The Washington times., 1905-04-09
CHAPTER TX.

The morning after the Senator's great
| fight for peace daWned cold and cheer
less. The first ray of light found the
Senator up and ready for the hard days
work he had ahead of him. Man of iron
as he was, the strain had told upon him,
there were lines under his eyes. and in
the early morning light his real age was
more apparent. Though he had spoken
cheerfully to members of the peace
party, and later to the President him
self, he knew that unless he received
definite news from the East early in the
day, the cause would be lost, and the
United States plunged into the midst of
!! the seething cauldron of war.
When he and Marjorie had reached
home after leaving Madame Won Brue-
nen at her house, they were surprised
to find that Billy Hale lad not been
there, nor had any message come from
him They were still more surprised
when hour after hour passed and still
no word came from him. The Senator
guessed that he had found and followed
clue to the tangle. knowing Billy as
he did, he did not worry about him To
be sure, he would have liked TO have
talked the situation over with him, but
of it,
But Marjorie was feverishly restless
when she returned from a dinner party.
AT every ring of the door bell or the
telephone she started up suddenly, and
then became engrossed in what she was
reading. But in each case il proved
only message for the Senator from his
friends, some of them congratulating
inn y
asking what of the morrow. AT last she
could read no more. Going into the
music room she seated herself at the
piano. Playing carelessly whatever her
fancy struck upon Midnight came. She
was still there. The Senator heard her
playing Scotch ballad, and came to
the door.
why, Madge," he said, not gone
to bed yet You'll need this sleep be-
fore the season is over Run along up--
stairs like a good girl Only old men
like myself can afford to sit LID TO all
hours"
She rose quickly from the piano, and
coming over to the Senator put her
arms around his neck
Have you heard from Billy YETI"
she said, rubbing her cheek against his
shoulder
Billy, no. I don't expect to now. He
is probably working out something on
his own hook
DO you think anything has happened
to him. half SHAME facedIy.
Happened to Billy Hale? OF course
not II YOU knew that young man bet
ter Madge, you wolldn't ask that
question The Senator looked down at
Marjorie fondly. An idea must have
struck him for he smiled Nothing
ever happens to Billy he added, now
run along to bed. and l promise You
that If l hear from hin. tonight I'll let
you know"
About half past one o'clock the door
bell rang. 1t was telegram from Bill
ly dated Baltimore. 1t said Am going
t. New YOrk-hold the vote as long as
you can" This was all, but it pleased
the Senator. He sent it up to Marjorie,
who read il, and at last closed her tired
eyes in sleep.
again Madame von B~eunen and Mar
jorie jolirneyed down to the Cap.tol in
the automobile. The same throngs. il
possible greater that had crowded the
house on the hill the DAY before. were
OF hand for the morning session The
press had promised an even more ex-
citing day than yesterday The New |
York yellow journals came out with |
narrowing details of the murder of the |
American seamen. They pictured the
forlorn wives and little children of |
these men, and one of them, the paper !
which first had the news of the mas
sacre. had already started Il subscrip-
ton for the widows and orphans
1t looked very much as though the !
history of the former day would repeat /
itself with perhaps a different ending.
a new bill calling for war e,ppropria-
ton and the prompt action of the |
United States in the present crisis was
introduced in the house and railroaded |
through faster than the Congressional !
express. The peace party seemed de-
moralized in spite of the victory of the |
previous day.
In the Senate, as before, the opposi- |
ton to the measure vas more stub |
horn. we must have more time, Sem |
ator Langi10Tne had said to his coll
leagues, and every expedient known 10 |
the Senate was called upon. The Sem |
ator at length arose TO speak again. |
again the crowd listened breathIessly !
to the words of the great leader. but it |
was not in sympathy it'll him. cor
pulent millionaire who nailed from New |
York sat in the gallery and smiled COM
placently. He had not made his boast !
about the change in the vote of three |
Senators vainly. He knew what the |
outcome would be and could have told !
the crowd that what it longed for was
coming, if vote was taken. He eyed |
closely each page that brought Il mes |
sage to Senator Laughorne
BY Senatorial courtesy. the question /
was opened to debate as long as SEN !
ator Langhorne cared to debate it
The Senator spoke eloquentiy, more |
eloquently than he had the day before. t
1t was a question, however. how long |
he could keep it up Two nights with |
out sleep and hard work al the same |
time We're enough to put an ordinary |
man out of the running. No message |
had yet come from Billy Hale or Mar |
yin K Marvin. The Senator with iron |
will determined to hold the floor until !
word was received. At the end of three |
hours he was stin speaking. He had |
not repeated himself once, and still |
his audience hung on his words. His |
jaw was set more stubbornly but his |
eyes looked tired. Occasionally he lean .
ed upon his desk
Suddenly Il Senator in the war party |
raised point of order aud demanded /
that vote be taken on the bill in !