The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-04-03

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r was one Of those rare enchanting days with
which the willy climate Of Washington some
times paIliates its month Of February The
city warmed itself deliciously, in the sun
The throng In Street strolled and chat
walking down from the Capital late in the after.
noon. felt as buoyant and as happy boy.
During the four months which had elasped since
every now and then, of secret surprise at this
m sS nod - % It wasn't h that
trary. he had been-well, very nearly certain that
Yet when Senator Harwood married Alice Tyr
rell In October It was not without having fire.
quently exhorted himself to remember that he
was just short of his fftieth birthday. and that
Alice. ~ she herself declared. had but year or
two longer to linger in the lap of the thirties.
He did love her. There was no question about
that. But there was question. either. that
both Of them had occasional panicky moments
when they rather hedged against the future by
throwing out warnings in of artificial gayety
You'll .,s hnd me IA. regular old blunderbuss'" Har
I'll simply knock domestic etiquette into smith
Greens. and never know I've touched it,"
Domestic etiquette!'' Alice exclaimed, with an
exaggerated but covertly anxious sigh. Edward
II have to live up to domestic etiquette won't
arrange for some banns SO that can forbid them
myself"
But the banns were not forbidden In fact
there were banns anyway; only a DEAR quiet
wedding. How he blessed her for the quietness
Of it! And how he had continued to bless her. for
was thinking Of her now with even more than usual
satislaction me understandable feel of spring in
springtime which had blossomed with such unex-
pected luxuriance in his supposedly autumnal
heart.
In spite of his fifty years., he fine figure
Of q man as he strobe easily along. Straight and
however. he trailed with him the side-shot glances
Of half the people he passed as, utterly uncon-
hoping by some lucky chance to interrupt the
shopping his wife had planned for the afternoon.
morning and of course, had been obliged to be at
the afternoon session, with its important discus
the face Of voliey Of statistics. he had oniein
struck his colors and fed
Spring was in the air and .ove was in his heart
For the first time in his life he had the chance
meet the springtime with the he had
chosen: and he wasn't going to let it slip now. if
he could capture it.. He could have laughed out
right 40 he realized how absurdly young and happy
he felt. Younger. he told himself than any whip
persnapper youth in all Washington.
self. when suddenly his glance fell on a show win
The smile faded. And as he glued his discon-
certed gaze upon the array of Naming and howery
sensation in the region of his own.
Oh! 30 he thought he was young. did he? He
, could teach whippersnapper Youth how to dream
fourteenth of February had meant only the date
when. as he had informed the opposition. he in
tended to present an amendment to Bill number
so-and-so, giving the government power to regu-
late At this point he drew long breath and
What was the use?
Some little girls. who had been gloating over
ssgles. But the big paid heed. Only
muttered another exclamation and impulsively en-
tered the shop. A luminous and lovely idea had
Two minutes later saesgirl found him hover
the Senator admitted to her that his presence at
that particular spot not the result of accident
her tone became confidential.
Our best ones up in 'front.'" she told him.
we'll wanted one for a-sort of old
fashioned little girl" he explained. Haven't you
confidential pitch.
The mention Of the old-fashioned little girl
seemed to have cooled the salesgirls interest but
she paved the valentines back and forth. tossing
an occasional one toward the Senator who put
rs that what you want'" She finally demanded.
handing over creation whose borders of lace
framework around a deep-set center in which re-
posed gay little floral device Lurking beneath.
anyone who knew enough to look would have
found the following touching coupet
The rose is red. the violets blue
Sugar Is sweet and so are YOU
Senator Edward Harwood, recently appointed
chairman Of the special committee for the inyesi-
cation Of commercial relations with the Orient
seized with delight upon this embodiment of the
beauties Of art and poetry, had it nclosed in a
repousse envelope Of an Enthusiastically valentine
ciou1 pocket. usually sacred to the reception of
important documents of state. As he left the shop.
a! ne ien his heart throbbing contentedly against
For an hour or more he wandered around with
OUT CAICnlu& SiXnJ OF MS Wl1e, but even that dis
appointment could not entirely quench his spirits.
In the course Of his stroll another inspiration had
seized him at the sight of jewelers. window, and
he had impusively acquired a heart-shaped pin Of
diamonds an article which appealed to him as
particularly neat bit of sentiment for the day he
proposed to celebrate Altogether, he felt as jolly
- sandboy-whatever that is-when he reached
his hotel.
This occurred shortly before six O'Clock. At
which hour the well-known Senator Harwood might
have been, indeed was, observed to seek secluded
corner of the writing room and to draw from an
Inner pocket number of ofhcial looking docu-
ments. one of which he carefully addressed All,
how true 1t 10 that these great are never free
from the cares of state. Some tourists said as
much to one another as they watched him.
But the Senator himself hummed cheerily as he
put stamp upon the repousse envelope and fondly
inspected with satisfaction whose novelty had
not yet worn on his wife's name, written thereon
own bold hand Then he CARRIED the .r