in Washington all this time not to know that the people who walk right by a Senator whose term is up without hardly seeing him will be down at the deepo to say ’Welcome back and God bless you; Senator, I’m glad to see you, sir!’ when he comes along back re-elected, you know.  Well, you see, his influence was naturally running low when he left here, but now he has got a new six-years’ start, and his suggestions will simply just weigh a couple of tons a-piece day after tomorrow.  Lord bless you he could rattle through that habeas corpus and supersedeas and all those things for Laura all by himself if he wanted to, when he gets back.”

“I hadn’t thought of that,” said Washington, brightening, but it is so.  A newly-elected Senator is a power, I know that.”

“Yes indeed he is.—­Why it, is just human nature.  Look at me.  When we first came here, I was Mr. Sellers, and Major Sellers, Captain Sellers, but nobody could ever get it right, somehow; but the minute our bill went, through the House, I was Col.  Sellers every time.  And nobody could do enough for me, and whatever I said was wonderful, Sir, it was always wonderful; I never seemed to say any flat things at all.  It was Colonel, won’t you come and dine with us; and Colonel why don’t we ever see you at our house; and the Colonel says this; and the Colonel says that; and we know such-and-such is so-and-so because my husband heard Col.  Sellers say so.  Don’t you see?  Well, the Senate adjourned and left our bill high, and dry, and I’ll be hanged if I warn’t Old Sellers from that day, till our bill passed the House again last week.  Now I’m the Colonel again; and if I were to eat all the dinners I am invited to, I reckon I’d wear my teeth down level with my gums in a couple of weeks.”

“Well I do wonder what you will be to-morrow; Colonel, after the President signs the bill!”

“General, sir?—­General, without a doubt.  Yes, sir, tomorrow it will be General, let me congratulate you, sir; General, you’ve done a great work, sir;—­you’ve done a great work for the niggro; Gentlemen allow me the honor to introduce my friend General Sellers, the humane friend of the niggro.  Lord bless me; you’ll’ see the newspapers say, General Sellers and servants arrived in the city last night and is stopping at the Fifth Avenue; and General Sellers has accepted a reception and banquet by the Cosmopolitan Club; you’ll see the General’s opinions quoted, too —­and what the General has to say about the propriety of a new trial and a habeas corpus for the unfortunate Miss Hawkins will not be without weight in influential quarters, I can tell you.”

“And I want to be the first to shake your faithful old hand and salute you with your new honors, and I want to do it now—­General!” said Washington, suiting the action to the word, and accompanying it with all the meaning that a cordial grasp and eloquent eyes could give it.

The Colonel was touched; he was pleased and proud, too; his face answered for that.