I did go to him, but the matter seemed to make no headway.

There appeared a hitch somewhere.

It had not crossed my mind that it might be the President himself.

What did the President know or care about foreign appointments?
He said to me on a Saturday when I was introducing a party of Kentucky friends: "Come up to-morrow for luncheon.

Come early, for Rose"-- his sister, for the time being mistress of the White House--"will be at church and we can have an old-fashioned talk-it-out." The next day we passed the forenoon together.