The Garland globe. [volume] (Garland, Utah) 1906-191?, 1909-11-13
CHAPT II.

When Vernon went into the senate
that Tuesday morning and saw the |
red rose lying on his desk he smiled |
and picking 1t up, raised 1t eagerly to
his face. But when he glanced about |
the chamber and saw that rose lay
on every other desk, his smile was
suddenly lost in stare of amazement.
Once or twice, perhaps, flowers had
been placed by constituents on the
desks of certain senators, but never
had floral distribution, at once so
modest and impartial, been made be-
fore. Several senator's, already In
their seats, saw the check this impair
TALLY gave Vernon's vanity, and they
laughed. Their laughter was of tone
with the tinkle of the crystal prisms of
the chandeliers. Ginning in the breeze
that came through the open win
dcws.
The lieutenant governor was just
ascending to his place. He dropped
his gavel to the sounding board of his
desk
"The senate will be in order" he
said.
The chaplain rose, and the hum of
voices in the chamber ceased. Then.
while the senators stood with bowed
heads, Vernon saw the card that lay
or the desk beside the rose. Two little
Jewels of the moisture that still spar
hled on the roses petals shone on the
glazed surface of the card. Vernon
read II where It lay.
will the Hon. Morley Vernon
please to wear this rose to-day as
token of his intention to support and
vote for house Joint resolution No. 10
proposing an amendment to section
one, article seven Of the constitu-
tom"
The noise in the chamber began
again at the chaplain's Amen"
New way to buttonhole a man,
eh?" said Vernon to Bull Burns, who
had the seat next Vernons. What's
1t all about, anyway"
Vernon took up his printed synopsis
of bills and resolutions.
ooh, yes" he said, speaking as much
to himself as to Burns; "old man
Ames's resolution" Then he turned
to the calendar There 1t was-house
joint resolution No. 10. He glanced
at Burns again. Burns was fastening
his rose in his buttonhole.
so you're for 1t, eh?" he said.
"To hell with It," Burns growled in
the gruff voice that spoke for the First
district. In trying to look down at
his own adornment he screwed his fat
neck fold on fold, into his low collar
and then, with grunt of satisfaction,
lighted a morning cigar.
But" Vernon began, surprises
multiplying. He looked about the
chamber. The secretary was reading
the journal of the preceding day and
the senators were variously occupied,
reading newspapers, writing letters, or
merely smoking; some were gathered
In little groups, talking and laughing.
But they all wore their roses. Vernon
might have concluded that house joint
resolution No. 10 was safe, had it not
been for the inconsistency of Burns,
though Inconsistency was nothing new
In Burns. Vernon ventured once more
with his neighbour:
Looks as If the resolution were as
good as adopted, doesn't it?"
But Burns cast glance of pity at
him, and then growled in half-humor-
Gus contempt. The action stung Yer.
non. Burns seemed to resent his pres.
eace in the senate as he always re.
sented the presence Of Vernon's kind
in politics.
The rose still lay on Vernon's desk
he was the only one Of the 81 senators
of Illinois that had not put his rose
on. He opened his bill file and turned
up house joint resolution No. 10. He
read 1t carefully, as he felt senator
should before making up his mind on
such an important even revolutionary
measure. He remembered that al
the time 1t had been adopted In
the house every one had laughed; nc
one, with the exception of its author
Or. Ames, had taken 1t seriously.
Ames vas known to be crank; he