invited her to promenade the room on his arm. Mr. Elton
had a low but clear and dispassionate voice, and a concise utterance.
His remarks gave the impression that he could impart more on any subject
if he chose, and that what he said proceeded from a reserve fund of
special, secret knowledge, a little of which he was willing to confide
to his listener. He enlightened Selma in a few words as to a variety of
the people present, accompanying his identification with a phrase or two
of comprehensive personal detail, which had the savor of being unknown
to the world at large.

"The lady we just passed, Mrs. Lyons, is the wife of the junior Senator
from Nevada. Her husband fell in love with her on the stage of a mining
town theatrical troupe. That tall man, with the profuse wavy hair and
prominent nose, is Congressman Ross of Colorado, the owner of one of the
largest cattle ranches in the Far West. It is said that he has never
smoked, never tasted a glass of liquor, and never gambled in his life."

In the course of these remarks Mr. Elton simply stated his interesting
facts without comment. He avoided censorious or satirical allusions to
the people to whom he called Selma's attention. On the contrary, his
observations suggested sympathetically that he desired to point out to
her the interesting personalities of the capital, and that he regarded
the entertainment as an occasion to behold the strong men and women of
the country in their lustre and dignity. As they passed the lady in
pomegranate velvet, Selma said, in her turn, "That is Mrs. Colman, I
believe. Senator Colman's child wife." She added what was in her
thoughts, "I understand that the society people here have taken her up."

"Yes. She has become a conspicuous figure in Washington. I remember her,
Mrs. Lyons, when she was Addie Farr--before she married Congressman
Polsen of Kentucky. She was a dashing looking girl in those days, with
her black eyes and black ringlets. I remember she had a coltish way of
tossing her head. The story is that when she accepted Polsen another
Kentuckian--a young planter--who was in love with her, drank laudanum.
Now, as you say, she is being taken up socially, and her husband, the
Senator, is very proud of her success. After all, if a woman is
ambitious and has tact, what can she ask better than to be the wife of a
United States Senator?" He paused a moment, then, with a gallant
sidelong glance at his companion, resumed in a concise whis