Senator Marshall, who had come up to shake hands with Jack, nodded vehemently.
"I should indeed dislike it; I still am sufficiently old-fashioned enough to believe that woman's place is the home."
A voice behind his shoulder interrupted.
"Nonsense, father, you are simply afraid of Mrs. Kent as your possible rival, for if ever she is elected to Congress the next step will be to defeat you for the United States Senate."
The voice was John Marshall's, the senator's son and Jack's devoted friend.
"Thanks, but don't make the Senator disapprove of me any more than he does at present. I must live in peace with my neighbors."
A little to Jack's surprise Peter Stevens made no effort to shake hands with her or to speak to her, although she remained half an hour in the Woman's Club after her poor effort at speech-making was concluded. Peter Stevens was there also talking to other friends.
She was standing alone out on the sidewalk waiting for Jim Colter to drive up with the car, Frieda and her husband having moved a few feet away to speak to some one, when Peter Stevens' voice said unexpectedly:
"Good-night, Jack. I suppose it would make no difference to you to realize how intensely I disliked your speaking in public this evening." He and Jack within he past year had returned to their youthful custom of calling each other by their first names.
However, Jack's answer surprised him.