Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-01-25


and announced that his condition was
serious, but not dangerous
In the meantime the man whom Phil
ip had met at the door called up the
secret service office, and in a few
minutes the chief himself hurried in,
and straightway Vandermuth was put
on the grill.
The secret service men examined the
room from end to end. The dOorkeep-
er said no one had passed him.
The captain had recovered by this
time and was sitting on the couch.
pale and weak.
We'll" said the service man, 'the
secretary of war orders US to find
those papers II we have TO use the
whole force"
AS Vandermuth went to his hotel he
heard the newsboys yelling:
Extra, extra! All about the big
robberyl Government plans stolenw
Philip bought a paper and saw that
all the facts were correctly stated.
Halfway down the column he read In
subhead type:
THE SECRET SERVICE ACCUSES NO
ONE, BUT A FRIEND OF CAPTAIN
COMSTOCK IS THOUGHT TO BE
UNDER SUSPICION.
Vandermuth gasped.
The same night Captain Comstock
was discussing the absorbing subject
with his daughter.
Beverly" he said. there is only
one way can think it was done"
"How?' she asked, with interest.
81 hope it is not true, but when 1
was closing the door Lieutenant Van
dermuth might have thrown the plans
out of the window TO a friend"
"Oh, father, you don't think that, do
your" cried Beverly in despair.
The next morning Vandermuth went
over to the Comstocks', where he was
met by Beverly. who led him to her
fathers study. There Philip found the
captain.
All" he said scornfully and tact
lessly, "a clever rogue! Sir, neither
my daughter nor myself can associate
with man under suspicion. Betty.
show him the door,
Philip was staggered by this and
was about to make hot retort but
he turned and marched to the door,
followed by Beverly.
When out of hearing Of the irate
captain the daughter looked the lieu
tenant full in the eyes and tremulous-
~ inquired:
did you take those plans?"
mo, Miss Comstock; l did not touch
them"
A week later he was sitting in the
window of the captains office, as he
had done dozen times since the plans
were lost. He had volunteered his
services to the officials, and. more with
the idea Of keeping him under surveil-
lance than expecting any help from
him, they had permitted Vandermuth
free access to the Offices.
Vandermuth was looking dreamily
at the big building across the street
when he saw a mans face at win
dow several floors up.
IF that mans arm were long enough
he could reach down here" thought
Philip.
That evening he went to the Com
stocks, where he found Beverly and
told her what he had discovered. She
laughed al hih4. FElp eApiAi4Sd H..
thief might have fished for the paper,
but Beverly pointed out that he woe
have been seen from the street.
Two whole days We're spent by Va
dermuth going from Office 20 office =
the building avross from the Westin-
He asked all sorts of foolish question:.
but he always managed to look out c,
the Office windows. He got into ever
Office on the sixth. seventh and eight.
floors except one. That was on the
seventh floor, with the name SJeveI
SlSivetriIv on fhe door
Philip had been able to See the cap
tain's Office from every window he had
looked out OF, and from some he could
even see the safe. but when the door
Of the safe was open he could not sec
the inside. He figured II he could en-
ter the Office of Steven Skivetsky he
would be able to see the compartment
where the plans had been kept. So be
went there time after time, but could
never find any one IN.
He told Beverly about Skivetsky
and when she was downtown the fol
lowing day she heard some one say