The Washington times., 1911-09-21

then, turning to Racksole. II need hard
iy repeat. my dear Mr. Racksole, that
this is strictly unofficial"
Agreed. of course" said Racksole.
Mr.. Hazell entered. He was young
m;in Of about thirty, dressed in blue
serge. with pale. Keen face, a brown
mustache, and a rather handsome brown
beard.
''Mr Hazell," said the high officfai.
'let me introduce YOU to Mr. Theodore
Racksole-you will doubtless be familiar
with his name. Mr.. HazelI." he went
On. to Racksole. lis one of our outdoor
Just now he is doing night duty. He
has a boat on the river and couple Of
men. and the right to board and exam
Inc any craft whatever. What Mr.
Hazell and his crew don't know about
the Thames between here and Graves
end isn't knowledge"
Glad to meet you. SIR" said Rack
sole simply. and thoy shook hands.
Racksole observed with satisfaction
that Mr.. HaZell was entirely at his ease.
Now. Hazell.'' the high official con-
tinued, Mr.. Racksole wants you to help
in little privats expedition ON thetiver
tonight: ! will give you nights leave.
! sent for you partly because / thought
because think can rely on you to
regard II as entirely unofficial and not
10 talk about 1t. You understand I
dare say you will have no cause to re-
gret having Obliged Mr.. Racksole'' -
Haze fhnx With sraip siIst .he smis nhsa''0n said
And. by the way" added the high
Official although the business is un-
official: II might be we'll II you wore
your OFFICIAL overcoat. See?" T..
Decidedly" said HAZEL. 81 should
have done SO in any case"
And now, Mr.. Hazell," said Rack
sole. will you do me the pleasure OF
lunching with me-. II you agree.
should like to lunch at the place you
usually frequent"
So It came to pass that Theodore
Racksole and George Hazell, outdoor
clerk In the customs, lunched together
ct Thomas' chophouse, in the city, upon
mutton chops and coffee.
he had got hold OF keen-witted man
and a person of much insight.
Tell me-" said Hazell. when they
had reached the cigarette stage, "are
the magazine writer's anything like cor
What DO DO you pean7" asked Rack
wei. you're a miIlionaire-'one OF
the BEST / believe. One often sees ar
ticles on and interviews with million
aires. which describe their private rail-
road cars, their steam yachts on the
Hudson, their marble stables and so or
and SO on. Do you happen to have
those things"
Il have a private car on the New
York Central, and / have a 2000-ton
schooner yacht. though II isn't on the
| Hudson-it happens just now to be on
| the East river-and I am bound to ad-
! NIT that the stables of my uptown place
are fitted with marble Racksoie
laughed.
"Ahr' said HazeIl. Now I can be-
| lieve that am lunching with a million
aire. It's strange how facts like those,
| unimportant in themselves, appeal 70
| the imagination. You seem to me q
real mIliionaire now. You've given me
| some personal information. I'll give
| you some in return
] Il earn three hundred a year, and
| perhaps sixty pounds year extra fol
| overtime live by myself In two rooms
| in Muscovy court. I've as much none
as 1 need and I always do exactly
| what ] like outside the office. As re-
| CARDS the office, l do as little work as
| / can. on principle-it's a fight between
| US and the commissioners who shall
| get best: they try to do US down and
we try 70 do them down; it's pretty
| even on the whole. AIS fair in war
| you know, and there aren't any ten
| commandments in a government Of
| fice.'' ID
Racksole laughed.
Can you get of this afternoon? he
| asked.
Certainly" said HAZEL, "I'n get one
OF my pals to sign for me. and then
| shall be free"
! ITO be continued tomorrow