The Washington herald., 1920-06-20

TT you should chance to visit the
i General Land once. step into
the draughtsmen's room and ask
to be shown the map of Salado
County. A leisurely German
possibly old Kampfer himself
will bring II to you. 1t will be
four feet square, on heavy draw
ing cloth. The lettering and the
figures will be beautifully clear
and distinct. The title will be in
splendid. undecipherable German
text, ornamented with classic
Teutonic designs - very likely
Ceres or Pomona leaning againct
the initial letters with cornucopias
venting grapes and wieners. You
must tell him that this is not the
map you wish to see; that he will
kindly bring you its ofiicial prede-
cessor. He will then say, "Ach,
SOL" and bring out a map half
the size of the first, dim, old,
tattered and faded.
By looking carefully near Its
northwest corner you will pres
entity come upon the worn con-
tours of Chiquito River. and, may
be, IL your eyes are good. dis
Germ the silent witness to this
story.
The Commissioner of the Lam
once was of the old style. his
antique courtesy was too formal
for his day. He dressed in flne
black, and there was a sugges-
tion of Roman drapery in his long
coat skirts. His collars were "un-
detached" (blame haberdashery
for the word); his tie was a mar
row, funereal strip, tied in the
same knot as were his shoestrings.
His gray hair was a trifie too
long behind, but he kept II smooth
and orderly. His face was clean
shaven, like the old statesmen's.
Most people thought 1t a stern
face, but when it's official express
sion was of, few had seen alto
gether a different countenance.
Especially tender and gentle 1t
had appeared to those who were
about him during the last illness
of his only child.
The Commissioner had been a
widower for years, and his life.
outside his official duties. had been
so devoted to little Georgia that
people spoke of it as a touching
and admirable thing. He was a
reserved man, and sdignified al
most to austerity, but the child
had come below 1t all and rested
scarcely missed the mothers love
that had been taken away. There
was a wonderful companionship
between them, for she had many
of his own ways, being thought =
full and serious beyond her years.
One day, while she was lying
with the fever burning brightly in
her cheeks, she said suddenly:
Papa, i wish 1 could do some
thing good for a whole lot of
children"
.. What would you like to do.
dear? asked the Commissioner.
Give ther a Tarty?"
"Oh. I don's mean those kind.
mean poor children who haven't
homes. and aren't loved and cared
for as 1 am. 1 tell you what.
papa-
What. my own child?"
IF 1 shouldn't get well, I'll
leave them you-not give you, ou.
just lend you, for you must como
TO mamma and me when you die
too. II you can find time.
wouldn't you do something to
help them. IL 1 ask you. papa?"
Hush. hush dear. dear child"
said the Commissioner, holding
her hot little hand against his
cheek; you'll get we'll soon, and
you and l will see what we can
do for them together"
But in whatsoever paths of
benevolence, thus vaguely pre-
meditated, the Commissioner
might tread. he was not to have
the company of his beloved.
That night the little frail body
grew suddenly too tired to strug-
gle further. and Georgia's exit
was made from the great stage
when she had scarcely begun to
speak her little piece before the
footlights. But there must be a
stage manager who understands.
She had given the cue to the one
was to speak after her.
A week after she was laid
away, the Commissioner reap
peared at the office. a little more
lif1a
sterner, with the black frock-
coat hanging a little more loosely
from his tall figure.
His desk was piled with work
that had accumulated during the
four heart-breaking weeks of his
absence. His chief clerk had done
what he could. but there we're
questions of law, of fine judicial
decisions to be made concerning
the issue of patents, the market
ing and leasing of school lands,
the classification into grazing.
agricultural. watered, and tim
bered, of new tracts to be opened
to settlers.
The Commissioner went to
work silently and obstinately,
putting back his grief as far as
possible, forcing his mind to at
tack the complicated and impor-
tant business of his Office. On the
second day after his return he
called the porter. pointed to a
leather-covered chair that stooa
near his own, and ordered II re-
moved to a lumber-room at the
top Of the building. In that chair
Georgia would always sit when
she came to the office for him of
afternoons.
AS time passed, the commits
sioner seemed to grow more
silent. solitary, and reserved. A
new phase of mind developed In