The Consul | Page 5

rank, he had been dropped, until now he, who twice had been a
consul-general, was an exile, banished to a fever swamp. The great
Ship of State had dropped him overside, had "marooned" him, and
sailed away.
Twice a day he walked along the shell road to the Cafe Bolivar, and
back again to the consulate. There, as he entered the outer office, Jose"
the Colombian clerk, would rise and bow profoundly.
"Any papers for me to sign, Jose? " the consul would ask.
"Not to-day, Excellency, "the clerk would reply. Then Jose would
return to writing a letter to his lady-love; not that there was any-thing to
tell her, but because writing on the official paper of the consulate gave
him importance in his eyes, and in hers. And in the inner office the
consul would continue to gaze at the empty harbor, the empty coral
reefs, the empty, burning sky.
The little band of exiles were at second break fast when the wireless
man came in late to announce that a Red D. boat and the island of
Curacao had both reported a hurricane coming north. Also, that much
concern was felt for the safety of the yacht SERAPIS. Three days
before, in advance of her coming, she had sent a wireless to
Wilhelmstad, asking the captain of the port to reserve a berth for her.
She expected to arrive the following morning. But for forty-eight hours
nothing had been heard from her, and it was believed she had been
overhauled by the hurricane. Owing to the presence on board of
Senator Hanley, the closest friend of the new President, the man who
had made him president, much concern was felt at Washington. To try
to pick her up by wireless, the gun-boat NEWARK had been ordered
from Culebra, the cruiser RALEIGH, with Admiral Hardy on board,
from Colon. It was possible she would seek shelter at Porto Banos. The
consul was ordered to report.
As Marshall wrote out his answer, the French consul exclaimed with
interest:
"He is of importance, then, this senator?" he asked. "Is it that in your

country ships of war are at the service of a senator?"
Aiken, the wireless operator, grinned derisively.
"At the service of THIS senator, they are!" he answered. "They call him
the 'king-maker,' the man behind the throne."
"But in your country," protested the Frenchman, "there is no throne. I
thought your president was elected by the people?"
"That's what the people think," answered Aiken. "In God's country," he
explained, "the trusts want a rich man in the Senate, with the same
interests as their own, to represent them. They chose Hanley. He picked
out of the candidates for the presidency the man he thought would help
the interests. He nominated him, and the people voted for him. Hanley
is what we call a 'boss.' "
The Frenchman looked inquiringly at Marshall.
"The position of the boss is the more dangerous," said Marshall gravely,
"because it is unofficial, because there are no laws to curtail his powers.
Men like Senator Hanley are a menace to good government. They see
in public office only a reward for party workers."
"That's right," assented Aiken. "Your forty years' service, Mr. Consul,
wouldn't count with Hanley. If he wanted your job, he'd throw you out
as quick as he would a drunken cook."
Mr. Marshall flushed painfully, and the French consul hastened to
interrupt.
"Then, let us pray," he exclaimed, with fervor, "that the hurricane has
sunk the SERAPIS, and all on board."
Two hours later, the SERAPIS, showing she had met the hurricane and
had come out second best, steamed into the harbor.
Her owner was young Herbert Livingstone, of Washington. He once
had been in the diplomatic service, and, as minister to The Hague,
wished to return to it. In order to bring this about he had subscribed
liberally to the party campaign fund.
With him, among other distinguished persons, was the all- powerful
Hanley. The kidnapping of Hanley for the cruise, in itself,
demonstrated the ability of Livingstone as a diplomat. It was the
opinion of many that it would surely lead to his appointment as a
minister plenipotentiary. Livingstone was of the same opinion. He had
not lived long in the nation's capital without observing the value of
propinquity. How many men he knew were now paymasters, and

secretaries of legation, solely because those high in the government met
them daily at the Metropolitan Club, and preferred them in almost any
other place. And if, after three weeks as his guest on board what the
newspapers called his floating palace, the senator could refuse him
even the prize, legation of Europe, there was no value in modest merit.
As yet, Livingstone had not hinted at his ambition. There was no