Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1899-03-17
Her Idol Shattered.
From the :washinglon star.

|
She was a girl from Cairo, lllinoi
In her Wide eyes was the far away G,
preston as of one who dreams at hIg
noon. THIS was her first visit 70 th
great white Capitol With one O
her male relitives-a elderly man
she was seated at table in th
House Restaurant.
The applause Of listening senator
TO command ''-She may have been un
consciously repeating this line TO her
self, for her lips moyed, aud she was
seminary girl der elderly male rela
tive watched her without indicating
the amusement he felt.
She was wrapt. He was bored.
He perceived that her men
tale exaltation was almost too
great for speech. Her American his
tory was yet green in her mind, he re-
tl1cted, Here she was, under the
shadow Of the beautiful dome. sur
rounded by the custOdans OF the ma
tion. Here she was, inhallng incense
from the sacred flames Of Liberty
capital L. The fixed, pallid counten-
ances Of Declaration signerS, Webster
ian periods, voices hoarsened by the
rage Of patriotism, fiery sparks from
the clash Of intelects, air.sawing
arms, defyng the world, right or
wrong; the browS of statesmen hectic
flushed with love Uf cOuntry-th
mind Of the kirl from Cairo, Illinois,
was jumble' Her coffee grew cold
Aud II they 90, I'll soak 'cm!
Yes, sir, Ill soak em. Grown con-
founded self righteous all OF a sudden,
haven't they? l remember the time
when any one of the three of EN-"
The Cairo girl suddenly came to and
looked around. The man with her
smiled PLEASANTLY,
"--Try TO bamboOzle me out of
this, after I've worked on it for four
years ? Not much, they can't The
things going through ! It's got To
90 through I'll make 1t so sultry
for those fellows"
The Cairo girls memory was CROP
ing among the files Of cartoons she
had seen.
"Oh, now l know who he is - she
inally said, and she mentioned
name to the man with her. He
nodded.
why" she said che is always rep
resented In frock coat, with his
right hand between the two drst but
tons, aud so dignited Can II be
po3si bic"
And III just casually happen
to mention on the tloor that little
scheme Of theirs back in '9I, and see
how they like II. Huh! Pm too old
a bird To be hectored aud bullyragged
by such"
When the two statesmen passed out,
arm in arm, the Cairo girls face was
"A study. She sighed
"Wait a minute. and then look over
there" said the man with her. She
looked. The benign looking old gen
tleman with the smooth shaven upper
lip aud the white chin beard had a
Welsh rabbit aud a bottle Of ale in
front OF him. But the girl sat up
straight In her chair,
"Gra;ious what knife !" she ex-
claimed in a whisper,
"Glance over to that corner" SAID
the man with her, yawning behind his
hand.
Her glance took In a man whose por-
trait she had seeJ in the papers since
her earliest childhood. Opposite him
at his table sat an elderly lady. There
was long black cigar in the states
mans teeth, and the elderly
lady was enveloped IN u blue
haze OF smoke. The statesman
was contentedly putiing away.
"Oh, IL can't be :" said tile girl.
A smooth looking committee clerk
with pen behind his ear, sailed in
with half a dozen letters ln his hand.
He went up TO the table at which the
Chairman of his committee sat.
"These have got 10 be answered TO-
day." said the clerk. "Old Frenzy's
kicking up a pother in the Legislature
over your delay In"
My boy, go away; go AWAY You
write em. You know what TO say.
Tell 'em-oh, go anyway. I'll see you
after a while"
"Why, don't they write all their
own letters ?" inquired the girl from