---

---

---

---

---

---

Cyril Gordon had been seated at his desk butten minutes and was deep in the morning’s mailwhen there came an urgent message from his chief,summoning him to an immediate audience in theinner office.

The chief had keen blue eyes and shaggy eyebrows.He never wasted words; yet those wordswhen spoken had more weight than those of mostother men in Washington.

There was the briefest of good-morning gleamsin his nod and glance, but he only said:

“Gordon, can you take the Pennsylvania trainfor New York that leaves the station in thirty-twominutes?”

The young man was used to abrupt questionsfrom his chief, but he caught his breath, mentallysurveying his day as it had been planned:

“Why, sir, I suppose I could—if it is necessary——”He hesitated.

“It is necessary,” said the chief curtly, as if thatsettled the matter.

[8]“But—half an hour!” ejaculated Gordon in dismay.“I could hardly get to my rooms and backto the station. I don’t see how—— Isn’t there atrain a little later?”

“Later train won’t do. Call up your man onthe ’phone. Tell him to pack your bag and meetyou at the station in twenty minutes. You’ll needevening clothes. Can you depend on your man toget your things quickly without fail?”

There was that in the tone of the chief thatcaused Gordon to make no further demur.

“Sure!” he responded with his usual business-liketone, as he strode to the ’phone. His daze waspassing off. “Evening clothes?” he questionedcuriously, as if he might not have heard aright.

“Yes, evening clothes,” was the curt answer,“and everything you’ll need for daytime for a respectablegentleman of leisure—a tourist, you understand.”

Gordon perceived that he was being given a missionof trust and importance, not unmixed withmystery perh

BU KİTABI OKUMAK İÇİN ÜYE OLUN VEYA GİRİŞ YAPIN!

Sitemize Üyelik ÜCRETSİZDİR!