The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1897-01-01
breeches pocket Senator Boompoint-

er.
"Boompointer's a big man." contin-
ued his auditor, doubtfully. do you
know him?'
| know him?" Mr.. Hooker laughed
bitter sardonic laugh. We'll. gentle
men, amt the kind O. man to go in for
family influence, but" he added with
| gloomy elevation, "considerin' he's an
intimate relation of mine by marriage.
1 should say did,
Brant heard no more: the facing
around Of his old companion toward
the bar gave him that opportunity ofes-
Gaping he had been waiting for. The
detection of Hooker and his peculiar in
ventions were too characteristic of him
to excite surprise, and, although they
| no longer awakened his good-humored
tolerance, they were powerless to affect
him in his greater trouble. Only one
thing he learned, that Hooker knew
nothing of his wife being in camp as
a spy. The incidentwouldh have been too
tempting to escape his dramatic en-
ENLISTMENT. And the allusion to Sem
ator mpointer-monstrous as it
seemed in Hooker's mouth-gave him a
grim temptation. He had heard of
hoompointer's wonderful power; he be-
leved that Susy would and could help
| him, Clarence, whether she did or did
lot help Hooker. But the next mo-
ment he dismissed the idea with flush
ing cheek. How low had he already
! sunk to even think of it!
1t had been once or twice in his mind
tO nd
| promise of secrecy, reveal part of his
story. He had heard many anecdotes
of his goodness of heart and generous
| tolerance of all things-but with this
was joined-so said contemporaneous
history-a flippancy of speech ard
| brutality of directness, from whGh
| Clarence's sensibility shrank. Would
he see anything in his wife but COM
mon spy on his army; would he see
anything in him but the weak victim.
like many others, of a scheming wom-
an? Stories were current in camp and
| congress of the way that this grim hui
morist had, with an opposite anecdote
| or rugged illustration, brushed away
! the most delicate sentiment or the
| subtlest poetry, even as he exposed the
sham of the Puritanic morality or Of
epicurean ethics. Brant had even So
| licited an audience, but had retired
awlkwardly and with his confidence ur-
| spoken before the dark, humorous eyes
| that seemed almost too tolerant of his
grievance. He had been to levees and
his heart had sunk equally before the
vulgar crowd who seemed to regard this
man as their own buffoon, or the POM
pousness of position, learning and dig
nifty which he seemed to delight to
shake and disturb.
One afternoon few days later, in
sheer listlessness of purpose, he found
himself again at the white house. The
president was giving audience to a dep
utation of fanatics who, with pathetic
simplicity almost equal to his own pa
thetic tolerance, was urging upon this
ruler of millions the policy of an ir-
significant score, and Brant listened to
his patient, practical response of facts
and logic, clothed in simple but sinewy
English, up to the inevitable climax
Of humorous illustration, which the
young brigadier could now see was nee
essary to relieve the grimness of his
refusal. For the first time Brant felt
the courage to address him, and re-
solved to wait until the deputation re-
tired. AS they left the gallery he lin
gered in the ante-room for the presi-
dent to appear. Buta he did not come
afraid of losing his chances, he re-
turned to the gallery. Alone in his pr
vacy and shadow, the man he had lust
left was standing by a column in mo-
tionless abstraction, looking over the
distant garden. But the kindly humor-
Gus face was almost tragic with an IN
tensity of WEAKNESS. Every line Of
those strong, rustic features was re-
faxed under burden which even TIL,
long, lank, angular fgure-overgrown
and unfinished rs his own west-seemcd
to be distorted in its, efforts to adjust
itself to, while the dark, deep-set eyes
were distracted with the vague pres.
cicnce of the prophet and the martyr.
Shocked at that sudden change, Brant
Ielt his cheek burn with shame. And
hewas aboutto break upon that wearied
mans unbending-he was about to add
his petty burden to the shoulders of
this western Atlas. He drew back ST.
lently and descended the stairs.
DIV DclOTc ne MAJ lelU UQe mouse,
while mingling with the crowd in one
Of the larger rooms. he saw the presi-
dent reappear beside an important, pros
provisioning figure, on whom the
kindly giant was now smiling with hui
morous liberation. He noticed the di-
vided attention of the crowd, the name
Of Senator Boompointer was upon every
lip; he was nearly face to face with
that famous dispenser of place and pre-
ferment-this second husband of Susy.
An indescribable feeling, half cynical,
half fateful, came over him. He would
not have been surprised to have seen
Jim Hooker join the throng, which now
seemed to him to even dwarf the lonely
central figure that had SO lately touched
him! He wanted to escape it all.
But his fate brought him to the en-
trance at the same moment that Boom
pointer was leaving it, and that distin-
guished man brushed hastily by him,
as gorgeous carriage, drawn by two
spirited horses, and driven by a re-
splendent negro coachInan, dashed up.
1t was the Boompointer carriage.
Observation-Disclosures pretty woman,
who in style, bearing, opulent content
next and ingenious self-consciousness
was in perfect keeping with the slight