The Dolores star., 1909-04-30
CHAPTER ".

neglected the duties of his high office.
Vernon went out into the rotunda.
lighted a cigarette, glanced over the
pamphlets, and tried to arrange the
heads Of his speech in his mind.
At the thought of the speech. Yer
non grew cold and limp with nevons-
ness. His hands We're clammy. his
knees trembled. his mouth became dry
and parched. aud the cigarette he had
nSAted .l-r,ed al. at CL,e a. (,
-aste. Yet he smoked on, and as b
wandered around the ro.unda. men
from both houses. passing to and fro,
greeted him, but they seemed to him
to be strange new creatures fitting by
in a dream. II he was conscious oi
them at all II was only as of ensied
beings. all on common happy plane,
fortunate ones who did not have. TO
make speech within the hour. He
went over to the state library, think
ing that its quiet would soothe, but
when he stood among the tall stacks
of books he suddenly remembered that
he must not smoke in those precincts:
and so he turned out into the rotunda
again, for he must smoke. He walked
round and round the rotunda. pausing
at times to lean over the brass railing
and look far down to the main floor
where the red light glowed at the
cigar stand: he sauntered back into
the dim and undisturbed corridors. his
mind racing over all the things he
might say.
Once or twice he glanced into the
pamphlets Miss Greene had given him.
but he could not fix his mind on them;
their types danced meaninglessly be-
fore his eyes. He was angry with him
self for this nervousness. Why must
1t assail him now. Just when he wished
to be at his best? He had spoken be-
fore. hundred times; he knew his
audience, and he had the proper con-
tempt for his colleagues He had
never, to be sure. made a set speech
In that presence; seldom did any one
do that; the speeches were usually
short and fmpromptu, and there was
no time for anticipation to generate
nervous dread. And yet his mind
seemed to be extraordinarily clear
just then; 1t seemed to be able to COM
prehend all realms of thought at once.
But 1t was not SO much the speech
he thought of, as the effect of the
speech; already he could see the news
papers and the big headlines they
would display on their first pages the
next morning; he could see his mother
reading them at breakfast. and then
he could see Amelia reading them.
How her dark eyes would widen, her
cheeks flush pink! She would raise
her hand and put back her hair with
that pretty mannerism OF hers; then
impulsively resting her arms on the
table before her. she would eagerly
read the long columns through, while
her mother reminded her that her
breakfast was getting cold How
proud she would be of him! She
would never chide him again; she
would see that at last he had found
himself.
The Eltons. too, would read, and his
absence from their dinner would react
on them impressfvely. And Maria
Greene-but confusion arose-Maria
Greene! He had not thought of
Amelia all the morning until that very
instant; Amelia's letter lay still un-
opened on his deck back there in the
senate chamber. Maria Greene! She
would hear, she would color as she
looked at him, and her eyes would
glow; he could feel the warm pressure
of the hand she would give him in
congratulation.
And 1t was this handsome young
womans presence in the chamber that
gave rise to all this nervousness. He
was sure that he would not have been
nervous IL Amelia were to be there
She had never heard him speak in
public. though he had often pressed
her to do SO; somehow the places
where he spoke were never those to
which 1t would be proper for her to go.
She. would wish she had heard this
speech. for in "a hours 1t would be
the one topic of conversation through
out the state; his picture would be In
the newspapers-'The brilliant young
Chicago lawyer who electrified the
Illinois senate with his passionate ora
tory and passed the woman-suffrage
measure" 1t would be an event to
mark the beginning of new era
But his imaginings we're broken, his
name was spoken; he turned and saw
Miss Greene.
Come" she said. ITS up! Hurry"
She was excited and her cheeks
glowed. His teeth began to chatter.
He followed her quick steps In the
direction Of the chamber.
But" he stammered. IL didn't
know-I haven't even arranged for
recognition"
"Oh. I'll fixed all that" the woman
said. THE lieutenant-governor prom
ised me-" She was holding her rustling
oil frko nd a1, r,,nr