Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-19

a common name. Don't forget, will you,
Cyrus?
''Wen, of course, I promised, but when
i got over to where my desk vast was
| in the back of the hail. because l wasn't
| lucky in drawing for seat-my mind was
| all taken up with a business letter l was
! writing. A lot of men came up to me and
! said, You won't forget what you promised.
! Goodspeed? and i smiled and said, No, of
! course not but all the time / hadn't the
| widest idea what I had promised The
| speaker sat in his chair facing the rest of
! us and there was box in front of him for
ballots. We voted as we were seated; those
of US in the front seats first, and so on;
/ each one walking up in turn and putting
| his vote, written on piece of white paper,
| into the box.
LAS l said, 1 was busy. Things down at
| the Office had taken turn for the better
| and l could see chance to make some
! n ney for change. So l didn't pay much
| attention one way or the other to what was
| going on until ] saw different men looking
| at me and nodding; then l knew it was
my turn to vote. piece of blank paper
| was before me on my desk and l picked
| UP a pen, dipped it in the inkstand and
| commenced nibbling the end of the pen
| holder. Jones or Birdsfoot? / thought
! Which did | promise Julia II vote for?
| By that time every one was stretching
| their necks around and some were talking
| in deaf and dumb language at me, which
! 1 don't understand. The speaker got up
| from his chair and said, The members
! have all voted with the exception of the
gentleman from Bucksport.'
| Il saw 1 had to write some name, so
| did 1t and put my vote in the box, and the
| tellers counted the ballots, and then the
! speaker got up again and said, i have to
! announce that Mr.. Birdsfoot is the choice
for senator Yes. captain. Birdsfoot got
| there by one vote. and ii was my vote, too,
| because l forgot that it was the common
name instead of the uncommon one that
| Julia told me 10 vote for.
We'll, you can believe me or not, just as
you wish, but there was nearly riot start
ed right there, and / was the center of it.
Some men / used to think were good
friends of mine shook their fists at me and
called me traitor, and others l hardly
ever spoke to grabbed me by the hand and
said that they'd never forget what l had
done. But / had my letter finished and /
was in hurry to mail it, so | got out of
back door and started to our rooms.
Julia was locking out of window as
came up. She had hold of newspaper so
fresh from the press that Ii smelled sticky.
d" Cyrus \. GoOdspeed, she called out
before l had fairly stuck my head inside.
were you crazy to vote for that Birdsfoot
man? I've Just been reading all about it
| in the paper. They've got an extra out
After ALL there are some things a mans
| wife says to him at times that don't con-
| Germ any one else a bit. Boiled down, it
| chances in politics. When she'd left me to
! sort of digest it all the doorben rang and
| Brdsfoot came in.
" L hurried around to thank you, he said
| before | could get a word in edgeways.
Now, even if Julia didn't like the way
| had voted, | couldn't be rude to a man
| when he my guest. so | gave him a
cigar, and we sat talking. After a time
| she came in. | was little nervous but [
| got up and introduced 'Birdsfoot to her
| But Julia was as polite as If she hadn [
| told me to vote for Jones. Finally. after
/ we'd talked the weather TO DEATH Birds
foot said: Now. Mr.. Goodspeed, 1 want
TO make some acknowledgment of your
| loyalty to me. l know the President quite
| well, and | imagine l have influence
l enough to get you foreign appointment
not as ambassador, because those jobs are
| all taken. but say as minister to one of the
| South or Central American republics
| Before he had fairly ended | was on my
| feet. I'd voted for him when Julia told me
! not to, but l wasn't going to make another
break. Besides. it was my office in Bucks
| port and not South Central America |
| wanted to go TO. So l thanked him. but
/ said l couldn't really consider such propo-
! sition. Julia broke In and said just as
! sweetly as possible that l was rather over
! come with the criticisms had received for
| voting my conscience dictated, that we
! appreciated all that Mr.. Birdsfoot had said,
| and that if he could get me appointed min
| lister somewhere we would never forget his
| kindness. | was sort of bewildered with
] the change things had taken that 1 couldn't
! say word, and after some more talk about
r, nothing at all BirdSfoot left
| How could you be foolish enough to
| throw away a chance of becoming a min
| lister, Cyrus? Julia said Don't you know
| that III you ger your appointment we'll be
| way ahead of Mrs. Haswith? l kept quiet.
| because there didn't seem much chance that
| the minister business would pan out.
| The legislature adjourned the week after,
| and started Tor Bucksport like a shot out
| OF gun. tell you, captain, IL was a real
| happiness to get down to business again:
| for when the Lord made me He made a
| business man and stopped right there with
out putting on any extra trimmings.
| Things went along pretty we'll until one
day got letter from Birdsfoot calling me
| to Washington. had been figuring on a
coal contract for soldiers home up our