I made the introductions quickly.

"Now that's enough, Horatio," I said. "You can turn yourself off
again. I don't want you to wear out."

"Thanks," Horatio said gratefully. He smiled faintly at Alice.
"Pleased to have met you," he said. Then he vanished into the brown
background of the chair.

"Get me a drink!" Mystiffio said. He grasped the edge of the desk and
stared solemnly at the empty brown chair. "Get me two drinks."

"What is it?" Alice demanded. "How do you do it? Mirrors? Lighting?
It's terrific."

"It's completely on the level. Now here's the angle. I'm going to put
this guy into your act. Wait'll the crowds get a load of Mystiffio's
magic then. With Horatio in the background pulling the strings he'll
make Thurston look like an amateur parlor entertainer."

Mystiffio turned to me stiffly.

"What," he said frigidly, "makes you think I need an invisible man to
help me in my act? I am perfectly capable of astounding and amazing an
audience by myself."

"You're quoting your own press notices now," I said. "I know; I wrote
'em."

"And what makes you think I'm not as good as Thurston?" Mystiffio
asked in an injured voice.

"Ah, temperament!" I murmured. I turned to Alice. "You work on him.
You can see that Horatio will be a good thing, can't you? You don't
want your act to die, do you?"

"Mr. Flannigan." It was Horatio. His voice sounded apologetic. "I
don't want to disturb you, but what has all this got to do with
getting me into the army? You sound more like a booking agent than the
Soldier's Friend."

Alice looked at me.

"Heel," she said. "What kind of line are you giving him?"

"Horatio," I said. "I am disappointed. I expected a little trust from
you. Didn't I tell you it might be a little while before I got things
set? This angle I'm working now will put you practically into the
army."

"Yeah! How?"

"I'm going to line you up doing an act for the U. S. O. Does that show
you my heart's in the right place?"

"There will be a short pause for cat-calls and boos," Alice murmured.

"All right," Horatio said with a sigh. "I'll go along with you."

"Fine," I said. "And just to get you used to army life I'm going to
start paying you fifty bucks a month."

"You great big generous man," Alice said and I think there was a
twinge of sarcasm in her voice.

"Now that's no way to talk," I said. "I'm doing the lad a favor."

"Yeah," she said. "I'm sure you are. Just like a man picking up a
dol