“Well, we didn’t have more appointments than usual, but some of them were unusually trying.  That woman who wanted to be reappointed to the Pension Office, for example.”

Enoch nodded.  “I’d rather see Satan come into this office than a woman.  Try to head them off, Abbott, whenever you can.”

“I always do, sir!  Will you run through this correspondence, Mr. Huntingdon, before I call in the Idaho contingent?”

Enoch began rapidly to read letters and to dictate terse replies.  They were not more than a third of the way down the pile when a buzzer sounded.  Enoch looked up inquiringly.

“I told Jonas to buzz for me at 9:20,” explained young Abbott.  “I don’t dare keep the people in the waiting-room watching the clock longer than that.  We’ll fit this in at odd times, as usual.  Remember, Mr. Secretary, you can’t give these people more than fifteen minutes.  Shall I come in and speak to you, at that time?”

“Perhaps you’d better,” replied Enoch.

Abbott opened the door into the outer room.  “Gentlemen, the Secretary will receive you,” he said.  “Mr. Secretary, allow me to present Mr. Reeves, Mr. Carleton, Mr. Schmidt, Mr. Dunkel, Mr. Street, Mr. Swiftwater and Mr. Manges.”

The men filing into the room bowed and mumbled.  Enoch looked after Abbott’s retreating back admiringly.  “I’ve been hearing Abbott do that sort of thing for two years, but it never fails to rouse my admiration,” he said.

“A wonderful memory!” commented one of the visitors.

“Abbott is going into politics later,” Enoch went on.  “A memory such as his will carry him far.”

“Not as far as a silver tongue,” suggested another man, with a twinkle in his eye.

“That remains to be seen,” smiled Enoch.  He had a very pleasant smile, showing even, white teeth.  “Well, gentlemen, what can I do for you?”

“Mr. Secretary,” said the spokesman of the delegation, “as you know, we represent the business men of the State of Idaho.  There is a very bitter controversy going on in our State over your recent ruling on the matter of Water Power Control.  We believe your ruling works an injustice on the business men of our state and as nothing came of correspondence, we thought we’d come along East and have a talk with you.”

“I’m glad you did,” said Enoch.  “You see, my work is of such a nature that unless you people on the firing line keep in touch with me, I may go astray on the practical, human side.  You are all States’ Rights men, of course.”

The delegation nodded.

“My ideas on Water Power are simple enough,” said Enoch.  “The time is approaching when oil, gas, and coal will not supply the power needed in America.  We shall have to turn more and more to electricity produced by water power.  There is enough water in the streams of this country to turn every wheel in every district.  But it must be harnessed, and after it is harnessed it must be sold to the people at a just price.  What I want to do is to produce all the available water power latent in our waterways.  Then I want the poorest people in America to have access to it.  There is enough power at a price possible even to the poorest.”