“Certainly,” interrupted Haines, “but—­”

“And, there being a vacancy on the committee on naval affairs,” continued Stevens, whose dignity was offended by the reporter’s interruption, “the friends of Senator Langdon are working to have him appointed on that committee, because he comes from the State where the naval base will be located and will, like myself, be more familiar with the availability of the various sites suggested than a man from another State.”

Haines nodded.

“Yes, of course.  What town’s going to get it, Senator?”

Senator Stevens paused judiciously.

“Well,” he said, “Altacoola and Gulf City are the chief candidates.  I suppose you had better talk to Langdon about it.”

The reporter smiled.

“That’s just what I came for, Senator, but I have to go up to the War Department now.  When Senator Langdon comes will you be kind enough to tell him I want to interview him?”

Stevens bowed cordially.

“Indeed I shall.  I’ll tell him he’s in luck to have the smartest young man in Washington on the job.”

“All right,” laughed Bud, “only don’t make it so strong that he won’t recognize me when he sees me.  Good-day.”  And he hurried away to keep a belated appointment.

“Clever boy,” said Stevens as the newspaper man disappeared.

The boss of the Senate agreed.

“Yes, only I’m not sure it’s a good thing for a newspaper man to be too clever.  Spoils his usefulness.  Makes him ask too many confounded questions.”

Stevens acquiesced, for it would never do to disagree with the boss.

“It’s very kind of you, Senator,” he began, changing the subject, “to come with me to welcome the new Senator from my State, my old friend and colleague.”

An inscrutable smile—­a smile, yet a cold one—­accompanied Peabody’s answer.

“I have always found, Stevens,” he said, “that a little attention like this to a new man is never wasted, and I make it a rule not to overlook opportunities.”

Again the senior Senator from Mississippi acquiesced, and he laughed heartily at Peabody’s keen insight into human nature.

“I think you’ll like Langdon,” Stevens remarked after a pause, “and you’ll find him easy to deal with.  Just put up any measure for the benefit of the South and Langdon will go the limit on it.  Even a Republican majority doesn’t mind a little Democratic support, you know.  I think he’s just the man you can use in this gulf naval base bill.”

“You can swing him?” asked Peabody, sharply.

Stevens drew closer to Peabody.

“I elected him, and he knows it,” he chuckled.

The boss nodded.

“And it’s likely that a man like Langdon, new to politics—­a simple gentleman of the old school, as you describe him—­might have considerable influence on opinion throughout the country.”

Langdon’s colleague grasped the arm of the senatorial dictator.