Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1908-08-12
ES 81
Chapter KAI

n chapter IA
THIS IS AMERICA, Mr.. ARMITAGE."
- RING, planting green
* and gold banners on old
Virginia battlefields,
llTT111N crossed the Potomac and
WD occupied Washington.
~ Shirley Claiborne
called for her horse and rode forth to
greet the conqueror. The afternoon
was keen and sunny, and she had turn
ed impatiently from tea to which
she was committed to seek the open.
The call Of the outdoor gods sang iii
her blood. Daffodils and crocuses lift
ed yellow flames and ruddy torches
from every dooryard. She had pinned
spray of arbutus to the lapel of her
tan riding coat. 1t spoke to her of
the blue horizons of the Virginia hills.
The young buds In the naples lowered
like a mist in the treetops. Towering
over all, the incompatible gray obelisk
climbed to the blue arch and brought
1t nearer earth. Washington. the CEN
ter OF mans hope, is also in spring the
capital Of the land of hearts desire. !,
With groom trailing after her, Shir-
ley rode toward Rock creek-that rip
pling, murmuring, singing trif1e of wa
ter that laughs day and night at the
margin Of the beautiful city, as though
politics and craftsmanship were the
hugest joke In the world. The flag on
the Austro- Hungarian embassy hung
at half mast and symbols of mourning
fluttered from the entire front of the
house. Shirley lifted her eyes gravely
us she passed. Her thoughts flew at
once to the scene at the house Of the
Secretary Of state week before, when
Baron Won Marhof had learned of the
death of his sovereign, and by associa
ton she thought. too, of Armitage and
Of his look and voice rs he said:
Long live the emperor and king!
God save Austria!"
Emperors and kings! They We're as
impossible today as snowstorm. The
grave ambassadors as they appeared at
great Washington functions, wearing
their decorations, always struck her as
being particularly distinguished. 1t
just now occurred to her that they
were all linked to the crown and scep-
ter, but she dismissed the whole mat
ter and bowed to two dark ladies in
passing victoria with the quick little
nod and bright smile that were the
same for these titled members Of the
Spanish ambassadors household as for
the young daughters Of western SEN
ator, who Economically waved their
hands to her from n doorstep.
Armitage came again to her mind.
He had called at the Claiborne house
twice since the secretary's ball, and she
had been surprised to find how fully
she accepted him as an American now
that he was on her own soil. He de-
rived, too certain stability from the
fact that the Sandersons knew him;
he was, indeed, an entirely different
person since the Montana senator def
initely connected him with an Amer
ican landscape. She had kept her own
counsel touching the scene on the dark
deck of the King Edward, but 1t was
wos half engrv With horsair +his mol,
,o.,, astarnao,, - s,,a ho,,, nars;sto ,r
Armitage came into her thoughts and
how the knife thrust on the steamer
deck kept recurring In her mind and
quickaning her sympathy for man
Of whom she knew SO little, and She
touched her horse impatiently with the
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