Frank climbed to the second floor and found what he thought might be
there--a row of teletype machines with a file-board hooked to the side
of each machine.

Swiftly, he stripped the copy sheets off each board, made a bundle of
them and went back downstairs. He covered the block back to the hotel at
a dog-trot, filled with a sudden urge to get back to the fourth floor as
soon as possible.

[Illustration]

He stopped in the drugstore and filled his pockets with soap, a razor,
shaving cream and face lotion. As an afterthought, he picked up a lavish
cosmetic kit that retailed, according to the price tag, for thirty-eight
dollars plus tax.

He let himself back into the room and closed the door softly. Nora
rolled over, exposing a shoulder and one breast. The breast held his
gaze for a full minute. Then a feeling of guilt swept him and he went
into the bathroom and closed the door.

Luckily, a supply tank on the roof still contained water and Frank was
able to shower and shave. Dressed again, he felt like a new man. But he
regretted not hunting up a haberdashery shop and getting himself a clean
shirt.

Nora had still not awakened when he came out of the bathroom. He went to
the bed and stood looking down at her for some time. Then he touched her
shoulder.

"Wake up. It's morning."

Nora stirred. Her eyes opened, but Frank got the impression she did not
really awaken for several seconds. Her eyes went to his face, to the
window, back to his face.

"What time is it?"

"I don't know. I think it's around eight o'clock."

Nora stretched both arms luxuriously. As she sat up, her slip fell back
into place and Frank got the impression she hadn't even been aware of
her partial nudity.

She stared up at him, clarity dawning in her eyes, "You're all cleaned
up."

"I went downstairs and got some things."

"You went out--alone?"

"Why not. We can't stay in here all day. We've got to hit the road and
get out of here. We've overshot our luck already."

"But that--that man in the hall last night! You shouldn't have taken a
chance."

"I didn't bump into him. I found the place he fixed his hand, down in
the drugstore."

Frank went to the table and came back with the cosmetic set. He put it
in Nora's lap. "I brought this up for you."

Surprise and true pleasure were mixed in her expression. "That was very
nice. I think I'd better get dressed."

Frank turned toward the window where he had left the bundle of telety