Omaha daily bee., 1918-08-04
Comb Honey
BY EDWARD BLACK.
Henry Leffingwell Attends STATE

aglow with conjugal and fila!
iridescence on the day that Henry
Leffingwell, the homme d'etat Of thu
family tree, attended a state conven..
ton as delegate. Mrs. Leffingwell
addressed herself to the getaway with
all of the interest that the occasion
demanded. She dressed her leader il
a lot of sartorial treasures which wer.
reserved only for red letter events,
such as the annual old settlers picnic
the Fourth of July and the anniversary
of the day on which she had sane.
toned the use of the name Of LeffiRg.
we'll as her lawful cognohlen. When
the last bit of adornment had been
adjusted to the physiological
parts Of Delegate Lefflngwell, he
looked as if he might have passed fol
a party whip or the speaker of the day
at a. cornerstone laying, instead of
mere delegate. He was resplendent
and mentally.
Mrs. Lef6ngwell dropped tooth.
brush, paper of pins, half dozen
bananas, a photograph of herself and
a pair of clean socks into sachel.
She placed the handle of the recep-
tacle into one of Henry's hands and
an umbrella into the other hand and
wished that he had another hand to
guard his money against pickpockets
She kissed him a fervid good-by and
told him to watch his steps. She OBJ.
served his taking until his proud
and pulsating personality disappeared
into the wide, wide world.
His Own Importance.
As Lefingwell walked to the street
car line near his home, he imagined
that the neighbors were pointing
with pride to him as their man of tha
hour, or, perchance, 4-minute man.
He observed Mrs. What's-Her-Nams
inhaling the refreshing evening air on
her veranda; and fancy supplied what
was lacking in fact, to the extent
that he heard her remark to friend
husband: That's him; doesn't he
look grand? What an imposing fig
ure he will make as delegate. He
will honor our country and our flag
and will return home covered with
glory"
Leffingwell was hoping that he
would not return home covered with
catsup. The last time he went away
from home on the choo-choo cars to
some doings of more humble nature
than a state convention, he spilled
catsup over the front of his new white
shirt.
He reached the depot with strange
feeling of mixed emotions on being
about to entrain for town which was
100 miles removed from his bed and
board. He telephoned to his wife
from the depot to inform her that
he had reached the first leg of his
journey without losing satchel- or UNI
brella.
II Studies Manuscript.
On the train he read and reread
and read again the manuscript of a
speech he intended to deliver at the
He had reached the con-
clusion that it availeth little or
nothing unless a delegate make an
reach the very heart of
the convention, and stir its soul with
few burning scintillations. He did
not intend to be rubberstamp dele
gate. He had resolved to himself that
he would either have to address the
convention or sneak up the back alley
when he returned to his home. He in
tended to find his place iii the broad
lane of public recognition.
By assiduous effort on the part Of
the fireman Of the locomotive and the
careful attentions of the engineer, the
train reached the convention town,
with LefingwelPs expectancy mount
ing the heights and the satchel and
still safe in his custody.
He reached the convention hall and
found that reservation of seats for "a
his county delegation had been
marked with banner, as nearly 100
other sections had been similarly in
dicated to facilitate the seating. He
felt a thrill move through his eing
when he fully realized that he was oc-
cupying the seat of delegate. While
waiting for the proceedings to be
started, he went over his speech orce
more to be sure that he had commit
ted it letter-perfect. The call for the
convention was read in the formal
manner, an invocation was offered,
the delegates sang THE Star Span
gled Banner" and the resolutions
committee was named and directed to
retire and prepare its report.
Psychological Moment.
This was the psychological moment,
Lefingwell thought. He arose and,
being recognized by the chair, an
nounced himself as Delegate Letting
we'll of Posey county. 1t happened
that there were 149 other delegates
from Posey county and they turned
their faces toward Lefingwell as one
man.
Il have message which I wish to
deliver to this convention" Letting
we'll began.
THE delegate may have a few
minutes, if there are no Objections
the chairman announced.
I'VE are at war! We are at warl
We are at war" LeAingwell continued
by way of an emphatic foreword Of
what was to have been a masterpiece
of forensic frenzy.
"We know that we are at war, Hen
ry," whispered one of the Posey
county delegates. Evidently they had
been reading the newspapers before
they entered the convention hall.
"Desist, Henry, desist," pleaded
another nearby delegate.
I'm this great hour, when our
country's honor is being defended on
the blood-stained fields Of battle and
carnage, when our free institutions,
and when a war-mad autocrat, crazed
by lust for world-power, has turned
his dogs of war upon the immutabla
sacredness Of democracy, and
when. 80"