“We’re looking for the engineer in charge,” Mr. Livingston said after a moment of silence.
“Speaking.”
“Appleby Corning, I should have said,” the Scout leader corrected himself.
“Corning no longer is in charge here.”
“Not in charge?” Mr. Livingston responded, startled. “There must be some mistake.”
“No mistake, I assure you.”
“Is Mr. Corning ill?”
“I wouldn’t know,” the man replied somewhat indifferently. “He’s not here. The last time I saw him was six months ago.”
“Six months!” the Scout leader exclaimed. “Impossible! Why, I’ve had letters from him and a couple of cables since then.”
“Of that I wouldn’t know, Mr.—”