Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-15
The Touch System
Continued from page 4

as ne rose from ms task.
Again the narrow, bloodless face appeared
for instant at the window, this time crowned
with panama hat. Then it turned away, and
few seconds later Carleton heard the sound of
a door slammed shut.
SCRATCHING his own hat from Loring's desk,
- he dashed through the outer office t1inglng
a hasty Back in half an hour" to one of the
clerks. As Carleton went out into the hall, he
caught glimpse of the top of a descending ele-
his man by half second. Still. there was
possibility. He pressed the signal button and
another elevator stopped at the floor.
As the car descended Carleton looked i'm
patiently through the grating. Then his heart
gave an exultant leap The pale young man
was standing by the cigar stand, lighting cigar
which he had apparently stopped to purchase.
He left the building Just as Carleton emerged
from the elevator. Carleton followed and accom-
modated his pace to the easygolng saunter OF
his unconscious quarry. keeping a short dis
lance in the rear. The wearer of the panama
hat kept on for about block, then turned into
an office building Carleton arrived just IN
time to him going up the stairs, instead of
taking the elevator. Pausing in the lobby, he
scanned the directory of the building.
Second or third floor. probably second,
he said to himself, Let me see-third floor,
Bonnell Bonnell.-h'm,-secon Francis
Leasing & Co.-ahal This IS getting still more
interesting
WITHOUT another glance he turned on his
heel, and in five minutes was back IN Miss
Marshalrs tiny office. He stood for a moment
by the window, then he raised the sash and
leaned little way out.
Il wonder if | could do it," he unused. I'm
not IN very good practice. but man doesn't
pitch tor two years on the varsity nine tor
nothing. Here goesp' He took little red
book from his pocket and raised his arm The
missile hurtled through the ar and disappeared
through the open window of the room above his
own private office With smile of satisfaction,
Carleton turned from the window and went to
his room. where he dictated several letters to
one of the office stenographers 1t was nearly
five O'Clock by the time they were ready to
mail. He went out to the elevators and dropped
them down the mailchute. Then he mounted
to the floor above and walked through the cor
rdor, examining as he went the lettering and
numbers on TIE doors. The one at which he
stopped was without name, being simply
marked g Private" 1t was propped half open
by bag OF waste paper, and as Carleton paused
to look in 4 scrubwoman broom in hand, put
her head out of the room opposite.
Good evening, Mrs. Mulvey." he said, with
a winning smile. II have mislaid my note
book, and it.occurred to me that might have
dropped 1t IN here this afternoon. 1t had red
cover with my name on it in gold letters and
All, that looks like it!' The little book lay in
plain sight the chair beside the window,
on top of some loosely scattered shots OF type
written matter. There was no furniture in the
ROOM save the chair and the typewriter on its
desk on which rested also curious looking
stand or framework of bent wire.
Don't bother; III get II" Carleton said, as
the woman started across the hall
"All right, Misther Carleton, you re welcome
to your own" Mrs. Mulvey declared, returning
to her work.
Carleton picked up the book and with it the
discarded typewriter sheets on which it had
fallen. These he slipped into his left hand
keeping them concealed by his hat. He paused
a moment to look at the wire stand on the type
writer desk HIM. Looks as if it would hold
a binocular very neatly" he soliloquized. And
yet the most powerful field glass couldn't read
tvpewri.ing at that distance, even if Miss Mar
shall used a visible writing machine. What the
dickens the man looking at?
Goodnight. Mrs. Mulvey." he said mo-
meDt later. as he stepped into the hall . 1t
was my book ! shouldn't like to lose it.
TOMMY MEDFORD having slept most of
the afternoon. early on hand for dinner
with Carleton at seven, and declared that the
meal was good enough to make up for the one
he had missed the day before He listened
eagerly to his friends account of the latest
developments in the search for the leak in the
office, and, while expressing his unlimited con-
hdence in the immaculate integrity of the :" lit
tie peach" appeared doubtful at first of the
validity of Cartoons theory Of the way the
confidential correspondence had got out.
1t not until the two men had spent an
hour at what would have appeared to out
sider to be a variation of the game of anagrams