She suddenly thrust Haines' hands from her own and stood staring at him, wondering--wondering if he had guessed. Strangely enough, under the circumstances, the girl was the first to recover and break the awkward silence. "Come to our house to-night, Mr. Haines. There's to be a dinner and a musicale, as you know; but that won't matter. No matter who says no, I promise you that you shall see father. There shall be an explanation." "Thank you, Miss Hope. You don't realize all you've done for me," said Bud, seriously. "It's a wonderful thing to find a girl who believes in a man. You've taught me a 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.