Part 22 (2/2)
”May I add my congratulations?” he said, holding out his hand.
CHAPTER XXIV.
THE NAVY DEPARTMENT ”SITS UP.”
Jack could not refuse the proffered hand. But he took it with an uneasy air. There was something not quite ”straight” about Thurman, it seemed to Jack, but as the former offered his congratulations he appeared sincere enough.
”After all, it may be just his misfortune that he can't look you in the eyes,” Jack told himself.
But if he had been in the wireless room that night he would have deemed his suspicions only too well founded. Thurman busied himself with routine matters till he was sure Jack was asleep. Then he began calling Was.h.i.+ngton with monotonous regularity.
An irritable operator answered him. By the wave length the Was.h.i.+ngton man knew that it was not a naval station or vessel calling.
”Yes--yes--what--is--it?” he snapped.
”I know the fellow who has that Universal Detector.”
”What!” The other man, hundreds of miles away, almost fell out of his chair. Recovering himself, he shot out another message:
”Who is this?”
”Never mind that, just for the present.”
”Say, you're not that fresh fellow himself talking just to kid us, are you?”
”No, I'm far from joking. I expect to make some money out of this.”
”A reward?”
”That's the idea.”
”Well, there's no doubt but you would get it if you really have the information. The department's been all up in the air ever since that fellow b.u.t.ted in.”
”Are you going to report this conversation?”
”Most a.s.suredly.”
”Don't forget that I demand a substantial reward for the information.”
”I won't. When will you call me again?”
”About this time to-morrow night.”
”All right, then. Good-by.”
Thurman took the receiver from his head with a slow smile of satisfaction.
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