Glacier County chief., 1940-05-24

the Senator in a campaign year. It
was an ideal location for Len Har-
desty, too, though working for the
Opposition. Mot even a slave-driv-
er with seven brats can keep me
on the 60 day and night all sum-
mer," he told Adele confidentially.
I've got to relax occasionally, and
I expect to do all my summers re-
Taxing at Shires."
The house itself was low, ram
bling and wide, with porches on ev-
cry side; with high cupolas and low
stoops and broad fireplaces; with
great rooms, huge windows and
crystal chandeliers; artistically old
fashioned to the last detail. Yet the
old-fashionedness of it was more ap-
parent than real, for it was only ten
years old and its equipment was
modern to the extreme.
In planning their arrival after the
adjournment of Congress - Aunt
Olympia always had a plan for ev-
erything infinitely laid out in ad-
vance-she had been bitterly torn
between natural thrift and pride.
She wanted the girls to see Shires
first in all its pristine beauty, and
yet, wishing to safeguard and pre-
serve that beauty, she trembled
physically at thought of the havoc
to be wrought on it by the first
horde of friendly callers. Love tri-
umphed. The girls should see Shires
as it was; for was it not to be their
future home with her and the Sena-
tor-or, at least, Limpy's future
home?
She ordered Hilda to have the
place in the pink of perfection for
the girls arrival.
"And be ready for lightning
change" she said grimly. ''Have
the campaign drapes and curtains
ready. Get the summer rugs
cleaned. Have the packing cases
and moth-proof bags opened and
aired. Tell Martin to get the tubs
and fences and ratings ready to put
up at a minutes notice. Lay in
moth-balls and wire screening and
plenty of bolts and nails and pad
locks. Tell Martin to have the tree
guards painted and laid out But
be sure to have everything out of
sight when we get there. want
them to see it right the first time"
The girls, remembering the down.
at-the-heel parsonages that had been
their previous homes, were almost
speechlessly thrilled with Shires.
There wasn't farm in Iowa could
hold candle to it. They liked ev-
erything about it, from the honey
suckle and wild roses clambering
over the porch rails with such ap-
parent abandon-though really guild
ed and compelled by the stern hand
of the farm manager, Martin-to the
cunning chicken incubators and
brooder houses.
Eyes, it's NICE" ;assented Aunt
Olympia modestly, crimson with de-
light in their delight But we new
er should have called it Shires. Too
aristocratic, Shires is. Now that
the tide of public opinion has turned
against elegance, we'll probably lose
thousand votes by that name. If
we'd called it Cozy Rest or Happy
Home or Old Mill Meadows we'd be
better off,"
why don't you change it, then.
just till the campaigns over?"
Aunt Olympia shook her head.
Lien Hardesty," she explained
briefly. He'd get a nationwide
hook-up to accuse US of finagling
for votes" .a
She was anxiously apologize
about the rooms she had assigned
them. "Now, you don't have to take
them unless you want to-" she as
sured them. We've got plenty of
rooms, and after the campaign you
can have one apiece, and easy. But
during the campaign we have ex-
tras here nearly every night, COM
mitteemen, or reporters, and we
have to save a room for Cece Dodd,
and Dave will be here a good deal.
So If you can be comfortable in just
two rooms till after the campaign,
it'll be a help"
The girls were joyously sure they
could be comfortable. Aunt Olym-
pia had chosen two connecting
rooms for them at the opposite end
Of the hall from the huge room
with two baths-that she occupied
with the Senator. In the larger Of
the two rooms were twin beds,
which Aunt Olympia thought would
be nice for Helen and Adele: the
smaller room, with a wide bed
the best bed in the house it was.
too-she thought would be all right
for Limpy, who wasn't really fun
grown yet and ought to be BY her
self.
For full week after their arrival,
though she suffered for her treas
uress Aunt Olympia restrained her
hsanswhslI inclinations. ahs par