rying as if her heart would break. And, for the first time in
Quatremain's knowledge of him, the President had nothing to say, while
Fleetwell spoke his mind freely, though in terms unintelligible to the
secretary, and Mrs. Dunham bore the weeping young woman away to the
privacy of her own stateroom. After which, Mr. Vennor, deserted of all
of them, lighted another cigar and betook himself to the rear vestibule,
to what meditative end Quatremain could only guess.

The train was well out of Denver and speeding swiftly through the night
on its flight over the swelling plain. The President stood at the rear
door of his car, gazing abstractedly at the bobbing and swaying front
end of the sleeper which had been coupled to the Naught-fifty at the
moment of departure. After a time the train paused at a station, and
when it moved on again the light from the operator's bay-window flashed
upon the name over the door of the following car. The President saw it
and started back with an ejaculation which would have sounded very like
an oath, had there been any one to hear it. Then he came close to the
glass-panelled door and scowled out at the Tadmor as if it were a thing
alive and perversely and personally responsible for this latest
interference with his plans.

He was fond of boasting that he had no creed, but, in his way, Francis
Vennor was a better fatalist than many who assume the name. When the
grim humor of the relentless pursuit began to appeal to him, the
wrathful scowl relaxed by degrees and gave place to the metallic smile.
It could scarcely be prearrangement this time, he decided; it was fate
and no less; and having admitted so much, he crossed the platforms and
let himself into the ante-room of the Tadmor.

Brockway was still sitting in the smoking-room, and he was so taken
aback that he returned the President's nod of recognition no less
stiffly than it was given. Whereupon Mr. Vennor entered the compartment,
gathered up his coat-tails, and sat down beside the passenger agent to
finish his cigar.

Now Brockway inferred, naturally, that Gertrude's father had come to
have it out with him, and for the first five minutes he waited nervously
for the President to begin. Then it occurred to him that possibly Mr.
Vennor had come to accord him the interview which Gertrude had promised
to procure for him; and he spent five other minutes of tongue-tied
embarrassment trying to pull himself together sufficiently to state his
ca