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.
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