On the 22d of February, Washington’s birthday, she held a reception at their house on River Drive, for which cards had been issued a fortnight previous.  She pathetically explained to the reporters that, had the dimensions and resources of her establishment permitted, she and the Governor would simply have announced themselves at home to the community at large; that they would have preferred this, but of course it would never do.  The people would not be pleased to see a rabble confound the hospitality of the chief magistrate and his wife.  The people demanded proper dignity from their representatives in office.  The list of invitations which Selma sent out was, however, comprehensive.  She aimed to invite everyone of social, public, commercial or political importance.  A full band was in attendance, and a liberal collation was served.  Selma confided to some of her guests, who, she thought, might criticise the absence of wine, that she had felt obliged, out of consideration for her husband’s political prospects, to avoid wounding the feelings of total abstainers.  The entertainment lasted from four to seven, and the three hours of hand-shaking provided a delicious experience to the hostess.  She gloried in the consciousness that this crush of citizens, representing the leaders of the community in the widest sense, had been assembled by her social gift, and that they had come to offer their admiring homage to the clever wife of their Governor.  It gratified her to think that Pauline and Mrs. Taylor and the people of that class, to all of whom she had sent cards, should behold her as the first lady of the State, and mistress of a beautiful home, dispensing hospitality on broad, democratic lines to an admiring constituency.  When Mr. Horace Elton approached, Selma perpetrated a little device which she had planned.  As they were in the act of shaking hands a very handsome rose fell—­seemingly by chance—­from the bouquet which she carried.  He picked it up and tendered it to her, but Selma made him keep it, adding in a lower tone, “It is your due for the gallant friendship you have shown me and my husband.”  She felt as though she were a queen bestowing a guerdon on a favorite minister, and yet a woman rewarding in a woman’s way an admirer’s devotion.  She meant Elton to appreciate that she understood that his interest in Lyons was largely due to his partiality for her.  It seemed to her that she could recognize to this extent his chivalrous conduct without smirching her blameless record as an American housewife.

Meantime the Governor was performing his public duties with becoming dignity and without much mental friction.  The legislature was engaged in digesting the batch of miscellaneous business presented for its consideration, among which was Elton’s gas consolidation bill.  Already the measure had encountered some opposition in committee, but Lyons was led to believe that the bill would be passed by a large majority, and that its opponents would be conciliated before his signature