Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-03-14

Marvel was thinking too deeply tc
speak. He took out Mrs. C~herrington's
letter.
, IF, in case anything should happen
TO y0u," he read. little Bobby Flax
is 60 be an Inheritance to me. let me
offer 4 few Sugg6Si Gns. Do not iii
him out anew TO take him TO Washing
TON. Let him travel there in the mod
est clothes which came from his
mothers fingers. Make him feel his
career is Within his grasp. Take him
10 a modest apartment to live. Wait
until he is very much older 10 give
him gl1mpseS into the sumptuous life
of the club. Train his hands to toll.
and talk TO him ait night about God
and his mothers love. 1t would be
much easier TO indulge so sweet Il
boy, but you have his body and soul
in your keeping"
And Marvel had obeyed her orders.
The cab stopped at a white frame
house near the capitol. The pillars
along the porch wer wrapped in ivy.
Swiss curtains futtered in the win
dows, and a pot of primroses stood on
the steps. Bobby's home was to be
as simple as Mrs. Cherrington could
wish.
Bobby" said Marvel, after break
fast, L Want to tell you why | brought
you TO Washington i'm a suit of your
mothers homespun instead of order
ing clothes for you from my tailor.
'Nhpr. no ha ,oil-o,o,o,. a1o4l>.- = Ii
world than those of you mothers
weaving, but there are none so good
for you to Wear. Your mother is very
young and frail. Bobby-very young
and frail indeed, and very pretty. She
Will be a beauty in the gowns you can
buy for her here. Your fathers health
is broken: his spirit is broken. too.
You must take his burdens upon your
back. You will have S75 a month.
and | will help you.
'SThe boys smoke cigarettes about
the Capitol. You will wish to smoke
them, too. You must think always
that the money you would put into a
package of cigarettes would buy a
bunc Of ribbons to nestle at your
mothers Throat; and when o walk
Those marble floors, do not forget that
one day she is coming up to sit in her
callcG dress among those rgeou
women i'm the gallery. and to claim
you as her own. And there it am
Other-the beautiful woman who has
promised ito take care of you if I
should die or go away. She told me
to say these things to you. She knows
your mother. SHE used to give her rib
bons and candy when you were a
baby"
Bobby had dropped his eyes. HIS
black laShes were wet. Marvel affect
ed not to e this as he turned UP his
trousers, and took his umbrella.
we Will walk over to THE CAPITOL
now" he said. ''It lis a quarter to
9, and YOU were to report for duty
at 9 O'clock
Bobby did report. He laid his brown
hand ON the Bible, and reverently took
the oath. and Marvel watched HIM
make his f1uttering signature.
He was o as delft as amy other
page. He flashed through the narrow
aisles, carrying books and letters. He
listened to the speeches, treasuring
the humorous parts. Marvel came i'm
to lunch With him sometimes.
MY mother has so many little chill
dren," Bobby said wistfully one even
ing, 'fand ait might she is so tired. |
can just feel how tired she is; and
she looks so pretty in her nightcap.
by the log fire. Did you ever see her
in her nightoap, Mr.. Marvel?"
NO Said Marvel, with sparks i'm
his dark eyes.
Il cam buy her a lot of pretty, might
caps, III when she ome to visit me"
Bobby rose and walked the floor
when she comes to visit nne, l will
have the nightcaps and a pair Of soft
slippers on the foot of her bed. I
used to take off her shoes and stock
ings, n her feet are as pink as
roses. You'd never think she'd been
mp and down the hill to the spring
three times a day ever since [ was
born. She's only %, and she's never
been I'M a train or ON a boat"
The summer deepened and the SEES
SION lasted. Bobby gave up the hope
Of going home to bring his mother
back for a visit. She wrote him that
she had a very bad cold, and alarm
filled his little soul. 1t was a silent
alarm. The issues in Bobby's young
existence were all silent ones.
One day a young woman strayed
into the senate chamber. She was a
very slight creature, and she had slip
ped past the dOorkeeper. He called
to hen that women were not permitted
to enter there. Two or three men told
her so, too, as she passed them Old
the way in.
A white-haired old senator was just
rising to the supreme sentence in his
speech. He was near the door, and
GUS 'm.Ue SUI p9Qonol GEsnoInm9u GUS
had come through the rain in a white
muslin dress. Her sunbonnet fell to
her shoulder, and her faXen hair fell
with it in damp curls about her face.
"Take this young girl out" said the
senator to a dOorkeeper.
II am not a young girl" she said.
II am looking for my little boy. /
wrote to him to meet me at the train.
l guess he didn't get the letter. Do
you know him?'
"My dear young lady, he is not here,
and you are ~transgressing the l0w. No
woman is admitted to the floor"
HE must be here she said, and her
ives travelled everywhere. They were