Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1909-12-18
TWO AND A
GUIDEBOOK.
The Combination Worked Won
ders In Two Days.
BY M. MAGICIAN HELLlwELL.


How II did rain! Barbara pressed
her woebegone face against the win
dowpane and strained her eyes In a
vain endeavor to catch glimpse OF
the cleaning white OF the distant mon
ument She had been In the beautiful
capital Of her country nearly twenty
hours, and she had seen nothlng-abso-
lutely nothlng-of II. Nearly twenty
hours of few precious days OF her
visit gone In impotent heartbreaking
waiting for Jupiter Pluvius TO exhaust
himself and retire In favor OF old Sol.
AS fresh gust of wind drove vol
ley of raindrops In yet fercer on
slaught against the glass and dashed
them in scurrying streams down the
dripping asphalt the girls head droop-
cd despairingly, and she sighed.
The young man who for some time
had been watching her sympathetical-
ly over his book now threw II aside
and stepped to the other window.
''What a day!' he said as the ivy.
clinging desperately to the wall. was
tossed hither and thither by the bois-
ferrous wind.
The girls face frightened. and she
turned to him lmpetuously.
"Oh, thank goodness you have
spoken at last. l was going TO start
the conversational ball myself. ! sim
ply couldn't stand the silence any
longer. Do you know l have not utter
ed one word this morning since or
dered my breakfast. It's an unprece-
denied record. but the strain has been
awful" She dimpled roguishly. and a
faint flush rose In her cheek. He
might think her very bold. this hand
some young stranger. but she really
could not help 1t. The limit of her
silent endurance had been reached.
She must speak or-perish.
But the idea of boldness never enter
ed the young mans head. He was
thinking how very pretty she was.
how soft and curly her hair. how pi-
quaint her dimpled smile and how be-
coming the little tinge of pink In her
round cheek. He laughed in eompre-
bending sympathy.
"Why. | wanted to speak to you long
ago. bat didn't like TO venture. Isn't
1t the very dickens of a day? Who
could go sightseeing In this? as
fresh fury ratified the windows.
The girls face fell again.
"Who, indeed?" she echoed disconso-
lately. 'Think of coaxing all winter
for just three days Of Washington and
having the whole of one of them like
thisn'
st Is rather rough" said the young
man. I'm In precisely the same box
myself-that is. for coaxing read man.
aging. But it only increases ones ago
ny to look at it. Won't you sit DOWN.
He turned rocking chair with its
back to the window, and as Barbara
dropped into 1t he threw himself into
the sofa corner opposite.
as this your first visit to Washing
tom" he asked.
my very first. Father comes here
on business every spring. but he hates
to be bothered. and l could never per-
suade him to bring me before. He
poked his head into my room before
was up this morning to say that he
would probably not see me again to-
day as he had oceans of business to
do and an official dinner tonight. and
he enjolned me most emphatically not
to think of going out as long as it
rained. i have written letters to every
one l can think of, and IL it doesn't
clear after luncheon I'll go to bed"
The young man laughed and looked
at his watch.
"Why, it's a quarter to q" he said.
Suppose we have luncheon now, IL
you will honor me. and perhaps the
outlook will be brighter by the time
we have finished"
The girl rose with alacrity.
'I'm ravenous," she declared. but
/ simply could not face that great din
ing room again all by myself. l posi-
lively cannot swallow unless have
some one TO talk to while I'm eating.
My breakfast this morning was mar /
tyrdom."
That luncheon was the jolliest meal
had ever eaten and. she main
tains, the most delicious. When 1t was |
over and they adjourned to the stately
drawing room her companion left her
for a minute. When he returned he
brought with him couple of books ,
and huge bunch of violets.
"These." he explained when Barbara
had arranged the flowers upon her
person to her satisfaction, ''are guide
to Washington in general.
the other to the Congressional library
In particular. AS the rain god Is still
In command of affairs. suppose we just
do the capital and library right here
where we are. It's really, when you
think Of 1t. much the more satisfactory /
way. II we went to the actual build
lngs we'd have to walk our feet Off on
the hard floors. Wed have to lose our
breath climbing innumerable stairs or
Else have our brains added by being
Ierked up and down In elevators. We'd
aislocate our necks fitting our heads
back to see the pictures on the cell
ngs. And at the end OF the day we'd
probably come back TO the hotel cross.
fred and dissatisfied. having doubtless
forgotten to look at the one thing
above all others we particularly want
ID to see. Now. with these valuable
little books we can defy the elements
Ind study at our ease every detail of
he buildings-exteriorly and interiorly
but we can absorb priceless knowl-
-