"He's so important?"
"Exactly! But to-night he's going to hold a final conference at Loomis, and you can catch him before time for this if you'll go right on now."
"Very well," I answered, feeling myself in profound hypnosis.
"And, say! You'll have to hurry," he said, pressing the advantage my quiet demeanor offered. "Here! Take this hunk o' copy paper and hike!"
I accepted the proffered paper, still hypnotized, then when I had reached the door I stopped.
"Understand, Mr. Hudson, I'm doing this because you have assigned it to me!" I said with a cutting severity. "Please let that be perfectly plain! I shouldn't go a step toward Loomis—not even if it were a matter of life and death—if it were not a matter of urgent business!"
He looked at me blankly for a moment, then grinned. Afterward I realized that he knew this declaration was being made to my own inner consciousness, and not to him.
"Don't ask him for a photograph—for God's sake!" he called after me, from the head of the steps. "Remember—you're going out there on the Herald's account and the Herald doesn't need his picture, because it happens that we've already got a dandy one of him!"
I turned back fiercely.
"I hadn't dreamed of asking him for his photograph!" I fired. "I hope I have some vestige of reasoning power left!"