He swung open a door, crossed a small passageway, then opened another door. Tilted back in his chair with his feet on a desk sat a fat, greasy, little man with an expression of lazy contentment on his face. As Cal and Garry stepped into the room the man made as though to rise, but Cal waved him back with a careless gesture. "Don't get up, Jake," he said, "This is a friend of mine, Garry Grayson." A nod of his head indicated Garry. "We've come to make a little call, Jake, but we won't stay more than a few minutes. How's business?" "Great!" The greasy little man indicated two chairs, one on either side of the desk, and waved his guests into them. "Effery day ve got a crowd vould make you sit up und take notice. Eet is such a pleasure to see how der people like my liddle place. Bisness gets better effery day." "That's good. Nice little place you have here, Jake," said Cal gravely. "You must be pretty well attached to it by this time." "Sure, I like my liddle place. I build it up myself und make of it a bisness what pulls in der money hand over fist. Sure, I like it." "And in that case, of course," Cal said carelessly, but watching the proprietor as a cat does a mouse, "it would break your heart to have it closed up, wouldn't it, Jake?" The eyes of the little man narrowed suddenly until they seemed mere slits in his greasy face. Slowly he removed his feet from the desk, his eyes holding Cal's. "What foolishment iss you talking?" he demanded coldly. "Now listen, Jake." Cal assumed an easy air as he bent over the desk, one elbow resting on it. "We, Garry Grayson and I, want this to be just a friendly little chat. It's your fault if it takes an unfriendly turn. That right, Garry?" Garry nodded. His eyes had narrowed too. He was watching the man behind the desk intently. "So, Jake, that being understood, suppose we come down to cases," continued Cal lightly. "Vot you mean by cases?" asked Jake, with symptoms of growing belligerence. "Vot iss it you vant of me?" "Something very simple, Jake; very simple." Cal's tone was soothing. "Garry Grayson here finds himself in a jam, so to speak, a nasty mess, and all along of some hip flasks that were planted in the desks of him and two of his chums. This dirty trick was pulled by a couple of fellows who hate him and want to run him out of the Lenox High school. You know those fellows, Jake. They come here often." "Vell," replied Jake guardedly. "Vot if they do?" "Because," explained Cal, "the dirty work of these fellows has caused Garry Grayson and two of his friends to be barred from athletics in the school. It has put them in Dutch. Now, I like these boys a lot, Jake, and I'm not going to stand by and see them framed. I happen to know who framed them, and I happen to know that you know too. With your help, Jake, I'm going to show up those fellows for what they are." "Mit my help, yes?" queried Jake, in a soft voice. "I dink nod. I do not dell on my customers."