CHAPTER VII
DAN IS COMMANDED TO A PARTY
A week later, Dan, in accordance with an engagement made with Mr.
Howland when parting with him at the railroad station at Norfolk,
whither the rescuing vessel had taken the shipwrecked party, called at
the office of the Coastwise and West Indian Shipping Company in the
Bowling Green Building and asked to see the president.
It was a large office, filled with clerks and all of them busy. The
young man who received the caller's request looked at him sharply and
shook his head.
"Mr. Rowland's engaged now," he said, "at a company meeting. If you'll
call in an hour or two I'll find out if he will see you."
Dan drew from his pocket a card with a pencilled memorandum and glanced
at it.
"He made an appointment with me for eleven o'clock to-day. So I guess
I'll have to ask you to take in my card."
The clerk shrugged his shoulders and walked away. When he returned a
few minutes later all signs of mistrust had vanished. Opening the gate
with a sort of flourish he said:
"Mr. Howland says for you to come right in."
As Dan entered the president's office, Mr. Howland arose from a long,
polished oaken table littered with papers, at which several men were
seated, and advanced to meet him.
"Captain Merrithew," he said, "I am glad to see you again.
Pages:
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95