The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1909-03-25

She prefers hats to toques.
The question has already come up as a mat
ter of speculation in official circles of Wash
ington society as to whether Miss Helen Taft
VIII finish her college course or be White
House debutante within the next two years.
The question undoubtedly will be left to her
own inclination to settle
One afternoon last June, when the eyes of
the nation were on Chicago there emerged
from ono of the big, substantial brick houses
IT street Washington little group of
hgures including woman who led the way
as they turned into Sixteenth street and
walked southwark toward the White House.
she swung along with step elastic as that
of the boy and girl accompanying her. They
talked and laughed as they went, and their
voices all pitched to the same pleasant con-
trato tone, bespoke their kinship
Perhaps they noted through the green vista
OF Lafayette park the glistening columns of
the north portico of the White House The
picture was a familiar one to all of them.
That to the woman 1t stood for the moment
as the concrete presentment of fate toward
which her steps had turned 30 years before
almost to the day, who shall say? Her clear,
blue-gray eyes looked unblinkingly at the
reality as they had at the vision. Though In no
sense under the spell of that faculty which
Thurlow Weed years ago declared had bewil
dered many men whose eyes were turned In
that direction, she was too frank to feign an
indifference to the alluring possibility Of a
residence within its walls She had can
ddate at Chicago that day. and If the question
were put squarey to her she was ready un-
hesitatingly to avow him
The woman and children made altogether an
inconspicuous little group as they crossed
Pennsylvania avenue and entered the big triple
department building the corner of Seven
teenth street. The Waterman at the door of
the war department and the messengers In
the corridors recognized them, however, as
they made their way toward the office of the
secretary returning the grinning salutations
that greeted them on all sides.
Mrs. Taft wore white linen suit. A flower
laden hat shaded her face, which retains all
It's girlhood contours. The door closed upon
them, and 1t was five O'Clock before they re-
appeared. Was it the same party, or had
that history-making afternoon wrought some
subtle change? Mrs Taft, wife of the secre-
tary of war; was now Mrs. Taft, wife OF a
presidential nominee Her step was lighter,
her eyes brighter. Happy? Surely Her can
didate had won the first approaches to ulti-
mate victory.
They went as they had come, on foot, stop
ping in the street to buy an EXTRA" for the
pleasure of approaching the good news from
another angle.
The wife of man already one OF the most
conspicuous figures in public life in America,
Mrs. Taft became from that moment national
figure. The November victory OF the Republi-
can party but concentrated the attention which
had been upon her for Ave months as the wife
of its nominee. There were no longer favo-
rites in the field Comparisons were out of or
der. The names of the presidentelect and his
family became household words throughout the
land