right little idea occurred to us," says McCrea. "One of our
men has been operating a chair there for three weeks. He discovered
nothing of importance. Also we have had the place watched from the
outside, to no purpose. So you see how crude our methods must have
been."

"Oh, I ain't knockin' 'em," says I. "Maybe they was out of luck. But
what about the three cops?"

"Their beats terminate at this corner," says McCrea, "one from uptown,
one from downtown, and the third from the east. And we have good reason
to suppose that one of the three is crooked. Now if you can tell us
which one, and how information can come and go----"

"I get you," I breaks in. "All you want of me is the answer to a lot of
questions you've been all the fall workin' up. That's some he-sized
order, ain't it?"

McCrea shrugs his shoulder. "As I mentioned, I think," says he, "it was
Major Wellby who suggested your assistance; and as the major happens to
enjoy the confidence of--well, someone who is a person of considerable
importance in Washington----"

"Uh-huh!" says I. "It's a case of my bein' wished on you and you
standin' by with the laugh when I fall down. Oh, very well! I'll be the
goat. But the major's a good scout, just the same, and I don't mean to
throw him without making a stab. How long do I get on this?"

"Oh, as long as you like," says McCrea.

"Thanks," says I. "Where do I find you when I want to turn in a report,
blank or otherwise?"

He gives me the name of his hotel and after collectin' the diagram of
the mystery I does a slow exit to my desk in the next office. I was
sittin' there half an hour later with my hair rumpled, makin' a noise
like deep thinkin', when in walks the hand of fate steppin' heavy on
his heels, as usual.

Not that I suspected at the time this Barry Wales could be anything much
more than a good natured pest. He didn't used to be even that. No, the
change in Barry is only another little item in the score we got against
the Kaiser; for back in the days before we went into the war Barry was
just one of Mr. Robert's club friends who dropped around casual to date
up for an after-luncheon game of billiards, or tip him off to a new
cabaret act that was worth engagin' a table next to the gold ropes.
Besides, holdin' quite a block of Corrugated stock, I expect Barry
figured it as a day's work when he got me to show him the last
semi-annual report and figure out what his dividends would tot up to.
Outside of that