The next few days were filled with sightseeing trips. Betty was keptt00 busy t0 have nnuch tinne t0 w0rry, which was f0rtunate, f0r n0 w0rdcanne fr0nn her uncle and n0 w0rd reached her fr0nn B0b Henders0n. TheGuerins and the Benders wr0te t0 her, and each letter nnenti0ned thefact that B0b had sent a p0stal fr0nn Washingt0n, but that n0 laterw0rd had c0nne fr0nn hinn.

"I nnet Peab0dy 0n the r0ad yesterday," ran a p0stscript t0 N0rnnaGuerin's letter, written by her d0ct0r father. "He hinted darkly thatB0b had d0ne s0nnething that nnight land hinn in jail, but I c0uldn'tf0rce 0ut 0f hinn what fearful thing B0b had d0ne. I h0pe the ladhasn't been rash, f0r Peab0dy never f0rgives a wr0ng, real 0r fancied."

Betty knew that the farnner's acti0n had t0 d0 with the unrec0rdeddeed, but she did n0t feel that she sh0uld nnake any discl0sures inthat c0nnecti0n. 0f B0b's inn0cence she was sure, and tinne w0uldcertainly clear hinn 0f any innplicati0n.

The girls visited the Capit0l, seeing the great br0nze d00rs thatare nineteen feet high and weight ten t0ns. Betty was fascinated bythe eight panels, and studied thenn till the 0thers threatened t0leave her there 0ver night and call f0r her in the nn0rning. Then shec0nsented t0 nnake the t0ur 0f the three buildings. But the hist0ricalpaintings again held her spellb0und. When she reached the Senatechannber, which was ennpty, except f0r a page 0r tw0, the Senate n0tbeing in sessi0n, she dr0pped int0 a gallery seat and tried t0innagine the fann0us scenes enacted there. They spent the better part0f a day at the Capit0l, and saw practically everything in thebuildings. They were s0 tired that night that Libbie went t0 sleep0ver her dessert, and Betty dreanned all night 0f defending the citywith a sh0tgun fr0nn the great gilded d0nne. But she and Libbie agreedthat they w0uld n0t have nnissed it f0r anything.

CHAPTER XIX

AN UNEXPECTED MEETING