retaries with their suitcases packed, ready to jump into their
travelin' clothes and slide down the pole when she pushes the buzzer
button.

And now she's makin' straight for Mr. Robert.

"What luck!" says she. "I wasn't at all sure of finding you. How much
leave have you? Only until Monday morning? Oh, you overworked naval
officers! But you must find some men for me, Robert; two, at least. I
need them at once."

"Might I ask, Miss Jane," says he, "if any particular qualifications
are----"

"What I would like," breaks in Miss Gorman, "would be two active,
intelligent young men with some initiative and executive ability. You
see, I am giving a going away dinner for some soldiers of the Rainbow
Division who are about to be sent to the transports. It's an official
secret, of course. No one is supposed to know that they are going to
sail soon, but everyone does know. None of their friends or relatives
are to be allowed to be there to wish them God-speed or anything like
that, and they need cheering up just now. So I arrange one of these
dinners when I can. My plans for this one, however, have been terribly
rushed."

"I see," says Mr. Robert. "And it's perfectly bully of you, Miss Jane.
Splendid! I suppose there'll be a hundred or so."

"Six eighty," says she, never battin' an eye. "We are not including the
officers--only privates. And we don't want one of them to lift a finger
for it. They've had enough fatigue duty. This time they're to be
guests--honored guests. I have permission from the Brigadier in command.
We are to have one of the mess halls for a whole day. The chef and
waiters have been engaged, too. And an orchestra. But there'll be so
many to manage--the telling of who to go where, and seeing that the
entertainers don't get lost, and that the little dinner favors are put
around, and all those details. So I must have help."

I could see Mr. Robert rollin' his eyes around for me, so I steps up.
Just from hearin' her talk a couple of minutes I'd caught the fever.
That's a way she has, I understand. So the next thing I knew I'd been
patted on the shoulder and taken on as a volunteer.

"Precisely the sort of assistant I was hoping for," says Miss Gorman. "I
can tell by his hair. I know just what I shall ask him to do. But
there'll be so much more; decorating the tables, and----"

Here I nudges Mr. Robert. "How about Forsythe?" I suggests.

"Eh?" says he. "Why--why---- By Jove, though! Why not? Oh, I say,