CHAPTER XXIV.

A sabbath in Washington city, especially the last sabbath before the organization of congress, is a rare day. No where in the world is there more eager and busy restlessness displayed. There you see and hear the quick walk; the ringing for servants; the anxious inquiry; the running up and down stairs; the "See if No.- is in ?" There you have the corner interview; the gathering of clubs and knots in close, mysterious confab; the silent, knowing hint; the half laughing wink and quizzical squint of the professed wise-acre; the broad wonderment of the uninitiated, and the vacant stare of the listless loafer who comes to look around, not caring what is to be done or who is to be seen.

Mr. Plunket rushes in and out repeatedly; inquires something of every member; dashes up stairs with mysterious haste; returns and goes out rapping his cane against the marble floor, so that it rings again.

Mr. Clodhead enters, and with slow and dignified movement, perambulates every recess of the ample halls, the lounging and reading rooms, bowing gracefully as he passes, to every acquaintance; giving his ear to a dozen at a time; laughs loud and triumphantly, as if his election was a fixed fact, and throws himself back in his boots a considerable distance.

Pustleponch waddles through the crowd, puffing

and slobbering, twirling the steel watch-key that hangs at the end of a rattling gold chain; trying to bow to his friends, but finding it quite difficult to effect it gracefully, his back-bone being decidedly stiff, with an uncontrolable inclination to jerk his head backwards. But his affability knows no bounds, albeit his hilarity is a little subdued and constrained.

Blunderbuss and Jump-up are seen sometimes arm in arm, in private, earnest conversation, each of them exhibiting a thoughtful, impatient and uneasy countenance, as if they were about to slide down that slippery hill of ambition, which they had just begun most eagerly to climb.

Col. Rampant whistles through the rooms, the very picture of intellectual abstraction, looking down upon the floor and coming in contact with every body, but jumping out of the way with the utmost agility-for to admit the fact, he had great elasticity of body and spryness of foot. There was never a cat that could spring more lightly, or a Frenchman that could cut the pigeon-wing more gracefully.

Mr. Wiregrass, gallanted by the letter-writer of the New York, who had been puffing him, lounged leisurely along, as if interchanging opinions as to the subject of the next communication to the and whether it would not be best that something should be said, by which the candidate from the west could be let down, as having gracefully and magnanimously retired from the contest in

favor of Mr. Clodhead; for, notwithstanding the energy of Belvedere's friends, the figures of the outsiders and of the best informed, under all probable contingencies, augured the election of Mr. Plunket's bull-dog.

"Lend me twenty, Wiregrass, I have immediate use for it," said this imp of the press.

"Certainly, with the greatest pleasure," said the imperturbable Mr. Wiregrass. "Be a little cautious how you phrase your article," continued the politician, as the letter-writer was about to dodge off.

"Old enough for that!" said the latter; and these two individuals separated.

But the church bells are ringing! Who cares for that? Certainly not those gentlemen in the corner who are just staking a bet of five hundred dollars on Clodhead's election! "Yes sir, I'll double the bet; Clodhead against the field! Your Belvederes can't come it this time."

But the church bells are ringing! Who would suppose that it was the signal for a squad of politicians to meet at the rooms of Col. Blunderbuss, gravely to discuss the propriety of that gentleman hanging on as a candidate for speaker! Yet such is the fact; they were to meet at eleven, and for fear that some should forget the time, the ringing of the church bells was to be the remembrancer.

The church bells are ringing. Sterling descends. from his room, leading by the hand a beautiful boy, elegantly dressed, with a little cloak that Raleigh

might have envied, thrown over his shoulders, and a delicate neck-muff of dark fur around his white throat, partly hiding the sky blue ribbon that fastened his shirt collar. They pass through the busy, restless, active throng, without noticing any body, and finding their way to the front door, get into a hack and are driven off to church. Lily had an Episcopal prayer book in her hand; and as they rode towards the church, she turned over the leaves with a perfect knowledge of the pages which embraced the service for that day.

Sterling observed, as he rode round the corner of his hotel, Clodhead, Blunderbuss and Jump-up, standing together in earnest conversation. The truth is, the ever watchful and sagacious Clodhead had received some hints of the probable defection of these gentlemen; and he was just now taking them through a regular drill, giving them to understand that the Democratic party would acknowledge no man who would refuse to go into caucus and to abide the result. These gentlemen were beginning to show signs of penitence. They thought that Belvedere's chances were gone; and, as their only object was position, they were mutually seized with intense regret that they had ever thought of doing anything outside of regular partisan discipline.

Clodhead had his game fully planned. He felt the importance of the votes of these two men; he was keen enough to know that he would be hard run. He played the imperious (and no man could do it better) with these quasi deserters; and when he

had drubbed them into a sense of their duty to their party, he left them to the more plastic hands of Plunket and others who were on the watch, and who elbowed them off immediately; and without compromising their chief, or speaking in his name, pledged themselves both to Blunderbuss and Jump-up that they should have certain positions on certain committees provided they supported Clodhead-for with their support his election would be sure. This last appeal was irresistible, and overturned, at once, all that the friends of Belvedere had done towards securing the support of these two individuals.

"You can make a good thing out of this, Jump-up," said Plunket," and there's no use hanging off. You are as poor as h―l, any how, and it's not worth while to deny it. And when a fellow has a chance to do something for himself, why, I say, let him do it."

This was very true, but it came like a cold shower upon Johnny's feathers. His comb was cut; the idea that he should have, at last, to take the advice of Plunket, and even to except of it as a friendship with a sneer into the bargain, was perfectly shocking to him. But, then, it was much more shockingthe idea of losing a good position and the chance of making a good thing out of it.

Not to prolong the expectation of the reader in reference to the election, it is only necessary to say that the effect of the work done on Sunday night was so powerful upon the defected, that there was an easy triumph for Clodhead; and he was elected speaker on the second ballot, by a few votes over