Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1905-1906, 1906-01-24
CHAPTER w.

Warburton had not been in the city
Of Washington within IL years. In
the past his furloughs had been spent
1t his brothers country home in
Larchmount, out OF New York City.
Thus when he left the train at the
Baltimore and Potomac station he
hadn't the slightest idea where Scott
Circle was. He looked around in vain
for the smart cab of the northern me-
tropolis All he saw was a line OF
omnibuses and a few ramshackle We
hicles that 20 years back might very
well have passed for victorias. A griz-
lied old negro, in command of one
If these sea-going conveyances caught
Warburton's eye and hailed jovially.
Our hero las the good novelist Of the
past generation would say. taking their
readers into their innermost conf
aences) handed him his travelling case
and stepped in.
''Whar to, subj" asked the commo-
dore.
scott Circle and don't pommel that
old nags bones in trying to get there.
I've plenty OF time"
81 reckon | won't pommel him, sub.
Ski! sixth" and the vehicle rat
tiled out into broad Pennsylvania Ave-
nue., but for the confusion and absurd
ity of it's architectural structures, the
handsomest tboroughfare in America.
Warburton leaned back luxuriously
against the faded horse-hair cushion
and lighted cigar, which he smoked
with relish, having had a hearty
breakfast on the train. lit was not
quite nine O'Clock and warm October
haze lay on the PEACEFUL city. Here
were people who did not rush madly
about in the pursuit of riches. Rather
they proceeded more soberiy, even leis-
urely, as if they knew what the days
work was and the rewards attendant,
and were content. Trucks. those for
midable engines of commerce, neither
rumbled nor Numbered along the
pavements, nor congested the thor
oughfares. Nobody hurried into tn e
shops, nobody hurried out. There were
no scampering, yelling newsboys.
Instead, along the curbs OF the market
sat 'barelegged negro boys. some of
them selling papers to those who
wanted them and some sandwiched in
between baskets Of popcorn and pea
nuts. There was marked scarcity of
the progressive, intrusive white boy.
Old negro mammies passed to and
fro with the days provisions.
CHANGING over his shoulder, Warbur-
ton saw the capitol shining in the sun
like some enchanted palace out of
Wonderland. He touched his cap.
conscious of thrill in his spine. And
there, far TO his left doomed the Wash
ington monument, glitterng like a
shaft of opals. Some orderlies dashed
by on handsome bays. How splendid
they looked. with their blue trousers
and broad yellow stripes! This was
before the army adopted the comfort
BILE but shabby brown duck. How he
longed to throw leg over the back
of good horse and gallop away into
the great green country beyond
The only things which moved with
the hustling spirit of the times were
the cables, and doubtless these would
have gone slower but for the invisible
and immutahle power which propelled
them
But now he was passing the huge
and dingy magic treasury building.
round past the executive mansion with
Its spotiess white stone, its stately por-
tico and its plush lawns
Go slow. uncle: haven't seen this
place since | was boy"
Eyes. sub How IL v like It?
Wenldn' Y like { live i'm dat house.
sub ?"--the commodore nrinned,
Zone can't stay there long enough
TO please me. uncle II takes four years
TO get used to it. and then. when
you begin TO like 1t, you have TO pack
up and clear out"
ITS de way dey goes. sub We
80 croun Lafayette er DO yph want
L see de wa. dena 'tment. suh?"
Never mind now. uncle; Scott Cir
Gle"
''Scott Circle she am, sub +"
The old ark wheeled round Lafayette
Square and finally rolled into Sixteenth
street. When at length ii came TO a
stand in front of a beautiful house,
Warburton evinced his surprise openly.
He knew that his brothers wife had
plenty OF money. but not such plenty
as TO afford a house like this.
Are You sure, uncle, that this is the
placer"
''Dere's dc Circle. sub. an ynh can
see de numbuh TO ysef. subj"
How much do owe your
II reckon bout fifty cents II make
1t. subj"