Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1911-05-31
eHAPTER vII.-contInued.


OF interest There were In the throng
rresentatiyes of all America as it
was then, a strange, crude blending OF
refinement and vulgarity, Of ease and
poverty, Of luxury and thrift
* certain air Of gloom at this time
hung over official Washington, for the
minds of ali were still oppressed by
the memory of that fatal accident
the explosion Of the great cannon
Peacemaker" on board the war yes
sci Prineeton-which had killed Mr..
Upshur. our. secretary of state, with
others. and had, at one blow, come SO
near to dePriving this government of
its head and his official family the
nGmber OF prominent lives thus ended
or endangered being appalling to con-
Template 1t was this accident which
had called Mr. Calhoun forward at 9
national juaature Of the most extreme
.deicacy and the utmost Importance.
II spite OF the general mourning,
however, the informal receptions at
the White House were not wholly dis
continued. and the administration, un-
saetiea as it was. and fronted by the
g~agast Of Diplomatic problems, made
ouch show Of dignity and even cheer
falnass as it might
I considered Is my duty to pass in
the tcng procession and to shake the
hand of Mr.. Tyler. That done, I gazed
about the great. room, carefully scan
ming the different little groups which
were accustomed to form after the
ceremonial part of the visit was over.
/ saw many whom / knew. l forgot
them: for in far corner, where a.
food Of l:ght came through the trail
ms vines that shielded the outer win
dow, my anxious eyes discovered the
object of my quest-Elizabeth
1t seemed to me had never known
her 50 fair as she was that morning in
the great east room of the White
House. Elizabeth was rather taller
than the average woman, and of that
splendid southern figure, slender but
:stz org. which makes perhaps the best
representative of or American beau
tY She was very brevely arrayed to-
day in her best pink covered lawn,
made wide and full, as was the custom
OF the time, but not so clumsily gath
cred at\ the waist as some, and so
serSiag rot wholly to conceal her
natural comeliness of figure Her bon
net she had removed. I could see the
sunlight on tie ripples of her brown
hair, and the shadows which lay
above her eyes as she turned to face
mo and fho slow pink which crept
into her cheeks
Dignifled always, and reserved, was
Elizabeth Churchill. But now | hope
1T was not wholly conceit which led
me TO feel that perhaps the warmth,
8he glow of the air, caught while RI
ding under the open sky, the sight of
ale many budding roses of our city,
- scent of the blossoms which even
$hen came through the lattice-the
citing even with myself, so lately
returned-socnething at least of this
had caused an. awakening in her girls
: prf Something, Il say, l do not
snow what, gave her greeting to me
-o~a warmth than was usual with
bar MY own heart, eager enough to
srsak bounds, answered in kind. We
stood-blushing like children as our
bands tonched-forgotten in that as
aemblage of Washington's pomp and
circumstance.
How do you do?" was all l could
: and TO say. And How do you do?"
vas all / could catch for answer, al
tbough | saw, in fleeting way, a
glimpse of dimple hid in Elizabeth's
Cheek. She never showed it save
-shen pleased. l have never seen a
S;mple like that of Elizabeth's.
absorbed, we almost forgot Aunt
petty Jennings-stout, radiant. snub-
1osed. arch browed and curious, Eliz-
sbeth's chaperon. On the whole.
was glad Aunt Betty Jennings was
there.
Aunt Betty" said I, as took her
hand; Aunt Betty. have we told you,
elizabeth and 70"
/ saw Elizabeth straighten in per-