“Not to-day, Excellency,” the clerk would reply. Then José would return to writing a letter to his lady-love; not that there was any-thing to tell her, but because writing on the official paper of the consulate gave him importance in his eyes, and in hers. And in the inner office the consul would continue to gaze at the empty harbor, the empty coral reefs, the empty, burning sky.
The little band of exiles were at second break fast when the wireless man came in late to announce that a Red D. boat and the island of Curaçao had both reported a hurricane coming north. Also, that much concern was felt for the safety of the yacht Serapis. Three days before, in advance of her coming, she had sent a wireless to Wilhelmstad, asking the captain of the port to reserve a berth for her. She expected to arrive the following morning.
But for forty-eight hours nothing had been heard from her, and it was believed she had been overhauled by the hurricane. Owing to the presence on board of Senator Hanley, the closest friend of the new President, the man who had made him president, much concern was felt at Washington. To try to pick her up by wireless, the gun-boat Newark had been ordered from Culebra, the cruiser Raleigh, with Admiral Hardy on board, from Colon. It was possible she would seek shelter at Porto Banos. The consul was ordered to report.
As Marshall wrote out his answer, the French consul exclaimed with interest:
“He is of importance, then, this senator?” he asked. “Is it that in your country ships of war are at the service of a senator?”
Aiken, the wireless operator, grinned derisively.
“At the service of this senator, they are!” he answered. “They call him the ‘king-maker,’ the man behind the throne.”
“But in your country,” protested the Frenchman, “there is no throne. I thought your president was elected by the people?”
“That’s what the people think,” answered Aiken. “In God’s country,” he explained, “the trusts want a rich man in the Senate, with the same interests as their own, to represent them. They chose Hanley. He picked out of the candidates for the presidency the man he thought would help the interests. He nominated him, and the people voted for him. Hanley is what we call a ‘boss.’”
The Frenchman looked inquiringly at Marshall.