e moment. The other question is this:
has he any form of skin trouble?"

* * * * *

The Admiral looked up in surprise.

"Yes, he has," he admitted. "I had mentioned it to no one, for it really
amounts to nothing, but he has a slight attack of some obscure form of
dermatitis which I am treating. It is affecting only his face and
hands."

"Please describe it."

"It has taken the form of a brown pigmentation on the hands. On the face
it causes a slight itching and subsequent peeling of the affected
areas."

"In other words, it is acting like sunburn?"

"Why, yes, somewhat. It is not that, however, for he has been exposed to
the sun very little lately, on account of his eyes."

"I notice that he is sleeping in the new solarium which was added last
winter to the executive mansion. Can you tell me with what type of glass
it is equipped?"

"Yes. It is not equipped with glass at all, but with fused quartz."

"When did he start to sleep there?"

"As soon as it was completed."

"And all the time the windows have been of fused quartz?"

"No. They were glazed at first, but the glass was removed and the fused
quartz substituted at my suggestion about two months ago, just before
this trouble started."

"Thank you, Admiral. You have given me several things to think about. My
ideas are a little too nebulous to share as yet but I think that I can
give you one piece of very sound advice. The President is spending a
very restless night. If you would remove him from the solarium and get
him to lie down in a room which is glazed with ordinary glass, and pull
down the shades so that he will be in the dark, I think that he will
pass a better night."

* * * * *

Admiral Clay looked keenly into the piercing black eyes of the Doctor.

"I know something of you by reputation, Bird," he said slowly, "and I
will follow your advice. Will you tell me why you make this particular
suggestion?"

"So that I can work in that solarium to-night without interruption,"
replied Dr. Bird. "I have some tests which I wish to carry out while it
is still dark. If my results are negative, forget what I have told you.
If they yield any information, I will be glad to share it with you at
the proper time. Now get the President out of that solarium and tell me
when the coast is clear."

The Admiral donned a dressing gown and stepped out of the room. He
returned in fifteen minutes.