Ted Marsh on an Important Mission

by Elmer Sherwood

  He decided at once that he would not meet Ted. That would show onething--the important thing to those who would want to know. How couldhe get to the boy's mother without being observed?

  To the girl who waited on him he whispered that he wanted her toarrange for two cars to wait at the main entrance of the Hotel LaSalle at ten o'clock.

  He strolled out and immediately felt himself shadowed. He reached thehotel, looked at the register very carefully, as if there wassomething there he wanted to see, then turned to the cigar-stand.Turning around, he saw another man looking just as carefully at thatregister. He smiled. Now he knew one of those who were watching him.He pulled out some memorandum slips from his pocket and made somenotations. As if by accident he left one of the slips on the case,lighted his cigar, bought a newspaper, and sat down and lounged.

  Another man came to the cigar counter, also bought some cigars, pickedup some matches, and with it the slip of paper.

  So there were two.

  At five minutes past the hour Strong strolled to the door, made afrantic dash for the machine, which seemed very slow to start. Amoment later two men entered the machine immediately next, gave thedriver instructions to follow the first machine, which by now haddashed off.

  The first car went south. You may remember that Mrs. Marsh livednorth. The second car followed. The occupants could never suspect theinnocent appearing chauffeur of that second car, as he swore and ravedat the policeman who had ordered him to stop to let the east and westtraffic go by at the side street. The frantic men inside were assuredthat he would make up the lost time; that he knew the number of thecar he was following. But he never found that car. He became verystupid, although always pleasant.

  John Strong reached the home of Mrs. Marsh, certain that he had eludedthe pursuit.

  "Mrs. Marsh, I believe?" he asked as she opened the door.

  "I am Mrs. Marsh," she answered.

  "I am a friend of some friends of Ted. The main reason for his comingdown to Chicago is to see me, although I am sure he will think thatseeing you will count for even more than that."

  "Did you get word from him?" further asked Strong.

  "Yes, I got a telegram. It said he was coming to see you, but that Iwas to let anyone else who might ask think that he was coming becauseI sent for him. I do not understand."

  Very carefully Strong explained it all to Mrs. Marsh.

  "It is important that these people should not suspect that he iscoming to see me, only that he is coming home, nothing more. It mayeven be, that one of them will be here to see you, some time today.They surely will if they find out anything about his coming, and whereyou live. I will say this, that I feel I am speaking for Mr. Dean whenI say it will be a great service to him and to his country."

  "I shall be glad to do anything for Mr. Dean. You can count on me. Ithink I understand and perhaps will be able to help. Perhaps, too, mydaughter, Helen, even more so."

  "Will you have your daughter come and see me right after supper. Thetrain comes in at 9:10 tonight, and she will meet you afterward at thestation. She will go there from my office. Possibly, as you say, shecan help."

  He left Mrs. Marsh, confident that she understood and that she had theability and willingness to carry her part through.

  [A] Readers will find it interesting to study out the simplicity of this code. There is special pleasure in their working it out for themselves. It is simple and unweaves itself once you have the key. For those who do not wish to decipher the code, they can use the following method. The first syllable of any word of more than one syllable is attached to the third word following. Of one syllable words the first letter is found by itself after the second word. In no case is a single letter considered a word.

  CHAPTER III

  TED ARRIVES IN CHICAGO

  Between the hours of seven and nine that night many things werehappening. Helen had gone down to see Strong. A man, who may have beena Dane or a German, boarded Ted's train at Milwaukee, and O'Reilly waspreparing to meet that same train, as was John Strong. At home Mrs.Marsh was leaving to meet the train. We shall follow the man whoboarded the train. He entered one of the Pullmans, but no boy seemedto be there; another one, and there were two boys, but both seemed tobe with parents.

  But he was successful in the third car. It was Ted he saw and as hesat down very near him he pulled out a Danish newspaper and started toread.

  Pretty soon he looked up. He seemed a very pleasant man. He spoke to aman in the seat in front of him, then he turned to Ted. "Have youcome from far?" he asked innocently.

  "Yes, sir," answered Ted, "from Wayland."

  "So," observed the man. "Do you live in Chicago or in Wayland?" Headded, "I live in Milwaukee, but I go twice, sometimes three times amonth to Chicago. My daughter lives there."

  "In Chicago," answered Ted. Truth to tell, he was very glad to talk,the trip had been a long one.

  "Where do you live, what part?" asked his new acquaintance.

  "Over north, 11416 Wells street." Ted saw no reason why he should nottell this harmless stranger where he lived. Although he had nosuspicion of him, he had made up his mind that such questions he wouldanswer, no matter who asked them.

  For he realized that the one way to arouse curiosity was to appearsecretive.

  "My daughter lives up that way, too," the man said. He seemed quiteinterested in the idea of making conversation.

  "I will leave you for a minute." The train was slowing up for Racine.His telegram was all ready except for the address. He rushed into theticket office, added the address and had it sent collect, and hadplenty of time to board the train.

  "I wonder why," thought Ted, "he should have to run into thatstation." Ted's suspicions were somewhat aroused. He decided to appearas if he had not taken note of the actions of his acquaintance.

  Schmidt had underestimated the ability of the boy. He was so young, hethought, there was no necessity for special care.

  Then, too, he was so very affable, so very simple. To his questions asto who would meet him Ted answered that he thought no one would, thetime he was coming was a little uncertain, he added.

  "No one is to meet me, either. Perhaps we can both go up hometogether, eh?"

  "Sure," replied the boy, "that would be fine."

  Ted fancied by now that the man was a German. But, then, he had thatDanish newspaper. Maybe he was not.

  "What do you do at your place--Wayland, I think you said?"

  "I go to the Academy there. I belong to the Scouts--it is military andacademic." The boy was quite young and quite simple, Schmidt decided.

  "Ah, that military business is bad, very bad. There will never be waranymore."

  Ted wondered if the man really believed it. He could not make up hismind. So they talked. The man grew less and less interested. He hadmade up his mind that the boy was really going to see his mother. Ofcourse, that would be proven when they found out how much the motherknew about it and if she would meet the boy. Probably all this timehad been wasted, but Schmidt had no regrets. After all, eternalvigilance was the watchword.

  An hour later the train came into the station.

  Ted, who had been quite tired, no longer felt any weariness. Here wasChicago, here was home.

  As he stepped away from the train, his mother and sister ran forward.Two men watched him from close by--one motioned to the other.O'Reilly went forward.

  "My boy, are you looking for Mr. Strong?"

  Helen interrupted: "Looking for Mr. Who? Why, of course he's not--he'smy brother--I guess you are mistaken. Come, Ted, we are going homefirst."

  Ted did not question his sister; he knew there was method in heroutburst. He added:

  "Sorry, sir."

  "I'm so glad you came, Ted. How I hoped you would!" his mother said.

  O'Reilly turned doubtfully, as the other man beckoned him away.

  "Time lost," said Schmidt. "Let them go. No harm done. I pumped theboy on the way; he had no secret, apparently. H
e is but a child."

  "I was scared by that girl," replied O'Reilly musingly. "My, she's aTartar. All right, then, I'm tired and I'm going home. Good-night."

  "Good-night, my friend--see you tomorrow." Schmidt watched him go.

  "Say, sis, I did have to meet a Mr. Strong." Ted spoke in a lowvoice.

  "I know it, Ted, but that man was not he. When we get away somewhereI'll tell you something about it."

  "Let's go home. I'm crazy to be back here and it certainly feelsfine."

  CHAPTER IV

  TED MEETS STRONG

  There were many eager questions on the way home. The mother listenedwith great pride to Ted's account, even though he had told many of thesame things in his letters.

  Ted painted a great picture of his new home and it made Mrs. Marshvery happy for his sake, even though she wished a little longinglythat both Helen and she could be a part of this wonderful and happylife.

  Helen must have been thinking the same thing, for she spoke out:

  "I wish mother and I could go out there. If there were only somethingI could do there. My work here is interesting, but I would gladly giveit up for such an opportunity."

  "It's all right, sis," replied Ted. "It won't be long before you willboth be out there. I wouldn't want to stay myself if I did not feelsure of that." They had reached their "L" station by now and home wasonly a matter of a few moments.

  "I guess you are tired, Ted. But I think I had better tell you whatMr. Strong wants you to do." Then Helen told him of her going down tosee Mr. Strong, how the latter had reason to believe that there was tobe a meeting of the Germans the very next night. He wanted to see Ted,who was to go to a certain number on Adams Street at eight the nextmorning. She gave him the number of the room. Ted was to wait untilsuch time as Strong came. He might be late, for often there wasdifficulty in getting there unobserved. He would mention the word Deanand Helen for identification, should it be necessary.

  Ted went to bed and slept the sleep of the just and the weary.

  That next morning the newspapers printed in large headlines theultimatum that Austria had put up to Servia. They speculated on thepossibilities of war. To Ted--refreshed and no longer weary, readingthe newspaper as he made his way downtown--it brought a feeling thathe was in some way involved. It made him feel quite important; itincreased his respect for the men who had sent him to Chicago. It wasbig work these men were doing; he was having a share in it. He leftthe elevated station with some time on his hand. It seemed so longsince he had been down here in the heart of Chicago. It came to Tedthat it would always hold a warm spot in his affections. After all, itwas here he had spent his childhood; it was to the knockaboutsreceived here that he owed much. If only he could be successful, ifonly he could obtain the necessary information and be able to deliverthe message to John Strong. Without knowing very much about it all, herealized that the things for him to do were important parts of it all.A little uncertainly, because the subject was a little too much forhim, and he was still a very young boy, he speculated on why nationsshould go to war.

  "Hello, Ted," someone greeted him. It was Spot, the fellow with whomhe had had that fight at the beginning of this story.

  "Hello, Spot," Ted greeted him cordially. He was glad to renew oldacquaintances. "How's business?"

  "Fine," answered Spot. "Lots of news, lots of papers sold. What areyou here for? Thought you went 'way out West?"

  "I'm just paying a visit," laughed Ted. "Seeing friends." They talkedfor a few minutes.

  "See you again, Spot. Is this your regular stand?"

  "Sure is," replied Spot, as he turned to a customer.

  Ted went on his way. Very soon he reached the building on Adams streetto which Helen had directed him. He turned in and when he came to theseventh floor he entered Room 701.

  He accosted the man who looked up from a desk with:

  "Want a boy?"

  "Well, perhaps." He sounded very English. "What is your name?"

  "Theodore Marsh," replied the owner of that name.

  The man's manner changed on the instant. Ted liked him then. "Come in,Ted. Mr. Strong is expected any minute, but of course he may not comefor a while. We have just moved in here. We have to move quite often,for those Germans certainly are shrewd. Quick, too, and they keep uson the jump."

  He turned to work on an intricate little machine which had a long coilof wire, very thin, much thinner than a telephone wire.

  "Do you know what this is?" Ted did not know.

  "A dictaphone. We will have use for it. I am getting it ready fortonight."

  Ted had heard of a dictaphone, but he had not yet learned itsusefulness. He was to find out that night how wonderfully useful itcould be, how much danger the use of it would avoid.

  It was almost two hours before a man entered. When he saw Ted he said,with a smile:

  "Hello, my boy. I guess you and I have met both Dean and Helen,haven't we? Let us go into this room."

  Ted delivered the papers he had brought for Strong. Strong took themeagerly and just as eagerly Ted gave them up. He heaved a sigh ofrelief at getting rid of them.

  "This paper alone," Strong picked up one of the papers from his desk,where he had placed them, "if trouble should come, would prove to theUnited States Government what the Germans are doing in the States andjust how it affects Canada. Without this it would be disagreeable tobe found doing some of the things we find ourselves compelled to do. Isee, also, that this letter says that I may count on your help. Wewill need it, I am sure.

  "Tonight, the Germans are to hold a meeting. The purpose and decisionreached there we must know at all costs. We must go down there, youand Walker and I. Walker is the man in the office. He has thenecessary knowledge to place a dictaphone or tap a telephone wire.Also, he, another man named Bronson, and I have already madearrangements for placing that dictaphone at the Germans'meeting-place."

  He turned to Walker. "Are you ready?"

  "In about five minutes," replied Walker, with a grin.

  While they were waiting Strong suddenly thought of something.

  "As I understand--am I right?--you were a newsboy up to a year ago?"

  "Yes, sir, I was," answered Ted.

  "Good. Do you think you could manage to fix yourself up as one andmeet us in front of the Auditorium?"

  "I think I can," replied the boy, after a moment's thought.

  "All right, I'll give you forty-five minutes," Strong said, as heturned to Walker, who was now ready.

  Quickly, Ted located Spot.

  "I'll tell you what I'll do, Spot," he confided to the news merchant."I'll give you two dollars and my clothes for your clothes and papers.I want you to have a share in my good fortune and I also want to sellpapers for awhile."

  Spot grinned delight. "You mean it, Ted?"

  "Sure. Where can we change?"

  "Any place will suit me. But I'll show you a place. That's easy."

  A place was very easily located. Spot had managed to wash his handsand face, while Ted's had not yet gotten to the color they should be.They had exchanged everything from shoes to hats.

  "Where are you going now, Spot?" asked Ted.

  "I beg your pardon," replied Spot. "My name is Mr. James Sullivan. Iwould have you address your betters properly, boy." He never cracked asmile as he walked off, but Ted laughed uproariously.

  A little later two men came out of the Auditorium.

  "Paper, sir, papers?"

  "No," answered one of them. The other took a second look at thenewsboy and laughed. "He certainly fooled you, Strong. It's Ted."

  "Good work, Ted," Strong said, with appreciation.

  "Slip into that automobile while we stand in front of it." They walkedtoward it. "Now, quick." The machine was off to the Germanmeeting-place.

  CHAPTER V

  SETTING A TRAP

  The automobile came to a stop two blocks from the Germanmeeting-place.

  As the three walked toward it, a beggar stopped Strong. The lattergave him so
me coins. Ted, who was watching, saw a paper pass betweenthe two. It was so quickly done that he was not even sure of it. Hemade no comment, as he knew that Strong would mention it, if hethought it necessary.

  "The room is on the third floor," Strong said. "There is someone in itnow. That beggar has just been up there; he has been watching thehouse all morning, so that he could keep me in touch.

  "Suppose, Ted, you go up and sell your papers. Go to every office.When you reach Room 318, size it up as well as you can. See what youcan of 316 and 320 also."

  "All our work and our preparations have been from 418," Walker added."Our friends are there."

  "Yes," Strong said, "take a look in there, even though you will meetBronson a little later."

  A boy tried to sell his papers in the many offices. He canvassed eachfloor and in due time reached the fourth. He came to Room 418 and sawa sign on the glass reading as follows:

  TERENCE McMAHON INSURANCE AGENT AND ADJUSTER MAIN OFFICE--OLIVER BUILDING

  Russell Bronson, Br. Mgr.

  He entered. "Want a paper?" he asked one of the men.

  The man took one. Ted glanced about and then went out. He had someidea of the room. He noticed that three other doors seemed to belongto the same office, Rooms 422, 420 and 416.

  He soon reached the third floor. He went through the same routine,just as carefully and matter-of-factedly, as he had done on the otherfloors. When he reached 320 he found the door locked and a handpointing to 318 as the entrance. On the glass of that door he saw asign which read: