The Washington times., 1913-08-19

concluded that 1t was his strength
TO sit still.
ing banks of lowering clouds thai
presently blotted out the stars. \:
night fell the floods came, and the
rains descended and beat upon thai
earth as IL they would fatn wash IRON
it's surface the red stains of quarrel
But not all the waters of the mighty
deeps could erase from the records
of men the story of that great charge
made by those immortal Virginians.
A week later and a woman sat a.
the door of room in the White
House. Telegraph instruments click
ed increasingly in the large apartment
in which she sat. Officers dashed ir
and out with dispatches and orders
Grave and venerable Senators and
statesmen came and went, with a
sprinkling of the common people
among them, while the woman sat
since early morning. While the long
hours had dragged away she hao
waited and waited. II was late in the
afternoon before she received the op-
portunity to meet which she had come
SO far and to create which she had
senger beckoned to her at last. He
opeend the door before her and she
entered another room.
A tall man was writing at desk neal
the window. He looked up as she came
in, and then he rose slowly to his feet
and stood in all his great height, in all
his gaunt ugliness before her. 1t was 70
see this man that she had gone on
her knees to the Confederate author
tiles in Richmond; II was to see this
man that she had begged and i'm
plored the Union troops guarding Wash
friend Of her grandfather's who was
now representing Pennsylvania in the
Federal Congress she had received per-
mission from the President to call on
him.
Now that she stood in his presence she
was silent. She had never met a man
quite like Abraham Lincoln. There was
in his face and bearing none of the
grace and refinement and distinction
that might have been expected from the
position he occupied. At first glance he
seemed like A plain, homely. uncouth
old man. Her thoughts were intensely
personal: her own grief. her own anx-
iety, had brought her here. Yet she was
not too engrOssed to realize that this
strange, somewhat forbiddiBg, person
ality held the destinies OF the land In
his hand Certainly of his own section
Of the country. and. perhaps, Of hers,
as we'll
She had been ready Of tongue, eIo-
Quent of speech before, but now she
was almost .paralyzed. What If he
hard work to get where she could prof
fer her final plea that her heart stood
still in sudden terror at that fear. Be
hind that figure there was no appeal,
back OF Abraham Lincoln stood only
God. Well, to Him at least again and
again she had made fervent petition.
He would help her now with this earth
ly pOtentate, surely Her lips formed
another, last request.
ne Fresiue"t .,-4t,,d nearer tc her.
Ariadme was taller than she had been;
indeed. among women she was no longer
small and she was beautiful. The
toughest man. the rudest heart, the
most engrossed being is not insensible
20 that supreme power with which wom-
an IN her weakness is so fitly panOplied.
There is beauty and beauty. Ariadne' s
was the beauty OF sweetness and light.
the beauty that pleases. that enchants
and enthralls, not so much by the sud-
den shock Of its splendor as by its
subtle. tender femininity that appeals to
the strong Hers was the beauty that
fascinates. but does not dazzle.
An exquisite rlgure of grace and
charm. she lifted her brown eyes toward
the man who approached her slowly.
An observer might have thought Of the
nursery fable of Beauty and the Beast
save that there was nothing Of the
Beast about the President except his
plain ugliness.
My child" he said. in his deep, Teso-
nant, voice. and with the first word his
face took upon itself another aspect to
her appealing visior -hdw had she
thought him so plain Of feature?-'what
do YOU wish?''
'I-I-- am"
The President lifted note.
Mr. Philip Grafton" he said, kindly
helping her out Congressman Cross
4 - h
Senator Lewis. in the old days before all
this unhappiness came upon us.
Yes. sir-and-and-he-"
Il too remember to have met him, ="
continued the president perCeiving her
agitation and hoping to claim her. also
IN reassure her. BY his words: Il was
in Congress with him. and I remember
With what interest and reverence ! look
ei IN TO the man whose name had been
eraat IN my ears since | first began to
take notice"
THANK YOU sir. Grandfather was a
Preat man. and with his diving breath he
called down blessings on the United
States"
eba need The rravers Of the righteous
now" said the President. softly.
'.Rut nv grandfather was a true son
~ Virginia. sir" cried Ariadne. quick
" fearful lest she should have given a
false impression and thus disgra"ed her
race.
ne might he that and a righteous
man still" said the President. might
he not?" There was a little twinkle IN
his eve.
He could not he other than righteous
II he was true to the South. sir" re-
turned the girl. iealously.
"That'is question about which there
is a difference Of op'nion." remarked
the great man. quantity. and 7 opine
that Il will not be settled for some time