the
silver links that held the traces. It was mended in less time than it
takes to tell about it, but every one feared that some accident had
happened to the Presidents, and for a few minutes there was a good deal of
galloping back and forth, and excitement among the leaders of the
procession.

As soon as the trace was mended the procession swept on, and reached the
Capitol without further delay.

An interesting part of the parade was the squad of soldiers on bicycles
which brought up the rear.

Inside the Capitol all was excitement, for the President and
President-elect were to be received in the Senate Chamber.

As a rule, the Senators and their desks spread out in a semicircle round
the raised dais on which is the Speaker's chair, and they take up pretty
much the whole of the Chamber.

On inauguration days the desks disappear, and the Senators are seated in
rows on one side. On this occasion they were placed on the right of the
chamber, packed just as closely together as they could be.

All the galleries of the Senate were also closely packed with the
families of the Ambassadors and Ministers, and the friends of the
Senators. In a place set apart for them were Major McKinley's family and
friends, amongst them being his wife and his mother, Mrs. Nancy Allison
McKinley, a bright, active old lady, over eighty years of age.

The Senators being in their places, the President of the Senate gave one
stroke of his gavel, and immediately the doors of the Senate were thrown
open, and the usher of the Senate announced:

"The Ambassadors of foreign countries."

All the Senators rose to their feet, and in filed the Ambassadors in full
diplomatic dress.

Their dress-coats and trousers were decorated with gold bullion, they
carried their white-feathered, three-cornered hats in their hands, and
across their shoulders, from left to right, were sashes of colored satin,
according to their rank or their country--pink, white, yellow, and red
satin.

They were ushered to seats in front of the Vice-President's dais, and
almost immediately the doors were again thrown open and the page
announced:

"The Ministers of foreign countries."

The Senators again rose, and in walked the Ministers, and were ushered to
their seats.

All wore the full diplomatic costume, which, as you will see, varies
considerably according to the Minister's country. The Chinese Minister
wore a slate-colored, figured silk, his official hat being of bl