The Savannah morning news., 1903-08-23

Anna, Agnew was engaged as a seam
stress In the Davis household In 1878
Miss" Agnew had been the child wife
OF printer named Evans, but had Sc
cured divorce. Miss Agnew was a
very beautiful young woman, who had
10 work for living and was not too
proud 10 do 1t. She was descended
from famous Scotch family, the NAL
COINS. Her great-grandmother was
margaret Malcolm and her great
granduncle was Admiral Poulney NAL
conn, who guarded the Island of st.
there. 'O'ei
Chickering's soon occurred in the Da-
Wis house. Gov and Mrs. Davis could
not agree. Then came a separation
and divorce. Mrs. Davis went to
Kansas to live. She had been gone a
year when Miss Anna Agnew became
Mrs. Davis No. 2.
This made great sensation in st.
Paul society. Mrs. Merriam, as the
Leader in the social world in the
Northwest, had sympathized with Mrs.
Davis No. /. She blamed wife No. 9
for the estrangement The drawing
rooms, the clubs and the cafes buzzed
with the excitement.
Society barred Her.
Mrs. Davis No. was promptly cut
by the smart set. She was not in
society, and 1t was decreed that she
should not go in. She was socially os-
TRACKED. Mrs. Davis No. 2, while not
to proud to earn her own living, was
very sensitive and high spirited. She
felt her position keenly.
The political wheel in Minnesota
turned once or twice and William r.
Merriam became governor of Mime
sofa, and Mrs. Merriam went into the
position of mistress of the Executive
Mansion, which had once been flied
by her intimate friend, Mrs. Davis No.
l. And now came the time for her
to avenge her friend. The inaugural
ball and reception constitute the great
social function i'll st. Paul each winter
that new governor takes his seat.
The one which celebrated the Inaugural
ton of Gov. Merriam was exceptional
ly brilliant, with his beautiful and ac-
complished wife as hostess. Invitations
went to everybody who was anybody
IN the state. But not to former Gov.
and Mrs. Davis. They were ignored.
and the slight was much talked about
1t was by clever generalship that
Mrs. Davis overcame the opposition of
st. Paul society. Soon after her Sec
ond marriage she appeared on the
streets clad in pure white furs, driv-
ing a magnificent white horse and
seated in snow-white sleigh. white
wings, someone remarked and the
busybodies were scandalized. Mrs.
Davis laughed in their faces and was
met by campaign of secret innuendo
that would have driven many women
so despair. Mrs. Davis bravely ignor-
ed the stories in circulation, passed in
vective and accusation with the same
calm smile, and later, in speaking of
her experience, said:
Those people, and there were many
OF them, said and repeated things they
could not prove, but only wished were
so. Their hatred gave all the founda-
ton there was for the terrible things
they said. Why should notice them?
only the person whose heart is not
clear of the evil things OF life at
tempts to batter down the baseless ac-
cusations Of others. A clear conscience
gives the support that rides one safe
ly though the storm"
In later years she saw at her feet
many OF her bitterest enemies, and
TOOK the sweet revenge of seeming ut
terIy unconscious of their past efforts
to sink her under an overwhelming
mass Of accusation and dishonor, allow
ing their own thoughts to work out
her revenge.
Reformed Her Husband.
Mrs. Cushman K. Davis, more than
any other, was responsible for the
great achievements of her statesman
husband. Immediately after her re-
turn from Paris with the Senator.
following the signing of the Spanish
treaty, she told of the crucial mo-
ment of their married life in which
she turned him with a mastery troke
from habits which would have made
later success impossible.
The Senator never dissipated, bur
was always man fond of good COM
pany," she said. "He loved the club
and the company of the men he found
there. He sometimes partook of cham
payne, the only wine he cared for, and
once or twice had remained late with
his friends. He disliked Argument as
much as l. determined to make him
understand the value of a regular life
in my own way.
II waited in our cozy little parlor
all one evening and away into the
morning, dressed for the street, await
ing his return. When heard his foot
steps on the walk hastily slipped out
the front door and down the STEPS. ]
met him just as l had passed the gate.
He gazed at me astounded.
| Where are you going at this time
of the morning?' he demanded.
down town to enjoy myself in my own
way
You go away from me, spend half
| the night with your friends, and leave
me alone to wait for you. 1 claim ex-
| actly the same privilege. 1 don't know
| where 1 am going, but I am going to
make friends and have a pleasant
time alone by myself. You go in and
| go to bed. Good night
's'I was MORALLY afraid that he
would let me go, but could not think
| he really would. He looked at me
| first angrily, and then thoughtfully.
| took step away, and he followed and
| linked his arm in mine.
| g, I think there has been mistake,
! little girl he said. You are right.
can't dispute the logic and l dom
want to. But there's something bet
| ter than logic, and that's happiness.
He was right, and so was l. IL
was late in the morning when he went
! to his room, and in all our married life
we never had as coy little lunch or
a happier, pleasanter confidential talk.
| "Cushman never left me alone at
night after that, and in all our long
married life he never drank again, ex-
| cept at our own table or at those OF
| the people with whom we dined. His
! club days were over"
Once more the political wheel turned
| in Minnesota, and Cushman K. Davis
went to the United States Senate.
With him to reside in Washington
went his wife.
Senator Davis was man of studi-
Gus habits and great ability. He took
with him to the Senate considerable
reputation as a constitutional and in
| L. nd found a