Page:Hawaii's Story by Hawaii's Queen.pdf/397

He said that it was rather late to make the proper arrangements. I requested him to communicate my wish to Governor Perkins. So, at two o’clock of that day he went to the Capitol, was welcomed by Senator Perkins, introduced to the members of the committee, and leaving the matter in their hands, he returned to the hotel.

Almost immediately on his arrival there, Captain Palmer received a despatch saying that it had been agreed between Senator Sherman and Secretary Olney that two seats in the gallery reserved for the diplomatic corps should be assigned to me, and that it was much regretted that I had not applied earlier, when I could have had seats for three, in the place of one attendant. We said nothing about our intentions; and leaving Captain Palmer and Mrs. Nahaolclua in the carriage, I, attended by Mr. Joseph Heleluhe, witnessed the interesting ceremonies.

The storm which burst from the reporters’ gallery when they saw me there will be remembered by those who read any of the newspapers on the day following. As it had been a very gallant act on the part of quite a number of gentlemen, and especially of Secretary Sherman and Secretary Olney, I permitted nothing to be said by my secretaries in answer to the misrepresentations made in the press. But they were not to go unrebuked; for Mr. Sherman’s letter, bearing the date of the very afternoon when my secretary called at the Senate chamber, was given by Mr. Olney to the press without comment, and there was immediate silence on the subject, for with which administration were the critics to find fault?