It was only an hour's trip to New York and Jo was busy thinking about the change in Hal and wondering if Uncle Sam would consider it strange for him to invite him to go home on a visit. He decided he would go by Uncle Sam's office and speak to him and make an engagement for the theatre that night.
Jo Allen stopped a minute in front of Uncle Sam's office door to get out a card and then he rang the bell. A very handsome, auburn-haired, green-eyed girl answered his ring and he gave her his card with a rather bewildered smile, for he wondered why such an old man as Uncle Sam kept such a darned good-looking female to tickle the keys.
"May I see Uncle Sam?" he asked.
"Why, certainly!" she said. "Please come in."
Her "Certainly" sounded Southern to Jo. He might have thought some more but he was interrupted by the girl.
"You will sit down, won't you?" she smiled at him from her swivel chair.
"Thank you! Will Uncle Sam be along soon do you think?" he queried.
"Oh! I thought you understood. Why, Mr. Allen, I am Uncle Sam."
"Ohgoodlord!" Jo said it very loud and as though it were all one word. Then after a minute, "What the devil will Hal say when he finds his Uncle Sam is a woman?"
"I see no reason why he should know." Uncle Sam was very calm and unconcerned.