Evening star., 1922-10-29

, times. l saw him later in the house
! lift the gold mace down from the
table while the assembly took a
small recess. When the slight in
! terval was past he came like high
priest and lifted it back upon the
table. And that is his life's work!
| A little after 3 pm. (the house con-
vened at 2:45 p.m.) Sergt. Whittlesley
read my letter and said:
! IF we had known that you were
! coming today arrangements could
have been made for a pass. Now it
! is dubious. We will do our best, how
! ever"
! AS he dispatched an officer about
| the coveted pass 1 almost dared to
hope that 1 was to meet with success.
! for 1 had observed his kindly eyes
| and 1 remembered how a Britisher
loves to employ understatement in
matters concerning himself.
| In less than three minutes l was
| beckoned up the steps and introduced
to my eleventh bobby. who had box
of passes in his hand. After filling
out a card the strenuously sought
after permit was placed in my eager
hand and my dancing eyes thanked
those huge boobies Cthe law requires
that they be six feet in height and
my glad voice.
! When l reached the home of my
| British cousin that evening l was
more than chagrined to learn that
! every blessed bobby had expected a
neat tip from me! Whoever could
dream that any one would dare offer
tip to a Scotland Yard man!
With feet that were winged, SO
eagerly did / move, 1 mounted a mar
row stirway that reached to the Sec
end floor by many a turn and ran
| to an august parsonage in a huge
expanse of white shirt front. soft
voice and rightly important. He pre-
sided over inkpots, pens and regis
ter. About his ample neck he wore a
chain to the ends of which snowy
brass insignia were attached and
caught just beneath the white ex-
panse of shirt front. Boobies stood
about everywhere, towering above us
and looming large at every turning.
In that massive register I was hidden
to write 3S2 in one column, my name
in another and my address in a third.
I was too happy to question any re-
quest.
When the official said, go straight
ahead" my heart cried: Its too Won
derful to believe, for I am to see the
house of commons in session, and I
am to hear Lloyd George and men,
bers of the cabinet and Asquith and
others in a great debate upon repara-
tions while all Europe is plunging
madly toward ruin.'
A FTER another turning 1 found
! "A myself in the gallery of the house,
directly facing the speaker in his
huge wig under a canopy above his
elevated seat. I was thankful, in
deed, that they had not sent me to
the 'ladies's gallery" opposite, for 1t
resembled nothing less than oriental
seclusion, in which the women sat be-
hind screens of woodwork cut in
many a design, through which they
were expected to look and listen.
The gallery official had thrust into
my hand the order of the day with
it's Questions for oral answers" and,
upon hearing the speaker call out
number 27, I found the place in the
days program as Capt. Viscount Cur
zon took the floor. While small mat
ters were being disposed Oft was
j like clearing the deck for action-my
i eyes searched every square inch of
that glorious spot in history.
The wood finish is English oak, very
dark with age and exquisitely simple
in design. The long benches in the
galleries and in the house are up
holstered in padded black leather.
Stained-glass windows in pale am
ber tone literally make the walls on
the two long sides of the famous
room and each window terminates in
the golden rune, "Dieu ct droit." A
big skylight of creamy glass admits
still more light. Upon the table be-
\ tween the benches of the members
lay great golden mace.