Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1928-01-27
BABIES,
POLITICS
60 by D. ]. walsh.)

~ Its door and stalked across the
pavement toward the old red
courthouse. He scOwled at four blond
children playing around small coyote
tied to wire not far from the win
dows Of the Jail. Must be the kids
of that woman. 1t was to see shat
woman" he had on busy day driven
to the county seat from Parmalee,
twenty miles away, the flourishing
city Of the county. 1t was to see shat
woman" and tell her few things
How she had ever got the office Of
register of deeds was beyond him, ex-
pert politician though he was. The
farmers had inexplicably voted for
her, everybody In the county, In fact,
save the intelligent citizens Of Parma
lee. And now there were complaints.
Naturally. A woman with a great
wild mob of children trying to run an
important county ofiicel No wonder,
the complaints had come largely from
Bill Plat who had run for the nomina-
tion and Bilrs friends, but no doubt
there was some ground for them. 1t
was hard on the party to have an in
efficient officerholder drawing fat
salary and doing nothing.
Boss Dooley tramped savagely up
the stairs.
"She'll get out !" he growled. I'll
tell her she doesn't get second
term, tell 'er so she'll know 1t. M
she'll get out before she's drove out,
too. She'll stay at home m tend
to 'er brats, that's what she'll do"
He threw open the door beneath
the sign "OfIice of the Register Of
Deeds" Well. At long desk sat
q blond young woman with her head
bent over papers. At desk with his
back to the door q lank figure of
man stood writing asslduously in GER
tain great canvas-backed books. The
room was very still save for a small,
mysterious shutting and rafting some
where. The room was clean, orderly.
The head of the young woman was
attractively sleek. She wore cool,
rather severe blue dress. She did not
look up Immediately upon the en-
trance of Boss Dooley. When she did
It was with evident reluctance, the
papers before her possessing an in
terest no visitor might approach. But
she recognized Boss DOoley-as who
in the country did not2-smiled and
held out hand across the desk. She
did not rise, was not ELUSIVE.
"Wlll you sit down, pleasef" she
said in a cool, pleasant voice.
He sat down. Like a tOngue-tled
schOOlboy Boss DoOley sat down. The
room again became still, save for the
faint shutting and rafting that came
not from the top Of the low desk nor
yet from the high desk where absorb
eddy worked the man. Boss Dooley,
sitting still and waiting for "that
woman" to give him her attention, be-
came, in spite of himself at least ex-
ternally cooled off. A breeze re-
dolent of rain-washed leaves, came
through a high window and famed
his thick neck. But say, this was a
nice way to treat man of some i'm
portance, now wasn't 1t? Couldn't
leave off looking at bunch of papers
a minute to hear what he had to say.
Well, she'd hear good and plenty
when she did pay him some attention.
HIM, nice breeze. Say, where In
heck did that noise come from.
The young blond woman pushed a
button. A girl came from an adjOin-
ing room.
"Yes, Mrs. Foster" the girl said.
snake two carbOns of this, please,
and return at one for dictatlon."
ayes, Mrs. Foster"
The girl disappeared.
Mrs. Foster glanced presently at her
wrist, smiled at Mr.. Dooley.
"YOu are coming to lunch with us,
Mr.. Dooley," she said, and wrote rap
idly on small paper, $50 we can
talk.-Horace," she then murmured.
The lank man turned from the high
desk. He was kindly, not too force
full, inoffensive, middle-aged. He took
the paper. And then he stopped at
Mrs. Fosters side. He picked up
something and set It for a moment on
the top Of the desk. It was waste
basket. The wastebasket was large.
A blue comforter lined 1t. Different
kinds of rattles were tied to its rim.
Horace" lifted out a baby perhaps
nineteen months old, draped 1t expert
Iy over his arm, walked to the door,
disappeared. With the .baby's depar-
ture, the queer noise ceased.
Mr.. Dooley continued to wait. Mrs.
Foster continued to work with papers.
A whistle blew. Mrs. Foster with
swift fingers rearranged the papers,
weighted them and rose, smiling, cool,
kind, "busness-llke" and yet the con
slderate hostess.
IL have been wanting to see you,
Mr.. Dooley," she said. IL have, as
YOU know, an unusual opportunity for
keeping in touch with the develop
ments over the county. I have been
interested In the coal situation down
In the southwest corner. DongOla Is
growing. Believe the party ought to
be doing some pioneer work there
Peter Dooley was interested in the
Dongola coal lands. Eagerly he fol-
lowed the blue-clad slim figure OF the
register of deeds Of Latrasse county
down the stairs, asking questions, re-
ceiving surprising answers. The wom'
an had a head on her
At sight Of them at the courthouse
door the four children left off batting
the coyote to run smiling up to Mrs.
Foster.
II must walk with Mr.. Dooley,