"Hello, Carlton," he cried, cheerily, "I'm glad to see you."
"The pleasure is mutual, Mr. Secretary," smiled the statesman.
"And you too, Conway," exclaimed the cabinet officer, extending his hand to the newspaper man.
The three of them took chairs. The Secretary looked at his visitors inquiringly.
"What's in the wind?" he asked, in his affable way. "It must be important when a Congressman and a journalist call together."
"It is," said Mr. Carlton, soberly. "It's about the proposed new Naval Repair Station."
"So that's got out, has it?" he remarked, musingly.
"Well, it's not exactly public property, but we've learned enough to know that Congress will take up the matter at this session."
"Really, it's no secret," admitted the Secretary, "and I'm frank enough to say that we need it very badly at this time. What's the use of spending millions of dollars in creating a first-class Navy unless we keep the battleships in first-class condition. We have a number of good navy yards, but we could use an additional Naval Repair Station to great advantage."