“Boss, I’m the foremost colored man in Washington to-night.  I’m invited to give a lecture on my trip in the Baptist Church.  They offered me five bones for it and I laughed at ’em.  How come you to think, I asked ’em, that money could make me talk about my life blood’s escape.  No, sir, I give my services for patriotism.  I can’t have the paddle nor the name board framed till I’ve showed ’em at the lecture.  I’m requested to wear my costume.”

“Good work, Jonas!  Remember one thing, though!  Leave me and Miss Diana absolutely out of the story.”

Jonas nodded.  “I understand, Mr. Secretary.”

When Enoch reached his office the next morning he said to Charley Abbott:  “When or if Secretary Fowler’s office calls with the usual inquiry, make no reply but connect whomever calls directly with me.”

Charley grinned.  “Very well, Mr. Secretary.  Shall we go after those letters?”

“Whenever you say so.  You’d better make an appointment as soon as possible with Cheney.  He—­” The telephone interrupted and Abbott took the call, then silently passed the instrument to Enoch.

“Yes, this is the Secretary’s office,” said Enoch.  “Who is wanted? . . .  This is Mr. Huntingdon speaking.  Please connect me with Mr. Fowler. . . .  Good morning, Mr. Fowler!  I’m sorry to have made your office so much trouble.  I understand you’ve been calling me daily. . . .  Oh, yes, I thought it was a mistake. . . .  Late this afternoon, at the French Ambassador’s?  Yes, I’ll look you up there.  Good-by.”

Enoch hung up the receiver.  “Was I to go to tea at Madame Foret’s this afternoon, Abbott?”

“Yes, Mr. Secretary.  Madame Foret called me up a few days ago and was so kind and so explicit—­”

“It’s quite all right, Abbott.  Mr. Fowler wondered, he said, if I was to be invited!”

The two men looked at each other, then without further comment Enoch began to dictate his long-delayed letters.  The day was hectic but Enoch turned off his work with zest.

Shortly after lunch the Director of the Geological Survey appeared.  Enoch greeted him cordially, and after a few generalities said, “Mr. Cheney, what bomb are they preparing to explode now?”

Cheney ran his fingers through his white hair and sighed.  “I guess I’m getting too old for modern politics, Mr. Secretary.  You’d better send me back into the field.  Neither you nor I knew it, but it seems that I’ve been using those fellows out in the field for my own personal ends.  I have a group mining for me in the Grand Canyon and another group locating oil fields for me in Texas.”

Enoch laughed, then said seriously:  “What’s the idea, Mr. Cheney?  Have you a theory?”

Cheney shook his head.  “Just innate deviltry, I suppose, on the part of Congress.”

“You’ve been chief of the Survey fifteen years, haven’t you, Mr. Cheney?”

“Yes, too long for my own good.  Times have changed.  People realized once that men who go high in the technical world very seldom are crooked.  But your modern politician would believe evil of the Almighty.”