A few seconds
of anxious waiting brought no answer.
"Not home yet!" exclaimed Alice. "Oh, what a shame."
Ruth turned to their own flat. Entering with a pass-key she saw at a
glance that their father had not come home. The note for him was
still on the table.
Then, as puzzled and disappointed, the two girls stood in the center
of the room, they heard someone coming up the stairs that led to
their flat. A second later and a merry whistle broke out.
"There he is--that's Russ!" cried Alice, joyfully. "I'll tell him;
no--you go!" she added hastily, thrusting her sister before her into
the hallway.
The whistle broke off into a discord as Russ saw Ruth standing
waiting for him. Something in her face must have told him something
was the matter, for he came up the remaining steps three at a time.
"What is it? What has happened?" he asked. "Is someone hurt?"
"No, it's your patent--the model. Some men--Alice and I overheard
them in the restaurant--we've been trying to get you on the
'phone--I--we----"
Then Alice broke in.
"They're after your moving picture machine patent, Russ! They're
going to get it to-night--Simp Wolley! You've got to hurry!"
Between them the girls quickly told what they had overheard.
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