The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1919-05-22
CCopyrAght, by Irving Bachellerl
CHAPTER xvIII-continued.


and the arts of defamation and FOL
preparing a difficult subject to entel
the average brain. The underlying Sc
cret of his power was soon apparent
to me. He stood always for that great
thing in America which, since then
whitman has called ''the divine aggre
gate" and seeing clearly how every
measure would be likely. to affect its
welfare, he followed the compass. Il
nad led him to a height of power
ABOVE all others and was to lead him
unto the loneliest summit of accom-
plishment in American history.
Not much in my term of service
there is important to this little task
or mine. 1 did my work well, If I may
believe the senator, and grew familiar
with the gentle and ungentle arts OF
the politician.
one great fact grew in magnitude
and sullen portent as the months
passed: the gigantic slave-holding in
terests of the South viewed with grow
ing alarm the spread of abolition SEN
tln1ent. Subtly, quietly and naturally
they were feeling for the means to de-
TEND and increase their power. Straws
were coming to the surface in that
session which betrayed this deep IN
dercurrent of purpose. We felt it and
the senator was worried, l knew, buE
held his peace. He knew how to keep
his opinions until the hour had struck
that summoned them to service. The
senator never played with his lance.
BY and by Spencer openly sounded the
note of conflict.
The most welcome year of my life
dawned on the first of January, 1874.
L remember that I arose before day
light that morning and dressed and
went out on the street to welcome it.
L had less than six months to wait
for that day appointed by Sally. I had
no doubt that she would be true to me.
1 had had my days of fear and depres-
sion, but always my sublime faith in
her came back in good time.
Oh, yes, indeed, Washington was a
fair Of beauty and galIantry those
days. saw it all. have spent many
years in the capital, and I tell you the
girls Of that time had manners and
knew how to wear their clothes, but
again the magic Of old memories kept
my lady on. her throne. There was
one of them-juSt one of those others
who, sometimes thought, was almost
as graceful and charming and noble
hearted as Sally. and she liked me. I
know, but the ideal of my youth
glowed in the light of the early morn
Ing, so to speak, and was brighter than
all others. Above all, had given my
word to Sally, and-welI, you know,
the old-time Yankee of good stock was
fairly steadfast. whatever else NAV
be said of him-often a little too
steadfast, as were Ben Grimshav and
Squire Fullerton.
The senator and went calling that
New Years day. We saw all the
great people and some of them were
more cheerful than they had a right
10 De. 1t was a weakness of the time.
l shall not go into details for fear of
wandering too far from my main road.
Let me step aside a moment to saw.
however, that there were two clouds
In the sky of the Washington society
Of those days. One was strong drink
and the other was the crude, rough
coated. aggressive democrat from the
frontiers of the West These latter
were often seen in the holiday regaIia
of farm or village at fashionable func-
lions. Some of them changed slowly,
and by and by reached the stage Of
white linen and diamond breastpins
and waiStcoats of figured silk. 1t
must be said, however, that their mo-
tves were always above their taste.
The winter wore away slowly in
hard work. Mr.. Van Buren, came down
to see the senator one day from his
country seat Cd the Hudson. The ex-
president had been solicited to accept
the nomination again. I know that
Senator Wright strongly favored the
plan but feared that the South would
defeat him in convention, it being well
known that Van Buren, was opposed to
the annexation of Texas However.
he advised his friend to make a fight
for the nomination and this the latter
resolved to do. Thenceforward until
middle May l gave my time largely to
the inditing of letters for the senator
in Van Buren's behalf.
The time appointed for the conyen-
ton In Baltimore drew near. One day
the senator received an intimation that
he would be put in nomination if Van
Buren, fa1ed. Immediately he wrote
to Judge fine of Ogdensburg, chair
man OF the delegation from the north
ern district of New York, forbidding
such use of his name on the ground
that his acquiescence would involve dis
loyalty to his friend the ex-president.
He gave me leave to go to the con-
vention on my way home to meet Sally.
I had confided to Mrs. Wright the de-
tails of my little love AFFAIR." had to
and she had shown a tender, sympa-
thetic interest in the story
The senator had said to me one day,
with q gentle smile:
Bart, you have business In Canton,
I believe, with which trifiing matters
like the choice Of a president and the
Mexican question cannot be permitted
to interfere. You must take time to
spend day or two at the convention
In Baltimore on your way. - Re
port to our friend Fine, who will look
after your comfort there. The expert
ence ought 10 be useful to a young man
who / hs,n0 will have xHs,rt< RI 10 IN