Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1911-02-10

me ofiice was very still. A few sub
dued noises trickled in through the
open door from the other departments
"a dull, tinkling crash from the treas
urers office adjoining, as clerk
tossed bag Of silver to the floor of
the vault-the vague, intermittent
CHATTER of dilatory typewriter-a dull
tapping from the state biologists quar-
ters as II some woodpecker had flown
In to bore for his prey In the cool Of
the massive building-and then faint
rustic and the light shufiing of the
well-worn shoes along the hall, the
sounds ceasing at the door toward
which Tie commissioners lettargic
pack was presented. Following this,
the sound Of gentle voice speaking
words unintelligible to the commits
sioner's somewhat dormant compre.
hension. but giving evidence Of bewil-
derment and hesitation.
The voice was feminine; the COM
missioner was Of the race of cavaliers
VINO 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-poverty's 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 years in a twelve
month. There was about her yet 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 greet creak-
ing and sliding of his chair.
Are you the governor, sir?" asked
the vision OF melancholy.
The commissioner hesitated at the
end of his best bow, with his hand in
the bosom of hts double breasted
"frock." Truth at last conquered.
We'll, no, ma'am. am not the gov
ernor have the honor to be com
missioner Of insurance, statistics and
history. Is there anything ma am.
can do fer you? Won't you have
a chair. maam?"
The lady subsidized into the chair
handed her, probably from purely
physical reasons. She welded a cheap
fan-last token of g2ntility to be aban-
doned. Her clothing seemed to indi-
cate reduction almost to extreme
poverty. She looked at the man who
was not the governor. and saw kind
illness and simplicity and a rugged, I'M
adorned courtliness emanating from
countenance tanned and toughened by
forty years of out of doors. Also, she
saw that his eyes were clear and
strong and blue. lust SO they had been
when he used them to skim the hori-
ION for raiding Kiowas and Sioux. His
mouth was as set and firm as it had
been on that day when he bearded the
old lion Sam Houston himself, and
deffed him during that season when
secession was the theme. Now, in
bearing and dress, Luke Coonrod
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 SLOUGH hat, and his
long -talled "frock" made him not tho
least imposing OF the Official family,
even II his Office was reckoned to
stand at the tail Of the list.
You wanted to see the governor,
ma'am?" asked the commissioner, with
the deferential manner he always used
toward the fair sex.
81 hardly know" said the lady hesI-
tatingly. Il suppose SO" And then,
suddenly drawn by the sympathetic
look of the other. she poured forth
the story of her need.
It was a story SO common that the
public has come to look at its mo-
notony instead Of its pity. The old
tale of an unhappy married life-made
so by brutal. conscienceless husband,
a robber, a spendthrift, moral cow
ard, and a bully. who failed to pro.
vide even the means of the barest ex-
istence. Yes, he had come down In
the scale 30 low as to strike her. 1t
happened only the day before--there
WAS tAS Dtu OH OhS tClupic---bA0
had offended bis highnsss by asking
for little money tosltYe onss Andy
she must needs, woman-like. append a
plea for her tyrant-he was drinking;
he had rarely abused her thus when
sober.
7 thought" murmured this pale
sister of sorrow, that maybe the state
might be willing to give me some re-
lief. I've heard OF such things being
done for the families OF old settlers.
I'VE heard tell that the state used to
give land to the men who fought for it
against Mexico. and settled up the
country. and helped drive out the In
dams My father did all of that, and
he never received anything. He never
would take it. thought the governor
would be the one to see, and that's
why I came. II father was entitled
to anything. they might let 1t come to
me-
.It's possible, ma'am," said standi-
fer, that such might be the case. But
most all the old veterans and settlers
got their land certificates issued, and
located long ago. Still. we can look
that up in the land office. and be sure.
Your fathers name. now. was"
Amos Colvin. sir. -
Good Lord" exclaimed Standifer,