rving a Carnegie medal, Seymour
is the chap. He studied medicine once, and graduated high up, but he
never practised his profession! That's saving lives for you. Can you
beat it?

"Well, Harry was a protege, or something of the sort, of our late friend
Thurlow. And, as I said, I beheld his honest, glowing countenance with
mixed feelings. But it is a long story--a long story----" and the
Colonel paused as if seeking encouragement to proceed.

It was forthcoming.

"We would like very much to hear it," said Senator Wendell gravely;
"that is, of course, if it involves no sacrifice of your feelings. We
are all friends here, and will go at once into executive session. Let
all who have a story to tell, an anecdote to relate, or a joke to
perpetrate, feel free to do so. The galleries shall be cleared, and
reporters and the public excluded--metaphorically speaking," he added
hastily, turning to the newspaper men, who wore a pained expression,
"metaphorically speaking, of course." The skies journalistic cleared at
once, and then Colonel Manysnifters, a born diplomat, whispered to the
waiting porter, who nodded knowingly, and disappeared.

"Senator, I thank you. You relieve the situation. I am a modest man,
sir, and hesitate to talk about myself even among friends; but since you
all insist, there is nothing for me to do but yield as gracefully as I
may--and as a yielder I glitter in the front rank. My experience,
gentlemen, was a peculiar one, and I think it will hold you for a while.

"It was during that never-to-be-forgotten session of Congress which
lasted almost up to the time for getting together again. Cleveland was
on the thro--in the White House, I mean--and I was looking after things
up at the big building on Capitol Hill.

"One day in the latter part of June, when the sun was firing up for a
real old-fashioned Washington summer, and the thermometer about four
degrees below Jackson City, a number of my constituents came on to see
me, and after we had transacted certain important business I undertook
to show the boys the town; and in the party was this fellow, Professor
Seymour.

"We started out one broiling afternoon upon our giddy round of pleasure,
and, after keeping up the festivities all night and a portion of the
next day, I became separated from my friends in some unaccountable way,
and toward evening found myself wandering down town near the wharves. It
was very dusty and close, and the temperature a slice