man about
town. Yet Howard Snelling was something far better than either a
fashion plate or a society darling. He was energy personified. It
spoke in every motion of his strong, fine hands, in the quick turn of
his head, in the alert attention with which he listened. Nothing
escaped his well-trained eye. One's very thoughts seemed to be at his
mercy. Mingling, however, with these more astute qualities and
counterbalancing them was a winning tact and courtesy which instantly
put another at his ease. Without these characteristics Mr. Snelling
would have been unbearable; but with them he was thoroughly charming.

"Well, Morton, I am glad to have a chance to meet you in the flesh," he
said, as they still loitered at the gate. "The Galbraiths have sung
your praises until I began to think you a sort of myth. You certainly
have something to live up to if you are to reach the reputation they
have painted of your virtues. Mr. Galbraith, in particular, thinks
there is no obstacle that you cannot conquer."

He swept his eye curiously over the young man before him.

"You mustn't believe a word of what they've told you, Mr. Snelling,"
laughed Robert Morton. "Our friends are always over-indulgent to our
faults. When I begin work under you, a thing I am greatly
anticipating, you will find out what a duffer I really am."

The elder man smiled.

"I'm ready to take the chance," said he.

"Besides," Bob went on, "Mr. Galbraith has given you something of a
character too. He has frightened me clean out of my life with his
tales of your--"

"Pooh! Nonsense!" broke in Mr. Snelling deprecatingly. "I like my
job, that's all; and Mr. Galbraith and I happen to hit it off."
Nevertheless Bob could see that he was pleased by the flattery.

It was on his tongue's end to voice his thought and add that the man
who could not get on with a person of Mr. Snelling's adroitness and
diplomacy would be hard to please; but although he did not utter the
words he felt them to be true.

"Now," began the New Yorker with a swift change of subject, "let us get
down to business. How are we going to work this thing? You must coach
me. I gather I am being employed on quite a delicate mission. My
instructions are to come in here as a friend of yours and the
Galbraiths, and without raising the suspicion that I have much of any
knowledge about boats, I am to help get this invention into workable
shape. Any parts we lack, any drawings we wis