Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-03


| IN the outer Office my men usually
| work In the inner office I work myself.
| Ihese rooms communicate, as you see, by
the place is by the door of the outer Of
flee leading into the corridor and we first
pass through the usual lifting flap in the
! barrier. The door leading from the inner
once to the corridor is always kept lock-
| ed on the inside, and 1 don't suppose un-
JOCK 1t once in three months. It has not
| been unlocked all the morning. The
| drawer In which the missing drawings
o'clock this morning, is at the place
marked D; 1t is large chest of shallow
drawers in which the plans lie fat"
quite understand. Then there is the
private room opposite. What of that?"
lhat is sort of private sitting room
that l rarely use, except for business in
IervleWs OF a very private nature. When
L said l never left my Office I did NOT
mean that | never stirred out of the in
ner office. ! was about in one room and
another, both the outer and the inner Of
noes, and once l went into the private
room Tor five minutes, but nobody came
either in or out of any of the rooms at
that time, for the door of the private
room was wide open, and 1 was standing
az the book case q had gone to consult
pook), just inside the door with a full
view of the doors opposite. Indeed. Wors
| fold was at the door OF the outer office
most or the short time. He came to ask
me a question"
Well Hewitt replied, at all comes
TO the simple first statement You
know that nobody left the place or
arrived, except the postman, who
t touis il ger near the drawings, and yet
the drawings went. Is this your Officer"
Inc can had stopped before a large Stone
bulldlng Mr.. Dixon alighted and led the
way TO the first floor. Hewitt took a cas-
Tai sianee round each of the three rooms.
Ihere was sort of door in the frame If
ground glass over the barrier to admit of
speech with visitors. This door Hewitt
pushed wide open. and left So
he and the engineer went into the inner
once Would you like to ask Worsfold
and Ritter any questions?" Mr.. Dixon IN
ouired. III
PRESENTLY. Those are their coats I take
II, hanging just to the right of the outer
once n%ss do9 3ro over the umbrella stand?'
hats, stick and umbrella"
say?" Sou
YES"
and this is the drawer-thoroughly
on, certainly; every drawer was taken
out and turned over
Well Of course l must assume Won made
no mistake in your hunt. Now tell me. did
ny 9ou i kn9w where these plans Were, be-
AS lar as can tell, not a soul"
you don't keep Office boy?"
NO. ihere would be nothing for him to
90 except to post a letter now and again
Whlch Ritter does quite well for"
AS you are quite sure that the drawings
were there at 10 O'Clock perhaps the thing
s - matters. But / may well know
II your men have keys of the office?'
Neither l have patent locks to each
aoor and L keep all the keys myself If
Worsfold or Ritter arrive before me in the
morning they have to wait to be LET in
ana am always present myself when the
precautions. you see"
NO l suppose the object Of the theft
assuming 1t is a theft-is pretty plain: the
thief would offer the drawings for sale to
some foreign government
of course. They would probably com
mand great sum. 1 have been looking.
as need hardly tell you, &c, that invention
70 secure me very large fortune and l
t siian De ruined. indeed. If the design is
taken abroad. am under the strictest en-
gagements to secrecy with the admiralty.
and not only should l lose all my labor,
put should lose all the confidence re-
posed la me at headquarters; should, IN
iact, De subject to penalties for breach
or contract and my career stopped
forever. cannot tell you what a serious
business this Is for me. IL YOU cannot
help me- the consequences will be- terrible.
bad for the service of the country, too. of
course
Of course Now tell me this: It would I
take 1t. be necessary for the thief to ex-
nlpit these drawings to anybody anxious
70 Duy the secret mean, he couldn't de-
scribe the invention by word of mouth"
"Oh. no, that would be Impossible. The
drawings are of the most complicated de-
scription. and full of figures upon which
the "hoie thing depends. Indeed, one would
have to be skilled expert to properly ap-
preciate the design at all. Various princi-
pies of hydrostatics, chemistry electricity
and pneumaties are most delicately manip-
uiated and adjusted, and the smallest error
or omission in any part would upset the
whole. No, the drawings are necessary to
| the thing. and they are gone"
At this moment the door Of the outer Of
| flee was heard to open and somebody en-
| tered. The door between the two offices
| was aJar, and Hewitt could see right
| through to the glass door left open over
| the barrier and into the space beyond A
! well-dressed, dark, bushy-bearded man
| stood there carrying hand bag, which he
! placed on the ledge before him Hewitt
| raised his hand to enjoin silence The man
| spoke in rather high-pitehed voice and
| with slight accent. rs Mr. Dixon now
Within he asked
! HE is engaged answered one of the
| draughtsmen; very particularly engaged.
am afraid you won't be able to see him
| this afternoon. Can 1 give him any mes
| sage?"
| This is two-the second time I have come
| today. Not two hours ago Nr. Dixon him
| self tells me to call again. ! have a very
/ important-very excellent steam packing to
| show him that is very cheap and the best
| of the market" The man tapped his bag.
II have just taken orders from the largest
| railway companies. Cannot / see him, for
| one second only? will not detain him.
Really. I'm sure you can't this after
| noon: he isn't seeing anybody. But II
| you'll leave your name"
My name is Hunter; but what the good
of that? He ask me TO cali a little later,
| and come. and now he is engaged. 1t Is a
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