"Now listen to me," I said. "If the army doesn't want you, consider
yourself lucky."
"But I want to get in," the young man protested. "I won't feel right
until I am in service."
"You left that psychiatrist too soon," I muttered. "Anyway, what do
you expect me to do?"
"Why, I was sure you could help me," the young man said. "You're the
Soldier's Friend, aren't you? You write the column of advice to the
Yanks in the _Standard_, don't you?"
I got it then. This wraith thought I was the Soldier's Friend. That's
why he was spilling himself to me.
He continued. "You know all the angles of the various branches of the
Service, and I hoped you'd be able to recommend some branch that could
use me. I'm willing to do anything or go anywhere. If you'll help me
I'll put myself completely in your hands."
"Now just a minute," I said. "You've got the wrong idea. The guy you
want to see--"
I closed my big mouth with a snap. What was wrong with me? Were my
brains on a permanent vacation? Here was opportunity hammering and
banging at my door and I was too deaf to hear a sound.
This hard-to-see young man was a natural for show business. I already
had an act lined up that he would fit as neatly as five fingers in a
glove. And he was practically begging me to take him under my wing.
"Young man," I said. "You impress me as being sincere and earnest. And
for that reason I am going to try and help you."
"Oh, gosh, thanks."
"It's the least I can do," I said. "But," I added sternly, "you've got
to put yourself completely in my hands. You mustn't question a thing I
tell you to do. You see, this isn't going to be easy. I'll have to go
about it in a rather roundabout way. And it may take a little while."
"Oh, I don't care," the young man said happily. "Anything you say is
all right with me."
"Fine." I glanced at my watch. "We've got to go now. You follow me."
"Sure, Mr.--"
"Flannigan," I said automatically.
"But, Mr. Flannigan, that isn't the name you use on your column."
"Naturally," I said. "Very sharp of you to catch that. I might get you
into Intelligence, even if only as a decoy. The name I use on the
column is a pseudonym."
"Oh!"
"Now come along with me."
I hurriedly got my young phantom out of the Soldier's Friend office
before anyone could butt in and ruin everything. When we were safely
ensconced in my own office, I waved the young man to a chair.
"What's your name?" I asked.
"Horatio Heely," he replied.
* * * * *
I was becoming more enthused every minute. Looking at him, or _trying_
to look at him, seated in a chair, convinced me of his enormous
potentialities. The chair was brown leather and, at first glance, the
only thing that indicated that it was occupied, was a slight
indentation in the seat and back of the chair. Horatio blended in
perfectly with the deep brown of the chair and his face, which stuck
up six or eight inches, was invisible against the grayness of the
wall.
"Maybe you could get me into the Coast Guard," he said.
I frowned. "I hardly think so," I said. "I know the Commander over
there but I don't think I could swing it. Now, remember, you're going
to leave everything in my hands."
The door of my office opened then and a slim, stunning blonde walked
in, followed by a tall, gaunt, sober individual with a gloomy face and
deep black eyes. He wore a turban with an imitation jewel set in the
center folds, squarely over his high forehead.
"Hah!" this character cried. "I suppose again you will tell me there
is nothing for Mystiffio The Great, today."
"Ix-nay," I snapped. "Ut-shay up-yay!"
The blonde looked at me, eyebrows raising.
"What gives, mastermind?"
This was the act I had in mind for Horatio. Mystiffio was a fair
magician and his line of patter wasn't bad. The blonde, whose name was
Alice, acted as a prop, and with her looks and Mystiffio's line they
didn't do badly. But with Horatio in the act it would be tremendous.
He would blend perfectly into the stage background. Invisible, he
could assist Mystiffio with the hocus-pocus and really produce some
wonderful effects.
Alice was still looking at me as if I'd gone batty.
"Just trust Uncle," I said hastily. "I got a great new angle for your
act."
"You act as if you've been out in the sun too long," Alice murmured.
"But don't mind me."
With a weary sigh she sank into the brown leather chair. And one-tenth
of a second later she leaped to her feet with a scream. She wheeled
about, hand raised to slap, and then as she stared at the seemingly
empty chair, an expression of wonderment stole over her pretty face.
[Illustration: "Oh!" she screamed, and leaped from the chair]
"What--I could have sworn I--" She turned to me pleadingly. "What is
it? Am I going screwy or is there somebody sitting in that chair?"
"Horatio," I said. "Exert a little willpower and show yourself."
"All right, Mr. Flannigan," Horatio's voice from the chair answered.
Mystiffio moved nervously toward the door.
"I don't believe it," he said. His broad dark face was an unhappy
mixture of fear and surprise.
"Well, I'll be darned!" Alice cried. She was staring at the chair, or
rather at Horatio, who had suddenly become visible.
* * * * *