Part 11 (1/2)

”Do ye? Well, you're lucky. For this city's so grand it's jest a pleasure to walk around. And that Library's the most beautiful buildin'

I ever saw in all my seventy-two years. I've been twice a day to look at it, and it makes me feel proud to be an Amurrican. If Paradise is any more beautiful than that there buildin', I do want to go there.”

Betty smiled with the swift sympathy she always felt for genuine simplicity, and the old man's pride in his country's latest achievement was certainly touching. She refrained from telling him that she thought the red and yellow ceilings hideous, and delighted him with the a.s.surance that it was the finest modern building in the world.

”What's happened to ye?” he asked sharply, a moment later. ”You've straightened up and thrown back your head as if ye owned the hull Senate.”

Senator North had wheeled about slowly and glanced up at the private gallery. Then he had risen abruptly and gone into the cloak-room.

”Perhaps I do,” said Betty.

She spoke thickly. It seemed incredible that he was coming up to the gallery at last. She had another humble moment and felt it to be a great honour. But she smiled so brilliantly at the old man that he grinned with delight.

”I presume you're the darter of one of these here Senators,” he said; ”one of the rich ones. You look as if ye hed it all your own way in life, and seein' as you're young and pretty, meanin' no offence, I'm glad you hev. Is your pa one of the leadin' six?”

”My father is dead.” She heard the door open and turned her head quickly. It was Senator Shattuc who had entered. He walked rapidly down the aisle, took a seat in the second row of chairs, and gave her a hearty grip of the hand.

”How are you?” he asked. ”I was glad to see you were up here. You always look so pleased with the world that it does me good to get a glimpse of you.”

Betty liked Senator Shattuc, and held him in high esteem, but at that moment she would willingly have set fire to his political beard. She was used to self-control, however, and she chatted pleasantly with him for ten minutes, while her heart seemed to descend to a lower rib, and her brain reiterated that eternal question of woman which must reverberate in the very ears of Time himself.

He came at last, and Senator Shattuc amiably got up and let him pa.s.s in, then took the chair behind the old man and asked him a few good-natured questions before turning to Betty again.

”I started to come some time ago,” said Senator North, ”but I was detained in one of the corridors. It is hard to escape being b.u.t.tonholed. This time it was by a young woman from my State who wants a position in the Pension Office. If it had been a man I should have ordered him about his business, but of course one of your charming s.e.x in distress is another matter. However, I got rid of her, and here I am.”

”I knew you were coming. I should have waited for you.” Now that he was there she subdued her exuberance of spirit; but she permitted her voice to soften and her eyes to express something more than hospitality. He was looking directly into them, and his hard powerful face was bright with pleasure.

”It suddenly occurred to me that you might be up here,” he said; ”and I lost no time finding out.” He lowered his voice. ”Did you go? Has it turned out all right?”

”Yes, I went! I'll tell you all about it on Sunday. I never had such a painful experience.”

”Well, I'm glad you had it. You would have felt a great deal worse if you had s.h.i.+rked it. However--Yes?”

Senator Shattuc was asking him if he thought the Democratic Senator was in his usual form.

”No,” he said, ”I don't. What is he wasting his wind for, anyway? We'll pa.s.s the bill, and he's all right with his const.i.tuents. They know there's no more rabid watch-dog of the Treasury in America.”

”I suspect it does him good to bark at us,” said Senator Shattuc.

The old man looked uneasy. ”Ain't that a great speech?” he asked.

The two Senators laughed. ”Well, it's better than some,” said Shattuc.

”And few can make a better when he's got a subject worthy of him,” he added kindly.

”That's perlite, seein' as you're a Republican. I allow as I'll go.

Good-day, marm. I'll never forgit as how you told me you'd bin all over Yurrup and that there ain't no modern buildin' so fine as our new Library. Good-day to ye, sirs.”

Senator Shattuc shook him warmly by the hand. Senator North nodded, and Betty gave him a smile which she meant to be cordial but was a trifle absent. She wished that Senator Shattuc would follow him, but he sat down again at once. He, too, felt at home in that gallery, and it had never occurred to him that one Senator might be more welcome there than another. Senator North's face hardened, and Betty, fearing that he would go, said hurriedly,--