Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-04-11

"THEN PERHAPS YOU WOULD
'em there until you can send for me.
Do you get it?"
Vincent says he does. II shouldn't
care to let in another book agent" says
he.
you might just as we'll resign your
portfolio II YOU do" says I. "Remem-
Der the calm down you got from Old
Hickory last week.
Vincent shudders. "I'll do my best
sir" says he.
And he's a thorough goin', con-
sctentious youth. Within the next few
hours I had to rescue one of our di-
rectors. our first assistant western man.
ager and personal friend Of Mr..
Roberts, all Of whom Vincent had
parked on the bench in the anteroom
and was eyein' cold and suspicious. He
luggin' in the fresh towels and Tony
the spring water boy.
II feel like old Horatius."' Vim
cent.
Never met him." says I. ''but who
ever he was I'll bet you got him lookin'
like one Of the seven sleepers. That's
the stuff, though. Keep it up"
l expect I was some wakeful myself,
too. I worked with my eyes ready to
roll over my shoulder and my right ear
stretched. I was playin' the part Of
right worthy inside guard. and nobody
came within ten feet of the private Of
flee door, but what I'd sized 'em up
before they could reach the knob. Still,
two whole days passed without any at
tack on the f1rst-line trenches. The
third day Vincent and l had little
skirmish with mild-eyed young gent
who claimed he wanted to see Mr.
Ellins urgent, but he turns out to be
only law clerk from the Office of our
general solicitors bringin' up some pri-
vate papers to be signed.
Then here Friday-and it was Friday
the 18th, too-Vincent comes sleuthin'
in to my desk and shows me a card.
WELL" says I. who does this H.
Munson Schott party say he is?"
That's just It," says Vincent HE
doesn't say. But he has letter Of in
PRODUCTION to Mr.. Ellins from the Bel
gian consul general. Rather an impor-
tant looking person, too"
"H-m-m-m!" says I. runnin' my
fingers through my red hair thoughtful.
You see. we'd been figurin' on some
big reconstruction contracts with the
Belgian government. and while I hadn't
heard how far the deal had gone. there
was q chance that this might be an
agent from the royal commission.
IF 1t is" says l. I'VE can't afford to
treat him rough. Let's see. the Hon.
Matt Dowd. the golf addicts. is still In
the private ONCE givin. Old Hickory
another earful about the Scotch plague,
amt heo"
INC. sir" says Vincent "Mr Ellns
asked him to wait half an hour or so.
He's in the directors room"
maybe I'd better take look at your
Mr. Schott first them" says I.
But after I'd gone out and given him
the north and south careful was right
where started. I didn't quite agree
with Vincent that he looked important.
but he acted II. He's pacin' up and
down outside the brass rail kind of i'm
patient. and as appears he's just con-
sultin' his watch. A nifty tailored young
gent with slick putty colored hair and
Maeterlinck blue eyes. Nothing sus-
picious In the way Of packages about
him. Not even pigsiin document case
or an overcoat with bulgy pockets
He's grippin' q French line steamship
pamphlet in one hand. letter In the
other. and from the crook Of his right
elbow hangs heavy silver-mounted
walkin' stick Also he's wearin' gray
spats. Nothing book agenty about any
Of them signs.
''Mr. Schott?" says I. springin' my Of
fetal smile. ITO see Mr.. Ellins. UNDER
stand. I'm his private secretary. Could
T." 49, G
II Wish 10 see Mr.. Eiiins personally"