"Mr. La Mothe and Mr. Cantor to see you," announced a servant. "Send them up," Potter directed, fumbling in his memory for the name Cantor, recollecting it was the chap he had met at the Country Club who had letters of introduction to him. La Mothe and Cantor entered. Potter looked first at Cantor. There was something about the man, something that made his memory itch. He had seen Cantor somewhere, but where? What was there about the man? He noticed that Cantor scrutinized him tensely. It was as if the man were searching for something, something that he was afraid to find. "Greetings, Potter," said La Mothe. "You're looking bang-up for a fellow that was all fitted to a coffin. We were taking up a subscription to send you a floral pillow.... You remember Cantor?" "Yes," said Potter, extending his hand. "You're making quite a stay in Detroit." "He's joined the lodge," La Mothe remarked. "Shouldn't be surprised if he squatted. Eh, Cantor?" "I find Detroit very attractive, especially to a business man," said Cantor. "I've even thought of making it my home." "That's about the best compliment you could pay the city," said Potter, but in his mind he was saying over and over: "What is it? What is there about him? Where does he fit in?" "I've never had an opportunity to present some letters I have from friends of yours, Mr. Waite. But here they are." "From Tom Herkimer and George Striker, eh?" said Potter, glancing over the notes. "They seem to be rather strong for you. I'm not very useful as an acquaintance just now, but as soon as I'm on my feet--" "As soon as you're on your feet," said La Mothe, "he'll have you chaperoning him through your plant. He's a regular factory hound. Never saw a man so keen on factories." "I'm interested in mill-work and manufacturing efficiency," said Cantor. "It's an important part of my business." "I'd say it was _all_ of your business," said La Mothe, with a laugh. "I'll bet he could draw from memory the plans of half the plants in Detroit." Cantor smiled. "Speaking of plants," said La Mothe, "things are getting a little thick. I was just talking to Weston, of the Structural Steel. He said they'd put armed guards all around the plant. Found explosives in the coal, and now they're sorting over every chunk of coal that comes in. They're making shrapnel-cases, you know.... Kraemer's friend, the Kaiser, is doing it, I suppose." "Dirty business," Cantor said, easily. "Trouble developed last week in the Delmont Machine Company's shops. They found somebody had put emery in the bearings." "Any war news?" asked Potter. "Nothing big since Warsaw fell. Looks as if Russia was about done," La Mothe said. "The war's going into its second year," said Cantor. "Who thought it could last a year?" "Looks as if we might have a little war of our own one of these days. Mexico's in need of a cleaning up," La Mothe said. "It's been Germany's year," Potter said. "Only for the Marne--"