Gunnison news-champion., 1911-06-16

Nhe sanG and con4tortaDfe camp
pitched Tor him under the dome of the
capitol OF the state that had not for
gotten his services.
The business of the department wss
lax. Insurance was easy Statistics
were uof In demand History vas
dead Odd Kaufman. the efficient and
perpetual clerk had requested an IN
frequent hall holiday. melted to the sn
usual dissiuatio ion bv the Joy uf having
successfully twisted the tail 81 Con
necticut Insurance company that was
tryinS 10 dc business contrary TO the
edicts Of the great Lone star state
The Office ~ss very still few sub.
dued noises trickled IN through the
open door from the other departments
"a dulL tinklins crash from the treas
arer's Office adioining. as clerk
tossed bas Of silver to the aoor of
the vaulfs-the vague. intermittent
clsttar ef diiatorv typewriter--a dull
TAPPING from the state geoloeist's quar-
ters as u some woodpecker had flown
In TO bore for his prey IN the cool Of
the massive buildine-and then a faint
rustic and the light shutting OF the
vell-worn shoes along the hall. the
sounds ceasing at the door toward
which the commissioners iethargic
back Was presented Following this,
the souRd OF a gentle Voice speaking
words uHintelligihle TO the eommis-
sioner's somesh hat dormant eouapre.
hension. bat giving evidence OF bewil
derment and hesiia alton.
The voice was feminine: the com
missioner was Of tho race 81 cavaliers
who make salaam before the trail Of
skirt without considering the quality
Of its cloth
There stood IN the door faded
woman, one Of the numerous sister
hood of the unhappy She dressed all
In black-povertys perpetual mourn
ing for lost JOYS. Her face had the
contours of twenty and the lines Of
forty. She may have lived that inter
vening score OF wears In twelve
month. There was about her vet an
aurum of Indignant. unappeased. pro
testing youth that shone family
through the premature veil of un.
earned decline.
Il beg your pardon ma am" said
the commissioner gaining his feet TO
the accompaniment Of a great creak-
ing and sliding Of his chair.
Are you the governor. SIR" asked
the vision Of melancholy.
The commissions hesitsted OF the
end Of his best bow. with his hand IN
the bosom Of his double breast ed
''frock." Truth at last conquered.
We'll. no. ma'am. I am not the gov
ernor. ! have the honor to be com
missioner of insurance, statistics and
history. Is there anything ma'am. 4
can do fer you' Won't YOU have
q chair, ma'am9"
The lady subsidized into the chair
handed her. probably from purely
physical reasons. She welded a cheap
fan-last token Of gentility 10 be aban-
doned. Her clothing seemed to indi-
cate q reduction almost to extreme
poverty. She looked at the man who
was not the governor. and saw kind
Illness and simplicity and a rugged. 10
adorned eourtliness emanstins from q
countenance tanned and toughened by
forty wears OF out of doors. Also. she
saw that his eyes were clear and
strong and blue. Just so they had been
when he used them to skim the hort
ron for rsidins Kiowas and Sioux. His
mouth was as set and hrm as n had
been on that dav when he bearded the
Old lion Sam Houston himself. and
defed him during that season when
secession was the theme. Now. IN
D
Standifer endeavored to do credit to
the important arts and sciences of In
surance. statistics and history. He
had abandoned the careless dress of
his country home. Now. his broad
brimmed black slouch hat, and his
long tailed 'frock" made him not the
I least imposing of the ohfcial family
even II his Office was reckoned to
stand at the tail of the HIST
"You wanted to see the governor
ma'am9" asked the commissioner. with
/ the deferential manner he always used
toward the fair sex
Il hardly know" said the lady hesj-
I tatinglv Y suppose So" And then.
l suddenly drawn by the symnathet'e
/ hook Of the other, she poured forth
1 the story of her need.
VI was a story 50 common that the
4 public has come 10 look at its mo-
/ not0nv instead Of It's pltv The ola
/ tale ~ an unhappy married Hfe-rnaAe
I So BY a brutal. conscienceiess husband
4 q rohber, a spendthrift. a moral cow
ard. and bully. who failed TO pra-
/ vide even the means Of the hareet ex-
istence. Yes. he had come down in
the scale so low as 10 strike her. N
happened only the day before there
was the bruise on one terupis-sba
had offended his hieNness by asking
Tor little money 10 live on. And vet
she must needs. wonan-Ifke. amend a
= plea for her tyrans-he WAS Drinking,
he had rarely abused her thus when
sober
Il thought" rnurmured this male
sister of sorrow. that maybe the state
might be willing TO give me some re-
ief- I've hesra- Of such things being