was something thin very likable about their rather round and florid faces and mrs nil HII dreth retained traces of a girlish bloom which though somewhat faded must once have been very lovely 1 I heard beard what she was to wear interposed mrs griffin eagerly why lace of course Ven venetian etlan point so old that its fawn color combined with tan georgette and silk this morning rose point and white satin this evening noel hear of anything less the car swung around the treasury building and sped down the cleared width of pennsylvania avenue booked banked on either side with good natured orderly crowds at the capitol the host as lie he guided his guests through the revolving door issued a few directions you fellows join your respective colea colleagues aes ues now in the waiting rooms youre for the floor door of the senate as of course you know ill take the la lad diesto lesto the gallery the dingy old chamber was filling fast as hathaway and the two ladles ladle s took their places in the gallery the gaiel descended the speaker of the house and the vice president elect were nere in turn escorted to seats beside the vice president the applause though technically forbidden bad rung out again and again unchecked was quickly voluntarily hushed then it i resound ed again echoing and in re echoing the president elect had entered the chamber accompanied by an escort of three senators and three congressmen and had taken his place in front of 0 the raised platform where the vice president sat anil and when he had bad done so go lie lifted his eyes to the senat senators ors gallery just as a lady with a soft full cloak partially covering a dress of heavy deep cream lace came down the aisle and took her place in the vacant seat between iier her golden haired girl and her shaggy haired boy for a moment mie sat with her head bead bent her drooping hat with its delicate plumes concealing her face sho she Is praying hathaway said to himself choking a little then she looked up and across the hie chamber meeting the presidents f e PS seemed to steady herself and fr her arms around her children rose with them to accept the taffe F ie of applause app lauFe which rocked the 1 not until she raised her uni hand with a gentle gesture ft 1 at one and the same time acknowledged and checked the outburst did the tumult lessen then she gathered the folds of her cloak around her and with complete composure grace and dignity resented seated re herself neal told me that when he took his oath of office as senator hathaway whispered in a voice that shook he was almost overcome when lie he looked up and saw anne sitting I 1 in n the gallery and and found he could go on after all after that he never came into the chamber without instinctively looking up to see sec it if she were here ile he did it today did you notice no woman ever had such a tribute in the senate before I 1 wonder whether any ever will again ills companions were only halt half lis its heuing to him it did not matter the presidents speech was the next neit thing that mattered and after a long time an eternity it seemed to hathaway suddenly the senate was adjourned and the occupants of the galleries hur rang to the doors were rushing through the corridors and down the staircases steering his charges towards the stage temporarily erected over the cast stops steps of the capitol where the president was to take his oath and make his address he turned them over to an officer with hasty instructions that sirs mrs griffin should be taken to her place behind her son and mrs hildreth to her place beside her husband then he directed ills his own steps to the open space directly in front of 0 the platform which had bad been roped oft off for the specially invited guests who had been in the senate chamber but who did not have seats on the stage the platform was crowded and the sun shone full upon it a shaft of this fell as if straight from heaven upon the presidents lifted face as he emerged from the mass behind him and stood revealed between the white columns beside the black robed justice hathaway athaway II looked up nt at the lady in fawn color she was very close to the I 1 president now the folds of her cloak falling softly about her slim form her earnest eyes fixed on ills his face as they had been in the senate chamber ile he had bad taken the oath the justice had A r my I 1 A 1 I I 1 I 1 I 1 ivl 0 4 he had taken the oath stepped hace and the president had begun his speech gradually a greater earnestness a greater power crept into his words his strangely youthful vibrant face became beautified it glowed as if from some inner light the impassioned eloquence which had first made him famous had never been so lambent before lie he was speaking about america about her heritage about her future about her place on earth lord almighty exclaimed a stout person sitting beside hathaway ive always been patriotic but no one ever made me feel this way about america before ill say were going to have a great president one of the great greatest esL ile he talks about the united states as it if it were real a person ft a a woman oman like a man might talk about some one lie he was in love with hathaway athaway II turned towards him it Is real he sold said to the president why lie he makes it seem real to you and me youre right hes making a great speech one that will III live and the person who made all that real to him Is ills his wire wife lord almighty exclaimed the stout person you dont siy say so sol ile he laid a detaining hani hand on hath sleeve 1 I dont want to keep you of course he said apologetically but I 1 want you should tell me just a word before you go about about his wire wife you sol said hathaway smiled and shook his head but he stopped slopped for a moment before he moved away the crowd closing in on him as he went 1 I tell you about her in a week he said 1 I tell you it if I 1 stayed here all day trying nobody could tell the real story as it ought to be told about the part a women woman has in her husbands career from very humble beginning through long lone hard drab uneventful years and on to ultimate supremacy its a part par t very different from popularly supposed a part not only misunderstood but underestimated noboa nobody y could do such a story justice though dozens of able biographies nill be written about the president but somebody ought to try not only because then the american people might appreciate party partly at least their presidents wife but also because hundreds of women who are ion longing ing to help their husbands but heeling feeling that they are tailing failing to do so would find consolation and encouragement in the story of anne chamberlain why dont you write the story yourself persisted the westerner or it you cant do it yourself I 1 presume youre a busy man why dont you find some one else who will some one you could trust to make a try at it lord almighty man dont fade away from roc me like that V 1 for the westerner found that he was wag speaking to the crowd in general and not to one person in particular lip he was also being looked at curiously and ho he himself hlin looked about in some bewilderment lie ile had an engagement just the same he be said to himself as lie he scurried panting across the park 1 I hope I 1 put an idea into unit slick lookin looking 9 fellows head and I 1 believe lieve I 1 did I 1 bellee he heard me after all ail I 1 believe hell get somebody to write that story I 1 TO BE CONTINUED 1 |
