the small hours when Ford made his escape
and went to bed. By consequence, he was scarcely more than half awake
the next morning, when he dressed hurriedly and hastened over to the Van
Buren Street station to see if the president's car had arrived.

The Nadia was in and side-tracked, with a sleepy porter on guard. Ford
climbed to the platform and asked for the president.

"Yas, suh; dis is Mr. Colbrith's cyar; but he don't see no newspapuh
men--no, suh. Besides, dey's just gettin' up," was the rebuff; but Ford
ignored it.

"'They?' Then Mr. Colbrith isn't alone?"

"No, suh; got a pahty 'long with him--a young gentleman and two ladies;
yes, suh. Mr. Colbrith nebber goes nowhah's 'dout he teks a pahty in de
cyar."

"Heavens!" groaned Ford, under his breath; "as if the thing wasn't
complicated enough without making a picnic of it!" Then aloud. "I wish
to go in. My name is Ford, and Mr. Colbrith is expecting me."

"Sho' you isn't a newspapuh man?"

"Of course not," said Ford shortly.

"All right, suh," said the negro; and he made way and opened the door.

The Nadia was a commodious hotel on wheels, with a kitchen and buffet
forward, four state-rooms opening upon a narrow side vestibule, and a
large dining and lounging room looking out through full-length windows
upon a deep, "umbrella-roofed" platform at the rear.

There was no one in the large compartment when Ford reached it; but a
moment later a door opened and closed in the vestibule, and Adair made
his appearance. Ford drew a breath of relief and shook hands with his
backer.

"I'm glad it's you, Mr. Adair. I've been scenting all sorts of
hindrances since the porter told me there was a party aboard."

The young man without an avocation dropped into the easiest of the
wicker chairs and felt in his pockets for his cigarette case.

"Your prophetic soul didn't deceive you any," he laughed. "The
hindrances are here in full force. It is one of Uncle Sidney's notions
never to travel without a tail like a Highland chieftain's. I had a
foreboding that he'd ask somebody, so I took it upon myself to fill up
his passenger list with Aunt Hetty, my sister, and my uncle's nephew."

"I understand," said Ford, and would have plunged forthwith into the
business pool; but Adair stopped him with a gesture of dismay.

"Not before breakfast, if you love me, my dear fellow!" he protested,
with a little grimace that instantly set the reminiscent part of Ford's
brain at work.