San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-04-07
The Bassett Claim.
By HENRY & ELLIOT.

doomed the vast white dome, like the
solemn throne of liberty.
''Wait a minute" said Windward as
they reached the upper plateau.
''These steps do tire one, don't they?'
exclaimed Stevens, painting.
Eyes, but it isn't that" said Wind
ward, 81 want to look at the building.
How noble, how truly noble it is! Peter,
I am proud of my country"
Eyes" said Peter, with shrug, shut
then you mnst not live in Washington. y
'tOh, I don't know" retorted Wind
ward, little vexed at his friends Gym
icism. s.It didn't spoil my Uncle Tom.
One of the last things he said to me was
to love my country, and that its beauty
and value rose above the petty, every
day scrambles for advantage as this great
dome rises above the shanties at its base.
Isee now the very shanties he meant, but
I do not propose to Let them ever shut
out the dome, and you must not Hon.
estly, don't like to see you losing your
old fashioned enthusiasm. You remem-
Der Hawthorne's story of the Great
Stone Face we read in college-the boy,
you know, who lived beneath the Old
Man of the Mountain, and who came to
love and revere the profile so much that
finally his own face assumed its noble
outlines? l am sure one might live so
here, under the dome, that his character
would mature like that grand, white,
rounded crown"
"You are right, Windward," said Ste
vens thoughtfully. "And as / have said
before, l am glad you have come. l
needed you" .. III
They now entered the building, push
ing open mean, small, swinging doors
that sprang back upon them like snap
ping turtles. 1t was not a very gracious
welcome, and once inside they saw
nothing for the moment to impress them.
A peanut stand guarded the portal of
the temple of liberty; beyond it rose yet
another fight of steps, and on either
hand were vistas of gloomy basement
halls.
what an extraordinary entrance!"
exclaimed Windward. T-
''Oh," explained Stevens, 'a long ago
speculation in real estate turned Wash
ington wrong side around, so we have
to sneak into the temple through hole
in the back fence and up the kitchen
stairs. You will see where you are in a
moment. Come, one more fight"
EXCELSIOR" cried Windward, and up
they went. Then a step, and they had
exchanged, as by magic, a dungeon for
palace. .f. .s@ =
He must have cheap soul who can
enter the roturrda of the Capitol and
unmoved survey for the first time the
mimic armament of its dome and the
memorable paintings that glorify the
walls. Even the iaded clerk, to whom
NE vision was familiar, felt it's beauty,
and Windward, as he stopped at the
threshold, could for the moment only
look up and about him with CALCULATIONS
of wonder aud awe.
"Peter," he said at length, with sim
plicity that made his words the more
touching, "this is ours. We own this
you and and our fellow citizens. No
body came over to rule us; nobody has
divine right to boss Us. This is our
dome; our country. Peter, do you know
l feel half ashamed, standing here, that
I was too young in the war to fight for
it, and so have all this, as it were, for
uothingY
But the scene was too stirring for
reverie. The wide spaces of the floor
were crowded with busting knots of
visitors, and in the midst flowed the
swift, full channel of the stream of which
these clusters were the reaches and
eddies. Into this midcurrent the two
young men were soon drawn, and then
swept south by it, the jam and tumult
increasing as they proceeded till the tor
rent broke in q spray of cards and ques-
lions against two busy doorkeepers, and
was there and by them detected east
and west in confusion.
The house is right inside there said
Stevens, stopping and pointing in past
the door keepers.
"Wish to see anybody" asked one of
these hard worked officers in polite but
short, sharp tones, as they fingered in
front of the door. ''Stand aside, then,
please. Who wished TO see Gen. B?
You sir? he is not in his seat. Judge
x said he would be out directly, sir,
No, sir, Haven't card; that imam yonder
will write you one. Wish Mr.. F.?
Go to the west door. haven't pencil,
ma'a1n; that man over there will accom-
MEDIATE you. Keep a path, gentlemen.
No, sir, haven't card; you'll find one
over yonder Who wanted Judge K?
There he is, sir. Don't know what
they're doing-debating the rules, l be-
lieve. I'll take your card in directly"-
Canning