“FEDERAL AGENT” 249 AGENT NINE SOLVES HIS FIRST CASE ★ Chapter I A SURPRISE CALL ★ Bob Houston, youthful clerk in the archives division of the War Department, drew his topcoat closer about him and shivered as he stepped out of the shelter of the apartment house entrance and faced the chill fall rain. Going back to the office after a full day bent over a desk was no fun, but a job was a job, and Bob was thankful for even the small place he filled in the great machine of government. The raw, beating rain swept into his face as he strode down the avenue. A cruising taxicab, hoping for a passenger, pulled along the curb, but Bob waved the vehicle away. Just then he had no extra funds to invest in taxi fare. The avenue was deserted and Bob doubted if there would be many at work in the huge building where the archives division was sheltered. At the end of a fifteen-minute walk Bob turned in at the entrance of a hulking gray structure. The night guard nodded as he recognized Bob and the clerk stepped through the doorway. Bob paused in the warmth of the lobby and shook the water from his coat and hat. Fortunately he had worn rubbers so his feet were dry and he felt there was little chance of his catching cold. The door behind him opened and a blast of raw air swirled into the lobby. Bob turned quickly; then hurried to greet the newcomer. “Hello Uncle Merritt,” he cried. “I didn’t expect to run into you down here tonight.” Merritt Hughes, one of the crack agents of the Department of Justice, smiled as he shook the rain from his hat. “I was driving home when I caught a glimpse of you coming in here. Working tonight?” “I’ve got at least two hours of work ahead of me,” replied Bob. “Anyone else going to be with you?” inquired his uncle. “No, I’m alone.” “Good. I want to talk with you where there is no chance that we may be overheard.” Bob was tempted to ask what it was all about, but he knew that in good time his uncle would tell him. They stepped into an automatic elevator and Bob pressed the control button. There was a distinct resemblance between uncle and nephew. Merritt Hughes looked as though he might be Bob’s older brother. He was well built, about five feet eight inches tall, and usually tipped the scales at 160 pounds, but there was no fat on his well conditioned body. His hair was a dull brown, but the keenness of his eyes made up for whatever coloring was lacking in his hair. Bob was taller than his uncle and would outweigh him ten pounds. His hair was light and his pleasant blue eyes were alert to everything that was going on. Both had rather large and definite noses, and Bob often chided his uncle on that family trait.