Ted Marsh on an Important Mission Part 2

When Captain Knabe comes, he will tell us just when the day will be.

It is very soon, very soon; the long wait is over. Then, too, he will tell us what we shall do. You will all be here? Now we shall go to our work."

They broke up. They were very thorough, each man had his work a.s.signed and would see it carried through.

We shall turn to John Strong, who early that morning had been slipped a memorandum in code by the waitress serving breakfast to him, announcing that Ted was to come and to meet him. Also, Ted's home address.

John Strong was a clean-cut Canadian, hair graying at the temples. No one knew better than he how carefully he was watched. That he was able to be as useful to his government as he was, showed his ability.

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

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

He strolled out and immediately felt himself shadowed. He reached the hotel, looked at the register very carefully, as if there was something there he wanted to see, then turned to the cigar-stand.

Turning around, he saw another man looking just as carefully at that register. He smiled. Now he knew one of those who were watching him.

He pulled out some memorandum slips from his pocket and made some notations. 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, picked up 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 a frantic dash for the machine, which seemed very slow to start. A moment later two men entered the machine immediately next, gave the driver instructions to follow the first machine, which by now had dashed off.

The first car went south. You may remember that Mrs. Marsh lived north. The second car followed. The occupants could never suspect the innocent appearing chauffeur of that second car, as he swore and raved at the policeman who had ordered him to stop to let the east and west traffic go by at the side street. The frantic men inside were a.s.sured that he would make up the lost time; that he knew the number of the car he was following. But he never found that car. He became very stupid, although always pleasant.

John Strong reached the home of Mrs. Marsh, certain that he had eluded the 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 coming down to Chicago is to see me, although I am sure he will think that seeing 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 I was to let anyone else who might ask think that he was coming because I 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 is coming to see me, only that he is coming home, nothing more. It may even 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 where you live. I will say this, that I feel I am speaking for Mr. Dean when I 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. I think I understand and perhaps will be able to help. Perhaps, too, my daughter, Helen, even more so."

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

He left Mrs. Marsh, confident that she understood and that she had the ability 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 were happening. Helen had gone down to see Strong. A man, who may have been a Dane or a German, boarded Ted's train at Milwaukee, and O'Reilly was preparing to meet that same train, as was John Strong. At home Mrs.

Marsh was leaving to meet the train. We shall follow the man who boarded the train. He entered one of the Pullmans, but no boy seemed to be there; another one, and there were two boys, but both seemed to be with parents.

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

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

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

"So," observed the man. "Do you live in Chicago or in Wayland?" He added, "I live in Milwaukee, but I go twice, sometimes three times a month 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 not tell this harmless stranger where he lived. Although he had no suspicion of him, he had made up his mind that such questions he would answer, no matter who asked them.

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

"My daughter lives up that way, too," the man said. He seemed quite interested 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 the ticket office, added the address and had it sent collect, and had plenty of time to board the train.

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

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

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

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

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

Ted fancied by now that the man was a German. But, then, he had that Danish 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 and academic." The boy was quite young and quite simple, Schmidt decided.

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