e."

"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."

The Southerner took a step forward, leaned over and glared angrily at
Haines. His face whitened.

"You don't mean that you could swing Langdon into Gulf City?" he
gasped.

Haines smiled.

"I can't say that, No