Page:O'Higgins--The Adventures of Detective Barney.djvu/53

 tore the telegram and retore it into tiny pieces. “There ’s no answer.” He made as if to throw the torn paper into the waste basket, and then he checked himself. “Wait a minute,” he said, rising; and Barney understood that he was to have a tip.

Cooper shuffled off to the bathroom in his slippers.

Barney, as pale as a thief, darted to the secretary and crammed the little code book into his pocket.

When Cooper returned to the room, the bell-boy was standing near the door looking up at a framed engraving. He took the dime that Cooper gave him, and said stiffly, “Thanks,” but without raising his guilty eyes. As he went out, he glanced back and saw that Cooper was returning to the bathroom. Gee!

He was so obviously—so breathlessly—excited when he burst in upon the detectives that