The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-09-02
CHAPTER VII

NAAAA 4 ASA~ NAA
 $50 REWARD will be paid for in
 formation as to the present ad-
 dress of Hans Stadt, former resi-
 dent of this city, now believed to
 be in Texas. It Is important that
 Mir. Stadt be contacted immedi-
 ately. Box k50l.
 Kay watched workman lay fire proof shingles over the patched hole in the laboratory roof. Below him, in the rebuilt room, Joe and Ted drafted as an assistant and thor oughly enjoying it-were trying to solve the puzzle of Wondrosoap. There would be no more explosions. Joe had taken care of that. The acid was carefully locked in a cabinet, well away from the warehouse full of Wondrosoap. And Joe was care full, now, not to leave open cans of Wondrosoap around where spilled reagents might drop into them.
 She pondered Joe's discovery. Was 1t just one of those lucky accidents" that turn failure into fortune, or had Tim Donovan fully realized all the properties ot his product? Hans Stadt might supply the answer.
 If they could find Hans Stadt.
 Although the old German chem ist had lived for years within walking distance of Donovan's factory, no one seemed to know exactly where he had gone. A neighbor said he was a widower, that he had gone some place in Texan to visit his children. He might have heard of Tim Dono- vans death, decided to remain In the west.
 An increasing fear troubled Kay. Perhaps her father had not known of Wondrosoap's explosive properties, perhaps he had en- visioned it only as the cleaner he claimed 1t to be. Had Hans Stadt changed the formula, prepared this gigantic arsenal of potential destruction for some foreign sabo- tage ring?
 But her father could not have been misled that easily. He knew chemistry, as much as Hans Stadt. This cleaner was his last, his greatest dream.
 Could THim Donovan, himself, have been involved in such a plot? Kay recalled her mother talking of some relatie in Ireland vwho had fought in the Rebellion, died in the bloody Easter uprising.
 Kay was glad that she had warned Joe and Ted and Mary not to mention the fact that Won drosoap had exploded. Even Mike Flynn and the other attorneys be- neved that the blast was only a laboratory accident. To reveal Wondrosoap as a super-explosive now might bring government agents, restrictions, even contisca- ton of her property.
 Better, too, not to mention any of her fears, even to Ted, until there was some word from Hans Stadt. Then they might be able to trap members of the ring = If such existed
 There should be some trace of Hans Stadt soon. Mike Flynn was advertising in papers all over the country. All she could do was wait.
 Days dragged. Joe went on with his experiments but there were afternoons when the four of them Ted and Kay, Joe and Mary-went picnicking, tried fishing. And there were nights for dancing. She loved this new freedom and her friends.
 Carefully keeping her promise to Ted that there would be no romance mixing with business, Kay devoted more than half her time an attention to Joe. She liked the enthusiastic young chemist, enjoyed his endless store of col lege anecdotes. She knew Joe was her friend.
 Mary fitted into the group per- Sectly. Since Ted considered him. self Kay's escort on most of their excursions, Mary and Joe were often left to themselves. But ap- parently she did not mind when Joe directed most of his attention to Kay.
 Everything might have been perfect had Kay been able to for get her worries. And if they could have located Hans Stadt.
 The advertisements produced a