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<v Speaker 1>This is section thirty of The Gilded Age. This LibriVox

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<v Speaker 1>recording is in the public domain. The Gilded Age, A

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<v Speaker 1>Tale of to Day by Mark Twain and Seed Warner,

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<v Speaker 1>Chapter thirty. Once more, Louise had good news from her

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<v Speaker 1>Washington Senator Dilworthy was going to sell the Tennessee land

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<v Speaker 1>to the government. Louise told Laura in confidence. She had

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<v Speaker 1>told her parents too, and also several Bosom friends. But

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<v Speaker 1>all of these people had simply looked sad when they

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<v Speaker 1>heard the news, except Laura. Laura's face suddenly brightened under

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<v Speaker 1>it only for an instant, it is true, but poor

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<v Speaker 1>Louise was grateful for even that fleeting ray of encouragement.

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<v Speaker 1>When next Laura was alone, she fell into a train

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<v Speaker 1>of thought something like this, if the Senator has really

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<v Speaker 1>taken hold of this matter, I may look for that

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<v Speaker 1>invitation to his house at any moment I am perishing

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<v Speaker 1>to go. I do long to know whether I am

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<v Speaker 1>only simply a large size pigmy among these pigmies here

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<v Speaker 1>who tumble over so easily when one strikes them, or

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<v Speaker 1>whether I am really Her thoughts drifted into other channels

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<v Speaker 1>for a season. Then she continued. He said, I could

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<v Speaker 1>be useful in the great cause of philanthropy and help

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<v Speaker 1>in the blessed work of uplifting the poor and the ignorant.

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<v Speaker 1>If he found it feasible to take hold of our land, Well,

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<v Speaker 1>that is neither here nor there. What I want is

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<v Speaker 1>to go to Washington and find out what I am.

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<v Speaker 1>I want money too, And if one may judge by

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<v Speaker 1>what she hears, there are chances there for a for

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<v Speaker 1>a fascinating woman. She was going to say, perhaps, but

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<v Speaker 1>she did not. Along in the fall, the invitation came

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<v Speaker 1>sure enough. It came officially through brother Washington, the Private Secretary,

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<v Speaker 1>who appended a PostScript that was brimming with delight over

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<v Speaker 1>the prospect of seeing the Duchess again. He said, it

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<v Speaker 1>would be happiness enough to look upon her face once more.

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<v Speaker 1>It would be almost too much happiness when to it

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<v Speaker 1>was added the fact that she would bring messages with

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<v Speaker 1>her that were fresh from Louise's lips. In Washington's letter

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<v Speaker 1>were several important enclosures. For instance, there was the senator's

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<v Speaker 1>check for two thousand dollars to buy suitable clothing in

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<v Speaker 1>New York. With it was alone to be refunded when

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<v Speaker 1>the land was sold. Two thousand. This was fine. Indeed,

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<v Speaker 1>Louise's father was called rich, but Laura doubted if Louise

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<v Speaker 1>had ever had four hundred dollars worth of new clothing

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<v Speaker 1>at one time in her life. With a check came

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<v Speaker 1>too through tickets good on the railroad from Hawkeye to

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<v Speaker 1>Washington via New York. And they were dead head tickets too,

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<v Speaker 1>which had been given to Senator Dilworthy by the railway companies.

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<v Speaker 1>Senators and representatives were paid thousands of dollars by the

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<v Speaker 1>government for traveling expenses, but they always traveled deadhead both

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<v Speaker 1>ways and then did as any honesulnerable high minded men

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<v Speaker 1>would naturally do, declined to receive the mileage tendered them

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<v Speaker 1>by the government. The Senator had plenty of railway passes

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<v Speaker 1>and could easily spare two to Laura, one for herself

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<v Speaker 1>and one for a male escort. Washington suggested that she

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<v Speaker 1>get some old friend of the family to come with her,

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<v Speaker 1>and said the Senator would dead head him home again

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<v Speaker 1>as soon as he had grown tired of the sights

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<v Speaker 1>of the capital. Laura thought the thing over. At first,

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<v Speaker 1>she was pleased with the idea, but presently she began

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<v Speaker 1>to feel differently about it. Finally, she said, no, our staid,

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<v Speaker 1>steady going Hawkeye. Friends notions and mine differ about some things.

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<v Speaker 1>They respect me now, and I respect them. Better leave

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<v Speaker 1>it so I will go alone. I am not afraid

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<v Speaker 1>to travel by myself. And so, communing with herself, she

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<v Speaker 1>left the house for an afternoon walk. Almost at the door,

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<v Speaker 1>she met Colonel Sellers. She told him about her invitation

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<v Speaker 1>to Washington. Bless me, said the colonel. I have about

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<v Speaker 1>made up my mind to go there myself. You see,

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<v Speaker 1>we've got to get another appropriation through, and the company

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<v Speaker 1>want me to come east and put it through Congress.

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<v Speaker 1>Harry's there, and he'll do what he can, of course,

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<v Speaker 1>And Harry's a good fellow and always does the very

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<v Speaker 1>best he knows, how But then he's young, rather young

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<v Speaker 1>for some parts of such work, you know. And besides

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<v Speaker 1>he talks too much, talks a good deal too much.

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<v Speaker 1>And sometimes he appears to be a little bit visionary too.

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<v Speaker 1>I think the worst thing in the world for a

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<v Speaker 1>business man, a man like that always exposes his card

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<v Speaker 1>sooner or later. This sort of thing wants an old, quiet,

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<v Speaker 1>steady hand, wants an old cool head, you know, that

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<v Speaker 1>knows men through and through and is used to large operations.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm expecting my salary and also some dividends from the company,

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<v Speaker 1>and if they get along in time, I'll go along

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<v Speaker 1>with you, Laura, take you under my wing. You mustn't

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<v Speaker 1>travel alone. Lord, I wish I had the money right now,

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<v Speaker 1>but there'll be plenty soon, plenty. Laura reasoned with herself

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<v Speaker 1>that if the kindly, simple hearted colonel was going anyhow,

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<v Speaker 1>what could she gain by traveling alone and throwing away

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<v Speaker 1>his company? So she told him she accepted his offer gladly. Gratefully.

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<v Speaker 1>She said it would be the greatest of favors if

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<v Speaker 1>he would go with her and protect her, not at

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<v Speaker 1>his own expense as far as railway fares were concerned.

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<v Speaker 1>Of course, she could not expect him to put himself

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<v Speaker 1>to so much trouble for her and pay his fare. Besides,

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<v Speaker 1>but he wouldn't hear of her paying his fare. It

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<v Speaker 1>would be only a pleasure to him to serve her.

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<v Speaker 1>Laura insisted on furnishing the tickets, and finally, when argument failed,

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<v Speaker 1>she said the tickets cost neither her nor any one

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<v Speaker 1>else assent. She had two of them, she needed but one,

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<v Speaker 1>and if he would not take the other one she

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<v Speaker 1>would not go with him. That settled the matter. He

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<v Speaker 1>took the ticket. Laura was glad that she had the

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<v Speaker 1>check for new clothing, for she felt very certain of

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<v Speaker 1>being able to get the Colonel to borrow a little

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<v Speaker 1>of the money to pay hotel bills with here and there,

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<v Speaker 1>she wrote Washington to look for her and Colonel Sellers.

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<v Speaker 1>Toward the end of November and about the time sat

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<v Speaker 1>the two travelers arrived safe in the capital of the nation,

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<v Speaker 1>sure enough, end of Chapter thirty