The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1911-04-19

had ceased TO tread 4 any. 8of the
schanges civilization and peace had
brought and. may be, omplacently. Of
the snug and comfortable camp
pitched for him under the dome ofithe
capitol ot the state that had not for.
gotten his services. 4, \, 4 4
The business Of the department was
Lax. Insurance was easy. Statistics
were not In demand. History was
dead. Old Kaufman, the efficient and
perpetual clerk. had requested an In.
frequent half,holiday, melted to the IN:
usual dissipation BY the 10Y OF having
successfully twisted the tall; Of a. Con.
necticut insurance company that was
trying to do business contrary to the
edicts Of the great Lone Star state.
The ONCE was very stu. IA few sub.
dued noises trickled in through the
open door from the other departments
"a dull, ,tinkling crash from the treas.
$urer's ONCE adjoining, as: clerk
TOSSED a bag Of silver to the floor OF
the vault-7the vague, Intermittent
tciatter Of tdiiatory typewriter dull
tapping from the state geologist's quar-.
sters as u some woodpecker$ had flown
In 70 bore for bis prey in the cool of
the massive building and then d faint
rustic and the light ,shufling Of the
twell;worn shoes along the hall. the
sounds ceasing at the door toward
which the commissioners lethargic
back was presented. Following this,
the sound Of a:gentle voice speaking
words lunintelligIble to the commits.
sioner's somewhat dormant 3compre.
hension. .butigiying evidence Of Devil.
derment and hesitation. Il -
4 The voice was feminine; the COM
missioner was Of the race Of cavaliers
who make salaam before the trail Of a
SKIRT without considering the quality
Of its cloth. 3 3t5S
There stood In the door faded
woman, one Of the numerous sister.
hood Of the unhappy. She dressed all
In black-Tpoverty.s perpetual mourn.
ling for lost Joys. Her face. had the
contours Of twenty and the lines Of
forty. She may have lived that inter.
3yening 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. q
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. a 5isti.
STARE you the governor, sir 3" asked
the vision oftmelancholy. 4 4, i, (
10 The commissioner hesitatedt at the
end Of his best, bow. with his hand IN
the blossom Of his double.breasted
ttfrock.Y Truth at;last conquered.3il,
III well. no. ma'am. I am not the gov.
error. have the honor to Be com.
missioner Of insurance, statistics and
history: Is there anything ma'am. I
can K do e fer yoa? Won't you have
q chair ma am? 2" I, ~ NJ a. "a,
The lady subsidized: Into the b chair
handed her, siprobably from + purely
physical reasons. She welded a cheap
5fan-last token OF gentility to be aban.
doned. Her. clothing seemed to indi.
cate a reduction almost to extreme
poverty. She looked at the man who
was not the governor. and saw kind.
illness and simplicity aud a rugged, I'm.
adorned conrtliness emanatIng from a
conntenance tanned and toughened by
forty years 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 tho horl.
ION for raiding Kiowas and Sioux. His
mouth was as set and firm as It had
been on that day when he bearded tho
old lion Sam Houston himself, and
deled him during that season when
secession was the theme, Nov, In
bearing and dress, Luke Coonrod
tStandifer endeayored TO do credit TO
the important arts and sciences of in.
surance, statistics and history. He
had abandoned the careless dress OK
his, country home. Now. his broad.
4brimmed black SLOUGH hat, and his
long.tailed "frock" made him not, the
least Imposing OF the oflclal family,
even II his office was. reckoned to
stand at the tail Of the list. :.
"You wanted to see the governor,
ma'am 2" asked the commissioner with
the idefercntiai manner he always used
toward the fair sex. !, ,i5,
II hardly know said the lady hest.
Statinsly. IT suppose SO" And then,
suddenly drawn by the sympathetic
look Of the other, she poured forth
the story OF her need, Z q I b.
It was a story SO Common that the
public has come to look at its mo.
notony instead OF It's pity. The old
tale Of an unhappy married life made
50 by a brutal. conscienceless husband,
! a robber. a spendthriit. q moral COW.
ard. and bully, who failed to pro.
vide even the means Of the barest .ex.
istence. Yes. he had come, down IN
the. scale SO low :as to strike her. It
happened only the day betore--there
was the bruIse on one temple she
had offended his highness by asking
for a little money TO live on. And yet;
she must needs. woman.like, append n
plea for her tyrant-he was drinking;
he hnJ rara1yl obuca1 har 6<t,,, ,,,.t,a,,i