Page:The achievements of Luther Trant - Balmer and MacHarg - 1910.djvu/159

Rh saw Howell, who before had appeared merely curious about the test, looking at him in astonishment. Trant smiled, and continued:

"That finishes it! Thank you all!" Trant looked at Howell, who nodded to one of the clerks to take up the papers. The banker swiftly preceded Trant back to his private office, and when the door was closed turned on him abruptly.

"Who told you the combination of the safe?" he demanded. "You had our word for this week and the word for the week before. That couldn't be chance. Did Gordon tell you last night?"

"You mean the words 'reship' and 'ethics'?" Trant replied. "No; he didn't tell me. And it was not chance, Mr. Howell." He sat down and spread out rapidly his dozen papers. "What—'rifles'!" he exclaimed at the third word in one of the first papers he picked up. "And way off on 'waste-basket' and 'shift key,' too!" He glanced over all the list rapidly and laid it aside. "What's this?" Something caught him quickly again after he had sifted the next half dozen sheets. Waste-basket' gave him trouble, too?" Trant stared, thoughtfully. "And think of