understand, Senator Stevens,
and I must say I am ashamed to speak of you by the honorable title of
Senator, sir. I will not listen to any person enriching himself at
the Government's expense, and I am your enemy, you, Peabody, and you,
Stevens, beyond recall. You both know you misrepresent me."

Langdon walked over to Stevens and faced him.

"Do you remember, Stevens, Lorimer Hawkslee, back in wartime?"

"Yes," said Stevens, puzzled, "I remember him--a very fine gentleman."

The old planter sneered.

"Yes, a very fine gentleman! You remember he got rich out of contracts
for supplies furnished to the Confederate Government when it wasn't
any too easy for the Confederate Government to pay and when he was
in that Government himself. I never quite thought that the act of a
gentleman, Stevens. It seemed to me to be very like dishonesty.
I refused to speak to Lorimer Hawkslee in the Carroll Hotel at
Vicksburg, and when the people there asked me why I told them. I want
to warn you, Stevens, that I'm likely to meet you some time in the
Carroll Hotel at Vicksburg."

Stevens backed away angrily. "I catch your insinuation, but"--he
received a warning glance from Peabody and broke into a pleasant smile
calculated to deceive the old planter--"this once I will overlook it
because of our old friendship and the old days in Mississippi."

"You are a fine talker, Langdon," said Peabody, coming to Stevens'
rescue, "but I can readily see what you are driving at. You want an
investigation. You think you will catch some of us with what you
reformers call 'the goods,' but forget evidently the entirely simple
facts that your family has invested in Altacoola lands more heavily
probably than any one else among us. You want to raise a scandal, do
you? Well, go on and raise it, but remember that you will have to
explain how it happened that there is $50,000 invested in the name of
your son, and $25,000 in the name of your daughter, Miss Carolina, not
to mention a few thousands put in by the gentleman who, I am given to
understand, is to be your son-in-law, Congressman Norton.

"How about that, Norton?" Peabody asked, turning to the Congressman,
who had followed Stevens.

"I corroborate all you've said," remarked Norton. "I can state
positively that Senator Langdon knew that his money was going into
Altacoola land. I will swear to it if necessary," and he glared
bitterly at Carolina's father, feeling certain that the girl would
cling to