r. Robert," says I. "It was a case of framin' up a job for
myself, or else four-flushin' along until you tied the can to me. And I
need the Corrugated just now."

"No more, I'm beginning to suspect," says he, "than the Corrugated needs
you."

Which was some happy josh for an amateur private sec to get from the
boss! Eh?

CHAPTER III

TORCHY TAKES A CHANCE

Say, I expected that after I got to be a salaried man, with a
swing-chair in Mr. Robert's private office, I'd be called on only to
pull the brainy stuff, calm and dignified, without any outside chasin'
around. I had a soothin' idea it would be a case of puttin' in my
mornin's dictatin' letters to gen'ral managers, and my afternoons to
holdin' interviews with the Secretary of the Treasury, and so on. I was
lookin' for plenty of high-speed domework, but nothin' more wearin' on
the arms than pushin' a call button or usin' a rubber stamp.

But somehow I can't seem to do finance, or anything else, without
throwin' in a lot of extra pep. No matter how I start, first thing I
know I'm mixed up with quick action, and as likely as not gettin' my
clothes mussed. This last stunt, though--believe me I couldn't have got
more thrills if I'd joined a circus!

It opens innocent enough too. I was moochin' around the bondroom when I
happens to glance over the transfer book and notices that a big block of
our debenture 6's are listed as goin' to the Federated Tractions. And
the name of the party who's about to swap the 6's for Tractions
preferred is a familiar one. It's Aunty's. Uh-huh--Vee's!

Maybe you remember how Aunty played up her skittish symptoms about them
same bonds a few weeks back, the time she planned to exhibit me to Vee
in my office boy job and got so badly jolted when she finds me posin' as
a private sec instead? Went away real peeved, Aunty did that time. And
now it looks like she was takin' it out by unloadin' her bond holdin's.
It's to be some swap too, runnin' up into six figures.

"Chee!" thinks I. "That's an income, all right, with Tractions payin'
between 7 and 9, besides cuttin' a melon now and then."

They have their gen'ral offices three floors below us, you know. Not
that I wouldn't have had a line on 'em anyway; for whatever that bunch
of Philadelphia live wires gets hold of is worth watchin'. Say, they'd
consolidate city breathin' air if they could, and make it pay dividends.
It's important to note too, that they're buyin' into Corrugated