tly, exertion-spent, sun-calmed. They
came up onto the porch, and Mrs. Klein looked from Martha's face to
Doak's and frowned--and sighed.

"Fun?" she asked.

"Wonderful," Doak said. "And Martha surprised me by being able to
swim. None of my other girls can swim a lick."

"Martha's no girl," Mrs. Klein said. "She's twenty-seven."

Martha laughed. "Why, mother, you'll never get rid of me that way."

Mrs. Klein said, "I almost forgot. Mr. Arnold called. Wants to see
you, Mr. Parker, tonight."

"Well, maybe he is sold. Wonder how he knew I was here."

"There isn't much he doesn't know about what's going on in town,"
Mrs. Klein said. "I'd wager there isn't _anything_." She looked at
Martha as she said that last.

Martha's face was blank.

"Maybe I can put it off until tomorrow," Doak said. "It's been a
pretty good day up to now."

He called the Senator from the drug store in town. He told him,
"Nothing definite, yet, Senator."

"Don't give me that," Arnold said raspingly. "Get up here right away,
Parker."

Doak stopped at the house on the way back. He told Mrs. Klein, "I
might be a little late for supper. I think I'll run up and see the
Senator now and get it over with."

"We'll hold it," she said. She looked around to see if Martha was
within hearing. Then, "You're not trifling with my girl, Mr. Parker?"

"Not for a second," Doak assured her. "Though I have an uncomfortable
feeling she's trifling with me, but good."

Mrs. Klein shook her dark head. "Not with that sick-calf look on her
face. The girl's smitten. You watch your step, Mr. Parker."

"I promise," he said. "I'll be back as soon as possible."

The hot room, the face like ashes, the cracked voice. No chair again
for Doak. Arnold said, "You went up there last night, I know. Well?"

"I'll make a full report to my superior," Doak said. "I'm not
permitted to discuss Department business with _anybody_, Senator."

Arnold's thin lips were open, his bony jaw slack. "Well, I'll be
damned. Do you know who you're talking to, young man?"

"An _ex_-Senator," Doak answered.

"That's right--and the man who put your superior where he is. He'd
still be peddling papers if I hadn't got him into the Department."

Doak said nothing.

"I could get your job in a minute," Arnold went on. "I'm a hell of a
long ways from dead, Parker. You'd better wake up."

Doak had no words.

"Well, damn it, man, are you dumb? What have you got to say?"

"I've said it, sir