“Why did he open the file?” asked Merritt Hughes. “Well, he mentioned something about wanting to see the way I kept my files. I guess he said he had heard Mr. Jacobs say he liked the way I handled them.” Jacobs smiled for it was no secret with him that Bob was his star assistant, while Tully was probably the poorest of the clerks who worked in the filing room. “You’re sure Tully didn’t take anything out?” insisted his uncle. “I can’t be positive,” said Bob, “but I don’t believe anything was removed by him.” Merritt Hughes was silent for a minute. When he spoke again he addressed his words to Bob. “Get Tully on the telephone and tell him to dress and get down here right away.” From the tone of his voice, Bob knew that it would be useless to say anything more in defense of the other clerk and he went to the telephone and dialed Tully’s apartment number. It was two o’clock now and an unearthly hour to rout anyone out of bed, so Bob prepared himself for a long wait at the telephone. He was not disappointed for it was at least three minutes before a sleepy voice answered and Bob recognized it as that of Tully. When he explained that the other clerk must come down at once, there were sleepy protests and Bob’s uncle, provoked at Tully’s attitude, took the phone. “Tully, this is Merritt Hughes. There’s been trouble in this office tonight. You are one of two outsiders who were in here. If you know what’s good for you, get down here at once and don’t argue.” With that he hung up the receiver without giving Tully an opportunity to answer. “I think he’ll be down without losing any time,” he said, and Bob was ready to agree. Tully lived some distance from the office. Bob knew that it would be nearly half an hour before he could arrive. “Let me have a flashlight,” he said to his uncle, “and I’ll go down on the ground floor and see if there is any chance that paper was thrown from the window.” Merritt Hughes nodded his agreement and handed a light to Bob. “I’ll go along,” said Arthur Jacobs. “I can’t stay up here and do nothing.” The filing chief was visibly shaken and Bob was glad enough to have companionship for there would be no fun in prowling through the shrubbery at the base of the building at that hour of the night. They walked down the corridor together and turned and faced the elevator entrance. The cage came up in answer to their summons and they dropped swiftly toward the first floor. “Find out yet what happened to the regular guard on our floor?” Bob asked the elevator operator. “They’ve checked his home, but he left there right on time. It’s a cinch he never reached here, though. This building has been searched from top to bottom and there’s no sign of him.” When they stepped out on the main floor there was evidence of suppressed activity for several guards, flashlights in their hands, hurried past them.