After a moment of silence his clouded face cleared.

“Mrs. Spangler,” he began, “your announcement to-day I have considered to be—­”

“Premature,” she suggested.

The maid returned.

“Mr. Wall says Senator Langdon is wanted at once at the Capitol.”

“Great heavens!” exclaimed Langdon, springing to his feet and glancing at the clock.  “I’m late!  I’m late!  I hope to God I’m not too late!”

“Mr. Wall says a carriage is coming for Senator Langdon,” concluded the maid.

“We must talk this matter over some other time, Mrs. Spangler,” the Mississippian cried, as he sent a servant for his hat and coat.  “I hope that carriage hurries, else I’ll try it on the run for the Capitol!”

“It’s a half hour away on foot,” said Mrs. Spangler.  “Better wait.  You’ll save time.”

But to herself she muttered, as though mystified: 

“I wonder why Peabody changed his mind so suddenly?  Why should he now want the old fool at the Capitol?”

The rumble of wheels was heard outside.

“Hurry, father!” cried Hope Georgia.

The Senator hurried down the stone steps of Mrs. Spangler’s residence as rapidly as his weight and the excitement under which he labored would permit.  Opening the coach door, he plunged inside—­to come face to face with Bud Haines, who had huddled down in a corner to avoid observance from the Spangler windows.  The driver started his horses off on a run.

Struggling to regain his breath, the Senator cried: 

“Well, what are—­”

“Never mind now.  But first gather in all I say, Senator, as we’ve no time to lose.  When I couldn’t locate you and I saw you probably wouldn’t be at the Senate chamber in time to make your speech on the naval base bill, I persuaded Senator Milbank of Arkansas to rise and make a speech on the currency question, which subject was in order.  He was under obligation to me for some important information I once obtained for him, and he consented to keep the floor until you arrived, though he knew he would earn the vengeance of Peabody.  That was over an hour and a half ago.  He must be reading quotations from ‘Pilgrim’s Progress’ to the Senate by now to keep the floor.”

Bud paused to look at his watch.

The Senator stretched his head out of the window and cried:  “Drive faster!”

“Got your speech all right?” called Bud above the din of the rattling wheels.

“Yes, here,” was the response, the Senator tapping his inner breast pocket.

“Thought maybe she—­” cried Bud, jerking his head back in the direction from which they had come.

The Mississippian shook his head negatively, and set his jaws determinedly.

The coach swung up to the Capitol entrance.

“Tell me,” asked Langdon, as both jumped out, “how did you find out that—­”

“I ’phoned the house—­gave a name Peabody uses—­”