at 12:30?"

"If they come?" exclaimed Langdon. "They'll come. Watch 'em."

Then he hesitated, worriedly.

"I'll have to incubate an idea between now and noon, somehow. But
don't forget this, Bud--we're worried about them, true enough, but
they're worried a heap more about us."

Senator Langdon stepped into an adjoining room, where he could be
alone, to "incubate."

As Haines resumed his work Carolina Langdon entered.

Avoiding the secretary's direct gaze, she asked for her father.

"He ought to be back shortly, Miss Langdon," responded Haines. "You
can wait here. I must ask pardon for leaving, as I must run over to
the library."

As the secretary bowed himself out of the door he almost collided with
Congressman Norton. Both glared at each other and remained silent.

"Carolina," spoke Norton, as he entered, "I hope--I know you won't
allow your father to influence you against me--because of last night.
I--"

Carolina would rather not have met Charles Norton on this morning. She
had hardly slept for the night. She had fought a battle with herself.
Her father had shown her plainly the mistake she had made. She saw
that her influence had not been without effect on Randolph. Probably
for the first time she realized that there are glory and luxury,
pleasure and prestige for which too big a price can be paid.

The Senator's daughter turned slowly and faced the man she had
promised to marry.

"Charlie, I have come to a decision. I came here to talk with father
about it."

Norton started toward Carolina, a look of apprehension on his face.
He gathered from the trend of her words and her demeanor that she had
turned against him.

"You couldn't be so cruel, Carolina," he protested.

"Charlie," she went on, determinedly, "I will always cherish our
friendship, our happy younger days down in Mississippi, but, I must
give up thinking of you as my future husband. We've both made a
mistake, mine probably greater than yours, but I now am convinced that
I should not marry you. Your way of thinking about life is all wrong,
and you are too deeply entangled with the dishonest men in Washington
to draw back. I cannot love you."

"But I am doing it all for your sake, Carolina. Don't let an
old-fashioned father come between a man and a woman and their love,"
he cried.

"Charlie, I must give you up."

The girl turned to one side, as though to give Norton a chance to
leave.

He looked at her in silence for a moment or t