The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-03-26
BY ANNIE HINRiCHsEN
Copyright. 1912. b.. tho Associa

Copyright. 1919. b. the Associated
Literary Press.)
BE still. wish to hear what Mr.,
Ralston is. saying Mary Collins
shook her head impa,ientiy at the
men with her.
Nobody listens to Ralston-" scoffed
the representative of metropolitan
paper.
Il do she retorted. He talks
welt
He Is an irregular" commented IA
member of the assembly. "a man who
votes according to his own conv!c-
tons. instead of obeying mis- party's
mandates. He refuses to obey the
dictates of the party leaders. he Will
party. No party or faction can claim
him. He votes as he -hooses. re-
CARELESS of party lines. and intro
duces all sorts OF impossible out high
ly Yneritorious bills. Because he will
not stand by either party, neither
party will stand By him. He is max
ing speech now In favor Of one
of his bills, but nobody Is listening
to h M
Mary Collins walked away from the
group Of legislators and newspaper
men TO place near the irregular
member.
Accustomed from childhood to. the
unwritten laws of legislative proceed
ure, trained to detect and understand
every condition and change In the
mental atmosphere OF tre Assembly.
she knew that Ralston was speaking
to men whose ears were deaf to tho
words of an irregular party man.
The members were reading. writing
or walking about. The presiding Of
ticer sat in his chair yawning osten-
tatiously. The pages clattered noisily
around the speaktng member.
Several times Ralston's eyes met
Mary's. When he sat down. reward
cd by the Indifferent silence Of his
fellow members, he turned toward
her. She smiled and nodded with
emphatic approval In the shake OF
her pretty head. .Thsre, was a. Hash
Of surpr sed pleasure and gratitude In
his eyes.
When the House adjourned she was
standing near the entrance OF Repre-
sentatives' Hall. "Your speach this
morning was a good one" she said.
When he smiled the tirm-linred.
austere legislator became a O0ytsh
young man. You are the only per-
son who thought So" no said. whi'n-
sically. 1.-THE members won't listen
to me and since never accomplish
no attention TO me"
"Is 1t impossible for you to act IN
harmony with your party?'
II desptse the sort Of legislation
my party is advocating. and ! won't
work with them. coat enjoy y Ing
a Pariah--an irregular is a Pariah---
and I'm awfully lonesome. But III
stick to my ideals"
ideals are stometimes cold conf
panions," said the girl bitterly. They
had left the state house and were
- fhN hntQ1
"They are," the man agreed. But
whom We give them up We sacrifice
the best Of ourselves: We give up al
that raises us above the common
sordtdness Of life"
He pushed open the hotel door for
her, In the lobby stood Grant War.
rem. a leader OF the house and q MEM
Der OF the party to which Ralston be-
longed. he c,,no towar. them,
nodded to Ralston and spoke I'M
patiently to Mary.
"I've been waiting ages for you
Let's 20 in to lunch
what, do you see in that man t.
like?'' Warren asked when they were
In the dining-room.
His ideals. ! think" she answered
absently.
Tho irregular was at q table not far
from them.
THE man has q lot OF crazy no
tfons. The o 'evi Will 10 no ~ =
for him. He win son have q chance
to redeem himself with his party
The franchise bill which was intro.
duced a few weeks ago will soon b
voted on. 1t 10 q party measure and
VIC can pass Il BY . majority OF one
II all the members OF our party vote
for Il hut Ralston will probably re-
fuse to support T.. The loss OF hi,
vote VIII defeat the measure. X hl
stands ~ hts pArtY W shall xorgivs