Mexico weekly ledger., 1898-09-22


small and select circle of "distinguisl,ed
guests, >, in nice, comfortable chairs, Sc
curely ''roped of from the palpitating
tkrong.
Now, If any living man had the right
to choice of seats within the charm
ed circle at McKinley's inauguration it
was the Marcus aforesaid, for indubita-
bly, he enacted the role Of Warwick to
the Buckeye Napoleon, but Marcus play
ed in hard luck that day and came near
having to stand with the u~ncounted
multitude and be jostled by the rabble,
and nothing save his plethoric purse
saved him from that ignominious fate.
Mark can run presidential campaigns.
but he can't run an inaugural show
not by a jugful. The Washingtonians
attend to that matter themselves. They
allot tickets to the inner circle, the
aanctum sanctorum, and in the allot-
ment they are generous with themselves
and parsimonious with others. Now,
Mark received his full quota, six tick
cts, ample for himself and family :
but, having promised Offices, tickets and
other things to influential politicians
with a prodigality becoming q War
wick, in redeeming his ante-election
promises he soon found himself minus
inaugural tickets, supposing, of course,
that all he had to do to get more tick
cts was to ask for them. He was dunn
founded to discover that there were no
more for Marcus. That was the first
thing after the election that taught him
that, after all, he wal only mortal. He
fused, he perspired, he cussed, but
tickets he could not get. He could not
even beg or borrow any from his friends.
They needed them in their business that
day. The day of days dawned bright
and clear. Still Mark was ticketless.
As he looked out of the windows Of his
sumptuous quarters he was the most
miserable Of men. Mrs. Hanna and all
the young Hannaa were making merry
getting ready for the show, while their
lord paced the floor and rubbed his bald
head in despair, for Of all things he
dreaded to break the direful news to
them.
So things stood up to an hour Of the
time when the great scene would be
enacted. Somehow the news of Marks
predicament had reached q certain
Washingtonian who knows how to
turn an honest penny and who in some
mysterious manner had become the
happy owner of six tickets. At the hour
of IL a. m, March 4, 1897, he appear
ed unto Mark and proposed to play the
part of the good Samaritan for a con
oslawas1- uo t1nn6a1 ON kko Oroof
Ohioan's door. "Who comes therer''
reared the irate Warwick. "a friend"
replied the Washingtonian. what in
-- do you want-an Officer shouted
the great man. "No; I have six tickets
to the Inauguration. I thought you
might want them for some of your
friends" Friends, indeed!' beloved
the chairman of the national committee.
''I want them for myself and family.
It's a ground hog case. I've got to have
them. How much are they worth?''
''Five hundred dollars!' Five hun
bred devilsi' yelled Mark. "Well,"
said the imperturbable Westinghouse,
''as it is you, Mr.. Hanna, I will take
$3.50" 81 won't give it; that's fiatP'
cried the boss of bosses. Every well.
Good day, Mr.. Hanna" said the good
Samaritan as he vanished from the
room. "Hold on therer' shouted Mar
Gus. "IIl give you $500" SIN gold?'
asked the willy Washingtonian. eyes,
in gold, silver, paper, copper or any
thing else, - and the bargain was closed,
and q great load was lifted from Marks
heart. An hour later, sitting in a front
seat, he saw his protege indicted into
the presidential Office and enjoyed be-
ing pointed out as the kingmaker, all
of which illustrates the truth OF the
old saw, ga miss is as good as a mile"
and of the more elegant one, "A1l's
well that ends we'll"
have studied a good deal on what
Mark would have done to punish the
Neutrality-suspicious. if he had not been able
to procure tickets to his own show. He
would have kidnapped Mckinley and
stopped the performance. No; the in
auguration had cost Mark & Co. too
many millions for that. He would have
cut the rope and forced himself in. No;
he dared not do that, for the police
would have collared him and landed
him in ''the cooler" He would have
cussed and filled all the Washington
offices with Ohio carpetbaggers. Not
one would have been filed by a resi-
dent. He came near doing that anyway.
Whatever he would have done, it is
safe to say that he will never forget his
$400 lesson and that at the next in
auguration he will freeze On to his quota
of tickets. He won't be anxious to at
tend Bryan's Inflammation anYWaY