A Gentleman from Mississippi - Thomas A. Wise
"I know how to stop those rumors, for I'm sure it's Peabody's work, he
thinking Langdon will hear the talk and mistrust me," began Haines,
when in came Senator Langdon himself, his face beaming contentedly.
Little did the junior Senator from Mississippi realize that he was
soon to face the severest trial, the most vital crisis, of his entire
life.
Cullen responded to the Senator's cheery greeting of "Mornin',
everybody!"
"Senator," he asked, "my paper wants your opinion on the question of
the election of Senators by popular vote. Do you think the system of
electing Senators by vote of State Legislatures should be abolished?"
The Mississippian cocked his head to one side.
"I reckon that's a question that concerns future Senators, and not
those already elected," he chuckled.
Haines laughed at Cullen, who thrust his pad into his pocket and
hurried away.
"It is to-day that I appear before the ways and means committee, isn't
it?" Langdon queried of his secretary.
"Yes," said Haines, consulting his memorandum book. "At 11 o'clock you
go before ways and means to put forward the needs of your State on
the matter of the reduction of the tariff on aluminium hydrates. The
people of Mississippi believe it has actually put back life into the
exhausted cotton lands. In Virginia they hope to use it on the tobacco
fields."
"Where does the pesky stuff come from?" asked the Senator.
"From South America," coached the secretary. "The South is in a hurry
for it, so the duty must come down. You'll have to bluff a
bit, because Peabody and his crowd will try to make a kind of
bargain--wanting you to keep up iron and steel duties. But you don't
believe that iron and steel need help, you will tell them, don't you
see, so that they will feel the necessity of giving you what you want
for the South in order to gain your support for the iron and steel
demands."
The office door opened and Senator Peabody appeared.
"Peabody," whispered the secretary.
Instantly the Mississippian had his cue. His back to Peabody, he
rose, brought down his fist heavily upon the desk, and expounded
oratorically to Haines:
"What we can produce of aluminium hydrates, my boy, is problematical,
but the South is in a hurry for it, and the duty must come down. It's
got to come down, and I'm not going to do anything else until it
does."
The secretary stretched across the desk.
"Excuse me, Senator; Senator Peabody is here," he said, loudly and
surprisedly, as though he had just sighted the boss of the Senate.
The Mississippian turned.
"Oh, good-morning, Senator. I was just talking with my secretary about
that hydrate clause."
Peabody bowed slightly.
"Yes, I knew it was coming up," he said, "so I just dropped over.
I'm not opposed to it or any Southern measure; but it makes it more
difficult for me when you Southern people oppose certain Pittsburg
interests that I have to take care of."
Langdon smiled.
"I've never been in Pittsburg, but they tell me it looks as if it
could take care of itself."
The visitor shrugged his shoulders.
"That's true enough; but give and take is the rule in political
matters, Langdon."
This remark brought a frown to Langdon's face.
"I don't like bargaining between gentlemen, Peabody. More important
still, I don't believe American politics has to be run on that plan.
Why can't we change a lot of things now that we are here?"
Langdon became so enthused that he paced up and down the room as he
spoke.
"Peabody, you and Stevens and I," continued Langdon, "could get our
friends together and right now start to make this great capital of our
great country the place of the 'square deal,' the place where give and
take, bargain and sale, are unknown. We could start a movement that
would drive out all secret influences--"
The secretary noticed Peabody's involuntary start.
"The newspapers would help us," went on Langdon. "Public opinion would
be with us, and both houses of Congress would have to join in the work
if we went out in front, led the way and showed them their plain duty.
And I tell you, Senator Peabody, that the principles that gave birth
to this country, the principles of truth, honesty, justice and
independence, would rule in Washington--"
"If Washington cared anything about them, Langdon," interjected the
Pennsylvanian.
"That's my point," cried the Mississippian--"let us teach Washington
to care about them!"
"Langdon, Langdon," said Peabody, patronizingly, "you've seized on a
bigger task than you know. After you reform Washington you will have
to go on and reform human nature, human instincts, every human being
in the country, if you want to make politics this angelic thing you
describe. It isn't politics, it's humanity, that's wrong," waving
aside a protest from Langdon.
"Anyway, your idea is not constitutional, Langdon," continued Peabody.
"You want everybody to have a share in the national government. That
wouldn't meet the theory of centralization woven into our political
system by its founders. They intended that our Government should be
controlled by a limited number of representatives, so that authority
can be fixed and responsibility ascertained."
"You distort my meaning!" cried Langdon. "And, Senator, I would like
to ask why so many high-priced constitutional lawyers who enter
Congress spend so much time in placing the Constitution of the United
States between themselves and their duty, sir, between the people and
their Government, sir, between the nation and its destiny? I want to
know if in your opinion the Constitution was designed to throttle
expression of the public will?"
"Of course not. That's the reason you and I, Langdon, and the others
are elected to the Senate," added Peabody, starting to leave. Then he
halted. "By the way, Senator," he said, "I'll do my best to arrange
what you want regarding aluminium hydrates for the sake of the South,
and I'll also stand with you for Altacoola for the naval base. Our
committee is to make its report to-morrow."
Langdon observed the penetrating gaze that Peabody had fixed on him.
It seemed to betray that the Pennsylvanian's apparently careless
manner was assumed.
"H'm!" coughed Langdon, glancing at Haines. "I'm not absolutely
committed to Altacoola until I'm sure it's the best place. I'll make
up my mind to-day definitely, and I _think_ it will be for Altacoola."
The boss of the Senate went out, glaring venomously at Haines,
slamming the door.
A moment later a page boy brought in a card. "Colonel J.D. Telfer,
Gulf City," read the Senator.
"Bud," he remarked to the secretary, "I'm going to send my old
acquaintance, Telfer, Mayor of Gulf City, in here for you to talk to.
He'll want to know about his town's chances for being chosen as the
naval base. I must hurry away, as I have an appointment with my
daughters and Mrs. Spangler before going before ways and means."
[Illustration: THE SENATOR ACCEPTS AN INVITATION TO TEA.]
CHAPTER XI
ON THE TRAIL OF THE "INSIDERS"
Colonel J.D. Telfer (J.D. standing for Jefferson Davis, he explained
proudly to Haines) proved a warm advocate of the doubtful merits of
Gulf City as a hundred-million-dollar naval base. His flushed face
grew redder, his long white hair became disordered, and he tugged at
his white mustache continually as he waxed warmer in his efforts to
impress the Senator's secretary.
"I tell you, Mr. Haines, Gulf City, sah, leads all the South when it
comes to choosin' ground fo' a naval base. Her vast expanse of crystal
sea, her miles upon miles of silvah sands, sah, protected by a natural
harbor and th' islands of Mississippi Sound, make her th' only spot
to be considered. She's God's own choice and the people's, too, for a
naval base."
"But, unfortunately, Congress also has something to say about choosing
it," spoke Haines.
"To be shuah they do," said Gulf City's Mayor, "but--"
"And there was a man here from Altacoola yesterday," again interrupted
the secretary, "who said that Gulf City was fit only to be the State
refuge for aged and indigent frogs."
"Say, they ain't a man in Altacoola wot can speak th' truth,"
indignantly shrieked the old Colonel, almost losing control of
himself; "because their heads is always a-buzzin' and a-hummin' from
th' quinine they have to take to keep th' fever away, sah!"
The Mayor sat directly in front of Haines, at the opposite side of his
desk. Regaining his composure, he suddenly leaned forward and half
whispered to the secretary:
"Mah young friend, don't let Senator Langdon get switched away from
Gulf City by them cheap skates from Altacoola. Now, if you'll get th'
Senator to vote fo' Gulf City we'll see--I'll see, sah, as an officer
of th' Gulf City Lan' Company--that you get taken ca-ah of."
Haines' eyes opened wide.
"Go on, Colonel; go on with your offer," he said.
"Well, I'll see that a block of stock, sah--a big block--is set
aside fo' Senator Langdon an' another fo' you, too. We've made this
ah-rangomont else-wheah. We'll outbid Altacoola overall time. They're
po' sports an' hate to give up."
"So Altacoola is bidding, too?" excitedly asked Haines.
"Why, of co'se it is. Ah yo' as blind as that o' ah yo' foolin' with
me?" questioned Telfer, suspiciously. "Seems to me yo' ought to know
more about that end of it than a fellah clear from th' gulf."
"Certainly, certainly," mumbled Haines, impatiently, as he endeavored
to associate coherently, intelligently, in his mind those startling
new revelations of Telfer with certain incidents he had previously
noted in the operations of the committee on naval affairs.
Then he looked across at the Mayor and smiled. Apparently he had heard
nothing to amaze him.
"Colonel," he returned calmly, dropping into a voice that sounded of
pity for the gray hairs of the lobbyist, "about fifty men a day come
to me with propositions like that. There is nothing doing, Colonel. I
couldn't possibly interest Senator Langdon, because he has the faculty
of judging for himself, and he would be prejudiced against either town
that came out with such, a proposition."
"Lan' speculation is legitimate," protested, the Colonel, cunningly.
Haines agreed.
"Certainly--by outsiders. But it's d--d thievery when engaged in by
any one connected with putting a bill through. If I were to tell
Senator Langdon what you have told me it would decide him unalterably
in favor of Altacoola. Senator Langdon, sir, is one of the few men in
Washington who would rather be thought a fool than a grafter if it
came down to that."
The Mayor of Gulf City jumped to his feet, his face blazing in rage,
not in shame.
"Seems to me yo're mighty fresh, young man," he blustered. "What kind
of politics is Langdon playin'?"
"Not fresh, Colonel; only friendly. I'm just tipping you off how not
to be a friend to Altacoola. As to his politics, the Senator will
answer you himself."
A scornful laugh accompanied Telfer's reply.
"Altacoola, huh! I reckon yo' must be a fool, after all. Why,
everybody knows of the speculatin' in land around Altacoola, and
everybody knows it ain't outsiders that's doin' it. It's the insiders,
right here in Washington. If yo' ain't in, yo' can easy get a
latchkey. Young man, yo'll find out things some day, and yo'll drop to
it all.
"I guess I was too late with yo'. That's about the size of it. I
guess Altacoola'll talk to yo'," went on the Mayor. "If that feller
Fairbrother of Altacoola had been able to hold his tongue maybe I
wouldn't know so much. But now I know what's what. I know this--that
yo're either a big fool or--an insider. Yo're a nice young feller. I
have kind-a taken a fancy to yo'. I like to see yo' young fellers get
along and not miss yo'r chances. Come, my boy, get wise to yo'rself,
get wise to yo'rself! Climb on to the band wagon with yo' friends."
Bud concluded that he might be able to get more definite information
out of Telfer if he humored him a bit.
"I tell you, Colonel," he finally said, "these are pretty grave
charges you're making, but I'll tell you confidentially, owing to your
liking for me, that it is not yet too late to do something for Gulf
City. Now, just suppose you and I dine together to-night early, and
we'll go over the whole ground to see how things lie. Will you?"
The Colonel held out his hand, smiling broadly. He felt that at last
he had won the secretary over; that the young man was at heart anxious
to take money for his influence with the Senator.
"All right, my boy, yo're on. We'll dine together. Yo' are absolutely
certain that it won't be too late to get to Senator Langdon?"
"Absolutely positive. I wouldn't make a mistake in a matter like this,
would I, unless I was what you said I was--a fool?"
"Of course not. Oh, yo're a slick one. I like to do business with
folks like yo'. It's mighty educatin'!"
"Thanks," answered Bud, dryly. "It's certain that Langdon won't decide
which place he's for until to-morrow. I promise you that he won't
decide until after I have my talk with you."
"Yo' see," said Telfer, "I asked that question because, as yo'
probably know, Congressman Norton and his crowd is pretty close to
Senator Langdon--"
Haines cut him short with a gasp of surprise.
"Norton!"
Telfer, wrinkling his forehead incredulously, looked at Haines.
"Surest thing you know, my boy."
Bud turned his head away in thought.
"Oh, leave the Norton outfit to me. I'll fool them," he finally said.
"Good."
Telfer shook the secretary's hand heartily.
"Yo're no fool, my boy. Anybody can see that--after they get to know
yo' all. That's what comes of bein' one of them smooth New Yorkers.
They 'pear mighty sanctimonious on th' outside, but on th' inside
they're the real goods, all right."
The lobbyist hurried away, his bibulous soul swelling with
satisfaction. He was sure of triumphing over Altacoola, and he was
willing to pay the price.
Haines sank back into his chair. "I wonder what Washington
'insiders,'" he murmured, "are speculating in Altacoola land. Telfer
mentions Norton's name. I wonder--"
The door opened, and before him stood Carolina Langdon.
"Ah, Miss Langdon," he exclaimed, "I am glad to see you!"
She walked to him and extended cordially a slender gloved hand.
"This is a real pleasure, Mr. Haines," she began. "I've been waiting
to talk to you for some time. It's about something important."
"Something important," smiled Haines. "You want to see me about
something important? Well, let me tell you a secret. Every time I see
you it is an important occasion to me."
Carolina Langdon had never appeared more charming, more beautiful
to young Haines than she did that day. Perhaps she appeared more
inspiring because of the contrast her presence afforded to the
unpleasant episodes through which he had just passed; also, Carolina
was dressed in her most becoming street gown, which she well realized,
as she was enacting a carefully planned part with the unfortunate
secretary.
His frankness and the sincere admiration that shone in his eyes caused
her to falter momentarily, almost made her weaken in her purpose, but
she made an effort and secured a firmer grip on herself, for she must
play a role that would crush to earth the air castles this young
secretary was building, a role that would crush the ideals of this
young optimist as well.
CHAPTER XII
THE CURE OF A WOMAN'S LOVE
Carolina had come to find out from Haines, if possible, how her father
was going to vote on the naval base and to induce the secretary to
persuade him to stand for Altacoola--if there seemed danger that he
would vote for another site. That was her scheme, for Carolina had
put $25,000 into Altacoola land--money left by her mother. Norton
had persuaded Carolina to invest in the enterprise to defraud the
Government, promising her $50,000 clear profit. How much she could do
in Washington society with that!
The continued uncertainty over her father's final attitude had
strained her nerves almost to the breaking, for the success of the
conspiracy depended on his vote. Not even the words of Norton, her
future husband, could reassure her. Her worry was increased by the
knowledge of Randolph's investment of her father's $50,000.
That Carolina must sacrifice Haines on the altar of her consuming
desire for money, for a higher worldly position, was an unimportant
consideration. He stood in the way. Any moment he might discover the
existence of the Altacoola scheme, he would immediately tell her
father, and she knew her father would immediately decide against
Altacoola--the bright hopes of her future would turn to ashes.
Norton's money as well was invested in Altacoola. He, too, would be
ruined. She was sure that she loved Norton, but she could not marry a
penniless man.
Carolina resumed the conversation.
"It isn't anything so very important, Mr. Haines. It's about father."
Haines beamed.
"I have the honor to report, Miss Langdon," he bowed, "that your
father is making the very best kind of a Senator."
The girl hesitated.
"Yes; he might, if he had some ambition."
"Don't worry! If it comes down to that, I have ambition for two. You
want him to be a success, don't you? Well, he is the biggest kind of a
success."
"I never believed that he would be," confessed the daughter.
Haines laughed.
"Why, do you realize that to-day he is one of the most popular men in
public life throughout the country; that 'What does Langdon think?'
has become the watchword of the big body of independents who want
honesty and decent government without graft?
"I tell you that's a big thing, Miss Langdon. That's success--real
success in politics, especially in Washington politics.
"Now, if there's anything else you want him to have, I'll see that he
gets it I'll try to get it for him"--he paused a minute, then added,
with heartfelt meaning in his voice--"and for you, Miss Langdon."
Carolina played coquettishly with the secretary.
"For me, Mr. Haines?" she questioned, archly, with an effective glance
into his eyes.
Bud's pulses began to throb violently--to leap.
"Yes," he exclaimed, unsteadily, "for you, and you know it. That's the
inspiration now, my inspiration--the chance of winning your belief in
me, of winning something more, the biggest thing I ever thought to
win--because, Miss Langdon--Carolina--I love you." He bent over and
seized the girl's hand. "Ever since the day I first saw you I--"
She shook her head indulgently and in a moment drew her hand from his.
"You mustn't be so serious, Mr. Haines. You don't understand Southern
girls at all. We are not just like Northern girls. We are used to
being made love to from the time we are knee-high. Sometimes, I fear,
we flirt a little, but we don't mean any harm. All girls flirt--a
little."
"But somebody wins even the Southern girls," declared Haines, eagerly.
The girl's face became serious, earnest, sincere.
"Yes, somebody does, always," she said. "And when a Southern girl is
won she stays won, Mr. Haines."
"And I have a chance to win?" questioned the determined young
Northerner.
Carolina smiled sweetly and expressively.
"Who knows? First make my father even a bigger success--that's first.
Oh, I wonder if you can realize what all this life means to me! If you
can realize what those years of stagnating on the plantation meant to
me! No man would have endured it!" she exclaimed bitterly. "I am more
of a man than a woman in some ways; I'm ambitious. From the time I was
a little girl I've wanted the world, power, fame, money. I want them
still. I mean to get them somehow, anyhow. If I can't get them myself,
some one must get them for me."
"And love?" suggested the man. "You are leaving love out. Suppose I
get all these things for you?"
Bud's pounding heart almost stopped. He could scarcely gain his breath
as he saw creep into Carolina's eyes what he believed to be the light
of hope for him, the light even of a woman's promise.
"Who knows, Mr. Haines? There's no reward guaranteed. There may be
others trying," she answered.
Haines laughed--the strong, hopeful, fighting laugh of the man who
would combat the boss of the Senate on ground of the boss' own
choosing.
"All right!" he cried. "If it's an open fight I'll enlist. I'll give
them all a run. What are your orders?"
Carolina appeared indifferent.
"I don't know that I have any particular orders, sir knight, except to
see that my father does all he can for the Altacoola naval base."
Haines paused, seized by a sudden tremor.
"The Altacoola naval base?" he stammered. "Well, all I can say is that
the Senator will do what he thinks right. That might bring power and
fame--a right decision in this case--but it can't bring money."
Carolina shrugged her shoulders.
"Money?" She laughed with affected carelessness. "Well, we'll have to
let the money take care of itself for a time. But I do want him to
vote for Altacoola, because I believe that will be the best for him.
You believe in Altacoola, don't you?"
Haines hesitated, then answered:
"Well, between the two sites merely as sites Altacoola seems to me
rather better."
Miss Langdon held out her hand impulsively.
"Then it will be Altacoola!" she cried. "Thank you, Mr. Haines. We are
partners, then, for Altacoola."
The young man grasped her hand earnestly.
"I'd like to be your partner for good, Carolina!" he cried.
They stood there close together, holding each other's hands, looking
into each other's eyes, when the door opened and in came Charles
Norton.
CHAPTER XIII
AN OLD-FASHIONED FATHER
Congressman Norton was startled at the sight of Carolina and Haines
apparently so wrapped up in each other. Perhaps she was getting
interested in the handsome, interfering secretary. That a woman
sometimes breaks her promise to wed he well knew. Plainly Carolina
was carrying things too far for a girl who was the promised wife of
another.
Carolina and Haines showed surprise at Norton's entrance.
The Congressman advanced and spoke sneeringly, his demeanor marking
him to be in a dangerous mood.
"Do I intrude?" he drawled, deliberately.
Carolina drew away her hands from Haines and faced the newcomer.
"Intrude!" she exclaimed, contemptuously, in a tone that Norton
construed as in his favor and Haines in his own.
"Intrude!" Haines laughed, sarcastically, feeling that now he was
leader in the race for love against this Mississippi representative,
who was, he knew, a subservient tool and a taker of bribes. "You
surely do intrude, Norton. Wouldn't any man who had interrupted a
tete-a-tete another man was having with Miss Langdon be intruding?"
"I suppose I can't deny that," he replied.
The secretary smiled again.
"I'll match you to see who stays," he said.
But Norton's turn to defeat his rival had come. He held out a paper to
Haines.
"Senator Langdon gave me this for you. I reckon I don't have to
match."
The secretary opened the note to read:
"Where in thunder does that hydrate come from--South America or
Russia? How much off on the tariff on the creature do we want?
Come over to the committee room, where I am, right away. Say it's
an urgent message and get in with a tip."
The secretary looked up, with a laugh.
"You win, Norton. I'm off. Good-by." And he started on a run to the
Senator's aid.
Norton turned angrily on the girl as the door closed.
"See here, Carolina," he cried, "what do you mean by letting that
fellow make love to you?"
Carolina Langdon would not permit rebuke, even from the man she cared
for. She tossed back her head and said, coolly:
"Why shouldn't I let him make love to me if I choose?"
"You know why," exclaimed Norton, his dark face flushing sullenly.
"Because I love you and you love me!" And he seized her and pressed
her to him. "That is why!" he cried, and he kissed her again and
again.
"Yes, I love you, Charlie; you know that," Carolina said, simply. She
was conquered by the Southerner's masterfulness.
"Then why do you stand for that whippersnapper's talk?" asked Norton,
perplexedly.
Carolina laughed.
"Don't you see, Charlie, I have to stand for it? I have to stand for
it for your sake, for Randolph's sake, for my own sake, for all our
sakes. You know the influence he has over father.
"He can make father do anything he wants, and suppose I don't lead him
on? Where's our project? Let him suspect a thing and let him go to
father, and you know what will happen. Father would turn against
that Altacoola scheme in a moment. He'd beggar himself, if it were
necessary, rather than let a single one of us make a dollar out of a
thing he had to decide."
"You're right, I reckon, Carolina," said Norton, dejectedly. "Your
father is a real type of the Southern gentleman. He hasn't seen any
real money in so long he can't even bear to think of it. Somebody's
got to make money out of this, and we should be the ones."
"We'd lose frightfully, Charlie, if they changed to Gulf City,
wouldn't we?" said the girl, apprehensively. "I'm horribly afraid
sometimes, Charlie. That's why I came here to-day. I wanted to
influence Haines, to keep him straight. Is there any danger that
they'll change? You don't think there is, do you?"