“All right,” was the officer’s reply.  “Only make haste.”

The operator entered a back room and presently returned with a boy who evidently served as messenger during the daytime.  After receiving whispered instructions, the lad passed out of the office, with a furtive glance over his shoulder at Jimmie.

Then the operator went back to his desk, while the officer and Ned stood waiting.  There was no fire in the outer office, but a wave of warm air came from the rear room.

“We have been riding in the rain,” the officer said, seeing that they were not to be invited into the heated apartment.  “May we go back to the fire?”

The operator scowled, but the uniform won the day, and the three were ushered into a small room where an American oil stove was sending forth a generous heat.  Then the grouchy operator slammed the door and left his guests to their own reflections.

“Say,” Jimmie whispered, in a moment, “I don’t believe that chump is on the level!”

“Well,” Ned replied, “he’s got to give me the dispatch.  He can’t get out of doing that.”

“Perhaps he knows what the message contains,” the officer suggested, “and is not inclined to deliver it.”

“I hardly think he knows what it contains,” Ned answered, “for it is undoubtedly in cipher.”

“And you have the Secret Service code?” asked the officer, amazement showing on his face.

“Certainly.”

“Well, they have a lot of confidence in you, then,” said the other.

At the end of half an hour a man said to be the assistant in charge of the station entered the room and eyed all three occupants keenly.  His glances were met frankly by Ned and the officer, but Jimmie could not resist an inclination to wrinkle his nose at him.

“Which is Ned Nestor?” the man asked, addressing the officer.

The marine pointed toward Ned.

“Do you know him to be Ned Nestor?” was the next question, and Ned thought he felt a hostile spirit in the tone.

“Certainly I do, else I would not be here with him.”

“This is important business of state,” suggested the other, “and I have to be cautious.”

“Your conduct seems more like curiosity than caution,” the officer declared.  “Have you the message with you?”

“Yes, but I can’t deliver it except in the presence of the manager.”

“Is it in the code of the Secret Service?” asked Ned.

“It is in some code unknown to me.”

“If you don’t deliver it in five minutes,” declared the officer, “I shall call the American consul!”

The official made no reply.

“You can read this code, I suppose?” he asked of Ned.

“Certainly.”

“Well, I’ll communicate with the manager, and if he says it is all right I’ll give you the message and take your receipt for it.  Will that answer?”

“It must, I suppose,” replied the officer.