Norine made her preparations, and found time enough to write to Conway, telling him that they were going away to be gone a week or ten days. And shortly afterward the brother and sister set out on their unexpected journey. They were in a hurry, but not enough so as to make the journey fatiguing. So it was the evening of the third day thereafter when they arrived at the city of sand and sawdust, and were driven to the hotel. Immediately after they arrived, Jim hunted up Mr. Coleman, and introduced himself. “I am glad to see you,” said Peter heartily. He knew this young man was rich, and his business might be worth getting. “You are just in time,” he went on, shaking Jim’s hand with vigor. “We are going to give a little reception to-night to our congressman-elect. I will be glad to introduce you.” “I am very sorry,” replied Jim politely; “but my sister is with me, and I should not care to leave her alone.” “Not necessary,” said Peter. “Elwell--that’s our congressman’s name--is going to speak from the hotel veranda, so you need not leave the house. I will secure a good place for your sister.” And Peter bustled off to do as he said, while Jim returned to their rooms. He was not greatly interested in this congressman-elect; at least, not until after supper. So they had that meal sent to their rooms to avoid the crowd, and dawdled so long over it that the speaker had commenced his oration before they had finished. A boy came to the door. “If you please,” he said, “Mr. Coleman sent me to say that a chair was reserved for Miss Darling.” So Jim took her into a big room at the front of the house, where a number of ladies were sitting, and after introducing her to Mr. Coleman, left her in his charge and went downstairs for a smoke. The room was a large one, having three windows, all open, for the veranda from which the orator spoke was directly in front of these windows, and the ladies were expected to see and hear all they could through them. They could hear well enough; but as the windows were very low, their seeing was confined to the orator’s trousers, with an occasional glimpse of his shoes. After being seated, Norine looked calmly around her. Directly in front of her were seated a pale, overdressed woman, and a fat jolly-looking old man. Some one said that this was the congressman’s wife and her father. Norine made mental comment, woman-like, on her taste in the matter of dress, and then sat back in her chair and listened. What was there in that man’s voice that made it sound so strangely familiar? Surely she had never met him. The sound was changed somewhat by his being out of doors, and speaking with his back to the window; but there was something in the cadence that haunted her. She tired of wondering about it after a while, and thought she would return to her room; but on looking around, she discovered that she was completely hemmed in, so she stayed perforce.