New-York tribune., 1909-03-07
The HUT Bill
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the facts now. Hedges had showed me the
basket On the clerks desk, and slipped m
while they were breaking up the meeting. threw
my ovcrcoat over. and Sneaked the bill out un-
der It II was the top one Hedges sad u
would be- His Voice began u trail ott but
the woman listening tnSIstcnt-
' You sCOundreli" she painted tcnsely. Not
u be satisfied with stealing the election, You
even want 10 steal this last bit of fame from
him, You scoundreli" And even q. l. would
not have recognized her Voice
But had 10 make another touch on Hedges,
and he made that the condition OF loOSenlng up
/ was broke. stone broke, and those Stlt1 neckcd
Colleagucs-tO-be IN the House wouldn adj
vance a cartare without gong o "A lawyer pro
tested the bowman. Then, seeing the hines oI
acute suffering III the old face before him. nc
turned his head away against "a crooked arm ON
the pillow and growled. I'm SD sorry don
know what To say, 1t my bad blood ON top
again But III make al this up 70 YOU. /
swear | Will madam, You certainly are a good
fellow
MOTHER HUTT lett him and went into her
A'A bed room When she appeared again she
was ready for the street The Jctted ornament
In her bonnet registered an unusual amount Oh
vibration, and as she put the bll IN heT satclei
some emotion seemed 10 run down the lines IN
her face cutting deeper beds. but the SublcC-
tive catdclySm was over At the door she
turned back and drew u steamer rug over tHe
sleeper on the sofa.
Providence favored Mrs. Gideon lchabod
Hutt that dav in the temporary removal OF the
autoCrat outside the Speaker room Ana As
she made her unQueStoned way INTO the outer
office the Speaker himself came out OF the car
pctcd cave beyond like figure registering
stormy" on "a barometer house Nhe hid
never seen the Speaker So excited The sleeves
of his alpaca coat were pushed up. and the CHS
tc1ing tubes pt white linen below wlndmlled AS
he talked H.
Here's the devil and al 70 pap, The HUT
Bill never reached the Printing Once Lost N
transit. II seems Send for Hutt Send Tor the
,oorkceperi send for the clerk that handles the
bills Send for anybody who IN anyway re-
spouSiblc. and send mighty quick lie turned
his rapid FIRE upon the man sitting at a plS desk
but Mother Hutt, feeling very much like "a ny
On the landscape and wondering where heT
voice was going To come from now pressed Tor
ward
That's what l want = see about, Mr.
Speaker I'm Mrs. Hutt. she began anu
thought she must be speaking lines IN play.
The Speaker fumbled for one OF the three
pairs of SpcCtaClcs strung along from brow u
hair line across his forehead. and Mrs HUT
drew out the bill
ITS here. I'm sure its all right. l read 1t
coming up and that IS Mr.. HUT has talked
II over sone-and-so know ii S the genuine.
don't want t. tell wheTe | got It. and
Please Mr. Speaker. muSrit be known that any
thing unusual has happened, Mr. HUT IS 50
wrapped up III StIillls IitlS YIN tiiANN''f ett4NA
excitement isn't good for HIM. You know. Mr.
Speaker"
In all her life she knew she had never talked
50 much is she had done tins day. And this
last effort seemed torrcntidl and indeCently con-
fdential She paused abaShed. There were
two deep red spIotChes burning IN her cheeks
They were not becoming. but they were most
convincing Moreover the Speakers CongrcS-
Sional career had had a simultaneous beginning
with that of Congressman Hutt. and he recalled
those early days. This woman Well. hero
ism without a brass band always touched HIM
deeply. His mystery-fathoming dull blue eyes
encountered hers And when he had despatched
the secretary u a waiting automobile with the
Iutt Bill the Speaker took the hand she gave
him in parting IN both of his
Z" 1t isn't too late for 1t to pass she made
herself ask.
Not unless the Public Printer needs u eN-
change Jobs with a canal boat captain, an
syered the Speaker.
Mother Hutt's happy sigh was cut short as II
some one had severed the big VEN. She recalled
the other resolution she had formed while whirl-
ing toward the Capitol IN a taXicab she had no
remembrance of having summoned And now
in the great lake of mirror above the Speakers
Oh. ultuoTS pf her ltlTuTDtf