Show filz annc im wa AVE neon av by frances kew keyes af S 0 frances parkinson keyes CHAPTER XII continued 30 oh no thank you this time neal was standing above her his weight wel lit heavy against her weary shoulder bad news again I 1 I 1 knew it youre holding your own holding my owal own I 1 good G d ive got to do more than that I 1 you will darling you will would you not like a cup of cocoa or some thing no INTO no dont doat leave that tele phone it may ring again at any moment 11 but it the silence like the darkness grew oppressively heavy dora came in and suggested that it was past dinner time anne shook her head and dora went out again roy griffin who knew so many law george hildreth who was state master of the grange mr golden burg whose one small shop had grown into a great chain with links all over the state low who had appointed neal to the senate and who had bad political wires running i in every direction from his gubernatorial seat would they all do their share and if they did would it counterbalance stetsons strength with the labor vote where neal nea had no strength the wallacetown Wallace town cuge bugle and th other weeklies a great many ot of them it they were all friendly to neal would that make up for those two big papers of fletchers fletcherr Flet chers which were hurling denunciatory editorials at neals head bead spring came glad and golden mag nolia scented to washington and anne asking herself these troubled questions shook the beauty that was all about her impatiently from her con ness and strained with eager ness to reach hillsboro Hin raw and wind swept and bleak as it was but this was the year of the long session and neal would not be at liberty to go home early in march it was actually mid ald july before adjournment came at two oae one torrid morning when ugly feelings had been unleashed by fatigue and ugly words spoken by lips which were merely the mouthpieces for overwrought nerves neal who had been ste steering seeerin erin a filibuster lost his temper that night and said unforgivable things to men who had been his friends for years these unforgivable things were printed in the record and circulated through the country were they unforgettable able too junior wanted to go to a camp in the yellowstone Tellow stone mme ame estall was taking her little family to europe for the su summer amer and had invited nancy to accompany them but both children were kept at home they added irn measurably to the picture juril juniors ors more and more famous smile nancys sweeter and sweeter manners made an indelibly favorable impression on wavering constituents who came to the house and so much had to be jammed into such a short time that not a single consideration could be overlooked neals enemies had been at work all the time he was chained to his chair in the senate and now only august september and october were left in which to tear down what they had built of course the children must do their share even though it was a tiny one anne must make them see must never let them forget how much that share might mean to their father and she must do her share too must shield neal spare him save him but HOW she went everywhere that she was asked even when she was faint with fatigue she picked up the threads of if her old association with her church her historical societies her pupils she wore clothes that were spotlessly fresh delusively simple she was gra clous cordial democratic dignified tireless decori decorative tive what did it all amount to how much influence after all did a wife have in this frantic powerful hideous struggle of politics probably very little perhaps none at all still she had done her best and if only neal did not feel fee she had failed him it would not matter what anyone else thought but how would he be feel toward her if he were not elected she remembered the hard months after his campaign for the lieutenant governorship when tie he had been defeated was it going to be like that again hello hello senator conrads house the polls have just closed here in weatherby allen alien first selectman speaking yes two to one for neal we are banking on him mrs conrad to come through in belford yet would defeat in the long run be such a calamity she saw herself liv ing in Hin hansboro again ln in the house she loved so much and into the build ing of which her very soul had bad gone comfortable happy unworried no more calls to make no more appear ances to keep up no more ad to contend with time for her children her music her real friends how much simple satisfaction how much real joy she was denied be cause she could never find time for these things would she not be hap pier no longer deprived of these homely pleasures and yet even as she asked herself the question she knew that she would miss the insidious charm the fascinating excitement of political life as much as neal she could bear that philosophically but because of her own feeling she could gauge his he must he be maist must go on she slipped to tier her knees with the same simplicity with the same ardor that she had prayed on her wedding weddin night she prayed again now for neal for neal for neal still on her knees she reached tor for the telephone headquarters calling again b sirs mrs conrad weve heard from the last five wards in belford oh god let him win wid let him wini win I 1 you must get your husband to the telephone she spoke to him her voice sound ed strange and distant like that of a foreign woman calling from some far shore you will have to answer neal this time oh god let him win let him win let him win I 1 she pressed the receiver into neals liand hand threw her arm around him F from rom the wire she could hear bear the crackle of laughter the tumult ot of tri and staccato sharp the words that were being spoken keri you old crape hanger you youl I 1 what in h ls the matter with you you have the handsomest margin what do you call a handsome margin neal shouted through the re celver clutching at annes shoulder well if fifty thousand look handsome to you come I 1 on n down here you old son of a gun and celebrate I 1 1111 11 CHAPTER XIII with neal conrads senatorial career every reader of any daily paper Is familiar there Is the tariff which bears his name there Is his speech on the british debt funding plan which Is used as a model in elocution for every schoola schoolboy oy there is his bis unshakable stand on the league of nations which sent him at the head of a special senatorial committee to geneva all t this his and much more Is so well mill known that I 1 t needs no t fortu ment besides this is nott lot of neal conrad to which zu nu ta biographers have hava aird alafat to wife do justice it is 13 the story 1 I and of his wife as the on I 1 to achieve a real salon irk in m ton as the only an american a erlean whose dress drew forth boyll mend atlon at BuckIn buckingham ghaul bi k the only this and that in varlo vario f capacities enough been said her dress dresses ea and b hi ners have been described a th times why therefore attempt scribe them again it is 18 del beauty nor the belle with are primarily concerned itt it woman the he woman win wh certain hot afternoon in mis MI boarded the CO congressional ess iOnal e benm her husband bound for the at lional convention in liew toft the lobby of the waldorf 4 as they entered 14 it weary ea afta warm and dusty journey bourney jammed that they coll har ar adli their way through it to re register every step that they advanced acquaintance stopped and selled seized i shouting at them excitedly J every turn they took placa rj posters of rival candidates 2 whom had their headquarters hotel crackled above their scurrying bellboys dl distracted distract clerks helpless assistant in mai strove in vain to perform their i functions laden elevators sa gai rose in the hopeless end endless lesse en to convey the mass of humanity bounded into them like a phalan one floor to another it was near nea hour before they reached their and neal mopping t his ten brow snatching up a glass of ice fee water as he drank that he WH wi fernalld fer nally late for the cursed corn com meeting and that he must te be of once committee meeting ton anno anne asked in astonishment 1 I its after ten now probably shant get in before he be informed her hastily well 00 better order yourself an orang oral and a chicken sandfish sand wish and have see you unpacked and settled I 1 she goes to bed try to get sleep have a hard day to t row refreshed by a bath aldaco drink anne slipped into the haq tigh gown which dora had spread OT her and settled herself for sto her hopes for repose were hoi entirely unfounded a party of ol 01 who were occupy occupying In g the next nest sri and who villo had apparently met in 9 conclave were either unaware or i concerned of the fact that they C be overheard and that they were wei curbing the p public peace their to t reverberated through th the e thin it their lack of harmony rent tt k they were it appear appeared red deli del from chicago in revolt against t boss and alo violently bently distrustful distrusts I 1 ol of other when neal returned la k five he about and hollow eyed anne sitting up in bed taut nervousness neal dear just listen to that ria r it stopped for a single I 1 to W well ell have to I 1 I 1 cant stand it 14 some hotel where its more re quiet I 1 quiet at a nation national III doaa 0 do dont n it kno good G d anne you youre talking about 11 b er NO quiet those fellows arent t just youe argument little friendly have heard our committee committee w old lady and go 0 to sleep 1 I cant sleep TO BB CONTINUED |