The other climbed in, and they went on. "The Lieutenant has just
come up from Brooklyn," he continued. "Lively times we had in
Brooklyn, didn't we, Billy? Tell me what you have been doing
lately."

"I'm working hard," said the Lieutenant--"studying."

"Studying here in Newport?" laughed Gamble.

"That's easy enough when you belong to the Engineers," said the
other. "We are working-men, and they don't want us at their balls."

"By the way, Gamble," he added, after a moment, "I was looking for
you. I want you to help me."

"Me?" said Gamble.

"Yes," said the other. "I have just had notice from the Department
that I am one of a board of five that has been appointed to draw up
specifications for machine oil for the Navy."

"What can I do about it?" asked Gamble.

"I want you to help me draw them up."

"But I don't know anything about machine oil."

"You cannot possibly know less than I do," said the Lieutenant.
"Surely, if you have been in the oil business, you can give me some
sort of an idea about machine oil."