Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1909-04-08

D me -
Der whose vote was 30 sorsly needed =,
both sides in the senatorship con,sst
Jed received warm congratulatloDs !,
nome ON the bills triumphant passag. =
weil g. on his manifest importance at ~
Raymond Gray proved useful and In.
oustrious member Of the House. In rec.
ognlton Of his strength and atnesa ~
received the chairmanship OF the commit
tee on education. His modesty ana gooa
Judgment, sound sense and practicsl
speech soon won him prominence al ons
OF the floor leaders. He was recovni,.,s
as the chief N the so-calIed reform move
ment, promoting the new policies for
which his friend, Rollin Spencer. had
stood In the campaign. He introduced
several important bills relating 10 oaucus
ana ballot regulation, insuring the purity
OF elections and also providing for re-
Irenchment Ia state administration.
spencer himself drew some OF these meaa-
. utes ana on several occasions appeared in
their behalf at committee hearings.
The friendship between GRAY and his
seatmate continued and proved mutually
helpful. Gray developed the political in
stinct and found numerous wavs 70
use Jed's unusual power in the Legislative
body to bis own advantage. As the ses-
sion progressed, Gray aud Alden became
I popularity known as "Beauty and the
Beast" and their alliance proved q source
OF amusement, as well as power. What
I desk l4l-2" favored usually went
/ through. Mr.. Alden voted early-nearlv
the nrst-on roll call, and many q MEM
er took his cue when Jed went on record.
"Yea" or "Nay."
The introduction OF bills had hardly
begun before the clerk caused a sensation
one day by reading +" House Bill II. by Mr..
Gray Of Westmont,n "An act to commute
the sentence Of wilkie Reynolds" Ev-
cry eye was turned in the direction OF q
woman who occupied q seat on one OF the
red plush divans within the membership
cirole. She had already become figure
OF the session. Invariably she sat in the
same seat, unattended. She came and
went with the regularity of the most
punctual member OF the body. She sell
dom spoke, and never smiled or relaxed
the Fixed sadness of her countenance. She
wore a simple, sombre habit. 1t was not
many days before this sad and silent
woman, known by that time to every
member as the wife--the prospective wi
dow-of wilkie Reynolds, began to pro-
duce an impression on the House body by
her very presence. II was unaccountable,
She said nothing, she did nothing, but
her wan, pale face, the unconscious mir
ror OF her inward sorrow, drew to it the
eyes that moistened and the hearts that
throbbed In deep and silent sympathy.
As the clerk droned the bill, 1t could
be noted that II received degree Of at
tention quite unusual and when he had
finished with the section, @This act shall
take effect from its passage" round OF
hearty applause broke forth, altogether
unexampled in such formal proceeding. /
The face Of the woman, searched eagerly |
by hundreds Of eyes, flushed family and /
resumed Its wonted expression. At adj /
iournment, which soon followed, many
members made their way to her, extend !
cd their hands aud assured her that the /
bill would receive their support, and they !
hoped for its passage. She thanked them I
calmly and departed as unobtrusively as
possible.
Intense excitement attended the separ- /
ate votes of the two houses when the I
election Of United States senator arrived. +
In both the Senate and House, the re- I
suit was anxiously awaited. Nobody ex- |
peoted a conclusive vote at that time, but /
the complexion Of the field would be de-
termined and the claims Of the rivals sus-
tanned or shattered. The House was 1
crowded to it's utmost capacity with spec
tators, the galleries, floor seats and even 1
the aisles holding a throng assembled 4
from all parts Of the state.
The nominating and seconding
speeches breathed the spirit OF the con-
test. That for Judge Emery by Mr..
Gray OF Westmont was easily the star
effort Of the day. Members gathered
about him at it's close and extended their
congratulations, but the richest reward
came in a deep blush and smile Of evil
dent pride that radiated from a certain
seat opposite, to which the speakers Eye
nnconsciously turned as he proceeded.
Rollin Spencer and Miss Hazel had come
for the day to see and hear.
Il is the rule that each member, in the
vote for United States senator, shall arise
in his seat and announce his choice.
When the roll cali began in the House,
hush fell Many of the members and
spectators, following the example Of the
clerks and press reporters, had procured
blanks, with which they prepared to fol-
low the vote, name by name.
"Mr. Adams" called the clerk.
'tFrancis Emery" replied that bewil-
dered member, quite Disconnected by the
excitement of the moment, mixing the
given and surnames Of the two Republic
can candidates in q way that caused
roar of laughter. On second trial, Mr..
Adams was properly recorded as voting
for Francis jenkins.
s'Mr. Alden" the clerk resumed.
As the gentleman from Kingston arose,
every neck Grained. "Phi" Annis nearly
slid out Of his seat beside the speaker to
catch the word that meant so much TO his
candidate. At last the inscrutable Jed
Alden must show his hand. He had kept
his counsel up TO this moment. Not even
his friend and seatmate, Raymond Gray,
knew how he would vote. Jed stood
erect, without a tremor, a complete trans
formation from the timid, shrinking hg-
ure that had skunk into the hall in fear
aud trembling q few weeks before. He
hesitated long enough TO search the entire
assem- blage with a slow sweep Of his eye,
until 1t rested upon "Phi' Annis, agon-
ized by the suspense OF the moment that
seemed an hour.
"Mr. Speaker. I cast my vote fer
TudUa Anoa Ernarvftl