e presented to Haines
with a picturesque flourish reminiscent of the pride and chivalry of
the old South. "He has the idea that those New Yorkers who read his
paper would actually like to know something about me."

Hope Georgia stole many glances at the reporter as he talked with her
father. He made a deep impression on her young mind. She had spent
almost all her life on the plantation, her father providing her with
a private tutor instead of sending her to boarding-school, where her
elder sister had been educated. Owing to the death of her mother the
planter had desired to keep Hope Georgia at home for companionship.
This good-looking, clean-cut, well-built young man who was taking
so big and so active a part of the world's work brought to her the
atmosphere that her spirit craved. He gave one an impression of
ability, of earnestness, of sincerity, and she was glad that her
father approved of him.

Hope Georgia, by the same token, did not escape the attention of the
interviewer. Her appealing charm of face and figure was accentuated
by her daintiness and a fleeting suggestion of naivete in poise and
expression when she was amused. His first glance revealed to Haines
that her eyes were gray, the gray that people say indicates the
possessor to have those priceless qualities--the qualities that make
the sweetest women true, that make the maiden's eyes in truth the
windows of her soul, the qualities that make women womanly.

She sat close to her father, her hand in his, listening intently to
the unfolding of a story of what to her was a mysterious world--the
man's world, the strong man's world--which many a woman would give her
all to enter and play a part therein.

"What else have you against a political career, Mr. Haines?" went on
the Senator, taking up their conversation.

"Well, my age, for one thing. I haven't any gray hairs."

Langdon waved this objection aside.

"I might arrange to pool ages with you. Sometimes I think we want
young men in politics, like you."

The reporter shook his head.

"Old in age and young in politics, like you, Senator Langdon," he
replied. "Politics I sometimes think is pure hypocrisy and sometimes
something worse. A man gets disgusted with the trickery and dishonesty
and corruption."

"Then," drawled Langdon, "the thing to do is to jump in and stop it! I
read in the newspapers a great deal about corruption. The gentlemen
in national politics whom I have had the honor of knowi