Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-06-27

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 carry.
 ing hand bag, which he placed on the
 ledge before him. Hewitt raised his
 hand to enjoin silence. The man spoke
 in rather high pitched voice and with
 slight accent. "Is Mir. Dixon now
 within?" he asked.
 "He is engaged" answered one of
 the draftsmen; "very particularly en-
 gagged. I'm afraid you won't be able
 to see him this afternoon. Can I give
 him any message"
 "This is two-the second time I have
 come today. Not two hours ago MT.
 Dixon himself tells me to call again.
 I have very important-very excel
 lent steam packing to show him that
 is very cheap and tse best of the
 market" The man tapped his bag. T
 have just taken orders from the largest railway companies. Cannot I see him, for one second only? I will not detain him." -
 Really, I'm sure you can't this aft ernoon. He isn't seeing anybody. But if you'll leave your name'-
 "My name is Hunter. But what the good of that? He ask me to call a little later, and I come, and now he is engaged. 1t is very great pity" And the man snatched up his bag and walking stick and stalked off indig- nantly.
 Hewitt stood still, gazing through the small aperture in the doorway.
 You'd scarcely expect a man with such name as Hunter to talk with that accent, would you?" he observed musingly. Tt isn't French accent, nor German, but it seems foreign. You don't happen to know him, SUD- pose"
 'No, I don't. He called here about half-past 12, just while we were in the middle of our search, and I was fran tic over the loss of the drawings. I was in the outer office myself and told him to call later. But what will you do now? Shall you see my men?"
 T think" said Hewitt, rising, q think I'll get you to question them yourself"
 "Myself%
 "Yes. have reason. Will you trust me with the key of the private room opposite? I will go over there for little, while you talk to your men in this room. Bring them in here and shut the door. I can look after the office from across the corridor, you know. Ask them each to detail his ex- act movements about the office this morning. and get them to recall each visitor who has been here from the beginning of the week. I'll let you know the reason of this later. Come across to me in few minutes"
 Ten minutes later Mir. Dixon, having questioned his draftsmen, found Hew- itt standing before the table in the private room, on which lay several drawings on, tracing paper. i
 See here, MT. Dixon," said Hewitt, "I think these are the drawings you are anxious about"
 The engineer sprang toward them with cry of delight. "Why, yes, yes" he exclaimed, turning them over, ''every one of them! But where-how they must have been in the place, after all, then? What a fool I have beenw
 Hewitt shook his head. I'm afraid you're not quite so lucky as you think, Mir. Dixon," he said. These drawings have most certainly been out of the house for a little while. Never mind how. We'll talk of that after. There Is no time to lose Tell me, how long would 1t take a good draftsman to copy them?"
 They couldn't possibly be traced ,ver properly in less than two or two md a half long days of very hard work" Dixon replied, with engerness.
 "Ah, then, it Is as l feared. These | racings have been photographed, Mir. Dixon, and our task is one of every possible difficulty. If they had been 'opied in the ordinary way, one might | lope to get hold of the copy, but pho- upsets everything. Copies an be multiplied with such amazing acility that, once the thief gets a de- 'ent start, it is almost hopeless to ! 'heckmate him. The only chance Is to { ;et at the negatives before copies are aken. must net at once, and fear, ,etween ourselves, it may be necessary Or me to step very distinctly over the inc of the law in the matter. You ee. to get at those negatives may in- | 'Olve something very like house break nG." ! "Mr. Hewitt, implore you, do what 'ou can. I need not say that all ave is at your disposal I will guar ntee to hold you harmless for any hing that may happen. But do. I en- reat you. do everything possible. Think of what the consequences may Well. yes: so do." Hewitt remark q, with a smile. The consequences to ne. if were charged with house might be something that no mount of guarantee could mitigate. IOwever. I will do what 1 can. if only rom patriotic motives. Nov. must ee your tracer, Ritter. He is the trai- or in the camp. With Ritter I must lke a deep course. What don't know
 must appear to know. First put hese tracings safely out of sight"
 Dixon slipped them behind his book. ase.
 ''Now," Hewitt pursued. call Mir. and give him something to o that will keen hIm in inc inner of.