University of Virginia Library

35. CHAPTER XXXV.

LAURA went down stairs, knocked at the study door,
and entered, scarcely waiting for the response. Senator
Dilworthy was alone—with an open Bible in his hand, upside
down. Laura smiled, and said, forgetting her acquired correctness
of speech,

“It is only me.”

“Ah, come in, sit down,” and the Senator closed the
book and laid it down. “I wanted to see you. Time to
report progress from the committee of the whole,” and the
Senator beamed with his own congressional wit.

“In the committee of the whole things are working very
well. We have made ever so much progress in a week. I
believe that you and I together could run this government
beautifully, uncle.”

The Senator beamed again. He liked to be called “uncle”
by this beautiful woman.

“Did you see Hopperson last night after the congressional
prayer meeting?”

“Yes. He came. He's a kind of—”

“Eh? he is one of my friends, Laura. He's a fine man, a

[ILLUSTRATION]

"IT IS ONLY ME."

[Description: 499EAF. Page 321. In-line image of an old man reading, while a young woman peeks out at him from inside a doorway.] very fine man. I don't know any man in congress I'd
sooner go to for help in any Christian work. What did he
say?”

“Oh, he beat around a little. He said he should like to
help the negro, his heart went out to the negro, and all that
—plenty of them say that—but he was a little afraid of the
Tennessee Land bill; if Senator Dilworthy wasn't in it, he
should suspect there was a fraud on the government.”

“He said that, did he?”

“Yes. And he said he felt he couldn't vote for it. He
was shy.”

“Not shy, child, cautious. He's a very cautious man. I
have been with him a great deal on conference committees.
He wants reasons, good ones Didn't you show him he was
in error about the bill?”

“I did. I went over the whole thing. I had to tell him
some of the side arrangements, some of the—”

“You didn't mention me?”

“Oh, no. I told him you were daft about the negro and
the philanthropy part of it, as you are.”

“Daft is a little strong, Laura. But you know that I
wouldn't touch this bill if it were not for the public good,
and for the good of the colored race, much as I am interested
in the heirs of this property, and would like to have them
succeed.”

Laura looked a little incredulous, and the Senator proceeded.

“Don't misunderstand me, Laura. I don't deny that it is
for the interest of all of us that this bill should go through,
and it will. I have no concealments from you. But I have
one principle in my public life, which I should like you to
keep in mind; it has always been my guide. I never push a
private interest if it is not justified and ennobled by some
larger public good. I doubt if a Christian would be justified
in working for his own salvation if it was not to aid in the
salvation of his fellow men.”

The Senator spoke with feeling, and then added,

“I hope you showed Hopperson that our motives were
pure?”

“Yes, and he seemed to have a new light on the measure.
I think he will vote for it.”

“I hope so; his name will give tone and strength to it. I
knew you would only have to show him that it was just and
pure, in order to secure his cordial support.”

“I think I convinced him. Yes, I am perfectly sure he
will vote right now.”

“That's good, that's good,” said the Senator, smiling, and
rubbing his hands. “Is there anything more?”

“You'll find some changes in that I guess,” handing the
Senator a printed list of names. “Those checked off are
all right.”

“Ah—'m—'m,” running his eye down the list. “That's

encouraging. What is the `C' before some of the names,
and the `B. B.'?”

“Those are my private marks. That `C' stands for `convinced,'
with argument. The `B. B.' is a general sign for
a relative. You see it stands before three of the Hon. Committee.
I expect to see the chairman of the committee
to-day, Mr. Buckstone.”

“So you must, he ought to be seen without any delay.
Buckstone is a worldly sort of a fellow, but he has charitable
impulses. If we secure him we shall have a favorable report
by the committee, and it will be a great thing to be able to
state that fact quietly where it will do good.”

“Oh, I saw Senator Balloon.”

“He will help us, I suppose? Balloon is a whole-hearted
fellow. I can't help loving that man, for all his drollery
and waggishness. He puts on an air of levity sometimes,
but there aint a man in the senate knows the scriptures as
he does. He did not make any objections?”

“Not exactly, he said—shall I tell you what he said?”
asked Laura glancing furtively at him.

“Certainly.”

“He said he had no doubt it was a good thing; if Senator
Dilworthy was in it, it would pay to look into it.”

The Senator laughed, but rather feebly, and said, “Balloon
is always full of his jokes.”

“I explained it to him. He said it was all right, he only
wanted a word with you,” continued Laura. “He is a handsome
old gentleman, and he is gallant for an old man.”

“My daughter,” said the Senator, with a grave look, “I
trust there was nothing free in his manner?”

“Free?” repeated Laura, with indignation in her face.
“With me!

“There, there, child. I meant nothing, Balloon talks a
little freely sometimes, with men. But he is right at heart.
His term expires next year and I fear we shall lose him.”

“He seemed to be packing the day I was there. His

[ILLUSTRATION]

"LL CONGRESSMEN DO THAT."

[Description: 499EAF. Page 324. In-line image of two people sort over a crate that says, 'documents' on it.] rooms were full of dry goods boxes, into which his servant
was crowding all manner of old clothes and stuff. I suppose
he will paint `Pub. Does' on them and frank them home.
That's good economy, isn't it?”

“Yes, yes, but child, all Congressmen do that. It may
not be strictly honest, indeed it is not unless he had some
public documents mixed in with the clothes.”

“It's a funny world. Good-bye, uncle. I'm going to see
that chairman.”

And humming a cheery opera air, she departed to her
room to dress for going out. Before she did that, however,
she took out her note book and was soon deep in its contents,
marking, dashing, erasing, figuring, and talking to herself.

“Free! I wonder what Dilworthy does think of me anyway?
One...two...eight...seventeen...twenty-one,...'m'm...
it takes a heap for a majority. Wouldn't Dilworthy open
his eyes if he knew some of the things Balloon did say to me.
There....Hopperson's influence ought to count twenty....

the sanctimonious old curmudgeon. Son-in-law....sinecure
in the negro institution.....That about gauges him.....
The three committeemen....sons-in-law. Nothing like a
son-in-law here in Washington....or a brother-in-law....
And everybody has 'em.....Let's see....sixty-one....with
places;....twenty-five...persuaded—it is getting on;....
we'll have two-thirds of Congress in time.....Dilworthy
must surely know I understand him. Uncle Dilworthy....
Uncle Balloon!... Tells very amusing stories....when
ladies are not present....I should think so....'m...'m.
Eighty-five....There. I must find that chairman. Queer
....Buckstone acts.....Seemed to be in love.....I was
sure of it. He promised to come here....and he hasn't....
Strange. Very strange....I must chance to meet him to-day.”

Laura dressed and went out, thinking she was perhaps too
early for Mr. Buckstone to come from the house, but as he
lodged near the bookstore she would drop in there and keep
a look out for him.

While Laura is on her errand to find Mr. Buckstone, it may
not be out of the way to remark that she knew quite as much
of Washington life as Senator Dilworthy gave her credit for,
and more than she thought proper to tell him. She was
acquainted by this time with a good many of the young fellows
of Newspaper Row, and exchanged gossip with them to
their mutual advantage.

They were always talking in the Row, everlastingly gossiping,
bantering and sarcastically praising things, and going
on in a style which was a curious commingling of earnest
and persiflage. Col. Sellers liked this talk amazingly, though
he was sometimes a little at sea in it—and perhaps that didn't
lessen the relish of the conversation to the correspondents.

It seems that they had got hold of the dry-goods box packing
story about Balloon, one day, and were talking it over
when the Colonel came in. The Colonel wanted to know all
about it, and Hicks told him. And then Hicks went on, with
a serious air,

“Colonel, if you register a letter, it means that it is of

value, doesn't it? And if you pay fifteen cents for registering
it, the government will have to take extra care of it and even
pay you back its full value if it is lost. Isn't that so?”

“Yes. I suppose it's so.”

“Well Senator Balloon put fifteen cents worth of stamps
on each of those seven huge boxes of old clothes, and shipped
that ton of second-hand rubbish, old boots and pantaloons
and what not through the mails as registered matter! It was
an ingenious thing and it had a genuine touch of humor about
it, too. I think there is more real talent among our public men
of to-day than there was among those of old times—a far more
fertile fancy, a much happier ingenuity. Now, Colonel, can
you picture Jefferson, or Washington or John Adams franking
their wardrobes through the mails and adding the facetious
idea of making the government responsible for the cargo for
the sum of one dollar and five cents? Statesmen were dull
creatures in those days. I have a much greater admiration
for Senator Balloon.”

“Yes, Balloon is a man of parts, there is no denying it.”

[ILLUSTRATION]

COL. SELLERS ENLIGHTENING THE BOHEMIANS.

[Description: 499EAF. Page 327. In-line image of a group of men talking together around a table in an office.]

“I think so. He is spoken of for the post of Minister to
China, or Austria, and I hope will be appointed. What we
want abroad is good examples of the national character.
John Jay and Benjamin Franklin were well enough in their
day, but the nation has made progress since then. Balloon is
a man we know and can depend on to be true to—himself.”

“Yes, and Balloon has had a good deal of public experience.
He is an old friend of mine. He was governor of one
of the territories a while, and was very satisfactory.”

“Indeed he was. He was ex-officio Indian agent, too.
Many a man would have taken the Indian appropriation and
devoted the money to feeding and clothing the helpless savages,
whose land had been taken from them by the white
man in the interests of civilization; but Balloon knew their
needs better. He built a government saw-mill on the reservation
with the money, and the lumber sold for enormous
prices—a relative of his did all the work free of charge—that is

to say he charged nothing more than the lumber would bring.”

“But the poor Injuns—not that I care much for Injuns—
what did he do for them?”

“Gave them the outside slabs to fence in the reservation
with. Governor Balloon was nothing less than a father to
the poor Indians. But Balloon is not alone, we have many
truly noble statesmen in our country's service like Balloon.
The Senate is full of them. Don't you think so Colonel?”

“Well, I dunno. I honor my country's public servants
as much as any one can. I meet them, Sir, every day, and
the more I see of them the more I esteem them and the more
grateful I am that our institutions give us the opportunity of
securing their services. Few lands are so blest.”

“That is true, Colonel. To be sure you can buy now and
then a Senator or a Representative; but they do not know it
is wrong, and so they are not ashamed of it. They are gentle,
and confiding and childlike, and in my opinion these are
qualities that ennoble them far more than any amount of sinful
sagacity could. I quite agree with you, Col. Sellers.”

“Well”—hesitated the Colonel—“I am afraid some of
them do buy their seats—yes, I am afraid they do—but as Senator
Dilworthy himself said to me, it is sinful,—it is very
wrong—it is shameful; Heaven protect me from such a charge.
That is what Dilworthy said. And yet when you come to
look at it you cannot deny that we would have to go without
the services of some of our ablest men, sir, if the country
were opposed to—to—bribery. It is a harsh term. I do not
like to use it.”

The Colonel interrupted himself at this point to meet an
engagement with the Austrian minister, and took his leave
with his usual courtly bow.