of the North. But no word came to him.

He wired orders to his caretaker at "The Barracks" to investigate at
that end, and returned to the State capital, distracted, baffled, not
knowing what step to take next. The session had not closed for the day
when he arrived at the State House.

Men in the lobby stared at him as he passed. It was evident that tongues
had been busy with his affairs. His grandfather, striding up and down,
tried to intercept him, but he kept on to his seat. All the eyes of the
House were on him. Word of the "Thornton Bill" had gone abroad. Now, in
spite of his mental distress, he remembered his duty.

When he rose to ask the privilege of introducing a bill, interrupting
the order of business, he anticipated objection.

No objection was made.

The opposition did not propose to waste effort on pettifogging
preliminaries.

The bill went in and on its way--and that night the capital buzzed with
the discussion of it.

Harlan Thornton spent half the night at the telegraph-office, his mind
intent on something far from prospective legislation.

But no word came to comfort him--no clew that he could pursue.

Days grew into weeks. He did not attempt search in person. It would have
been vague wandering about the country. He remained to hold up the hands
of Governor Waymouth, finding relish for fight in the rancor that
settled within him.

He and Linton silently faced the gossip that beat about them in regard
to their encounter--and kept away from each other. Theirs was a balanced
account.

And Madeleine Presson somewhat ostentatiously permitted the attentions
of the young Secretary of State!

CHAPTER XXVII

THE EVERLASTING PROBLEM

Day after day, during that session, an old man sat in the executive
chamber of the State House. His face grew as white as his hair. There
were deeper lines in his countenance than mere old age had tooled across
the skin. One after the other the men of the two branches of the
legislature came before him at his summons. He did not entreat of them.
There was no more of that suave political diplomacy in the executive
chamber, after the fashion of the old days of easy rule. This Governor
declared himself to be the mouthpiece of the people of his State. He
showed to the legislators their path toward absolute honesty. He ordered
them to follow it. One or two of the first ones who were called upon the
carpet dared to refuse--attempted to evade. He promptly issued