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Show QSJEEW ' - . . ' . . . , 1 1 I ivy T 1J V J ' iu T certainly shall not lose this opportunity oppor-tunity to talk about the evils of smoking, tea and coffee." "Wouldn'' it be better to wait and do that at some meeting?" suggested suggest-ed Anne. "At strictly social affairs af-fairs like this, we doD't bring ui de batable questions." "That shows you are not really Interested in great causes," said Harriet, brushing her hair back flatly flat-ly from her high forehead. "I shall have no such scruples. I am conscious con-scious of the frivolity Into which you hav led Neal, but I shall try to counteract such an influence. As to meetings, 1 shall attend those, too. of course. In fact, I shall hold some here." The first person whom Harriet approached ap-proached on the subject near to her heart chanced to be Senator Lassi-ter. Lassi-ter. Immensely amused, be shep herded Harriet skillfully to the sun parlor and encouraged ber to talk, conveying the Impression that he agreed perfectly with everything she had to say. When, late in the after noon, he was relieved by Neal, he left her with the happy Idea that she had made a convert. The mis leading philanderer, however, wan dered off In search of Anne. "What thanks do 1 get for help ing you out?" he asked. "No end of thanks." she said with a smile, as she leaned back in her chair. "Ah, but I would .ike something concrete. Would you ride with me tomorrow morning or let me take you to f concert in the afternoon?' "Neither. You know we went all over that thoroughly Irst spring. Blythe, afte. Neal went away. I won't play with fire." "Oh, but this is such a tiny little spark ! and you are, going to need my help with that tartar all winter." win-ter." Anne deliberated. In her determination deter-mination that there should be no semblance of a -repetition of the episode in Paris she had leaned over backward In her obFervance of thp proprieties. But after all Lassi-te Lassi-te was extremely useful to her and she had perhaps been unnecessarily prudish. "The concert, then," she conceded. con-ceded. Harriet felt aggrieved that Neal and Anne were leaving her alone on the very night of ber arrival. It was impossible to make her understand under-stand that in a city where dinner lists were compiled weeks before, they could not ask to bring another house had become so crowded thai there was no breathln.. space In It elthei figuratively or literally. Ann welcomed the Impending appear nee ot So and Sam as an excus for clearir, It out. Harriet was too firmly entrenchee to dislodge, but the others, with veiled comments or Anne's lack ol true hospitality, departed on the same day that the boy arrived But her brothers brought nn solace with them. They were so acutely un happy In the alien atmosphere Into which they had suddenly been plunged, that Anne's heart ached for them. She coached them gently but firmly In matters of dress and deportment. They were so docile and tractable that It ,vas pathetic, but she knew tl.ey were homesick fOi the ramshackle old house at West Hamstead, that they hungered hun-gered for coarse accustomed food, that they would have been more comfortable in overalls than broadcloth, broad-cloth, that they were stifled without tin air of their nativt mountains. First Sam and then Sol came down with the "flu," and Anne, caring for them tenderly lest they should be more miserable than evei If abandoned aban-doned to the mercies of a strange nurse, caught it herself; then It swept through the household like wildfire. Nancy, Neal, the servants, ser-vants, each were felled Id turn. At length the Invalids recovered, the situation shook itsel' into shape. The boys began to adjust their difficulties diffi-culties and to enjoy life at the university. uni-versity. Harriet departed for Hins-boro Hins-boro well pleased with her winter's work, and assuring her brother and sister-in-law that she would be on hand the following seasoD to "carry It further." Senator Lassiter saw her off at the station, and then swung back to Georgetown intent on taking Anne for a spin in his roadster with no one to observe just how long they were gone. He found her huddled ovei the library fixe, utterly desolate. "You will be a wreck if you don't watch out." he predicted. "Really, Lady Anne, you look frightfully seedy. The air will do you good." "I don't need air. I need a little peace and quiet." He left her reluctantly. It was several weeks before he found her alone again. Mabel Hildreth had hinted that perhaps she and George and one or two of the children might be coming com-ing to Washington that spring; a hint upon which Neal and Anne promptly acted. Neither iad forgotten for-gotten how good Mabel had been to ti'em that first year of their marriage mar-riage when Anne was so sick. This was, obviously, the time to repay the obligation. Besides, George had become one of the leading farmers of the state; he bad tremendous Influence In-fluence with the agricultural vote; he was not only an old friend he was a constituent with whom to reckon. Then Governor Low, to whom Neal owea his appointment to the senate, stopped off on his way north from a conference of governors gov-ernors which he had been attending in South Carolina, and Mrs. Low joined him. Anne and Neal gave a large official dinner in their honor the first one, In spite of all their plans, which they had given that winter followed by a still largT reception. re-ception. Anne was perceptibly "overworked," "over-worked," and Neal regarded her with alarm. "Look here," he said. "Your nerves are all shot to pieces. It's this hellish winter you have had. You shall :ever let yourself in for another like it again. Family or no family, constltutents or no constituents, con-stituents, I won't have you landing in a sanitarium." "I am not going to land in a sanitarium," san-itarium," sobbed Anne, "1 am going to land In the nursery again. Of course 1 am desperately tired, and that does make me nervous, but one reason 1 am so silly and uncontrolled uncon-trolled is that I am I am Just deathly sick besides Oh, Neal, I am almost certain that I am going to have another baby !" But she did not. The pleasant physician phy-sician who had seen them safely through the "flu," after hatting merrily and casually with her for a few minutes, went downstairs with Neal, closed the library door, and spoke frankly. "There is no doubt that she is pregnant Normally I should expect her to be confined about the end of October, but 1 don't think things are quite normal. I will have another an-other man in to look at her, too, if you don't mind." "If I don't mind I" Neal shouted. "You must do everything for her, everything, do you hear?" "Don't take it so hard," said Doctor Doc-tor Harrison gently, "of course everything will be done for her." Anne herself had no misgivings. She refurnished the guest room as a nursery "and we will never have another guest room," she laughed, "as long as we live in Washington!" She jested about the "little ISenja min" they were to have so soon after they had supposed that their family was complete; she acquiesced acqui-esced uncomplainingly to spending the summer in Washington where Doctor Harrison could vatch over her. But, late in August, she was taken acutely and suddenly 111; and when she finally groped her way back from the Valley of the Shadow and stretched out her arms across the bed to touch the little bundle that she expected to fin beside her, there was only empty space. For "little Benjamin" had come too soon; and he had been still born. (TO BS CONTINUED.) CHAPTER XI -Continued 14 "Yes," said Anne tactfully. "1 hardly dare say what I am going to," she ventured slowly, flashing a swift glance toward Neal to be sure that it was a propitious time to plunge, "but I think we ought to to be separated for a time, Just as we had to be when you went to Bel-ford." Bel-ford." "Just what do you mean?" Inquired In-quired Neal grimly. "I think I should stay on here through the spring with the children chil-dren and I think you should go back to Ilinsboro and earn all the money you can in your practice. Because we are going to need It. You can sta with Mrs. Simmons. I have written her and she will be glad to have you." "Oh, so you have written Mrs. Simmons, already?" asked Neal without marked approval. "And why this sudden greed for filthy lucre? You have always been terribly ter-ribly keeu about saving but I never knew you to make a point of spending spend-ing money before!" "Because, when the time came when we really needed to spend I wanted to be able to do it And I think the time has come." "I see," said Neal a little Ironically. Iron-ically. "Am I permitted to ask just how these vast sums are to be squandered, since I am to earn tli em?" "Neal, darling, don't talk about It in that tone! You kno' - hov hard it was to find even this crowded little lit-tle house that we could rent, and you know how uncomfortable we have been in it all winter, I want you to let me begin hunting now for a house that we can live in suitably suit-ably next winter and buy it" "In other words," he said dryly, "I suppose you have got your eye on one already !" And as Anne colored col-ored and gave a little laugh he laughed too and sat down beside her. "All right Tell me about it" "It is in Georgetown," Anne breathed excitedly, "an old house, rather badly out of repair " "Georgetown !" interrupted Neal contemptuously. "Why that's full of shacks and riff-raff ! What on earth do you want to go there for?" "Because the best values In real est-.te are there," said Anne proudly, "it used to be 'the court end of town' and was a metropolis before Washington even existed I Now the lovely Colonial houses are being snapped up again and soon there won't be any left, people are moving mov-ing out there so fast This house I like is a big square brick one, on a corner lot, and It's a great bargain. Of course it needs a lot done to it. buu " "But you could supervise the improvements im-provements this spring while I am leading a celibate life slaving away ir Hinshoro well how much would it cost all told?" "The house is only five thousand dollars, if we pay cash for it. I should have to spend at least th.it much more on repairs. And then of course I should have to furnish it." "I see. You want at least fifteen thousand dollars then." "I want more than that. I might as. well tell you so, all at once." "How much?" "The clothes I bought In Paris are just about gone. I'll have to get new ones; I've made a list of what I need, and a thousand dollars is a conservative estimate of the cost Then we've got to have a new motor. And I want to p"t the children chil-dren in private schools next fall-both fall-both of them and meantime" Anne drew her brerth and went nn"I want to take them to Europe Eu-rope during their vacation. And I want to take up my music again. It means a lot to me music and I have neglected it." "I know you have, dear," said Neal. "Of course if you could only come too it would be perfect But I suppose sup-pose you couldn't." "No," said Neal steadily, "of course not. I'll have to work al) summer. But I do want you and the children to go." "I'll book our passage right off, if you're willing," said Anne, "and now about the house? Could you go with me this afternoon and look It over? It isn't occupied and I have the They went Immediately after dinner. din-ner. , . . The fine old house was in a sad state of dilapidation. But Neal had discernment enough to see that It was fine The house which he and Anne had built in H'nshoro was a comfortable, nondescript middle class home; this, properly repaired furnished, would become a res idence of individual, charm and dis-Unction dis-Unction suitable setting for a rising statesman, the dignified background back-ground for his wife. "Suppose we drive back ane. get the kids and Dora and Horace?" he suggested. "If they all like It as much as we do, I guess we may just as well consider the question settled." set-tled." The day after the adjournment of congress Neal left alone for Ilinsboro, facing the fact that as Anne had once stayed there without him, saving money that ue might spend It, so he must now stay there without her, saving money that she might spend It He accomplished what he set out to do, and more. In fact, his reputation as a lawyer of national and international note dated from that summer. True, he already had wide experience and a large practice upon which to build ; the foundations for his fame were laid ; but it was only now that he began the brilliant super-structure which was to bring him fame and fortune. In June he permitted himself the brief luxury of going to Washington tc sef how the improvements on the house were advancing and to accompany ac-company his family from there to New York when they sailed on the De Grasse. He didn't leave Hins-boro Hins-boro again 'ntil he returned lo New York three months later, to wel come them back again. In the fall he returned uncomplainingly to Mrs. Simmons' cottage, the two serv ants accompanying Anne and Nancy and the new French maids to Georgetown. Just before congress opened again Neal rejoined his family. Anne had done her work well I and the place In Georgetown, in its completely repaired re-paired and renovated condition, surpassed sur-passed his every expectation. As they sat before the library fire the evening of their reunion, after a delicious and beautifully served dinner, Anne commenced outlining her plans for the winter. "I am going to stan my days at home right away," she said, "that will give me time to get in three before Christmas, and I think this year we had better have an occa sional Sunday tea as well. Now as to dinners. With Dora and Horace reinforced by Aphonsine and Madeleine, I see on reason why we should hesitate to ask anyone here. There is Just one hitch 1 had a letter from Harriet saying now that we have a guest room, she feels sure we would like to have a long visit from her." "The h I we would!" said Neal with vehemence. "And that she thinks we ought to do her best towards influencing congress con-gress prohibiting the sale of tobacco In any form and limiting the sale of tea and coffee. She wants to lobby against them with this as a center." "Good G d !" ejaculated Neal with greater vehemence. "Well, wh."t can I do? I can't decline to allow your own and only sister to come to our house, can I?" "No-o-o-o, I suppose not Better have her come at once i-nd get her visit over with." Anne sighed. "But my problems don't end with Harriet my mother has written, too. She .ays now that we have a spare room, she is sure that we would be glad to have Sol and Sam come and stay with us and go to George Washington uni versity." "But if they start in a college course they will have to be here four years," said Neal, aghast. "Of course. But as far as that goes, we do not know that the legls latio'n Harriet is Interested in will be disposed of this session." "That's true, too well, we will just have to live in hopes. It's too bad, honey, Just when you thought you had everything so nicely organ ized, but I guess It can't be helped." ...nne wrote to her mother saying she would have a room ready for Sol and Sam by the first of Janu ary; and she wrote to Harriet to come at once, hoping that this ag gressive lady would, by some mira cle, prove sufficiently adaptable to her surromdings to be at least partially par-tially assimilated by ,.hem. Her holies were groundless. Harriet Har-riet arrived in the middle of Anne's first "At Home." Anne had left her guests tor a momeni to see Harriet Har-riet comfortably installed in the pre clous guest room. She was con scleutlously cordial but she faltered little. "1 thought you might like to pour tea for me a little while," she sa.d hesitatingly; "you could relieve Mme Estavi at five. That will give you plenty of time to change your d'"ISshaIl not take time to change," Harriet assured her briskly. "1 shall come down at once. 1 see there ire a number of peorle here and I But After All Lassiter Was Ex-tremely Ex-tremely Useful o Her and She Had Perhaps Been Unnecessarily Prudish. and unexpected guest with them to a forma) dinner. The next morning her sister-in-law invaded the room where Anne sat in bed reading her mail and drinking her coffee. "How do you expect your house-h-ld to be properly managed If you don't get up in good seasou and supervise su-pervise it?" demanded Harriet. "Well, It it managed," answered Anne patiently, "i don't know of one where there is so little friction or where the servants do so much and do it pleasantly, besides. Do be reasonable, Harriet ; I worked hard for years; but my days of manual man-ual labor pre over now." The telephone beside her bed tinkled. tin-kled. Anne picked it up. "Oh, good morning, Blythe No, 1 haven't forgotten. Why, that's very kind of yuu. She is right here, I'll ask her Harriet, Senutor Lassiter Lassi-ter says that he and his mother would like very much to have you lunch with them informally, on Sunday. Sun-day. She says Madame Lassiter is interested in your views." 'J feel It my duty to go," Harriet Har-riet replied, "though I do not approve ap-prove of Sunday entertaining on general principles." Harriet, placated for the moment, burried off to map out her plan of campaign for the improvement of the nation. Before noor, it had been disclosed that she Intended to use Horace and the limousine to fa cilitata her calls on all the mem ber? of both house of congress, as she expected to influence these legislators legis-lators in the right direction; she had invited twenty zealots from the National Anti-Tobacco league to tea in order thai they might arrange ar-range for a series of "pa.-lor meetings" meet-ings" to be held every Monday morn ing in Anne's drawing room. Anne resolved to abandon all plans of her own for entertaining until a more opportune season Without consulting Anne Harriet had suggested to her parents and her brother. Arthur, that they should Join her for the holidays; and the |