Dorothy's Tour Part 24

They now ascended the stairs to the second floor to visit the bedrooms.

"Let's go first to the bedroom where Was.h.i.+ngton died," said Mr.

Ludlow. "It is almost exactly as it was when he lived here."

"There is the large four-poster," said Dorothy.

"Yes, dear, and these pillows here on the chairs were worked by Martha Was.h.i.+ngton herself," added Aunt Betty.

They next went to see the room where Martha Was.h.i.+ngton died. It is directly above the one occupied by Was.h.i.+ngton. This is fitted up as nearly as possible as it was when occupied by Martha, but only the corner washstand really belonged to her.

They visited the other bedrooms, noticing the important things of interest in them, and then started back to the city, where they had late luncheon and went out immediately after to visit the White House.

They had very little time left and wanted to get just a glimpse of the President's home.

Everyone is familiar with the appearance of the White House. The grounds consist of some eight acres sloping down to the Potomac. The immediate gardens were early attended to as is shown by the size of the trees.

One park, near the house, known as the white lot, is open to the public, and here, in warm weather, the marine band gives outdoor concerts. Here also is the sloping terrace just behind the White House, that the children of the city gather upon on Easter to roll their colored eggs.

Coming up from Pennsylvania avenue along the semi-circular drive that leads up from the open gates, they entered the stately vestibule through the front portico. The middle upper window from which Lincoln made so many impromptu but memorable addresses during the war was pointed out. The doorkeepers here direct callers upon the President up the broad staircase. They formed the company into one party and conducted them, under their guidance, around the building.

They were taken into the East room, originally designed for a banquet hall, which is used now as a state reception room. It has eight beautiful marble mantels, surmounted by tall mirrors, and large crystal chandeliers from each of the three great panels of the ceiling.

Full length portraits of George and Martha Was.h.i.+ngton are among the pictures on the wall. Every visitor is told that Mrs. Madison cut the former painting from out the frame with a pair of shears to preserve it from the enemy when she fled from the town in 1814. But in her own letters describing her flight she says that Mr. Custis, the nephew of Was.h.i.+ngton, hastened over from Arlington to save the precious portrait and that a servant cut the outer frame with an axe so the canvas could be removed, stretched on the inner frame.

Adjoining the East room is the Green room, named so from the general color scheme which has been traditional. The ceiling is ornamented with an exquisite design in which musical instruments are entwined in a garland with cherubs and flowers.

Next to this, and somewhat larger and oval, is the Blue room. The ornaments here are presents from the French. The mantel clock was a present from Napoleon to Lafayette, and was given by the latter to the United States. The fine vases were presented by the president of the French Republic, on the occasion of the opening of the Franco-American cable. It is here the President stands when holding receptions and ceremonials.

The Red room, west of the Blue room, is square and the same size as the Green parlor. It is more homelike than the others because of its piano and mantel ornaments, abundant furniture and pictures. It is used as a reception room and private parlor by the ladies of the mansion.

In the State dining room at the end of the corridor, elaborate dinners are usually given once or twice a week, during the winter, and they are brilliant affairs. Plants and flowers from the conservatories are supplied in limitless quant.i.ties and the table is laden with a rare display of plate, porcelain and cut gla.s.s. It presents a beautiful appearance and is an effective setting for the elaborate toilets of the ladies and their glittering jewels.

The table service is exceedingly beautiful and is adorned with various representations of the flora and fauna of America. The new set of cut gla.s.s, consisting of five hundred and twenty separate pieces, was made especially for the White House, and on each piece, from the mammoth centerpiece and punch bowl to the tiny salt cellars, is engraved the coat-of-arms of the United States. The table can be made to accommodate as many as fifty-four persons, but the usual number of guests is from thirty to forty.

A door leads into the conservatory, which is always a beauty spot.

Just opposite the state dining room is the private or family dining room.

The offices of the President and his secretaries are on the second floor at the eastern end. The President's room and Cabinet room are in the executive office west of the White House, so the guide told them, and a large force of watchmen including police officers are on duty inside the mansion at all hours, and a continuous patrol is maintained by the local police of the grounds immediately surrounding the mansion.

Thinking they had seen as much as they could safely spare time for, they hurried away back to the hotel, where they all hastily packed the rest of their things and sent them at once to the station. They soon started on their considerable journey, and almost nightly concerts till they should reach Chicago.

CHAPTER XV.

THE LAKE CITY.

About a week later, they arrived one day, late in the afternoon, in Chicago, and at once took a bus from the station to the hotel, the Blackstone. They were to sing at the Auditorium that evening. The concert they gave originally in Was.h.i.+ngton was to be repeated. As all were now familiar with their task, they did not have to practice unless so disposed.

Mr. Ludlow and his a.s.sistant hurried off to the Auditorium to see about decorations and to meet the committee that had charge of selling tickets there.

Mrs. Calvert, Dorothy, and Alfaretta hurried up to their rooms to get their things straightened out. Alfy found, having packed hurriedly that morning, that their dresses were badly wrinkled. She said to Mrs.

Calvert:

"Aunt Betty, what shall I do? My dresses are very much mussed, and I guess Dorothy's are in the same condition."

"I have a little electric iron in my trunk that I always carry with me for just that purpose, when I travel, because one's things are very apt to get wrinkled no matter how much care one takes of them,"

answered Aunt Betty.

"May I have it?" questioned Alfaretta, eagerly, for she was always very fond of ironing, and always was very proud of her skill in that direction, for more than once Ma Babc.o.c.k had praised her by saying even she couldn't have done as well herself. "I would love to iron the things all out nice, and make them look like new."

"Certainly, I will get it for you. You unscrew the electric light bulb and take it out, and then put the small disk in place and screw it tight. Then turn on the current, and place the piece with the wire attached into the socket. Then in a few minutes the iron will be hot enough to use," directed Aunt Betty.

Alfy started off to look for things to press; ribbons, belts, ties, collars and the dresses that they wished to wear that night. These she laid on the bed, and Aunt Betty left her there, as happy and content as she could be in having found some way in which she could be useful.

When Dorothy was all alone at last, she opened a letter that the clerk had given her when she arrived, and read as follows:

DEAR, DEAR GIRL:

I received your postal and letter from Was.h.i.+ngton, but was rather disappointed not to have had another letter from you ere this. But I suppose you have been very busy sight-seeing in all the places you have been, and then you must have given up considerable time to practicing for your concerts.

I know that you have little time while you are traveling about.

I read the accounts of the first concert in the New York papers, and they all referred to it as being a great success. I am very proud of you, dear.

As yet I have heard nothing at all from the detectives concerning your locket and chain, but I have heard of a new detective, a private man. A fellow in the office was telling me about his good work in many cases; it seems that he is a friend of this fellow's. The chap is a nice boy and is under me in my work. His name is Billie Clarke, and he lives uptown in New York. He has invited me up to his home to meet his mother and sister, some time next week. I shall go because it is very lonely here in this big city without you, dear. I miss you, little sweetheart, in a hundred different ways.

Mr. Van Zandt telephoned me and said that he had submitted the proof he had concerning you, to his colleague, who would comment upon it a little later, and would submit it to the London solicitors; and just as soon as I hear anything about the result I will write to you.

I asked him if he had been able to do anything in the line of tracing up little Lem's people, but he said that he couldn't say much as he had just started, and had found but very few traces. So that is something we will still have to hope for, though I am sure he will do his best to solve that mystery.

I like my new work very much indeed. There is a lot to learn, and I spend all my evenings reading up on matters I am not quite strong in, but, in time, I certainly hope to make good.

And, dearest, I hope to save up all I can, against that day when I will surely be the happiest man on earth. You know what day I mean, dear girl.

Mrs. Quarren has been just great to me, and has done everything she could to make my room seem homelike. The meals here are wonderful, and if I keep on eating as much as I have this last week, I shall be fat when you come back here again.

Now, dear, please, please write to me. You know how very lonely I am, and how anxious I am about you. Write and tell me all the news.

I love you, girl, always.

Your own,

JIM

Dorothy read the letter once, and sighed, "Dear, dear Jim," and then she slowly read the letter through again, kissed the signature, blus.h.i.+ng as she did so. She then got up, walked to the writing desk, a pretty little mahogany one, fitted out nicely, selected some paper and started to write. She thought, "I will just write a little note to Jim to thank him for sending me those beautiful American beauty roses that everyone admired. I ought to have done so before." Her letter was as follows:

DEAR JIM: