The Washington herald., 1907-01-13
CHAPTER XVII-(Continued.) }

Mr.. Grayson rose ar last. and. saying
70 his wife. I should like q word with
you in private" led the way 10 the draw
ing-room. She followed. knowing that ht
wished to speak of the trouble on his
mind, and she made a shrewd guess as q
its nature.
Anna. It is something that I have
been trying 10 put away from me-" hC
said, when they were in the privacy o.
the draWing-room. but ii won't stay
away I suppose I ought 10 have spoken
to you Of it some time ago, but could not
make UP my mind 10 do it,
She smiled little.
I, too, have been dreading the subject,
she said. If it IS what I think il is You
are going TO speak Of Sylvia, Mr.. Plum
meT, ard Mr.. Harley"
Yes, Harley has a letter from Sylvia
and he will have more. She doesn't want
10 write To him. but she will The girl 7,
breaking her heart. and 1 am not sure
that you and I are doing what We ought
to do"
And you do not think that sIr Plum
mer would make a suitable husband for
her?"
She regarded him keenly from under
lowered eyelids-the question was merely
intended 20 lead to something else
That is not the point Harley is th=
man she loves. and Harley is the man she
should marry"
Should she not decide this question
for herself?'
The candidate studied the face Of his
wife. Her words. if taken simply as
words, would seem metallic and cold, but
there was an expression that gave them
a wholly different meaning 10 him
Under ordinary circumstances. yes, "
he said, but the circumstances in which
Sylvia finds herself are not ordinary
and l am not sure how far we are ra-
sponsible for them"
Il undertook to act once. and l was
sorry that I did So
The candidate did not speak again fOI
several moments. but Mrs. Grayson read
his expressive face.
You have thought Of something else. "
she said, that is or seems 10 be con-
nccted with this affair Of Sylyia's"
Il have. and I am afraid it is that
which has been holding me back"
The eyes Of the two met. and. although
they said 10 more upon that point, they
understood each other perfectly.
Anna" said the candidate. with de
cisiOn, you must write to Nj Plummer
l do not shift this burden from myself {,
you because Of any desire to escape It
hut because I know you viii write the
letter SO much better than / can"
Her eyes met his again. and hers shon,
with aGmirauon-he was not less brave
than she had thought him.
4 do not know what viii come Of It.
he said; perhaps nothing, but in any
event we ought to write it
Il viii write" she said. firmly.
The candidate said nothing more hut
he bent down and kissed his VIE on thj
forehead.
When Jimmy Graysoa returned from
the dTawing-T0om. they noticed that tbs
frown was gone from his face. and al
once there was q new atmosphere IN the
car. Tie sleepy politicians awoke ans
made new or old jokes; the correspond.
ents ceased writing. and asked MI Gray
son what he intended to put in his neX
speech. Obviously the current of life be
gan 70 run full and free. again. and tho
incompatible scenery gliding by theii
car windows no longer passed without
comment But Mrs. Grayson, in tn,
drawng-rOOm. taking much thought and
care, was writing this letter. which sh,
addressed TO Mr. Plummer, in Boise
where she heard that he was going from
Salt Lake City:
Dear Air. Plummer: / want to ten ycu how we ar
getting on because know how deeply yOl are in
tsTcsted II the campaign and al OF MS have eujlycC
the way IN which you affiliated with Our little grau1
We have been so long Together how that we hayi
become sort Of family-spcakyTs writer's, and wsll
wisaers, with Mr.. GraysOn as the head iu virtue o.
his position nominee. You have bad a large psc.
In this faulily-shat shall I cali tia kind q eide
brother. one who ont q the fund Of has experience
could wisely lead the younger and more imuulsive.
Mrs. Grayson stopped here and tapped
her finger thoughtfully vita the staff Ci
her pen. THAT paragraph she muscd
should bring home to him the fact that
he is old rs compared with Sylvia and Ar
Harley. and shat is the first thing ] wish
to establish IN his mind Then. diPpine
her pen in the ink again, she wrote:
This. think. is one Of the reasons that cur your,
people have missed you So much. Nou were alway
prepared 10 take yoir pa-t in the entertainment q
the day. but your gravity and Your years. which
without. being too many. become ycu 50 much cxfr
Cisci @ restraining influence upon them. aud showed
them the lire at which they should stop / thiul
tIat yUu acquired oEer them intuence. IN II
way Faternal ard II IS an such capacity that the.
miss sou most
The lady's smile deepcned. and in her
mind was the thought that II he did not
Vince at this bolt he was, indeed i'm
pervious. Then she continued:
sIy interest in this camFaign is not alone poitica
ncr pcrslral 10 NJ. Graysan which also means NV
self but ] have becumu much interested m tals
vino tIasel with us-t--t is. the aao have b~oon,