“The Senator’s pretty busy these days with his naval base matter coming up, isn’t he?”

“Yes; keeps him pretty busy receiving delegations from Altacoola and Gulf City and patting them both on the back,” said Haines.  “Had a man from Gulf City in this morning with some pretty strong arguments.”

The secretary watched Norton keenly to note the effect of this hint in favor of Gulf City.”

“Gulf City!” Norton sneered.  “Shucks!  Who’d put a naval base on a bunch of mud flats?  I reckon those Gulf City fellows are wasting their time.”

“Think so?” suggested Haines.  “Are you absolutely sure?”

Norton started.

“Why, you don’t mean to tell me,” he exclaimed, “that Senator Langdon would vote for Gulf City for the naval base?”

“I don’t mean to tell you anything, Congressman,” was the cool rejoinder.  “It’s not my business.  The Senator’s the one who does the talking.”

An ugly sneer wrinkled the Congressman’s face.

“Well, I’m glad he attends to his own business and doesn’t trust too many people,” he said pointedly.

The secretary smiled in puzzling fashion.

“That’s exactly why I don’t talk, Congressman,” he said pleasantly.  “The Senator doesn’t trust too many people.  If he did, there might be too much money made out of land speculation.  Senator Langdon doesn’t happen to be one of those Senators who care for that kind of thing.”

“I suppose you think you’re pretty strong with the Senator,” ventured the Mississippian.

“Tell you the truth, I haven’t thought very much about it,” replied Haines, “but, if you come right down to it, I guess I am pretty strong.”

“Suppose you’ve influenced him in the naval base business, then.”

Still the secretary smiled, keeping his temper under the adroit attack.

“Well, I think he’d listen to me with considerable interest.”

“But you’re for Altacoola, of course.”

Haines shook his head.

“No, I can’t say that I’m for Altacoola.  Fellow who was in here this morning put up a pretty good argument, to my mind, for Gulf City.  In fact, he made it pretty strong.  Seemed to show it was all to my interest to go in with Gulf City.  Think I’ll have to investigate a little more.  I tell you, Norton,” spoke Haines in a confidential manner, “this land speculation fever is a frightful thing.  While I was talking to this fellow from Gulf City I almost caught it myself.  Probably if I met the head of the Altacoola speculation I might catch the fever from him too.”

“Why don’t you put your money into Gulf City and lose it, then?” replied Norton, nodding his head scornfully.  “That’d be a good lesson for a rising young politician like you.”

Senator Langdon’s secretary peered straight into Norton’s eyes.

“Because, Congressman,” he said, “if I were to put my money in Gulf City perhaps I wouldn’t lose it.”