"
Alice helped herself to the needed salt, and the meal began, with
pauses now and then to learn if there was any movement in the flat
across the hallway. Presently footsteps were heard, and proved to be
those of Russ himself.
"Plumber!" he exclaimed. "So he was masquerading as that; eh?" the
moving picture operator exclaimed when Alice told him what had
occurred. "You're right, he was after my patent," and a worried look
came over his face.
"Did he get it?" asked Ruth, anxiously.
"No, for it isn't here. The model is at a machine shop on the East
Side, and several of the attachments are being made from it to be
tested."
"Then it's all right," declared Alice, in a tone of relief.
"Yes--and no," returned Russ. "It's all right, for the time being,
but I don't like what has happened. Simp Wolley must be getting
desperate to come here in broad daylight and rummage the house under
the pretense of being a plumber. It shows, too, that he must be
watching this place, or he wouldn't have known when I went out."
"Hadn't you better notify the police?" suggested Mr.
Pages:
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104