Western news-Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1898-1900, 1898-11-17

Il have been thinking q good deal
about it." remarked Mrs. Brownlee. Il
think l shall accompany you. You
know, dear, 1 have never seen your
papa and mamma. l have formed my
own ideas of them, and am real anxious
to see them. They must be just charm
ing people to have a SOL like my Ally"
ALLY" is what she always called
him. But there was no music in the
sound of the sweet diminutive, as she
uttered it on this fatal morning after
breakfast. Brownlee had a headache,
and was not as responsive to his wife's
affectionate caresses as usual.
"Well, I'm not ashamed of 'em, any
how" he replied in desperation.
They packed their things and left
town the next evening.
If Mrs. Brownlee in her buoyant
trustfulness anticipated Genes Of greet
ing in which mingled the picturesque
effects of a summer residence on the
banks of Lake Como, as described by
Claude Melnotte, with the other details
of romantic stage illusions, which be-
| al lIC SCliSCS vi " Sll IN luc oNNb
| only the fashionable side of life, her
anticipations were somewhat dampen-
ed when they stepped off the train in
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 a dreary rainfall.
They seemed to recognize the member
of Congress, despite his disguise, for
he wore 4 fashionable overcoat and a
closely rolled umbrella. though he had
exchanged his silk hat for a Derby.
After some whispering the knot Of
Ioungers grayitated toward them.
DOG my oats, Bill" called out one,
eff this amt Smith Brownlee. 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
a dark road? Say, Smith, yo' must
a-struck it rich when w sent yo' to
Congress. When yo' left var yo' didn't
have an oyercoat to yo' back, an I'll
leave it to the crowd, now, did 'e?'
Smith tried to take it as a joke. He
laughed softly and introduced his wife
in the i%ll-lighted waiting-room whittier
the delegation of his constituents had
followed. They removed their hats and
stared at the lady like a 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 i'll, 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 chagrin, but
smiled and cracked jokes and clutched
at every straw that promised him relief
from the mercileSs p~erSifage of his i'll
bred constituents. He finally managed
to get his wife and himself into a foul
smelling little country bus thai carried
passengers; and a hoarse shout that
sounded half derisive 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 wner
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 vas nothing
to do but what Brownlee, in the most
desperate calculation Of his chances,
had contemplated even as a last
resort-stop at his home.
Daisy" said he, in a hoarse Voice,
as the bus splashed through the mire
of the road; Daisy" softly taking her
hand in his, ARE you prepared to make
a sacrifice for ~me-greater, [ hope, tnan
any l shall ever ask you to make for
me again in all our lives?"
She said yes YEARLY, with her
head swaying loosely on her shoulders
like a sick child's; what do you ask
me?'
That you will not hate or despise me
when 1 introduce you to my father and
mother" he said, tenderly.
"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."
N.Y. she .exclaimed; chow did you
ever get into Congress-"
by my own efforts, and not with
the help of anybody in the world. l
just simply hustled for it,"
"WeH," she said. "let it come"
The parental Brownies lived in a
plain. yellow, frame house, colonial in
style in that it shot upward on four
sides like a 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