amelia came running eagerly down the wide stairs, and though she was smiling with the joy of vernon’s coming, she stopped on the bottom step long enough to shake out the skirt of the new spring gown she wore, with a manner that told she had it on that evening for the first time. vernon hastened to meet her, and it was not until he had kissed her and released her from his embrace that she saw the dressing-case he had set down in the hall.
“what’s that for?” she asked in alarm. her smile faded suddenly, leaving her face wholly serious.
“i have to go back to-night,” he replied, almost guiltily.
“to-night!”
“yes; i must be in springfield in the morning.”
“but what about the dinner?”
“well,” he began, helplessly, “i guess you’ll have to get somebody in my place.”
amelia stopped and looked at him in amazement.
“i thought the senate never met mondays until five o’clock in the afternoon?” she said.
“it doesn’t, usually; but i had a telegram from porter an hour ago; there’s to be a conference in the morning.”
they started toward the drawing-room. amelia was pouting in her disappointment.
“i knew something would spoil it,” she said, fatalistically. and then she added, presently: “i thought that monday afternoon sessions never lasted longer than a minute. you never went down before until monday night.”
“i know, dear,” said vernon, apologetically, “but now that the session is nearing its close, we’re busier than we have been.”
“can’t you wire mr. porter and get him to let you off?” she asked.
vernon laughed.
“he isn’t my master,” he replied.
“well, he acts like it,” she retorted, and then as if she had suddenly hit upon an unanswerable argument she went on: “if that’s so why do you pay any attention to his telegram?”
“it isn’t he, dear,” vernon explained, “it’s the party. we are to have a very important conference to consider a situation that has just arisen. i must not miss it.”
“well, it ruins my dinner, that’s all,” she said, helplessly. “i wanted you here.”
vernon had come up from springfield as usual for the week’s end adjournment, and amelia had counted on his waiting over, as he always did, for the monday night train, before going back to his duties in the senate. more than all, she had counted on him for a dinner she had arranged for monday evening.
“what time does your train leave?” she asked, in the voice of one who succumbs finally to a hopeless situation.
“eleven twenty,” he said. “but i brought my luggage over with me, so i could start from here at the last minute. i’ll go over to the twenty-third street station and catch it there.”
amelia had had the deep chair vernon liked so well wheeled into the mellow circle of the light that fell from a tall lamp. the lamp gave the only light in the room, and the room appeared vast in the dimness; an effect somehow aided by the chill that was on it, as if the fires of the ansley house had been allowed to die down in an eager pretense of spring. it was spring, but spring in chicago. sunday morning had been bright and the lake had sparkled blue in the warm wind that came up somewhere from the southwest, but by night the wind had wheeled around, and the lake resumed its normal cold and menacing mood. as vernon sank into the chair he caught a narrow glimpse of the boulevard between the curtains of the large window; in the brilliant light of a street lamp he could see a cold rain slanting down on to the asphalt.
“how much longer is this legislature to last, anyway?” amelia demanded, as she arranged herself in the low chair before him.
“three weeks,” vernon replied.
“three—weeks—more!” the girl drew the words out.
“yes, only three weeks,” said vernon. “and then we adjourn sine die. the joint resolution fixes the date for june second.”
amelia said nothing. she was usually disturbed when vernon began to speak of his joint resolutions; which was, perhaps, the reason why he spoke of them so often.
“of course,” vernon went on, with a certain impression of relief in his words, “i have another session after this.”
“when will that be?” amelia asked.
“winter after next. the governor, though, may call a special session to deal with the revenue question. that would take us all back there again next winter.”
“next winter!” she cried, leaning over in alarm. “do you mean you’ll have to be away all next winter, too!”
the significance of her tone was sweet to vernon, and he raised himself to take her hands in his.
“you could be with me then, dearest,” he said softly.
“in springfield!” she exclaimed.
“why not?” asked vernon. “other members have their wives with them—some of them,” he qualified, thinking how few of the members cared to have their wives with them during the session.
“what could one do in springfield, pray?” amelia demanded. “go to the legislative hops, i suppose? and dance reels with farmers and west side politicians!” she almost sniffed her disgust.
“why, dearest,” vernon pleaded, “you do them a great injustice. some of them are really of the best people; the society in springfield is excellent. at the governor’s reception at the mansion the other night—”
“now, morley,” amelia said, with a smile that was intended to reproach him mildly for this attempt to impose upon her credulity.
“and besides,” vernon hurried on, suddenly taking a different course with her, “you could be a great help to me. i never address the senate that i don’t think of you, and wish you were there to hear me.”
“i should like to hear you,” said amelia, softening a little. “but of course i couldn’t think of appearing in the senate.”
“why not? ladies often appear there.”
“yes, overdressed, no doubt.”
“well, you wouldn’t have to be overdressed,” vernon retorted. he seemed to have the advantage, but he decided to forego it. he sank back on the cushions of his chair, folding his hands and plainly taking the rest a senator needs after his legislative labors.
“of course,” he said, “we needn’t discuss it now. the governor may not call the special session. if the party—” but he paused, thinking how little interested she was in the party.
“i wish you’d let politics alone,” amelia went on relentlessly. “it seems so—so common. i don’t see what there is in it to attract you. and how am i ever going to explain your absence to those people to-morrow night? tell them that politics detained you, i suppose?” she looked at him severely, and yet triumphantly, as if she had reduced the problem to an absurdity.
“why,” said vernon, “you can tell them that i was called suddenly to springfield; that an important matter in the senate—”
“the senate!” amelia sneered.
“but dearest,” vernon began, leaning over in an attitude for argument.
she cut him short.
“why, morley, do you think i’d ever let on to those eltons that i know any one in politics?”
“don’t they have politics in new york?” he asked.
“they won’t even know where springfield is!” she went on irrelevantly.
“what’ll they say when they receive our cards next fall?” he asked with a smile.
“well, you needn’t think your name will be engraved on them as senator, i can assure you!” her dark eyes flashed.
vernon laughed again, and amelia went on:
“you can laugh, but i really believe you would if i’d let you!”
they were silent after that, and amelia sat with her elbow on the arm of her chair, her chin in her hand, meditating gloomily on her ruined dinner.
“if you did any good by being in politics,” she said, as if speaking to herself. “but i fail to see what good you do. what good do you do?” she lifted her head suddenly and challenged him with a high look.
“well,” he said, spreading his hands wide, “of course, if you don’t care enough to look in the newspapers!”
“but how could i, morley?” said amelia. “how was i to know where to look?”
“why, in the springfield despatches.”
“i began by reading the papers,” amelia said. “but, really now, morley, you know i couldn’t find anything in them about you.”
“the most important work in the legislature isn’t done in the newspapers,” said vernon, with a significance that was intended to hide his inconsistency. “there are committee meetings, and conferences and caucuses; it is there that policies are mapped out and legislation framed.”
he spoke darkly, as of secret sessions held at night on the upper floors of hotels, attended only by those who had received whispered invitations.
“but if you must be in politics,” she said, “why don’t you do something big, something great, something to make a stir? show your friends that you are really accomplishing something!”
amelia sat erect and gave a strenuous gesture with one of her little fists clenched. her dark eyes showed the excitement of ambition. but vernon drooped and placed his hand wearily to his brow. instantly amelia started up from her chair.
“does that light annoy you?” her tone was altogether different from her ambitious one. she was stretching out a hand toward the lamp, and the white flesh glowed red between her fingers, held against the light.
“never mind,” said vernon. “it doesn’t bother me.”
but amelia rose and twisted the shade of the lamp about, and then, as she was taking her seat again, she went on:
“i suppose it’ll be worse than ever after—after we’re—married.” she faltered, and blushed, and began making little pleats in her handkerchief, studying the effect with a sidewise turn of her head.
vernon bent over and took both her hands in his.
“if it were only washington!” there was a new regret in her tone, as there was in the inclination of her head.
“it shall be washington, dear,” he said.
amelia’s eyelids fell and she blushed again, even in the glow the lamp shed upon her face. they were silent for a moment, and then suddenly she looked up.
“washington would be ever so much better, morley,” she said. “i should feel as if that really amounted to something. we’d know all the diplomats, and i’m sure in that atmosphere you would become a great man.”
“i will, dear; i will,” he declared, “but it will be all for you.”
