"Pleased to meet you, Signor Socola," Jennie responded, lifting the
heavy lashes from her lustrous brown eyes with the slightest challenge
to his.
"The pleasure is all mine, Mad'moiselle," he gravely replied.
"You'll excuse me now if I hurry on?" the Secretary said, again bowing
and disappearing in the crowd.
"Mr. Holt tells me, Miss Barton, that you know every Senator on the
floor."
"Yes. My father has been in Congress and the Senate for twenty years."
"You'll explain the drama to me to-day when the curtain rises?"
"If I can."
"I'll be so much obliged--" he paused and the even white teeth smiled
pleasantly. "I'm pretty well up on American history but confess a little
puzzled to-day. Your Southern Senators are really going to surrender
their power here without a struggle?"
"What do you mean?" the girl asked with a slight frown.
"That your Democratic party has still a majority in both the House and
the Senate. If the Southern members simply sit still in their places,
the incoming administration of Abraham Lincoln will be absolutely
powerless. The new President can not even call a cabinet to his side
without their consent."
"The North has elected their President," Jennie answered with decision.
"The South scorns to stoop to the dishonor of cheating them out of it.
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