The more he saw of his chief the Senator, the more he honored him, and the more conspicuously the moral grandeur of his character appeared to stand out.  To possess the friendship and the kindly interest of such a man, Washington said in a letter to Louise, was a happy fortune for a young man whose career had been so impeded and so clouded as his.

The weeks drifted by;—­Harry Brierly flirted, danced, added lustre to the brilliant Senatorial receptions, and diligently “buzzed” and “button-holed” Congressmen in the interest of the Columbus River scheme; meantime Senator Dilworthy labored hard in the same interest—­and in others of equal national importance.  Harry wrote frequently to Sellers, and always encouragingly; and from these letters it was easy to see that Harry was a pet with all Washington, and was likely to carry the thing through; that the assistance rendered him by “old Dilworthy” was pretty fair—­pretty fair; “and every little helps, you know,” said Harry.

Washington wrote Sellers officially, now and then.  In one of his letters it appeared that whereas no member of the House committee favored the scheme at first, there was now needed but one more vote to compass a majority report.  Closing sentence: 

     “Providence seems to further our efforts.” 
          (Signed,) “Abner Dilworthy, U. S. S.,
                         per Washington Hawkins, P. S.”

At the end of a week, Washington was able to send the happy news, officially, as usual,—­that the needed vote had been added and the bill favorably reported from the Committee.  Other letters recorded its perils in Committee of the whole, and by and by its victory, by just the skin of its teeth, on third reading and final passage.  Then came letters telling of Mr. Dilworthy’s struggles with a stubborn majority in his own Committee in the Senate; of how these gentlemen succumbed, one by one, till a majority was secured.

Then there was a hiatus.  Washington watched every move on the board, and he was in a good position to do this, for he was clerk of this committee, and also one other.  He received no salary as private secretary, but these two clerkships, procured by his benefactor, paid him an aggregate of twelve dollars a day, without counting the twenty percent extra compensation which would of course be voted to him on the last night of the session.

He saw the bill go into Committee of the whole and struggle for its life again, and finally worry through.  In the fullness of time he noted its second reading, and by and by the day arrived when the grand ordeal came, and it was put upon its final passage.  Washington listened with bated breath to the “Aye!” “No!” “No!” “Aye!” of the voters, for a few dread minutes, and then could bear the suspense no longer.  He ran down from the gallery and hurried home to wait.

At the end of two or three hours the Senator arrived in the bosom of his family, and dinner was waiting.  Washington sprang forward, with the eager question on his lips, and the Senator said: