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[Illustration: Helen]
By Stewart Edward White
With four illustrations by M. Leone Bracker
Percy Darrow, a young man of scientific training, indolent manners,effeminate appearance, hidden energy, and absolute courage, loungedthrough the doors of the Atlas Building. Since his rescue from thevolcanic island that had witnessed the piratical murder of his oldemployer, Doctor Schermerhorn, the spectacular dissolution of themurderers, and his own imprisonment in a cave beneath the very roar of aneruption, he had been nursing his shattered nerves back to their normalstrength. Now he felt that at last he was able to go to work again.Therefore, he was about to approach a man of influence among practicalscientists, from whom he hoped further occupation.
As the express elevator shot upward, he passed a long slender hand acrosshis eyes. The rapid motion confused him still. The car stopped, and themetallic gates clanged open. Darrow obediently stepped forth. Only whenthe elevator had disappeared did his upward glance bring to him theknowledge that he had disembarked one floor too soon.
Darrow's eye fell on a lettered sign outside the nearest door. He smiled aslow red-lipped smile beneath his small silky mustache, drooped his blackeyelashes in a flicker of reminiscence, hesitated a moment, then steppedlanguidly forward and opened the door. The sign indicated the headquartersof the very modest commissionership behind which McCarthy chose to work.McCarthy, quite simply, at that time owned New York.
As Darrow entered, McCarthy hung up the telephone receiver with a smash,and sat glaring at the instrument. After a moment he turned his smallbright eyes toward the newcomer.
"Hello, Perc," he growled. "Didn't see you. Say, I'm so mad my skincracks. Just now some measly little shrimp called me up from a publicbooth. What ye suppose he wanted, now? Oh, nothin'! Just told me in somany words for me to pack up my little trunk and sail for Europe and nevercome back! That's all! He give me until Sunday, too." McCarthy barked outa short laugh, and reached for the cigar box, which he held out to Darrow.
Percy shook his head. "What's the occasion?" he asked.
"Oh, I don't know. Just bughouse, I guess."
"So he wants you to go to Europe?"
"Wants me? Orders me! Says I got to." McCarthy laughed. "Lovely thought!"
He puffed out a cloud of smoke.
"Says if I don't obey orders he'll send me a 'sign' to convince me!" wenton the boss. "He's got a mean voi