The Bassett Claim

i Copyright by American Press Assoeiatlon. 1 [ CONTINUED. ] "I saw Miss Willis today, and told her," she said ínerrily to Win&ward. "And so your fortune is made in that quarter." "Oh, did you? I hope so!" exclaimed Windward with a nonchalance not wholly natural. He might liave added more, but at that moment an embodied langh danced out of the lifarary and greeted both the gentlemen with gnüsh frankness. "Ah, good-day, Miss Willis," said Windward sixuply, taken oiï his guard and feeling the color come into his cheeks. "Happy to seo you, Miss. Willis," said the colonel gravely and Irindly. "You carne to sec Louise just at the right time. She vras saying to me this moming that her flowers needed more sunshipe." "Oh, colonel, you are too sweetr laughed the -beauty. "Why can't I say such things?" thoacht Windward. not aware that of the two compliments she vaïoea tne blnsh more highly than the graceful parases. Soon. lunch was announced, not the sandwich .and apple ration of Mrs. Ex, and yet deüghtfully simple and informal. The colonel laid aside-hia business severity and talked amusingly, though with deep learning, of salads, voodooism and cnrious patenta. Louise was again the perfect housewife, thoughtful, companionable and inspiring. More than once the colouel's quiet eyes rested on her in silent approbation and lave. It was-easy for any one to see bow fond he was of her, how entirely he trusted and relied upon her, how integral a part of his happiness she had grown to be. The büthe Mth Willis, carne as near fearmg the colanel as her temperament admitted, and in his presence carne as near behaving herself as anywbere. Henee, under snch circumstances, sheappeared at her best, for she only needed good manners to be very chaTming. Windward certainly found her so that neon; but having resolved that that day litnghing eyes and curls were to have the go-by, ,he resohrtely shook off therrspeil, therefore, and tnrned his steps to the agency to meet his appointment there. "lam a Iittle early," he saidto the invaüd, as the latterTose on his lounge to receive him. "Glad!" burst out the suffer, "I'm alwaysin!" At this moment a. gentleman who was dusting some pileaof letters in the back parlor carne forward and was introduced as the attorney's assistant. He apologized, as they shook hands, for his begrimed state by saying with a laugb that he was' removing the dust of ages and freshening up the claims for a new campaign. The invalid nodded vigorously, and Windward praised their constancy,-and said he was to be counted on for what help he could bring, and only wanted to be told what to do. Snch proffers from a new recruit, thus zealons and so well equipped for work, were received, as might be supposed, with an eager welcome, and it was not long before a scheme of procedure was sketched out. The readiness with which the two men pïotted the attack struck Windward, indeed, as remarkable, and he expressed his admiration. "Used to it!" erploded the invalid. "Old story!" Having now his instructions the yonng man entered at once on the practical business set before him. That evening he and Stevens devoted to writing letters to-certain of the more active and indefatigable r1?rnftmtftt infnrTmng-tiwmi that another effort was to be made, and urging them to bring to bear on: their representatives in congress whateverinflnence they controlled. The neit day he spent over a circular, in the natnre of a legal brief, stating the argument for the claimants and reviewing the-history of the case. This painphlet was to do service among congressmen, reporters, and whom else it might concern. The young lawyer toiled very hard over the document, and was inctmed to congratúlate himself on the resnlt. Stevens liked it, too, though he suggested aiew modificatians, and the gentlemen atttfae agency expressed their satisfactian also. Bot Ooi. McArdle-snoffed out the young advocate' 8 pride without mercy. "It ia too long," he sajd, "Cnt it down two-tlrirds, and leave out aHthe sarcasm and abuse." Then noticing Wiadward's look of chagrin and disconragement, he went on to say: "I know I.am giving hard counseL It .is easier tote diffuse thaoconcise. Anewspaper friend once told me, 'I can write aohimn in an hour, but to write half a column takes two. ' But as good short dispstches are enough better than bad long ones to pay for the extra time, so a short, crisp appeal is preferable to one nohody win raad." "I wish I had your brevity !" exclaimed Windward, not quite so artlessly, perhapsas appeared on the gurface. "How didjfou acquire it, may I.ask?" The colonel was touched on a weak spot. "Thus," he replied, very gracionsly, taking a bunch of telegraphic franks from his pocket. "These franks are good for twenty words each. Now I am using-them all the time on all sorts of mattere, and I try to say my sayin the limit. And I.generaUy can, though a very complicated mattermay takefforty or.even-sixty words. Wbere I pay for me6sages brevityis even more vatóable. Soinsensibiy, I have acepnreditfie teiegriirAiCiStyloso toieak." "I see;" said Windward, mysrdly amnsed and yet instructed. "Á-nd I shall 'noilit down.' " "And.makeát good nafcured," added the-colonel. "Dan't'sneerwhenryouiaak favors - even tho of justice. Ys, cut.itíshort. Make no flqarishes. Remember that you are dealing with ' f acts and men!" "By the way, Mr. Bassett," he excbriined, as Windward, after thanking ifm for hia advice, was about to leave him to rewrite his brief, "there is to bea reception to-night at one of the legaíáons, which will bring ont inany of thecongressmen. It is a-stagparty ;;suppose you go with me. You maymake somenseful acqnaintances." "Why, of course," replied Windward, delighted. So an hour was set, and promptly on time he. caHed for the colonel at his residence. Word eame down that he would be ready in a moment,.and meanwhile Louise set hexself to entertain Viini Windward noticed, however, that for some reason she lacked her habitual ease and self possession. She' seemed anxious, and he thought that, once or twico she was on the point of Baying something in a very different veiu from the light words-that feil fi-om her' lips. But if so, it was not the or, place, or she could not yet trust his fidel-; ity. Sometbing evidently made her uneasy - very liktsly the servan ts or the; plumbing. Soon the colonel entéred the library looking more straight, firrn and strong than ever in his formal ftdl dress. "Ah, Mr. Bassett, ready? Come on; that is, Lonise, if I am irreproachable?" "You are faultless," she said, smiling faintly, and then added, retnrning his fixed gaze with one as proud and brave: "And you look noble. lam proud of you!"' "That is flattery in a goed lump sum!" exclaimed the colonel; but ho said the next moment to Windward as they passed out of the doors, "But that is a sort, after all, that doesn't do a man any harm." On the way to the reception McArdle explained its nature and objects, and in a terse and frank though not rude sentence of good advice recommended the yonng man to keep his ears open and hifi mooih shut "I shall introduce you,' he-said grimly, "as a gentleman, not as a-claimnnt. All in good time; to-night observe and reflect." In a few minutes they reached the Iegation, and pmnged at once into the glare and bustle of the reception; and a notable assembly it was, one possible only in Washington at the height of the season. Wiiidward was stunned; e very man he met was famous, until greatness, throngh lack of gradations, be camp commonplace again, and he found himself moving among the honored ol millions with a calmness and equality o) feeling ustonishing to himself. He, too, was an American, and if they were famous, he was yonng, and might be. Many things he noticed on this fruitful evening, but one particularly - the hnge bulk of the men. He was of medimn weight and size, but among these celebrities he feit like a dwarf. He measnred their height as he passed them. and he judged six f eet to be the average; many were talier still. And then the gixths, the broad, deep chests; ful] cheeks, warm and glowing under frostj beards; strong, coarse features, blunl round china, big necks, bold, resonant voices, pushing ways - they crowded te the salad just as they had crowded te congress. It was a inagnificent collection of physical manhood. What stomach power they had! Terrapin, salad, jelh'es, creams, champagne and compos ite punches, fruit, cake - andatllo'cloch at night! Windward had seen nothing like it since sophomore year, and yet these men had been living thus defiantly, gluttonously for ten, twenty, forty years, and nevertheless now at 50 or 60 years of age were hale, alert and strong enough to Mil him with a blow. These gigantic men, thought Windward, are gladiators who have fought all corners, neither asking nor giving quarfcer, and survive as the fittest to survive in the cruel brutal struggle foi power. They reminded him of the old Goths. Refinement in speech and manner was certainly lacking, but he saw a rude vigor of body and mind that was admirable; they had stamina; they could sit-out a deadlock or stump a scattered, half civilized state; they were able to maintain their rights. The polyglot group of diplomatists who were present had much better manners, and yet Windward preferred the horse play and robust good fellowship of the natives. "Of the two juries," he mnsed, 'Td rather have the American to decide, foi instance, on the claim. Elegance is very well, but after all, if I must decide between them, give me the land of wheat rather than of the lotus, and the patent office bef ore the Louvre." The colonel moved about through the motley crowd, calm, civil and phlegmatio as ever, and even more laconic than usual. Now ana then he would draw a little group around him to hear a pithy story or a very brief treatment oi some current topic. Windward noticed that he ate sparingly and drank nothing, though the corks were popping all about him and the atmosphere was burdened with the fumes of punch. Hií only concespion to the conviviality of th hoor was the incessant smoking of the host's fine cigars. 'These orplomatists," he explained te Windward quietly as he holped himsell for the third time, "don't have to pay dnties, you sec. Now, these are forty cent cigars. 1 think 111 take anothei one to smoke on Sunday. There; now I am ready to go. What say you?" Windward, of course, interposed no objection, so they thereupon sought out their host, bade him adieu in spite of his polite reinoiKtrance at theircariy departure, found their outer coverings amid the chaos of tho dressing room and passed out into the pure, cold air. "Al ways lavo balls and orgies early, if ;for nothir r else as .n advertisement that you.have a good home and some work"tordo the next day," remarked the sardonic colonel, as they walked briskly onsvard. "iiesides, nothing is nastier than the lees of a feast, and especiaily a men'spartj'. What nonsense such parties axel" "Without ladies, you mean?" asked Wdntfcward. "es," he said, rather savagely, puffingiathis long cigai'. "The idea of ignoring'woman in.society! You are unmarned,. 1 believe. " tfes, sir," replied Windrward. "Why?" asked the colonel bhzntly. "Why, I scarcely know," aiiswered Windward, not more tLan h;ilf pleased by the directness of the inquiry, and assuming the defensive. "Celibacy is negative murder," said the colonel sternly. "Thero may bc palliating circumstances in your case. No doubt you think so, but generally it has root in some one of the cardinal sins - pride, greed, unchastity, or the like. Love some ;;ood woman and join lives with her. We need women, they are better thau men and more of them get to heaven. It must look like Massachusetts." ïhey were by this time nearing the colonel's resddence, and Windward noticed that the light in the library was bnming brightly. Possibly McArdle saw it also, but if so he said nothing of it. "Step inside, Mr. Bassett," he reniarked, as they stopped.atthe door. "I havesome documenra on my table for your use." To take them Windward followed tho colonel throagh the hall to the library. Lonise met them at door. She, too, could act herpart, but not always perfectly. At this midnight moment, for instance, Windward noticed her pale, anxious face as she gave a swift, keen glance at the colonel. Bnt ii was over in an instant; that quick look wa enough. The firm set mouth relaxed, the brow cleared, her cheeks flushed and with a radiant smile of heart's ease she gave them both welcome. Windward took the package, thanked the colonel for his thoughtfulness and kindness, and bidding his friends an early good morning set out for his lodgings. The night was dark and the stifeets were silent, but he did not walk alone. At his side there still seemed to be a strong man battling with conquering valor against habits worse than death; and bef ore bim rose the image of a noble woman, a companion of the soul, a helpmeet, a guardián, a patrón saint. Yes, that night langhing eyes and curls had the go-byl CHAPTEB Xm. A MKMBKB OF THE LOBBY. What was Windward's delight to find the next raorning, on turning over the loose papers which the colonel had tied into a parcel and labeled "Fr. Cl.," a memorandum, in his sharp, black chirography, of the nature and history of the claimsl He had evidently scratched it off in a leisure moment after the young man had left, as a guide and help in the revisión of the brief. It was hasty in treatment, but so crisp, vigoróos and judicious that Windward threw his rejected manuscript aside and adopted the other ith scarcely a change. [ TO BK CONTINUED. ]