de
their way toward the desk. But Isaac D. Worthington and his friends had
disappeared.

A few minutes later the distinguished-looking senator with whom Jethro
had been in conversation before supper entered the hotel. He seemed
preoccupied, and heedless of the salutations he received; but when he
caught sight of Jethro he crossed the corridor rapidly and sat down
beside him. Jethro did not move. The corridor was deserted now, save for
the two.

"Bass," began the senator, "what's the row up in your state?"

"H-haven't heard of any row," said Jethro.

"What did you come to Washington for?" demanded the senator, somewhat
sharply.

"Er--vacation," said Jethro, "vacation--to show my gal, Cynthy, the
capital."

"Now see here, Bass," said the senator, "I don't forget what happened in
'70. I don't object to wading through a swarm of bees to get a little
honey for a friend, but I think I'm entitled to know why he wants it."

"G-got the honey?" asked Jethro.

The senator took off his hat and wiped his brow, and then he stole a look
at Jethro, with apparently barren results.

"Jethro," he said, "people say you run that state of yours right up to
the handle. What's all this trouble about a two-for-a-cent
postmastership?"

"H-haven't heard of any trouble," said Jethro.

"Well, there is trouble," said the senator, losing patience at last. "When
I told Grant you were here and mentioned that little Brampton matter to
him,--it didn't seem much to me,--the bees began to fly pretty thick, I
can tell you. I saw right away that somebody had been stirring 'em up. It
looks to me, Jethro," said the senator gravely, "it looks to me as if you
had something of a rebellion on your hands."

"W-what'd Grant say?" Jethro inquired.

"Well, he didn't say a great deal--he isn't much of a talker, you know,
but what he did say was to the point. It seems that your man, Prescott,
doesn't come from Brampton, in the first place, and Grant says that while
he likes soldiers, he hasn't any use for the kind that want to lie down
and make the government support 'em. I'll tell you what I found out.
Worthington and Duncan wired the President this morning, and they've gone
up to the White House now. They've got a lot of railroad interests back
of them, and they've taken your friend Sutton into camp; but I managed to
get the President to promise not to do anything until he saw you tomorrow
afternoon at two."

Jethro sat silent so long that the senat