The automobile came to a stop two blocks from the German meeting-place.

As the three walked toward it, a beggar stopped Strong. The latter gave him some coins. Ted, who was watching, saw a paper pass between the two. It was so quickly done that he was not even sure of it. He made no comment, as he knew that Strong would mention it, if he thought it necessary.

“The room is on the third floor,” Strong said. “There is someone in it now. That beggar has just been up there; he has been watching the house all morning, so that he could keep me in touch.

“Suppose, Ted, you go up and sell your papers. Go to every office. When you reach Room 318, size it up as well as you can. See what you can of 316 and 320 also.”

“All our work and our preparations have 48 been from 418,” Walker added. “Our friends are there.”

“Yes,” Strong said, “take a look in there, even though you will meet Bronson a little later.”

A boy tried to sell his papers in the many offices. He canvassed each floor and in due time reached the fourth. He came to Room 418 and saw a sign on the glass reading as follows:

TERENCE McMAHON
INSURANCE AGENT AND ADJUSTER
MAIN OFFICE—OLIVER BUILDING
Russell Bronson, Br. Mgr.

He entered. “Want a paper?” he asked one of the men.

The man took one. Ted glanced about and then went out. He had some idea of the room. He noticed that three other doors seemed to belong to the same office, Rooms 422, 420 and 416.

He soon reached the third floor. He went through the same routine, just as carefully and matter-of-factedly, as he had done on the other floors. When he reached 320 he found the door locked and a hand pointing 49 to 318 as the entrance. On the glass of that door he saw a sign which read:

NOVELTIES AND TOYS
A. CHRISTENSEN

Ted opened the door. A man was inside, his feet perched upon a desk and he was reading a German newspaper.

“Paper, sir?” Ted asked him.

“No,” was the answer. He did not even glance up.

“I have a Staats-Zeitung and a Wochen-Blatt,” coaxed Ted. All this time he was taking stock of the room.

“A Wochen-Blatt? I’ll take one,” the man became interested. He offered a half dollar to Ted.

“I haven’t the change, but I will get it for you.” Ted was fighting for time, so that he could form impressions.

“And run away with my money?” the man sneered. “Not on your life. I’ll wait until later.”

“You can hold all my papers. I’ll come back.”

The man grudgingly gave the boy the money. At the corner store Ted found his 50 two friends; the automobile had long since left.

“Good work,” Strong commented, after hearing Ted. “Now, how can we get that fellow out of the building for half an hour?”

“When I suggested going out for the change,” volunteered Ted, “he didn’t want to trust me and said: ‘I’ll wait until later.’ Perhaps he intends going out.”

“Well, here is one way to coax him to go a little sooner. A German wants what he wants when he wants it, and he never stops wanting it until he gets it. When you go back, Ted, insist on being paid twice as much as the paper sells for. He probably will not pay it. He will consider it a holdup. But he will want that paper and it may hurry his departure. It is almost lunch-time anyway.

“Walker, you go to all the news-stands within three square blocks and also any stores you may see that sell newspapers and buy up any Wochen-Blatts they have. That ought to keep our friend busy trying to get what he wants and so give us more time. We will all meet in Room 418. I’ll steal up while you two are wrangling over your high-handed 51 outrage, Ted. Walker can come any time. There is small chance that he will be recognized. You see,” Strong added, his eyes smiling, “that’s the value of having the ordinary face Walker has. He looks like seventy-five million other folks, so no one would notice him.”

Ted rushed back to the office. “Everybody is poor around here or else they don’t want to make change. My, what trouble.” He was counting out the change and he now placed but forty cents on the man’s desk.

The man picked up the money and for a moment it looked as if he would not count it, but he did.

“Hey, boy, another nickel! You’re short here.”

“No, I’m not. I took a nickel for all the trouble I had in making change.” Ted felt mean and he knew his argument was a poor one, but he was doing it for a purpose.

“Five cents, or I don’t want the paper.” He made a threatening motion toward Ted.

Ted laughed at him. He threw the dime on the desk, picked up his paper and backed out of the door. The man was muttering fiercely in German. 52

Out on the street our hero watched from a nearby door. It was just mid-day and people were hurrying for their lunch. But it was at least twenty minutes before he saw his man walk out of the building. He watched him and saw him stop at one, then at another stand and try to obtain the desired paper. He was not successful and Ted saw him stroll further down the street.

Two minutes later Ted was in Room 418. Walker joined them almost at the same time.

Ted was introduced to the man to whom he had sold a paper a little earlier and then the party got down to business.

“Walker, jump down and try the door,” said Strong. “Here is the key.”

But a new problem presented itself when Walker reported back that the key would not fit the lock and Strong, incredulous, had proven the truth of it for himself.

“Phew!” whistled Strong. “They must have changed the lock. They figured the old one was too easy for anyone who had a mind to enter. Come on, Walker, we’ll try the window.”

But they found no way of entering 53 through the window. It was securely fastened. Walker, with one foot on the edge of the fire-escape and the other on the ledge of the next room’s window and holding himself secure with one hand, attempted to open that window also, but found it just as securely locked.

“There is still one way before we think of any rough stuff,” said Strong. With the other three he went down to the third floor.

“Here, Ted, get on my shoulders and try the fanlight. Let’s pray that it opens.”

It opened so very easily that they all laughed. But they found that neither Walker, Strong nor Bronson could get through. But Ted could.

“Well,” said Bronson, “I reckon it’s up to the boy, isn’t it?”

“It certainly is,” said Strong.

Walker now very quickly, yet very clearly explained the workings and the manipulations of the dictaphone. Ted listened carefully as he was told how the wires should be laid and connected.

“You see, Ted,” Walker continued, “the whole thing is already prepared. We knew how little time we would have when the time 54 did come, so we did everything we could beforehand. You will find a place for these wires on the wall behind the steam-pipes. The floor moulding running along the window wall will move if you remove the screws—four of them. Then count off the sixteenth floor board—you work it this way,” Walker showed Ted how, “and it will pry loose. It is all very simple and should take no more than twenty minutes. It would take me ten.

“The floor-board has a little groove into which the wires will fit. You will find that where this board ends is another piece of moulding which will most surprisingly give way to your magic fingers, and the screwdriver, as did the moulding at the other end. On the big cabinet that is there, try that corner of it nearest you and against the wall, and there you will find that your wires will fit snugly. Your hands are small and can get in there, back of the cabinet. You just can’t go wrong. On top of the cabinet see that the mouthpiece or, rather, the listener, is propped up so that it faces the table. If you have any doubts call out—we will be here. You will also find that it will not be seen, for the cabinet is high.” 55

“Be careful, Ted, about leaving things just as they were. It all will fit back snugly. Be twice as careful as you are quick,” Strong warned him.

“I shall be up here, Bronson will be one flight below, and the beggar is watching in the street. Walker will be up above passing the wires down to you.”

More than fifteen minutes had already been consumed. Strong had warned Ted to open the window of Room 420 and, should a warning come, hide in that room. A rope would be passed down for him from the window above.

Ted got to work at once. He found it even more simple than Walker had told him. In fifteen or twenty minutes he called out. “I think I am through.” He took another look about. He had carefully seen to everything and there was no sign of any disturbance.

“Wait a minute,” said Strong. There was a pause. Then he heard Strong speaking to him again, “Say something right out, not too loud, just ordinary conversation.”

“Want to buy a paper? News, Post, 56 American, Staats-Zeitung?” said Ted to the empty air.

There was another pause, then he heard Walker say to Strong, “It’s fine and distinct, old man.”

Ted took another look about. He lifted himself on the door-knob and then eager hands helped him out. Walker ran down the fire escape to take a look around the room and Strong hoisted himself up on the knob and also looked about. Ted’s work had been thorough and neither of them made any criticisms.

“Well, that’s something of a relief,” said Walker. Ted closed the fanlight.

“Nothing to do until tonight,” and Walker grinned.

“Let’s eat,” said Strong. “Coming with us, Bronson?”

“Certainly,” was the answer.