and at last Phelan
ceased his mutterings and accepted from Barnes an armful of cook books
with which to regale himself until he was summoned to resume his
uniform.

Returning to the big silent rooms above, Whitney Barnes was utterly at
a loss how to occupy himself. The thundering stillness got on his
nerves and he found himself thinking of a dozen different things at
once. But as idea pursued idea the image of the shy and winsome Sadie
persisted in intervening.

So he dropped Travers Gladwin, or rather the two Travers Gladwins,
Helen, Phelan and all the others from his mind and gave himself up to
the beatific contemplation of the picture that was most soothing to
his spirits.

For a while he lolled back in one of the great chairs, shut his eyes
and revolved pleasant visions. Suddenly he thought of his father and
sprang to his feet.

"By Jove! I'll break the news to the pater," he cried. "There's a
telephone somewhere in this house, and I'll call him up at his club."

He fairly danced out into the hallway, switching on lights wherever he
could find a button to press. Presently he located the phone in a
secluded alcove and slumped down on a divan with the instrument in his
lap.

As a matter of fixed routine, it happened that this particular hour
found Joshua Barnes, mustard magnate, settled down to his cigar and
coffee, in which he found immense comfort after a hearty meal. To be
disturbed at this most luxurious moment of the day was, to a man of
his temperament, about as pleasant a sensation as being stung by a
rattlesnake.

He sent the club attendant back to the phone with a savage growl and
the message to his son to call him up in an hour or to come to the
club in person. The attendant crept back with the report that Barnes
junior insisted that there could be no delay--that he had a vastly
important matter to report on.

Old Grim Barnes flung down his cigar, gulped his coffee till he choked
and stamped off to the telephone booth.

"Well?" he bellowed.

--That you, pater--sorry to disturb you, but--

--Of course it's important and no damn nonsense about it, I----

--No, I haven't been arrested and am not in a police station.

--Then what the devil----

--No devil, nothing of the sort. On the contrary, quite the opposite!
I've called you up to report progress----

--You know better than that, dad. I've only had two drinks.

--I'd better take four more and sober up? Now, Father Barnes, will you
obli