"Ain't it the limit?" remarked the
chief clerk to Bud Haines, correspond
ent, of the New York Star. "The sen
ator wrote us that he was coming here
because his old friend, the late Sen
ator Moseley, said back in '75 that this
was the best hotel in Washington and
where all the prominent men ought to
stay."
Haines, the ablest political reporter
in Washington, had come to the Inter
national to interview the new senator
to describe for his paper what kind of
a citizen Langdon was. He glanced
around at the dingy^ woodwork, the
worn cushions, the nicked and uneven
tiles of the hotel lobby, and smiled at
the clerk. "Well, If this is the- new
senator's idea of princely luxury he
Will fit right into the senatorial atmos
phere." Both laughed derisively. "By
the way," added Haines, "I suppose
you'll raise your rates now that you've
a at or he re
The clerk brought his fist down on
the register with
a thud.
"We could have
them every day
if we wanted
them. This fel
low, though, we'll
have all winter, I
guess. His son's
here now. Been
breaking all rec
ords for drink
ing. Congress-
&
Mississippi has
"Well, cant you see been down here
what you're doing with him a few
times. There young Langdon Is now."
Haines turned quickly, just in time
to bump into a tall, slender young
man, who was walking unevenly in
the direction of the cafe.
"Well, can't you see what you're do
ing?" muttered the tall young man
thickly.
