The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-01-29

which the willy climate of Washington some
 times palliates it's month of February. The
 city warmed itsen deliciously, in the sun. -k- The throng in Street strolled and chat tered took it's time. And Senator Harwood, walking down from the Capital late in the after noon, felt as buoyant and as happy as boy.
 During the four months which had easped since his marriage, the Senator had been conscious, every and then, of secret surprise at this extreme and persistent joyousness. It wasn't that he had expected to be happy. On the trary, he had been-well, very nearly certain that Yet, when Senator Harwood married Alice Tyr rell in October it was not without having fre- quently exhorted himself to remember that he was just short of his fiftieth birthday, and that Alice she herself declared, had but a year or longer to finger in the lap of the thirties.
 He did love her. There question about that. But there was no question, either, that both of them had occasional panicky moments. when they rather hedged against the future by throwing out warnings in tone of artificial gayety. You'll find a regular old blunderbuss, liar I'll simply knock domestic etiquette into smith ereens. and never know I've touched it."
 Domestic etiquette! Alice exclaimed, with an exaggerated but covertly anxious sigh. Edward, if have to live up to domestic etiquette won't get married. You just go down tomorrow and arrange for some banns so that can forbid them myself"
 there were banns anyway; only dear, quiet wedding How he blessed her for the quietness of it And how he had continued to bless her, for thing or another, every day since then! He thinking of her now with even more than usual satisfaction The ndescribable feel of spring in the air stirred him to keen delight in that other springtime which had bossomed with such unex- pected luxuriance in his supposedly autumnal heart.
 In spite of his fifty sears, he was fine figure of. a man as he strode easily along: Straight and tall he had always been good to look at. Now, however, he traied with him the side-shot glances of half the people he passed as, utterly uncon- scious of anyones notice, he scanned the crowd, hoping by some lucky chance to interrupt the shopping his wife had planned for the afternoon.
 He had been busy in the committee room all the morning and, of course, had been obliged to be at the afternoon session, with it's important discus sion of Isthmian affairs. But at four o'clock, in the face of volley of statistics, he had quietly struck his colors and fed Spring in the air and Love was in his heart. For the first time in his life he had the chance to meet the springtime with the woman he had chosen: and he wasn't going to let it sIir now if he could capture it. He could have lar he'd out right as he realized how absurdly young and happy he felt. Younger, he told himself, than ans whip persnapper youth in all Washington
 He actually smiling a little in spite of him. self, when suddenly his glance fell on show win dow him and he gave an involuntary start. The smile faded. And as he glued his discon- eerted gaze upon the array of flaming and howery hearts spread out before him. he felt sinking sensation in the region of his
 Oh so he thought he was young. did he? He could teach whippersnapper Youth how to dream loves young dream, could he? He, to whom the 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 swore softly
 What the use?
 Some little girls, who had been gloating over the contents of the window, drew off with shocked giggles. But the big paid heed. Only ruttered exclamation tered the shop A luminous and lovely idea had to him.
 Two minutes later saesgirl found him hover ing counter strewn with valentines. When 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. 1i+t wanted n one ne for asort of an old anything with and his tone also dropped to confidential pitch.
 The mention of the old-fashioned little girl cooled SaleSgir1'S interest. she paved the valentines back and forth tossing an occasional one toward the Senator, who put them aside after nasty inspection
 Is that what you want?" she finally demanded handing over a creation whose borders of lace paper could be made to stand up like an airy framework around 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 couplet:
 The rose is red the violets blue.
 Sugar is sweet and you.
 Senator Edward Harwood, recently appointed chairman of the special committee for the investi- gation of our commercial relations with the Orient seized with delight upon this embodiment of the beauties of art and poetry, had it inclosed in character. and placed it safely in inner capa- cious pocket, usually sacred to the reception of he felt his heart throbbng contentedly against the interIoper.
 For hour lie wandered around with out catching sight of his wife; but that dis appointment could not entirely quench his spirits In the course of his stroll another inspiration had seized him at the sight of a jewellers window, and he had impusively acquired heart-shaped pin of d1amOndS; an article which appealed to him particularly neat bit of sentiment for the day he proposed to celebrate. Altogether he felt as jolly as 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 a secluded corner of the writing and to draw from an inner pocket a number of official looking docu- ments of which he carefully addressed. An! how true It IS that these great men 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 cheeri1y he put stamp the repoUsse envelope and fondy inspected Cwith satisfaction whose novelty had not yet worn of) his wife's name, written thereon in his own bold hand Then he carried the en- FelOpe out to the nearest mail box and
 Well, the moment the lid had changed irretriev7 ably shut he began to have qualms. It all very we'll he told himself to feel only ten years old wouldn't graven image itself laugh at him if he acted only ten years old! The more he thought of it-and he thought hard and fast--the more for cibly it struck Senator Harwood, chairman of the