Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1917-02-22

rision with which he had been well
coined to Washington--and then
in increasing volume until mem
bers had begun to Sound out"
the sentiment in their districts and
the whisky interests had sent into
Washington a regiment Of their
sm%oothest, suavest men to act as
lobbyists.
Now the fight was on. Only
Mannersley and a majority Of his
committee stood in the way, re-
fusing to report to the House the
resolution authorizing the consti-
tutional amendment. The House
could not act without anything be-
fore it. And Mannersley and his
colleagues, for reasons known only
to themselves, shut their ears to
argument and sat, stubborn, I'M
yielding, unreachable by the
J friends of prohibition, while Smith
and the organizations in sympathy
with him headed the country's
clamor.
Edith, making this mental cata.
log of the marvellous work the
man had done, was passing La
fayette park on Jackson Place
when she caught sight of him on
the sidewalk in front of her. The,
first idea that came into her mind
was that he had never looked so
electric, so-so-"impregnable"
was the word she hit on finally.
She drew up longside of him.
"On such a morning." she in
yited, as he stepped forward to
meet her, "and with such a chauf-
feur, won t you come with me?"
She thought he hesitated for a
fractional moment. Then, stepping
around to the other side-of the ma
chine, he opened the door and took
his place beside her.
Anywhere" he laughed, his
eyes all compliment, with such a
chauffeur!
In spite of her air of lightness,
he saw Immediately that she was
troubled. He wondered if she
knew Of his having received the
letter from her father.
"Where have you beenq" she
inquired, as they bowled down be-
tween the White House and. the
state, war and navy building, to-
ward Potomac park.
"I'm just back from the British
embassy" he explained.
"And the secret mission?"
1.-The ambassador wanted to tell
me that Lord Kitchener is about
to issue a proclamation asking the
people of Great Britain to cooper
ate in his plan to keep liquor out
Of the army on the continent. You
know, the ambassador got from
me some months ago data about
the physical effects of alcohol on
the men,"
isn't that splendid" she ap,
plauded. "The Russians have
come to the same way Of thinking.
The countess told me yesterday
that the ear is immensely pleased
with the effects Of his order pro,
hibiting vodka drinking while the
military operations continue. He
is so pleased with the benefits to
the peasantry that he mas in
structed his advisers to draw up a
financial scheme which will make
the government independent Of
the revenue it now gets from vod-
ka. He wants nc more of it in
Russia"
"And yet" he said Indignantly.
we Americans, who boast of our
common sense, submit to whisky,
She turned the machine to the
right, past the Corcoran art gal.
lery.
"Have you time for a run round
the speedway?"
Her manner was suddenly quite
grave.
ooh, yes" he answered, look
ing at her keenly.
"There is something / want to
talk to you about she continued,
something that troubles me
greatly"
II think he said, his voice
warm with gratitude, II know
what it is"
"But / am wondering" sh.
mused gently, Hwhat you will
say"
She had turned sharply to thu
right again, taking the long, fiat
road that leads straight into the
west and seems to run shee,
agair~t the Virginia foothills, the
white columns of Arlington, and
the flags of Fort Myer.
is it." he asked, $50 seriou,
as that9'
NOnite.v she said tl1rn;no -