Some of the crowd turned to listen, and the old fellow, hopelessly
puzzled, stroked his beard with a trembling hand, and then, muttering,
"Well, young man, I expect you better excuse me," hurried away and
left the place. The next morning he found the following item tacked to
the tail of the "Legislative Gossip" column of the _Constellation_:


"UNCLE BILLY ROLLINSON HORRIFIED

"Yesterday a curious and amusing story was current among the solons at
the Nagmore Hotel. It seems that the wife of a country member of the
last legislature had been spending the day at the hotel and the wife
of a present member from the country complained to her of the greatly
increased expenditure appertaining to the cost of living in the
Capital City. 'Indeed,' replied the wife of the former member, 'that
is curious. But I suppose my husband is much more economical than
yours, for he brought home $1.500, that he'd saved out of his salary.'
As the salary is only $456, and the gentleman in question did not play
poker, much hilarity was indulged in, and there were conjectures that
the economy referred to concerned his vote upon a certain bill before
the last session, anent which the lobby pushing it were far from
economical. Uncle Billy Rollinson, the Gentleman from Wixinockee,
heard the story, as it passed from mouth to mouth, but he had no
laughter to greet it. Uncle Billy, as every one who comes in contact
with him knows, is as honest as the day is long, and the story grieved
and shocked him. He expressed the utmost horror and consternation, and
requested to be excused from speaking further upon a subject so
repugnant to his feelings. If there were more men of this stamp in
politics, who find corruption revolting instead of amusing, our