"I'm looking for a man, and I'm not good at the business. I've lost him and I don't understand it, I don't understand it," and the secretary seemed to be half-musing to himself as he sat down and rested his arms on the table. "You might give me the job. I'm following a slight clue myself just at present." The secretary, who had no great opinion of Ardmore's mental capacity, stared at the young man vacantly. Then it occurred to him that possibly Ardmore might be of service. "Have you been at Ardsley recently?" he asked. "Left there only a few days ago." "You haven't seen your governor lately, have you?" "My governor?" Ardmore stared blankly. "Why, Mr. Billings, don't you remember that father's dead?" "I don't mean your father, Ardy," replied Billings with the exaggerated care of one who deals with extreme stupidity. "I mean the governor of North Carolina--one of the American states. Ardsley is still in North Carolina, isn't it?" "Oh, yes; of course. But bless your soul, I don't know the governor. Why should one?" "I don't know why, Ardy; but people sometimes do know governors and find it useful." "I'm not in politics any more, Mr. Billings. What's this person's name?" "Dangerfield. Don't you ever read the newspapers?" demanded the secretary, striving to control his inner rage. He was in trouble and Ardmore's opaqueness taxed his patience. And yet Tommy Ardmore had given him less trouble than any other member of the Ardmore family. The others galloped gaily through their incomes; Tommy was rapidly augmenting his inheritance from sheer neglect or inability to scatter his dividends. "No; I quit reading newspapers after the noble Duke of Ballywinkle didn't break the bank at Monte Carlo that last time. I often wish, Mr. Billings, that the Mohawks had scalped my great-grandfather before they bought his whisky. That would have saved me the personal humiliation of being brother-in-law to a duke." "You mustn't be so thin-skinned. You pay the penalty of belonging to one of the wealthiest families in America," and Billings' tone was paternal. "So I've heard, but I'm not so terribly proud of it. What about this governor?" "That's what troubles me--what of the governor?" Billings dropped his voice so that no one but Ardmore could hear. "He's missing--disappeared." "That's the first interesting thing I ever heard of a governor doing," said Ardmore. "Tell me more." "He's had a row with the governor of South Carolina at New Orleans. I was to have met him here on an important matter of business this afternoon, but he's cleared out and nobody knows what's become of him. His daughter, even, who was in New Orleans with him, doesn't know where he is." "When was she in New Orleans with him?" asked Ardmore, looking at his watch. "She--who?" asked Billings, annoyed. "Why, the daughter!" "I don't know anything about the daughter, but if I could find her father I'd give him a piece of my mind," and the secretary's face flushed angrily.