Mr. McNew strode in. “This is Mr. Risdon, Miss Byrd,” he explained. “He tries to run the Gazette’s Washington office.”
Miss Byrd’s eyes rested kindly on the correspondent. “I know Mr. Risdon by sight,” she explained. “No one could be a social secretary in Washington without knowing him. My sister Lillian has written me about him, too. Won’t you sit down, gentlemen?”
“Thank you!” Risdon drew forward a chair and the three disposed themselves.
McNew wasted no time in preliminaries. He was a busy man, and had no time to spare.
“Miss Byrd,” he began, as soon as he was seated. “Some time ago I received an application from you for work? Do you still want it?”
Miss Byrd nodded. “Very much,” she said. “I hope you have some for me.”
“That depends! Your sister has done very good work for the Gazette. Risdon here suggested sending her to South America. He and she both fooled me; they got me to send her for one thing, and they arranged for her to do another. But she’s done both very well.”
“I’m glad!”
“That’s one reason why I’m inclined to give you a chance. I am told that you speak German fluently, Miss Byrd.”
Nellie nodded. “About as well as I do English,” she declared.