men and myself. Mere words fail to express our thanks, but in deeds most
glorious will we attest our love for you, and the Stars and
Stripes!'--or something like that--all very childish and grandiloquent,
but we kept our word, didn't we? And again--picture it to yourselves,
now--Bob Hardee's barn; your captain in the chair; Private Ryland rises,
and offers the following: "Be it Resolved, that Miss Katherine Burke
McDermott be, and hereby is, elected an honorary member for life in the
Forestburg Rifles, and that we swear to cherish and protect her
forever." That was the gist of it, I believe, and there were other
resolutions regarding the same young lady, which have unfortunately
escaped my memory. But, boys, need I remind you that these resolutions
were adopted unanimously? O, let them bind us still! That broken-hearted
woman in there was once the little golden-haired lass to whom we were so
loyal in the long ago. Shall we not be loyal to-day? It isn't justice,
and it isn't law; but, boys, we've got to save that fellow's life--now,
haven't we?'

"An hour later we entered the court-room. The woman over by the door
looked up with a faint flush on her face. Hope had made it radiant. She
knew that 'The Rifles' would never vote to take her boy's life!

"And she was right.

"We acquitted him.

"The verdict was heard in absolute silence. Then there was a slight stir
in the rear of the room. Nothing, after all; only--a woman had fainted.
It was hot in the court-room that night, and no place for women, anyhow,
as Colonel Ross gruffly remarked at the time.

"But there were tears in his eyes."

VI

REPRESENTATIVE HOLLOWAY HAS THE FLOOR

At the conclusion of Senator Bull's story President Madison was again
requisitioned, and a crap game which was in lively progress in the
dining-car was thus rudely disturbed.

"Tell us, Holloway, about your nomination and election to Congress. Was
it not somewhat in the nature of a surprise?" asked Congressman Van
Rensselaer.

"Very much so. It will hardly make a story, but if you would like to
hear how it happens that the --th District of Illinois is represented in
Congress by a Democrat for the first time in its history, here goes--but
mind you, now, I don't pretend to be in Senator Bull's class as a story
teller.

"It was a piping hot day in August, and Harrisville at its worst.
Whenever a vehicle passed, clouds of dust floated in at the windows and
settled upon my books,