Show the honorable le snede lancy by ETHEL HUESTON 0 robbs bobbi morell co service THE STORY THUS FAR lett left orphans by a tragic automobile accident which claimed the lives of their mother and lather father three sisters helen adele and limpy are visited by their aunt olympia Olymp la politically minded wife of senator delaporte she insists that the girls return with her to washington to make their home with them in addition to loving the girls aunt olympia knows they will be a terrific political asset senator Slop shire has as his political opponent one brother wilkie a minister whose political campaign campal la is furthered by seven unspeakable brats who sit on the rostrum with him while he makes speeches CHAPTER 11 continued 3 then all we have to do is wear black and white and white and black and sit on the platform plat torm and wave lollypops loUy lolly pops asked limpy quite fascinated at the prospect and especially you must be very very affectionate toward the senator said aunt olympia thoughtfully already mapping the campaign but what will the senator think ejaculated helen appalled at the idea 0 of showing affection toward a senatorial uncle by marriage she had never even seen aunt olympia smiled disarmingly hell probably think times have proved improved m no end she said and you must not call him senator never call him senator its so stiff so formal how about just plain unc suggested limpy no not fond enough it must be something very very fond what do you call him auntie oh I 1 cau 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 almost aristocratic too delaporte DeI aporte Slop shire uncle del no it wont do uncle uncle lancy she cried in a bellow of triumph uncle lancy yes kind of an offshoot oll shoot from very clubby lancy good fine but will he like that he will when the votes are counted said aunt olympia grimly ay bedtime bed bcd time near aunt olympia I 1 panting pleasurably tiptoed noiselessly down the hall A low murmur of voices from one closed door assured her that helen and adele were talking things over but 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 auntie limpy was sitting erect in the middle of her bed her arms clasped about her upraised knees slim tragic youth making a show of bravery in scarlet pajamas a bravery 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 it terrible and terrifying that things change so quickly oh so quickly it gives you such an unsure feeling to think that just last week our life was so settled so taken care of we knew just what we were going to do for oh any number of years and now a week later the whole world is just reeling and rocking aunt olympia fished in the voluminous folds 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 ranger finger it terrifying you let it be terrifying you must think it is kind and beautiful and rather inspiring that changes come so quickly without warning just suppose you had all known you girls and your parents that this terrible thing would happen and could not be prevented think what a heartbreak heart break ing week that would have be been enNo no you must just feel that however settled life is today tomorrow it may all bo be changed if today is bad probably will be her own philosophy brightened her take the senator for or 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 them my new bag of tricks 1 I doubt it if helen will go said limpy wisely ashes more settled than adele and 1 I she feels eels that home is here and adele wont go without helen and I 1 wont go without both ot of them 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 0 of f 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 she settles down here to teach school 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 weil that girl well youve got imagination you can see what a year in washington can do for her with her looks and the senators contacts and the deal limpy reminded her im coming to that it wont mean so much to you limpy I 1 realize that youre still a schoolgirl but it if tor for their sakes work with me and try to put this thing across and help me out tor for a year and keep yourself sort of 0 in the background until I 1 get them settled for youre smarter than both of them put together well it if do that limpy when the year is is up ill stand by you and back you up in anything you want to do and ill pay the bills you can tra travel vel or go to college or go into society 1 I think youve got something there said limpy thoughtfully but how can we swing ewing it by pretending that it is tor for your sake and yours alone and that you wont go a step without them for a year at least talk up the educational advantages of good schools eastern experience political contacts all for your own exclusive good tall for it but auntie suppose we make this deal and they go and then are unhappy there aunt olympia lapsed imme immediately diat ely into tears limpy they can leave in a minute if we cant make them J 8 y AVII so its a deal helen happy they can go and I 1 wont say a word it it would just break me all up to see them unhappy again after this yes I 1 know auntie said limpy kindly okay will do shake said aunt olympia triumphantly antly but instead of shaking hands she drew the slim red garbed little figure into her arms and held her very 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 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 lampys 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 1 I may W ay I 1 come in the girls older more thoughtful perhaps than limpy bounded out of bed to receive her they brought a chair tor for her and drew up a footstool helen turned the light so it would not reflect in her eyes girls she said excuse me tor 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 person personality alit V 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 why I 1 ask you tor for her sake to make this sacrifice for a year to help her adjust herself to her fu future ture life 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 beading tor for the right port now it if you girls will make this sacrifice tor for her sake fake just tor for this one year to lot let her try it out I 1 promise to do everything in my power to make you as happy as can be and give you good and valuable experience the senator uncle lancy I 1 mean is well enough off he can afford anything in reason you can see the life in washington you can learn about politics and government and modern women ought to know about those things it U you will come with me 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 soft voice there will be no ill feeling about it it if after this one year we come back and take up life as we want 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 beir you know something I 1 would certainly like to see sec len Harde face when he hears about my orphans I 1 len hardesty the girls had biffi difficulty culty keeping pace with aunt olympias swift nights flights A snake 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 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 tor for the governor govern or 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 lancy hire him back because brother 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 girls I 1 want you to know just where I 1 stand I 1 know it mean much to you personally so nally but it may mean the world to limpy aunt olympia returned to her own room and retired to bed in such a glow of contentment that she did not feel eel 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 levs 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 helen cried adele with soft laughter in her voice be careful care full youre catching it youre getting political well have to be political every one of us to hold our own with aunt olympia even halfway now you realize of course that for purely 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 opportunity for both of you I 1 w will ill go with you with aunt olympia on one condition aha the 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 tor for congress from this district and going to be elected too she would always be against him and make tun fun of him and call him a delivery boy even when he gets to washington she will look down clown on him but she has hardly so much as caught a glimpse of him and she even know his name nam e if he is elected and he will be she will meet him as a new member from iowa and shell 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 for not inciting her prejudice she cant help liking him if she meets him under different circumstances our aunt olympia is going to teach me the political racket from the ground up im going to make a business oj of learning everything she knows and she knows plenty then when we are married I 1 can be a real help to brick and she wont object to my marrying him when hes a congressman Is it a deal okay by me said limpy cheerfully and added more soberly it would seem very strange to keep on living here outside the parsonage yes I 1 teel feel that way too said adele so its a deal helen aunt olympia received the girls quiet announcement of their acceptance of her offer with a rush of happy tears and immediately put in a call tor for the senator to worm inform him of the good news it was no news I 1 to the senator As soon as aunt olympia had said she wanted to bring them the senator had considered the fact already accomplished immediately alter after breakfast on that happy day of aunt olympias great triumph helen quietly prepared to hurry oil off to town but she did not escape the watchfulness of aunt olympias pale blue eyes going out helen she inquired crisply for a while to do a little shopping and a few errands well you might tell that delav ery boy to put on his gloves and his new necktie and bring roe me a nickels worth ot of gumdrops gum drops said aunt olympia 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 C CHAPTER III senator Slop shire did not wait tor 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 their maid hilda to come up right away the matter senator you sick she asked clour dourly ly no im not sick I 1 cannot discuss the matter over the telephone come immediately hilda dressed hastily with considerable sid erable show of 0 irritation a and nd went up hilda was a tall angular unhappy looking scandinavian aunt olympia described her as a sour swede next to being an almost superlative housekeeper a and nd cook disapproval was hildas outstanding characteristic they could hardly have got along without hilda she took entire charge of 0 their apartment in washington during their residence there and assumed the same responsibility for or 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 ot of her and began to give orders now well have to get beds made up for them and well have to have 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 to the beds and ill order oatmeal good night senator said hilda coldly a and nd withdrew the senator dressed nervously 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 in the shoreham Shore ham with the senator and 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 fresh eggs from the country hereafter remind me hilda to ask the health department to send me their books on bringing up children he arrived early at his office in the senate office building and informed his secretarial secret arias and clerks that he wanted things straightened up around there and put in good order without delay the children will be down here with me a good deal he said and I 1 want thern to get the habit of |