d. "Hello! Yes, yes! stop ringing. What is it?"

The wire buzzed and purred in the storm. "Hello!" said a voice. "Hello,
there! Is this Mr. Atkins's house?"

"Yes; it is. What do you want?"

"Hey? Is this where the Honorable Heman Atkins lives?"

"Yes, yes, I tell you! This is Mr. Atkins speaking. What do you want?"

"Oh! is that you, Heman? This is Whittaker--Cy Whittaker. Understand?"

Mr. Atkins understood. Yet for an instant he did not reply. He had been
thinking, as he sat by the fire, of certain persons and certain ugly,
though remote, possibilities. Now, from a mysterious somewhere, one of
those persons was speaking to him. The hand holding the receiver shook
momentarily.

"Hello! I say, Heman, do you understand? This is Whittaker talkin'."

"I--er--understand," said the congressman, slowly. "Well, sir?"

"I'm here in Washin'ton."

"I have been informed that you were in the city. Well, sir?"

"Oh! knew I was here, did you? Is that so? Who told you? Tad wrote, I
suppose, hey?"

The congressman did not reply immediately. This man, whom he disliked
more than anyone else in the world, had an irritating faculty of putting
his finger on the truth. And the flippancy in the tone was maddening.
Mr. Atkins was not used to flippancy.

"I believe I am not called upon to disclose my source of information,"
he said with chilling dignity. "It appears to have been trustworthy. I
presume you have 'phoned me concerning the appropriation matter. I do
not recognize your right to intrude in that affair, and I shall decline
to discuss it. Yes, sir. To my people, to those who have a right to
question, I am and shall always be willing to explain my position. Good
night."

"Wait! Hello! Hold on a minute. Don't get mad, Heman. I only wanted to
say just a word. You'll let me say a word, won't you?"

This was more like it. This was more nearly the tone in which Mr. Atkins
was wont to be addressed. It was possible that the man, recognizing the
uselessness of further opposition, desired to surrender.

"I cannot," declared the Honorable, "understand why you should wish to
speak with me. We have very little in common, very little, I'm thankful
to say. However, I will hear you briefly. Go on."

"Much obliged. Well, Heman, I only wanted to say that I thought maybe
you'd better have a little talk with me. I'm here at the hotel, the
Regent. You know where 'tis, I presume likely. I guess you'd better come
right down and see me."