and
stand quivering like a creature at bay. Again the telephone bell was
ringing, and now the sound was in the room. The call was for 658. She
answered at once.

"Hello!" she saluted the unknown.

"Hello!" came the response, in a man's voice. "This is Chuff calling.
Are you Peterson?"

"Peterson is in the room," returned Clo, after an instant's pause, in
which her heart missed a beat. "But he can't come to the 'phone."

"Oh, say, is that you, Kit?" the man wanted to know.

Clo was almost incapable of thinking; but she was vaguely aware that the
accent was slightly foreign. "Yes," she ventured. "It's Kit."

"Nice thing you are! I've been trying to get you the last ten minutes.
Thought your room was next door to his. Couldn't you hear your own
'phone from Petes'?"

"I've just come in," said Clo.

"You're late. Anything wrong? Your voice sounds sort of queer."

"I've got chewing gum in my mouth," said Clo "What do you want to say to
Pete?"

"I want to know if he's got the papers."

Clo's blood rushed to her head. This looked like a wonderful chance to
tap a secret, if she didn't lose it by giving the wrong answers.
Beverley Sands' whole future might depend upon the next few minutes.

"Hold the line a second or two," she said. She needed to think.

If she replied that Peterson had the papers, embarrassing questions
might be asked. If she said that he hadn't, the man at the telephone
might end the conversation before she had learned enough to help Angel.
"I'll try hedging," she decided, and began again with a tentative
"Hello!" For an instant there was no response, and Clo was sick with
fear lest she had been cut off. But luck was with her. The
foreign-sounding voice began again: "Well, is Pete there this time?"

"No," said the girl. "Pete is--packing. He wants me to say it isn't much
after ten. He's expecting to get the papers any minute now."

"He 'phoned me he'd made ten the time limit. Didn't he tell Olga that
Stephen would sure be done for if she didn't hand over the real docs by
ten o'clock sharp?"

"Olga!" ... "Stephen!" ... Clo felt that she was hearing things she had
no right to know.

"The lady's had her hands full all the afternoon and evening," she
answered carefully. "I suppose you know what's been going on?"

"Don't know a damned thing since Pete 'phoned some little skirt had
brought around the wrong papers to the hotel. Tell him to quit his
packing and show up at the 'phone."

"He's g