“Oh, yes, I did. Huh! guess I did--I was with the fellow who first made it when he got it up.” Frank was surprised. He must have shown it to the keen-eyed fellow quizzing him, for Wacker exclaimed: “Aha--interested now, hain’t you? Tell you something more: the owner made me a duplicate of his original puzzle, and--there it is.” And to Frank’s amazement Mr. Dale Wacker pulled from his pocket a crude copy of the wire puzzle. It was the exact counterpart of the one Markham had furnished as a model for those now being sold broadcast by Frank’s Mail Order House. CHAPTER XIX MISSING Frank was a good deal upset. In the light of the cistern episode and the knowledge that Markham seemed afraid to meet certain people, he believed that the advent of his present visitor boded no good for his friend and helper. As Dale Wacker showed the wire puzzle, stating that he knew its inventor, Frank felt that he was in the presence of a mystery. “Let me look at that, will you?” he said. “Sure,” grinned Wacker. “Why not? Take a good look, too. Seems familiar? Quite the right thing, eh?” “What do you mean?” demanded Frank. “Why, just this,” retorted Wacker: “How do you come to be selling an article that no one has a right to sell except my friend who made it? I happen to know he invented that puzzle. I was with him when he did.” “When was that?” asked Frank. “Oh, about six months ago.” “And where?” “Now you’re asking questions, hey?” said Wacker, with a cunning air. “You tell me first: do you know the fellow who made that puzzle?” “What’s his name?” asked Frank. “Dick Welmore.” “Never heard of him.” “Aha!” cried Dale Wacker triumphantly, “then I’ve got you. I say, young fellow, you’re violating the law, you are. See here, I’m hard up. I know where Dick Welmore is snug and tight. If you don’t make it worth my while, I’ll go to him and have you prosecuted for stealing his invention.” “Get out of here,” cried Frank, with flashing eyes. “Hold on, now. Say, give me a job, and I’ll keep mum. Say, I can write a good hand. Once I took stock, see--” “Yes, I reckon you’ve taken stock to your cost, if what I hear is true. March out, and it won’t be healthy for you to come around here again.” “I can make you trouble.” “Try it.” Frank gave Wacker a decided push through the open doorway. Wacker was muttering under his breath all kinds of dire threats. At exactly that moment Frank looked along the walk to the street at the echo of a cherry whistle. It was instantly checked. Markham, tripping towards the office, halted with a shock. Like a flash he turned at a sight of Wacker. He disappeared so quickly that Frank wondered if Wacker got a clear look at him. The latter, with a malignant growl at Frank, went away without another word. In some perplexity Frank sat down at his desk, thinking hard and fast.