Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1909-03-25
CHAPTER H. ontinued.

went over the important measures, out
lined what appeared to be the best
course of procedure and carried it into
effect as far as possible. Langdon be-
came a prominent figure in the senate,
owing to his consistent support of
measures that fitted in with the public
policy, or what should be the public
policy, of the nation. He had learned
that the only practicable way to out
wit or to cope with the members of
the dominating machine, made up. he
was surprised to see, Of members of
both the parties-the only two in
Washington-was to oppose what the
machine wanted with enough power to
force 1t to grant him what he believed
the public ought to have. He was de-
scribed by some of the %hidebound Elm
siders" on Capitol hill as "the only
brainy man who had fought the ma
chine in thirty years"
At the home he had later established
in Washington as preferable to the
International hotel were frequently
seen a small coterie of senators and
congressman who had become known
to the sarcastic party bosses in both
houses of congress as the "Langdon
crowd" which crowd was admitted to
be somewhat Of a factor when it final
ly prevailed or the president to take
owe 11.O0O -postmasters from the APP
pofntment class INC put them under
the control of the civil service commits
sion, resulting in the necessity Of a
competitive examination for these
postmasters instead of their securing
positions through political favoritism.
Those who did not know Langdon
intimately suggested that this fellow
ought to be taken care Of What in
Gods name does he want? A commit
tee craftsmanship? An mbassadorship
for some Mississippi charcoal burner?
A couple of federal judgeships for his
friends? Well, whatever it is, give it
to him and get him in with the rest
Of u.s."
Again it was Peabody who had the
deciding say.
"There's only mi thing worse than
a young reformer, and that's an old
one" he laughed bitterly at a secret
conclave at his apartment in the lux
urious Louis Napoleon hotel. "The
young n thinks he is going to live
and wants our future profits for him
self. The old one thinks he's going
to die, and he's sore at leaving so
much graft behind him"
Heads and hearts thinking and throb-
bling together, Langdon and his secre-
tary, Haines, plodded along. They
ho1 1oo~r11 RI loon 0r oooh ofl,or
the young gaining inspiration from the
old, the old gaining strength from the
young. They loved each other. and.
more than any love. they trusted one
another. And Hope Georgia watched
it all and %rejoiced. for she believed
with all the accrued erudition of eight
cen years of innocent girlhood that
Mr.. Bud Haines was quite the finest
specimen of young manhood this
he have happened! She was sure that
she had never met his equal, not even
in that memorable week she had spent
in Jackson.
The passing weeks taught Haines
that he was deeply in love with Caro-
lima, and, though he had endeavored
to keep the knowledge of this from
her, her woman's intuition had told her
his secret, and she stifed the momen-
tary regrets that fitted into her mind,
because she was now in "the game"
herself. the Washington game. that
the woman as well as the
man and makes her a slave to it's fan.
NV No opn h11t horcn1f on1 Norton
knew how deeply she had plunged
on a certain possible turn Of the po-
litical cards. She must not, she could
not, lose if life itself were to remain
of value to her, and on her sway over
this secretary she was told it all de-
pended.
A subject that for some uneXplain.
able reason frequently lodged in
Haines' mind was that of the appar
ent assiduity with which Mrs. Spanglel
cultivated Senator Langdon's friend
ship. For several years she had occu
pied q high social position at the CAPT
tai, he we'll knew, but various indef'
mite, Intangible rumors he had heard
he could not state exactly where, had
made him regret her growing intimacy
with the girls and with he senator
They had met her through letters Of
Introduction Of the most trustworthy
and assuring character from people o.
highest social rank in Virginia, where
the Langdons had many friends, but
even so, Haines realized, people who
write Introductory letters are some
times thoughtless in considering all the
circumstances of the parties they in
troduce, and residents Of Virginia who
had not been in the capital for years
might be forgiven for not knowing o.
all the more recent developments IL
the lives of those they knew in Wash
ington. While not wishing to AVE thu
senator know of his intention, the sec
rotary determined to investigate Mrs
Spangler and her present mode OF llf'
Mt his first opportunity, hoping TIT
while that his quest would revea he
to be what the LangdOnS considered