“Father, I’ve been out with Mrs. Spangler to look for some other rooms.  I don’t like this hotel, and I found some that I do like.”

Haines turned to see a handsomely gowned young woman who had the stamp of a patrician’s daughter in her bearing and her countenance—­a brunette, with delicate features, though determination shone in her eyes and appeared in the self-contained poise of her head.  She was the imperious type of beauty and suggested to Haines the dry point etchings of Paul Helleu.  He instinctively conceived her to be intensely ambitious, and of this Haines was soon to have unexpected evidence.  Gazing at her with a sense of growing admiration, Haines gave an involuntary start as Senator Langdon spoke.

“My daughter, Miss Carolina Langdon, Mr. Haines,” said the Senator.

Carolina was interested.

“Are you the newspaper man who is interviewing father?  I hope you’ll do a nice one.  We want him to be a successful and popular Senator.  We’d like to help him if we could.”

The correspondent bowed.

“I should say you certainly would help him to be a popular Senator,” he declared, emphatically, failing to notice that Hope Georgia was somewhat annoyed at the enthusiasm displayed over her elder sister.  In fact, Hope Georgia was suffering a partial, if not total, eclipse.

“I’m leaving it to Mr. Haines to put down the things I ought to say,” broke in the Senator.  “He knows.”

“Yes, he knows everything about Washington, Carolina,” exclaimed Hope Georgia, spiritedly.

The older girl spoke eagerly.

“I wish you’d interview me, Mr. Haines.  Ask me how I like Washington.  I feel as though I must tell some one just how much I do like it!  It is too wonderful!”

“I’d like mighty well to interview you, Miss Langdon,” enthusiastically exclaimed Haines.

“I hope you will some time, Mr. Haines,” remarked Carolina, as she said good-by.

Watching her as she turned away, Haines saw her extend a warm greeting to Congressman Charles Norton, who had advanced toward the group.

[Illustration:  “Strange how the Langdons treat him as A friend.”]

“Strange how the Langdons treat him as a friend—­intimate one, too,” he thought.  “What if they should learn of Norton’s questionable operations at the Capitol; of his connection with two unsavory ‘deals,’ one of which resulted in an amendment to the pure food law so that manufacturers of a valueless ‘consumption cure’ could continue to mislead the victims of the ‘white plague’; Norton, who had uttered an epigram now celebrated in the tap-rooms of Washington, ’The paths of glory lead but to the graft.’”

“Miss Langdon is very beautiful and attractive, sir,” said Haines, resuming with the Senator.

“Yes,” drawled the Mississippian.  “Girls in the South generally are.”

“Well, I must be going.  I’ll think about your secretaryship, Senator Langdon.  Perhaps I can find some one.”