Part 13 (1/2)

”It is very simple,” explained Billy. ”She probably was somewhere in the Windward Pa.s.sage. When the Secretary got my message he cabled Guantanamo, and Guantanamo wirelessed the wars.h.i.+p nearest Port-au-Prince.”

”President Poussevain,” warned the field-marshal, ”is greatly disturbed.”

”Tell him not to worry,” said Billy. ”Tell him when the bombardment begins I will see that the palace is outside the zone of fire.”

As Billy entered the room of St. Clair his eyes shone with a strange light. His manner, which toward a man of his repute St. Clair had considered a little too casual, was now enthusiastic, almost affectionate.

”My dear St. Clair,” cried Billy, ”_I've fixed it_! But, until I was _sure_, I didn't want to raise your hopes!”

”Hopes of what?” demanded the actor.

”An audience with the president!” cried Billy. ”I've just called him up and he says I'm to bring you to the palace at once. He's heard of you, of course, and he's very pleased to meet you. I told him about 'The Man Behind the Gun,' and he says you must come in your make-up as 'Lieutenant Hardy, U. S. A.,' just as he'll see you on the screen.”

Mr. St. Clair stammered delightedly.

”In uniform,” he protested; ”won't that be--”

”White, special full dress,” insisted Billy. ”Medals, side-arms, full-dress belt, _and_ gloves. What a press story! 'The King of the Movies meets the President of Hayti!' Of course, he's only an ignorant negro, but on Broadway they don't know that; and it will sound fine!”

St. Clair coughed nervously.

”_Don't_ forget,” he stammered, ”I can't speak French, or understand it, either.”

The eyes of Billy became as innocent as those of a china doll.

”Then I'll interpret,” he said. ”And, oh, yes,” he added, ”he's sending two of the palace soldiers to act as an escort--sort of guard of honor!”

The King of the Movies chuckled excitedly.

”Fine!” he exclaimed. ”You _are_ a brick!”

With trembling fingers he began to shed his outer garments.

To hide his own agitation Billy walked to the window and turned his back. Night had fallen and the electric lights, that once had been his care, sprang into life. Billy looked at his watch. It was seven o'clock.

The window gave upon the harbor, and a mile from sh.o.r.e he saw the cargo lights of the _Prinz der Nederlanden_, and slowly approaching, as though feeling for her berth, a great battles.h.i.+p. When Billy turned from the window his voice was apparently undisturbed.

”We've got to hurry,” he said. ”The _Louisiana_ is standing in. She'll soon be sending a launch for you. We've just time to drive to the palace and back before the launch gets here.”

From his mind President Ham had dismissed all thoughts of the wars.h.i.+p that had been sighted and that now had come to anchor. For the moment he was otherwise concerned. Fate could not harm him; he was about to dine.

But, for the first time in the history of his administration, that solemn ceremony was rudely halted. An excited aide, trembling at his own temerity, burst upon the president's solitary state.

In the anteroom, he announced, an officer from the battles.h.i.+p _Louisiana_ demanded instant audience.

For a moment, transfixed in amazement, anger, and alarm President Ham remained seated. Such a visit, uninvited, was against all tradition; it was an affront, an insult. But that it was against all precedent argued some serious necessity. He decided it would be best to receive the officer. Besides, to continue his dinner was now out of the question.

Both appet.i.te and digestion had fled from him.

In the anteroom Billy was whispering final instructions to St. Clair.