lot, Miss Hope. Thank you."

"Good-by, Mr. Haines. Come to-night," she said, as she turned and
hurried away.

Bud Haines stood looking after her, thoughtfully.

"What a stunning girl she is! I've seemed to overlook her, with the
rush of events--and Carolina," he murmured, softly. "We never were
such very great friends, yet she believes in me. What a beauty she
is!"

A messenger boy broke in on his musings with a letter for Senator
Langdon marked "Important."

"Guess I'm secretary enough yet to answer this," he thought, tearing
it open.

"Great heavens!" he exclaimed as he read it. "Here's the chance to get
to the bottom of this Altacoola proposition. It's from Peabody."

Haines read the following:

"DEAR SENATOR LANGDON: I am going to Philadelphia to-night. Urgent
call from a company for which I am counsel, so I probably won't be
able to confer with you regarding the committee's choice for the naval
base. But I know you are for Altacoola and trust to you to do all
you can for that site. I, of course, consider the matter definitely
settled."

* * * * *

"This situation will enable Langdon to bluff Peabody and draw out of
him all the inside of the Altacoola business--ought to, anyway. Guess
some Gulf City talk will smoke him out."

Haines rushed out and across the hall, to reappear literally hauling
in a stenographer by the scruff of the neck. "Here, you, take this
dictation--record time," he cried:

"SENATOR HORATIO PEABODY, Louis Napoleon Hotel: You are going to
Philadelphia to-night, I know, leaving the report on the naval
base to me. I have just come on various aspects of the situation
which make me incline very favorably toward Gulf City. I am
looking into the matter and, of course, shall act according to
my best judgment. That is what you will want me to do, I know.
Sincerely yours,

"WILLIAM H. LANGDON."

"I don't think Senator Peabody will go to Philadelphia to-night,"
laughed Haines grimly, as he addressed the envelope, "and I think that
when the 'boss of the Senate' hurries around to the Langdon house
instead there will be more than one kind of music, more than one kind
of food eaten--perhaps crow--before the evening is over."

Seizing his hat, Bud rushed to the door to look up a messenger.

"It's all in Langdon's hands now," he cried. "Here's where I resign my
position as United States Senator."

CHAPTER XVII

THE CO