THE NAVAL REPAIR STATION
Mr. Carlton had only gone a few yards when Barry suddenly remembered the
bulky manilla envelope that had been entrusted to his care as the train
was leaving Cleverly. He ran after the Congressman and handed him the
package. Mr. Carlton opened it in the boy's presence and his eyes
lighted with pleasure.
"It's just what I've been waiting for, Conway," he said to his newspaper
friend.
"Good; then you can present the whole business to the Secretary today."
"Precisely; that's what I intend to do."
"Suppose you take Barry along with you," suggested the correspondent.
"A good idea. I might want to send for some papers."
"Would he know where to go?" asked Conway, laughingly. "You know he's a
stranger in a strange land."
"That's easily fixed," smiled the Congressman.
"How?"
"We'll take Joe along as a guide for Barry."
The two men and boys boarded a Pennsylvania Avenue trolley and were soon
proceeding to the other end of the thoroughfare.
"My boy," said Mr. Carlton to Barry, "I think we might as well take you
into our confidence."
"Yes, sir."
"Years ago, when your father and I were young men we conceived the idea
that the Government should build a great naval supply station at
Cleverly. He even went so far as to draw up rough plans. But the time
was not ripe for it and the notion was abandoned. Since your good
father's death there have been spasmodic attempts to revive the plan,
but they never amounted to anything. Now, however, the conditions are
all favorable, and I believe that with a little strategy and a great
deal of industry, I can win the fight and make Cleverly a household name
in the United States instead of a mere speck on the map."
"That would be splendid," cried Barry, his eyes glowing with pleasure.
"The big secret," continued the Congressman, "is the fact that the
Government is now ready to act."
"Do you mean that they're going to build a station at Cleverly?" asked
Barry, excitedly.
Mr. Carlton laughed.
"No; hardly that. I mean that the officials of the Government who have
charge of our Navy have decided that we need a new Naval Repair Station.
It remains for Congress to say where the station shall be located and to
appropriate the money to pay for it. Now, I think, and Mr. Conway
thinks, too, that the City of Cleverly can furnish the ideal site for
this station."
"I don't suppose," chimed in the journalist, "that Barry can have much
interest in the subject."
"Yes, I have," exclaimed the boy; "I think it's real exciting."
Both men laughed at the boy's enthusiasm.
"The excitement," observed the journalist, "will come when it becomes
known that the Government intends to build the new station."
"When will it become known?"
"Very soon, I think. Mr. Carlton is going to have an interview with the
Secretary of the Navy this afternoon. A great deal depends on the result
of that talk."
Little Joe Hart had been listening to the conversation with great
intentness. He looked up now with a comical twist of the mouth.
"Mr. Conway," he exclaimed, with mock seriousness, "you can depend on my
support."
They all laughed heartily at this sally. Mr. Carlton turned to the
newspaper man:
"You see," he said, "we have two young gentlemen with us already."
"Yes," was the retort, "but, unfortunately, they have no votes."
"They will have some day," commented the Congressman soberly, "and I
hope they will exercise that power for the good of the country."
By this time the car had reached the Treasury Department and was going
around the massive pile of granite which houses the officials and the
employees who look after the finances of the nation. Mr. Carlton and his
friends alighted at the next corner and walked the remainder of the
distance to their destination. They passed the White House, the modest
looking dwelling which is the home of the President of the United
States. Barry looked at it curiously.
"What do you think of it?" asked Mr. Conway.
Barry hesitated.
"Come out with it," insisted the journalist.
"Well," said the boy reluctantly, "it doesn't look much."
Mr. Conway laughed.
"That's the opinion of most strangers. But as you grow older you will
realize that it typifies the strength and simplicity of the people. We
have wealth enough to give the President a palace that would rival the
homes of the sovereigns of Europe, but, thank goodness, we haven't the
desire."
The large stone building, which is the headquarters of the State, War
and Navy Departments, was now in sight. As they walked up the high steps
of the main entrance, Barry and the journalist found themselves
temporarily separated from Mr. Carlton and Joe Hart. It gave Mr. Conway
an opportunity of speaking of the Congressman.
"He's one of nature's noblemen," he said, fervently. "I've been here
many years," he added, "and I've seen public men come and go, but I
never met a cleaner, abler man than John Carlton. Only his modesty has
prevented him from being the leader of Congress. He's as clean as a
hound's tooth, but he would no more boast of his integrity, than he
would brag of saying his prayers. He takes it as a matter of course. He
despises grafters, but he also detests self-sufficient reformers who are
forever flaunting their virtues in the face of the public. But," with a
laugh, "I'm afraid I'm talking over your head, Barry."
"Not at all," retorted the boy. "I know just what you mean; and,
besides, I love to hear anyone talk about Mr. Carlton. He was my
father's best friend. That's why he had me appointed a page boy. He says
it will give me a chance to see life and mix with big people and that it
may lead to something better."
"That's true, and I think that even in your modest position you may be
very useful to him."
"I hope so. He seems very much interested in the Naval Repair Station."
"It's the biggest thing he has ever attempted. If he succeeds the people
of Cleverly will never forget him. It will mean that he will not have
to fight for re-election at the end of every two years. In short it will
be a monument to him."
At the head of the steps the two were joined by Mr. Carlton and Joe
Hart. They proceeded along the corridor and then up another flight of
stairs and presently were ushered into the office of the Secretary of
the Navy. The two boys seated themselves on a leather covered sofa near
the door, while the Congressman and Mr. Conway walked up to a desk where
a young man was writing. He greeted them pleasantly, took their cards
and disappeared into a smaller apartment in the rear of the large room.
He returned in a few moments followed by an older man. The newcomer
hurried over to where the Congressman was standing.
"Hello, Carlton," he cried, cheerily, "I'm glad to see you."
"The pleasure is mutual, Mr. Secretary," smiled the statesman.
"And you too, Conway," exclaimed the cabinet officer, extending his
hand to the newspaper man.
The three of them took chairs. The Secretary looked at his visitors
inquiringly.
"What's in the wind?" he asked, in his affable way. "It must be
important when a Congressman and a journalist call together."
"It is," said Mr. Carlton, soberly. "It's about the proposed new Naval
Repair Station."
"So that's got out, has it?" he remarked, musingly.
"Well, it's not exactly public property, but we've learned enough to
know that Congress will take up the matter at this session."
"Really, it's no secret," admitted the Secretary, "and I'm frank enough
to say that we need it very badly at this time. What's the use of
spending millions of dollars in creating a first-class Navy unless we
keep the battleships in first-class condition. We have a number of good
navy yards, but we could use an additional Naval Repair Station to great
advantage."
"I know that, and I'm going to offer a bill in Congress at an early
day."
"You are?"
"I am, and I would naturally like to have the support of the
Department."
"Of course," said the Secretary, hesitatingly, "it would be impossible
to pledge myself in advance."
"I understand that perfectly," was the prompt reply. "I have been on the
Naval Committee of the House long enough to know that these things must
come up in an orderly manner and go through the regular channels."
"Certainly, certainly," echoed the cabinet officer, relieved to know
that he was not going to be asked to depart from the usual method of
procedure.
"I came today," continued the Congressman, "to show you a set of plans
that have been prepared for a Naval Repair Station at Cleverly. I don't
want to go at this matter blindly. I want you to look at our papers. Of
course, later on they will be submitted to any Board of Experts that you
may see fit to appoint."
"I'm sure that I would be delighted to look them over," was the quick
response.
Thereupon Mr. Carlton drew forth the bulky envelope that had been
entrusted to Barry on his departure from Cleverly. The Secretary became
interested at once. In order to get a better view of the papers the
three men walked over to a large flat-top table in the centre of the
room. Here the blue prints were spread out and held down with
paperweights in order that they might be intelligently studied. The
Congressman, who knew his subject by heart, explained the advantages to
be gained by locating the station at Cleverly. The Secretary asked many
questions, which were answered promptly, satisfactorily and with
confidence.
"How much of an appropriation did you think of asking for?"
"A million dollars," replied the Congressman.
"That would not pay the entire cost of the station," said the
Secretary.
"No; but it would answer all present needs. Additions could be made from
time to time."
Presently the Secretary pressed a button and a messenger appeared.
"Tell the Admiral I would like to see him at his convenience," he said.
In a few minutes an old gentleman, with snow white hair and moustache
and ruddy cheeks, entered. He was faultlessly, almost nattily, dressed
and he had an alertness about him which suggested that he might have
discovered the fountain of eternal youth, whose source had been so
vainly sought by the gallant Ponce de Leon.
"That's the Admiral," whispered Joe to Barry from his secluded corner of
the leather sofa.
"What? The real Admiral?"
"Sure."
"Where's his cocked hat and his sword and his uniform?"
"Oh, say," cried Joe, disgusted at such evident lack of knowledge, "he
doesn't wear them in his office."
"Where does he wear them?"
"When he's fighting--on the quarter deck of his flagship."
"He doesn't look like a fighter."
This was too much for Mr. Joseph Hart. He stuffed his handkerchief in
his mouth to keep from screaming. He butted his head against the
cushioned back of the sofa, and he performed various other silent, but
none the less effective, gymnastic exercises. After he had exhausted his
merriment, he turned to the Cleverly boy and said, reproachfully:
"Can he fight? Why that man sunk the entire navy of a great European
nation in about twenty minutes."
"Twenty minutes?" gasped Barry, awe stricken.
"It was less than that," cried Joe, following up his advantage, "it
happened this way. The Admiral was taking breakfast in the cabin of his
vessel with some friends. He took a sip of his coffee and then said,
'please excuse me.' He went up on deck, and in a few minutes he returned
to finish his coffee, saying, 'ha, I'm glad that's done.'"
"What had he done?" asked Barry.
"Sunk the Spanish navy."
"He doesn't act like a ferocious man."
"Real fighters never do," said Joe.
In the meantime the newcomer had joined the Secretary of the Navy and
had been presented to the Congressman and the journalist. He was asked
to examine the plans. He did so, at first in a perfunctory manner. But
presently he became interested, and went over the blue prints with
greater care. Finally he began to ask questions.
"Where would you put the dry dock?" he queried.
"Right there," replied the Congressman, indicating the spot with the tip
of his little finger.
"This looks as if it might be a fresh water basin," suggested the
Admiral.
"It is."
"And yet you are near the ocean."
"Within two miles of it."
Presently the Admiral finished his inspection of the plans. He leaned
back in his chair, with his eyes half closed. The other three men looked
at him intently. His expert opinion was of the highest value.
"Well," said the Secretary, finally, "what do you think of it?"
"Splendid," was the reply. "It looks as if it had been carved by nature
for our present needs."
Five minutes later the Congressman was on his way back to the Capitol.
He was bubbling over with good humor. He put his hand on Barry Wynn's
shoulder:
"We've got a bully start, Barry," he said. "I do believe you're going to
be my mascot."