CHAPTER XIV, HEART SECRETS TOLD IN A WALK TO THE WHITE HOUSE H AVING an important matter to take up with President Roosevelt, I went down to Washington Saturday afternoon, June the 9th, 1906. In communicating with Mr. Loeb, the President's able secretary, with reference to an appointment on Monday, I said to him: "Will the President attend church Sunday morning?" The secretary answered: "I presume so; he nearly always does. Let me see now, there may be doubt about his attending the service. He turned his ankle and the sprain is pretty severe; it may prevent his going to church. You know which one he attends, do you not? The Grace German Reformed Church on 15th and O Streets, N. W. If you have no appointment of your own to preach in the city, it might be well to worship at the President's church. If he should be able to get there I am sure he would be glad to see you." I was on hand seasonably. At three minutes to eleven an usher said: "He is always here by this time; he is not coming to-day.' "Yes, he is, all the same," answered another. "There he comes yonder, and he is walking to beat the band." Sure enough, there he was, the robust man in pepper and salt suit made in business fashion, wearing a stove-pipe hat, throwing his arms and pushing and pulling his wounded leg with a perceptible limp at a rapid gait. Buttoning up my Sunday coat nicely, I said to myself, "I will fool him," and started down the street, keeping my eyes away from him, thinking I could get past him without recognition. But no, when I had gotten about twenty feet away from him, he cried out: "My dear Dr. Iglehart, what are you doing here in Washington? Where are you going to preach? I am on my way to my church, but I will follow you anywhere to hear you preach." I said: "I do not preach anywhere this morning. "What brought you down?" "You," I answered. "I have come down on purpose to see you. "That was lovely in you to do that. I do not know any one in America I would rather see this day than you. Just turn around and go back with me to church and after the service we will walk back to the White House. Tomorrow I have appointments with admirals, generals, Congressmen, Senators, etc., and we will be to ourselves, and we will have a bully visit together." On entering the church two surprises met mefirst, the smallness of the audience room, having capacity for not more than five or six hundred; and second, the appearance of the congregation, having so few evidences of wealth or social pretense. The surprise in neither instance was a disappointment, for the audience room was new and neat and beautiful, and the congregation was of the common people with |