The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1898-11-04
8 .. STORY OF A -. &
EA STATESMAN N9
EH "a


the dark and found themselves on a
platform where some rough-looking
men were lounging about under the
canopy of a projecting roof that was
sheltering them from dreary rainfall.
They seemed to recognize the member
of Congress, despite his disguise, for
he wore a fashionable overcoat and a
closely rolled umbrella, though he had
exchanged his silk hat for a Derby.
After some whispering the knot of
loungers gravitated toward them.
DOG my oats, Bill" called out one,
eff this amt Smith Brcwnlee. Hello,
Smith; got back, have yo'?" slapping
him on the back. "My, but yo' look
putty! Come 'ere, Jim; look at i'm.
Would We know i'm eff yo' met i'm on
dark road? Say, Smith, yo' must
a-struck it rich when we sent yo' to
Congress. When yo' left var yo' didn't
have an overcoat to yo' back, an I'll
leave it to the crowd, now, did 'e?"
Smith tried to take it as joke. He
laughed softly and introduced his wife
in the ill-lighted waiting-room whittier
the delegation of his constituents had
followed. They removed their hats and
stared at the lady like lot Of bump
kins; but this diversion continued only
until the most loud-spoken constituent
could think Of saying something that
was intended for a compliment to Mrs.
Brownlee, but which ricochotted upon
her husband in the form Of another
rude sally at the metamorphosis Of his
condition, when they all hawhawed in
chorus.
Mrs. Brownlee was beginning to get
shocked. The smell of the coal oil made
her Ill, and she pinched her husbands
arm as a signal to break away and HE
to the bosom Of his family. Brownlee
cursed himself and the crowd, and for
the first time in his life felt sorry that
he ever married. Outwardly, however,
he gave no token Of his chagrln, but
smiled and cracked jokes and clutched
at every straw that promised him relief
from the merciless persifiage of his ILL
bred constituents. He finally managed
to get his wife and himself into a foul
smelling little country bus that carried
passengers; and a hoarse shout that
sounded half derlsive to the well-train-
ed perceptive faculties Of Mrs. Brown
lee went up from the platform through
the darkness and rain as they drove
away.
Brownlee told the bus driver to stop
at the hotel. He did, but the owner
was tearing down that part of the
building where the rooms for guests
were located, to rebuild, he said, "agin
court time," and there was no place
there for them. So there was nothing
to do but what Brownlee, in the most
desperate calculation Of his chances,
had never contemplated even as last
resort-stop at his home.
Daisy" said he, In hoarse voice,
as the bus splashed through the mire
of the road; Daisy" softly taking her
hand in his, "are you prepared to make
q sacrifice for me-greater, hope, than
any l shall ever ask you to make for
me again in all our livesT'
She said "yes" wearily, with her
head swaying loosely on her shoulders
like a sick child's; what do you ask
meT'
''That you will not hate or despise me
when introduce you to my father and
HS Sdlu,
''They are poor, then" she asked in
that same weary tone.
''They are the commonest people IN
the State; they are so common that
when everybody in town had the chol-
era it passed them by as not worth no.
ticing."
'My" she exclaimed; "how did you
ever get into Congress- p
"By my own efforts, and not with
the help of anybody in the world.
just simply hustled for it,"
"Weu," she said, '1et it come"
The parental Brownies lived IN a
plain, yellow, frame house, colonial in
style in that it shot upward on four
sides like big box, but without any
ornate adornments under the caves,
and without even a veranda, except a
small one that afforded a view Of the
cabbage patch and pig sty in the
farther perspective at the back of the
house.
Brown1ee's mother smoked a corncob
pipe and had whiskers. Brownlee's
father ate his supper in his shirt
sleeves, and wore cowhide boots out
side Of his pants while he was eating
it. The furniture was scant, and they
rented the house; that is, they rented it,
but Brownlee, NJ. c., paid the rent. The
greeting that the Brownies, first edi-
ton, extended to the Brownies, second
edition, was cordial to demonstrative-
ness. The maternal Brownlee was
something of a cook, and soon had a
repast steaming on the table. 1t wasn't
bad supper, but Mrs. Brownlee didn't
have her Washington appetite with
her, and her slight headache had grown
worse, and she asked to be shown to
her room. The room had no comforts
except a patched carpet, a pine bed
stead and an upright packing box with
curtain drawn around it for a wash
stand, and a portable mirror of the
species often seen at cheap auction
stores.
When she arose the next morning her
headache had not abated. The smell
of fried pork and coffee that struck her
too much for her delicate nerves, and
she never wished herself farther away
from the house of her husbands par
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