Torchy, Private Sec.

t any outside chasin' around. I had a soothin' idea it would be a case of puttin' in my mornin's dictatin' letters to gen'ral managers, and my afternoons to holdin' interviews with

tter how I start, first thing I know I'm mixed up with quick action, and as likely as not gettin' my cl

k and notices that a big block of our debenture 6's are listed as goin' to the Federated Tractions. And the nam

o Vee in my office boy job and got so badly jolted when she finds me posin' as a private sec instead? Went away real peeved, Aunty did th

right, with Tractions payin' between 7 an

t bunch of Philadelphia live wires gets hold of is worth watchin'. Say, they'd consolidate city breathin' air if they could, and mak

eyebrows surprised. "Federate

m," says I. "The notice was listed yesterday. A

is fingers nervous. "Thanks, T

in the Arcade. He's on the Curb now, Izzy is, and by the size of the diamond horseshoe decoratin' the front of his silk shirt he must be tradin' some in w

ls now, eh?" says he, winkin' foxy. "And mayb

let you peddle 'em around Broad street from a pushcart. Gwan, you parro

"Such a joker!" says he. "But listen! Which

around the corner. Sleuthin' around that

nin' his eyes innocent. "Maybe I got a

sion, wouldn't you?" says I. "And with that slump in Connecticut Gas in

ve, almost holdin' his brea

they're thinkin' of puttin' in left-h

ind, Izzy has, and if you could take a thumbprint of

y. "He has a bookkeeper's job with Tractions for a month

!" says I as

elevator exit, without seein' him give anyone the fraternal grip. Then he seems to quit. He drifts back towards the Arcade with the lunch crowd, and I was about to turn away when I lamps him bein' slipped a piece of paper by a short, squatty-built guy who brushes by him

ff towards Broadway. "Looks like the

low paper, carried 'em over to my lunch place, and spent the best part of my

rkin melding.

"What kind of a Peru

eezes in that Philly crowd. But what then? Had Grebel gone out to lunch? And was Larkin playin' p

gh-faced food juggler. "Heiney,"

the bill of fare and begins to hun

t there. But here's another: What do yo

lickers into Heiney's face. "Ach!" sa

" says I. "That

Say, I'd come back to that after every bite. I wrote it out on an envelope, tried runnin' it

a rumor that Grebel was to retire soon. Also he'd met young Larkin in the

nothing at all, you k

and see if it don't tally with your dope,"

ehead over it without any r

ions," says I, and sket

el? But what is melding? And this last-'Te

ackwards,

ing. And with all that new stock issue, I'm not surprised. But that hits Miss

rs?" says I. "Th

e 'phone. "Winkler, Burt & Winkler. Look up t

ct. "They don't know," says he. "The transfer receipts were sent for he

he hasn't

that crowd get a foothold in Corrugated, and a loss of thous

Opened at seven-eighths, then 500 at three-quarters, another

and warned at onc

he guy?

tes may count. I'll get the a

lder on my way to the door,

akin' her drive or anything-why, I could be explainin' to Vee while I wa

he maid, all dolled up like Thursday afternoon. She hands i

the lid you're wearin'," says

hat. "Please," she begins pleadi

s in, "if you'll tell me whe

ouse-partyin' at the Morley Beckhams, over at Quehass

!" says I, dashin'

but Quehassett ain't one of 'em. Huntin' it up on the railroad map, I discovers that it's 'way out t

this week or next. I missed one connection by waitin' for the brakeman to call out the change. And when I'd caught another train back to t

ow sites on the salt marsh. Then I tackles the 'phone, which results in three snappy conversation

hing is shut tight too; so I spreads out an evenin' edition on a baggage truck and turns in weary. I'd overlooked pull

a couple of muskmelons for breakfast, and points out which road leads to Rosemere. It's down on the

body in sight; so I has plenty of time to write a note to Vee, beggin' her for the love of soup, if Aunty hasn't signed the transfer p

m the fact that cook says how all the folks are off on the yacht, which is gen'rally anchored off the dock. He don

juts out to the left. Maybe she's anchored behind that. Comin' down along

creek, bound for nowhere special, when along comes a sporty-dressed young gent, wearin' puttee leggin's and a leather

ound, are you?" says I, sh

a?rohydro

ys I. "A

"I'm going to try her out. Bully

oard. Always have to car

' it a dead secret from the fam'ly, so Mother won't worry. He says that's all nonsense, though; for he's been tak

never been up more than five hundred feet. And this is such a safe type. Oh, the folks will come around

they, when you get close to, with all them slim wire guys? And the boat part is about as substantial a

feet up?" says

Think you wouldn't like

I. "Why, them wings a

as a tensile strength of three hundred and fifty pounds to

rf, though," says I. "Course, I've always had a

half a mile off. "It's the Beckhams'," he goes on. "They're our neighbors here at Rosemere, you know. They have guests from town, a

t at the yacht. "The Mo

"But hurry, please. I

n that boat, and maybe at the next landin' Aunty would mail them transfers. If

s out, "ain't th

aggy. "I've never taken up a passeng

says I. "I want to

ago," he pro

want to get word to,-Miss Hemmingway. I got to, that's all! And

ld tub of yours a shove so she'll clear that left plane. Good work! Here's your seat, beside me. Don't get your knees in the wa

express train, with the spray flyin', the wind whistlin' in my ears, and eight cylinders exhaustin' direct within two feet of the back of my neck. Talk about speedin'! When you're travelin' throug

billion tons or more! Glancin' over the side, I sees the water ten or a dozen feet below us. We were in the air. And, believe me, I reaches out for so

rough the air so impetuous. I takes another glance overboard. Hel-lup! Someone's pullin' Long Island Sound from under us. The water must have been fifty or sixty feet down, and get

a level now, about housetop high, and so far as I could see we was as steady as if we'd been on a front veranda. There's no sway or rock to the machine at all. I'd been holdin' myself as rigid as if I'

wide sweep and was leav

y aviatin' friend, "

ith that roar in your ears. I points

he yel

ere the goin' is all the same. Only as we gets higher the Sound narrows and Long Island stretches further and further. And, take it from me, that's the way

shouts, puttin' his mouth

stuff!"

eemed like the Sound was just rushin' at us, and I was tryin' to guess how far into the bottom we'd go, when he pulls the l

ubber at us. In a minute more we'd be even with 'em. And how was I goin' to deliver that message to Vee? Just then I looks in my lap, where I

nife and jabs it in. Then I shows the breakfast bomb to my fr

howls in my ear. "You c

avin'. The folks on her was wavin' to us. First I made out Vee, standin' on the little bridge amidships, lookin' cute and cl

I shouts.

shoot it. Some shot that was too! I saw it smash on the deck, watched one of the sailors stare at it stupid, and then caught a glimpse of Vee rushin'

porty friend roar out. "I say!

ioned, anyway; but the last I saw of her she was slumpi

izzy swoop and skimmin' past her, back towards where we started from. And just as I was wishin' he'd go faster and higher we

ther had insisted, and when she found Billy all s

report to turn in to Mr. Robert! I had him liste

distance and got a line on how Tractions was waverin', she warms up quite a lot,

Your business methods are certainly advanced. I had not tho

allowed the bug. I know how a bloomin' seagull feels when he's on the wing; and, believe me