"Go to the opera to-night. Take seat H 77. No other seat will do."
"H 77--to-night," repeated Thomas Thorne Merriwether.
"Thanks," said Tom, and started for the door. He halted when the man spoke.
"It is the seat back of G 77. None other will do."
"Good day, sir," said Tom, and left the room.
The telephone operator in E. H. Merriwether's office manipulated the plugs in the switchboard and answered in advance:
"This is the Rivulet Club. Mr. Waters wishes to speak to Mr. E. H. Merriwether. Personal matter."
"He's engaged just now. Will any one else do?"
"No. Say it is Mr. Waters--about Mr. Tom Merriwether."
People resorted to all manner of tricks and subterfuges to speak to Mr. E. H. Merriwether--deluded people who thought they could get what they wished if only they could speak to Mr. Merriwether himself. They never succeeded. He was too well guarded by highly paid experts who prevented the waste of his precious time. But the telephone operator knew her business. She switched the would-be conversationalist on to the private secretary's line, saying: "Mr. Waters, Rivulet Club, wishes to speak to Mr. E. H. in regard to Mr. Tom Merriwether."
"I'll talk to him," hastily said the private secretary.
"Hello, Mr. Waters! This is McWayne, Mr. Merriwether's private secretary. Has anything happened to Tom that--Oh! Yes--of course! At once, Mr. Waters."
McWayne then had the operator put Mr. Waters on Mr. E. H.'s wire.
"Who?" said the czar of the Pacific & Southwestern. "Waters? Oh yes. Go ahead!"
And Mr. E. H. Merriwether heard, in a young man's voice:
"Say, Mr. Merriwether, some of the fellows here thought I'd better speak to you about Tom. He's been acting kind of queer; of course I don't mean crazy or--er--alarming; but--don't you know?--unusual.... Yes, sir! A little unusual for him, Mr. Merriwether. To-day it was about the opera. Says he's got to get a certain seat, no matter what it costs. Of course it isn't our business.... Oh no! he never drinks too much. No; never! We don't think we are called on to follow him to the Metropolitan, where he has just gone; but we thought you ought to know it. Please don't bring us into any--you know we are very fond of Tom; and we were a little worried, he's been so unlike himself lately. We teased him about being in love, and he--er--he seemed to get quite angry.... Yes, Mr. Merriwether; we'll keep you posted; and please don't give me away. It was a very delicate matter and--Don't mention it, Mr. Merriwether. We'd all do anything for Tom, sir. Good-by."