d?" demanded Ryder
sternly.

"Yes, with five votes to spare," answered the senator.

"That's not enough," insisted Ryder. "There must be at least
twenty. Let there be no blunders, Roberts. The man is a menace to
all the big commercial interests. This thing must go through."

The door opened and Jefferson appeared. On seeing the senator
talking with his father, he hesitated on the threshold.

"Come in, Jeff," said his father pleasantly. "You expected to see
Senator Roberts, didn't you?"

"Yes, sir. How do you do, Senator?" said the young man, advancing
into the room.

"I got your letter, my boy, and here I am," said the senator
smiling affably. "I suppose we can guess what the business is,
eh?"

"That he's going to marry Kate, of course," chimed in Ryder Sr.
"Jeff, my lad, I'm glad you are beginning to see my way of looking
at things. You're doing more to please me lately, and I appreciate
it. You stayed at home when I asked you to, and now you've made up
your mind regarding this marriage."

Jefferson let his father finish his speech, and then he said
calmly:

"I think there must be some misapprehension as to the reason for
my summoning Senator Roberts to New York. It had nothing to do
with my marrying Miss Roberts, but to prevent her marriage with
someone else."

"What!" exclaimed Ryder, Sr.

"Marriage with someone else?" echoed the senator. He thought he
had not heard aright, yet at the same time he had grave
misgivings. "What do you mean, sir?"

Taking from his pocket a copy of the letter he had picked up on
the staircase, Jefferson held it out to the girl's father.

"Your daughter is preparing to run away with my father's
secretary. To-morrow would have been too late. That is why I
summoned you. Read this."

The senator took the letter, and as he read his face grew ashen
and his hand trembled violently. At one blow all his ambitious
projects for his daughter had been swept away. The inconsiderate
act of a silly, thoughtless girl had spoiled the carefully laid
plans of a lifetime. The only consolation which remained was that
the calamity might have been still more serious. This timely
warning had saved his family from perhaps an even greater scandal.
He passed the letter in silence to Ryder, Sr.

The financier was a man of few words when the situation called for
prompt action. After he had read the letter through, there was an
ominous silence. Then he rang a bell. The butler appeared.

"Tell M