Show the honorable rable uncle lanc lancy y by ETHEL HUESTON 0 bobbs medal co 0 S ke I 1 THIS STORY THUS FAR FAB I 1 lett left orphans by a tragic automobile accident which claimed the lives ol of their nother mother and father three st aters helen adele and limpy are visited by their aunt olympia Olymp pia la politically minded wife of senator delaporte Slop shir she insist that tha the girls return with her to washington to make their home them in addition to loving the girls girl aunt olympia knows know they will be b a eifle political asset senator Slop shire has hai as his political opponent one brother I 1 kie ikle a minister whose political campaign is furthered by seven ceven unspeakable abl tats is who sit alt on the rostrum with him while he be makes make speeches CHAPTER II 11 continued then all we have to do Is wear black and white and white and black and sit fit on the platform am and wave alv 0 lollypops lolly olly pops asked limpy quite fascinated at the prospect and specially Apeci especially ally you must be very very affectionate toward the senator said caid aunt olympia thoughtfully already mapping the campaign but what will the senator think ejaculated helen appalled at the idea of showing affection toward a senatorial cenat orial uncle by marriage she had never even seen aunt olympia smiled disarming k hell probably think times have pro v edno end the she said and you must not call him senator never call him senator to 20 stiff to 10 formal how about just plain Unc suggested limpy no not fond enough it m must be something very very fond what do you call him Aun auntie tle oh I 1 call him del but that wont do its too flippant in the first place and it comes from delaporte his bis middle name which though not as bad as is 7 almost aristocratic too delaporte Slop shire uncle del no it wont dot del uncle uncle Lan lancel cyll she cried in a bellow of triumph uncle lancy yes md kind of an offshoot from very clubby lancil good finel but will he like that he will when the votes are counted said aunt olympia grimly bedtime bed time near aunt olympia pleasurably tiptoed noise fasly down the hall A low mur mur of voices from one closed door assured her that helen and adele were talking things over but the she passed on and tapped softly at lim pys door opening it immediately to a very narrow crack limpy she whispered yes come in oh its you Aun tiel limpy was sitting erect in the middle of her bed her arms clasped about her upraised knees slim tragic youth making a show 0 of f b bravery ir a in scarlet pajamas a brave bravery ry belied by the tears that clung to her lashes she did not move as aunt olympia tiptoed softly in fingers to her lips enjoining silence and sat down on the toot foot of the bed but it was limpy who opened the conversation aunt olympia Olymp la it terrible and terrifying that things change so quickly oh so quick lyl it gives you such an unsure feell feeling ng to think that just last week our life was so sett settled ledi so taken care kofl we knew just what we were going to do tor for oh any number of and now a week later the whole world is just reeling and rocking aunt olympia fished in the voluminous f folds 0 ads of marabou for a handkerchief to mop her eyes something about limpy moved her swiftly to emotion tears now but in normal times it would be laughter no limpy she said trying to quench the quivering of her with a rough finger it terrifying you let it be t terrifying eri you must think it is kind and beautiful beautiful and rather inspiring 1 9 ta that t changes come so quickly X 1 t warning just suppose you biad ad all known you girls and your parents that this terrible thing aou would id happen and could not be prel vented think what a heartbreak heart break y ing week that would have beell no you must just feel that however settled life is today tomorrow it may oil all be changed if today is bad probably tomorrow will be bitter better her own philosophy brightened her take the senator tor for instance A week ago I 1 was pretty sure the senator was licked now I 1 can hardly wait tor for the campaign to open im so anxious to show th them e m my new bag of tricks 1 I doubt if helen will go said limpy wisely ashes more settled than adele and 1 I she feels that home is here and adele wont go without helen and I 1 wont go without I 1 both of them 0 good now I 1 want to make a deal with you youre seventeen minus A year here or there one place or another mean a thing to you youve got time ahead of you tor for everything and every place but this is the last chance that helen and probably adele will have to get out and go places and meet people and see things when the she settles down here to teach school helenel Helen 11 ll end up by marrying some grocery boy or farm hand and theres an end of her As for adele that girl well that girl well youve got imagination you can see what abear a year in washington cando can do for her berwith with her kooks looks and the senators contacts and the deal limpy reminded her tm fin coming to that it wont mean so much to you limpy lampy I 1 realize that youre still a schoolgirl but it if for or their sakes fakes work with me and try to put this thing across and help me out for a year and keep yourself sort ort of in the background until I 1 get them set tied tor for youre smarter than both of them put together well if do that limpy when the year is up ill stand by you and back you up in anything you want to do and ill pay the bills you can travel or go to college or go into society 1 I think youve got something there said limpy thoughtfully but how can we swing it by pretending that it Is tor for your sake and yours alone and that you wont go a step without them tor for a year at least talk up the educational advantages of good schools eastern experience political contacts all for or your own exclusive good tau fall for it but auntie suppose we make thia deal and they go and then are unhappy there aunt olympia lapsed immediately im med latel y into tears limpy they can leave in a minute if we cant make them I 1 so its a deal helen happy they can go and I 1 wont say lay a w word ord it it would just break me all up to see them unhappy again after this yes I 1 know auntie said lim py kindly odayl will doll do shake said aunt olympia tr triumphantly antly but instead of shaking hands she drew the slim red garbed garbea little figure into her ar arms s and held her ve very ry close think I 1 could have had one just one limpy you she said brokenly well by the time you get the three of us off your hands you may decide youre pretty lucky after all sold said limpy philosophically still aunt olympia was not satisfied A three cornered deal though highly dangerous often insured success where a mere double pact fell short aunt olympia wanted absolute insurance on this complete coverage she closed limays door softly behind her and panting with approval of her own devious methods tiptoed to that other door that showed a slit of light at the sill the girls murmurs were still faintly audible she opened the door girls she said softly may I 1 come in the girls older more thoughtful perhaps than limpy bounded out of bed to receive her they brought a chair for her and drew up a toot foot stool helen turned the light so it would not reflect in her eyes girls she said excuse me for intruding like this but I 1 want to make a deal with you and I 1 dont want limpy to know about it ive set my heart on giving limpy a chance in life a big chance and im not going to mince words that child has character she has personality she has what it takes I 1 want her to go to the best schools to travel to meet people theres something in her and I 1 want to have a hand in developing it but right now limpy so young so sad will never leave you thaes why I 1 ask you for or her sake to make this sacrifice for a year to help her adjust herself to her future life fife of independence I 1 know that coming to washington mean much to you two you are older your plans are made but limpy Is still at sea and I 1 want to see her heading for the right port now if you girls will make this sacrifice tor for her sake just tor for this one year to let her try it out I 1 promise to do everything in my power to make you as happy is can be and give you good and liable a experience the senator Sent tor uncle laney lancy I 1 mean is ii well enough off he can afford anything in reason you can see the life iri in washington you can learn about politics politic and government and modern women ought to know about those things if you will come with m me a tor for this one year you can do absolutely whatever you please after that there wont be any argument about the future asked helen in her toft soft voice there will be no ill feeling about it if after this one year we come back and take up life as gewant to absolutely and irrevocably but after one year I 1 think I 1 hope maybe I 1 can keep limpy and the senator will make her his heir you know something I 1 would certainly like to see len hardest Harde face when he hears about my or len hardesty the girls had difficulty keeping pace with aunt olympias Olymp las swift flights A snake ln in the grass if ever lived one he used to be our publicity man and the senator out of the bigness of his heart like the fool he Is turned him over to brother wilkie the governor Gover for his first campaign and now hes signed him up to a contract and we cant get him back he has to go on working for the governor and against us the governor and the brats and the trumpeter and bites the hand that would be glad to teed feed him why uncle laney lancy hire him back because brother wilkle wilkie as soon as he decided to run signed len to a contract to work for him all this year well I 1 just wanted to be frank with you giris girl s I 1 want you to know just where I 1 stand I 1 know it mean much to you personally so but it may mean the world to limpy aunt olympia returned to her own room and retired to bed in such a glow of contenti contentment nent that she did not feel the cold she would have been surprised perhaps a little disconcerted it if she had known that almost before her door was closed upon her helen was saying briskly well we may as well settle this right now and then maybe we can get a little sleep lets have it out with limpy limpy still sat cross legged and erect on her bed she was smiling mistily girls helen began abruptly 1 I want to make a deal with you helenl helen cried adele with soft laughter in her voice be carefully care tull full youre catching lit it youre getting politically call well have to be political every one of us to hold our own with aunt olympia even halfway now you realize of course that tor for pure ly personal and selfish reasons I 1 do not want to go away from here at all I 1 hate terribly to leave brick this year when hes going to be all messed up in his first campaign and will most certainly want me near him but I 1 do realize it is a magnificent fl ce nt opportunity f for or both of you I 1 will go with you with aunt clym P pia la on one condition ahal the deall deal I 1 smell a rat yes the deal you can see that absolutely without reason she has taken a violent dislike to brick if she knew he was running for congress from this district and going to be elected tool she would always be against him and make fun of him and call him a delivery boy even when he gets to washington on s she be will look down on him but she he has hardly so much as caught a glim glimpse apse of him and she even know his name it if he is elected and he will bel be 1 she will meet him as a new member from iowa and 5 shell hell forget the grocery store I 1 want you to promise not even to mention his name to her dont tell her a thing about him and dont in any circumstances let her find out that we are engaged but bricks so swell helen protested limpy all the more reason tor for not inciting her prejudice she cant help liking him if she meets him under different circum circumstances stances our aunt olympia is going to teach me the political racket from the ground up im going to make a business of learning everything she knows and she knows plenty then when we are married I 1 can be a real help to B rick brick and she wont object to my marrying him when hes a congressman Is it a deal okay by me said limpy lampy cheerfully and added more soberly it would seem very strange to keep on living iving here outside the parsonage yes I 1 feel that wy way too said adele so lt Ws a deal helen aunt olympia received the girls quiet announcement of their acceptance of her offer with a rush of haply py tears and immediately put in a call all tor for the senator to inform him of the good news it was no news hews to 0 the senator As soon as aunt olympia had said she wanted to bring them the senator had considered the tact fact already accomplished immediately after breakfast on that happy day of aunt olympias Olympia a great triumph helen quietly prepared to hurry 0 off it to town but she did not escape the watchfulness of aunt olympias Olymp las pale blue eyes going out helen she inquired crisply for a while to do a little shopping and a leW lew errands well you might teu tell that delivery boy to put on his gloves and his bis new necktie and bring me a nickels worth of gumdrops gum guirl drops said aid aunt olympia Olymp la helen laughed good you could save four our cents by getting a peppermint stick instead was her reply aunt olympia liked that sense ot of humor it was a great asset with youth and good looks aunt olympia considered the combination unbeatable CHAPTER III senator did not wait for the return ot of aunt olympia to begin getting ready for or the children immediately after hanging up the receiver and hardly waiting long enough to wipe the moisture from his glasses he called the servants quarters on the first floor and asked ked their maid hilda to come up right away the matter senator you sick she asked dourly no im not sick I 1 cannot discuss the matter over the telephone come immediately hilda dressed hastily with considerable sid erable show of irritation and went up hilda was a tall angular unhappy looking scandinavian aunt olympia described her as a sour swede next to being an a almost superlative housekeeper and cook disapproval was hildas out standing characteristic they could hardly have got along without hilda she took entire I 1 i charge ot of their apartment in washington during their residence there and assumed the same responsibility tor for the household when they were at home she cooked she cleaned she marketed she sewed she found the senator standing distractedly in the center of the floor rubbing his glasses he put them on at sight of her and began to give orders now well have to get beds made mad up for them and well have to have hav in breakfast cereals and nourishing food and order more milk hilda did not show surprise she had always considered him mildly crazy anyhow for the children he explained belatedly our poor dear children are coming to live with us what time they getting in asked hilda 1 I dont know yet two or three days I 1 suppose she said something about a week but theres no use waiting ill attend jo fo the beds and ill order oatmeal good night senator said hilda coldly and withdrew the senator dressed nerv nervously bously and went downstairs to talk things over with the management it was only eleven and certainly no time should be lost the manager was a more sympathetic auditor than hilda he agreed with the senator that the childrens place was certainly right there tn in the shoreham Shore ham with the senator 8 and nd suggested fixing up a nice nursery adjoining their apartment the senators enthusiasm did not wane overnight he was on the subject again before breakfast the next morning im not sure we get enough sun here tor for children he complained to hilda ill speak to the management about it wed better get our tresh fresh eggs |