d to answer a few letters. There was an old one
from Polly Widdicombe. She read it again. It contained the usual
invitation to come back to reason and Washington.

Just for something positive to do she resolved to go. There was a
tonic in the mere act of decision. She wrote a letter. She felt that
she could not wait so long as its answer would require. She resolved
to send a telegram.

This meant hustling out into the cold again, but it was something to
do, somewhere to go, some excuse for a hope.

Polly telegraphed:

Come without fail dying to see you bring along a scuttle of coal
if you can.

Mamise showed Davidge the telegram. He was very plucky about letting
her go. For her sake he was so glad that he concealed his own
loneliness. That made her underestimate it. He confirmed her belief
that he was glad to be rid of her by making a lark of her departure.
He filled an old suit-case with coal and insisted on her taking it.
The porter who lugged it along the platform at Washington gave Mamise
a curious look. He supposed that this was one of those suit-cases full
of bottled goods that were coming into Washington in such multitudes
since the town had been decreed absolutely dry. He shook it and was
surprised when he failed to hear the glug-glug of liquor.

But Polly welcomed the suit-case as if it had been full of that other
form of carbon which women wear in rings and necklaces. The whole
country was underheated. To the wheatless, meatless, sweetless days
there were added the heatless months. Major Widdicombe took his
breakfasts standing up in his overcoat. Polly and Mamise had theirs in
bed, and the maids that brought it wore their heaviest clothes.

There were long lines of petitioners all day at the offices of the
Fuel Administration. But it did little good. All the shops and
theaters were kept shut on Mondays. Country clubs were closed. Every
device to save a lump of coal was put into legal effect so that the
necessary war factories might run and the ships go over the sea. Soon
there would be gasoleneless Sundays by request, and all the people
would obey. Bills of fare at home and at hotel would be regulated by
law. Restaurants would be fined for serving more than one meat to one
person. Grocers would be fined for selling too much sugar to a family.
Placards, great billboards, and all the newspapers were filled with
counsels to save, save, save, and buy, buy, buy Bonds, Bonds, Bonds.
People grew depresse