“Pardon! I did not know you were not at home. Also did I not know of the prohibition against entering the office when you were not in. I saw the rule—I need heem very much to make the pattern of finished appearance. So I take the rule and hurry back to my bench.” “You hurried all right—I’ll say that,” murmured Tom grimly. “Yes—I am of a hurry kind. Most of us Russians are. Now that I have of explanation made, eet is permit that I take these?” and he again held up the rule. “Oh, yes, I suppose so,” conceded Tom slowly. He could not say anything else, it seemed. There was such an air of innocence about the man that to break it down, if it were pretended, required better evidence than Tom at this moment possessed. Certainly Barsky had taken nothing more than the slide rule, and he needed it in his work. Tom felt that the man should have had it before, for it was the most essential tool. How then, could he find fault with the foreigner for taking what, obviously, was within his right? Of course he had broken a rule, but this might be overlooked. So Tom had to say it was all right and let the matter go at that. “Only don’t go into my office again without permission,” concluded the young inventor. “Naturally not—since you have told me,” said Barsky. “I shall send word in advance of my veesit next time,” and with a bow he took himself off. “Hum,” mused Tom as he strolled back to his own quarters. “Now was that sarcasm or not?” He thought he was perhaps rather exaggerating the importance of the incident, and was somewhat put out by the construction Barsky might put on being thus reprimanded until Tom happened to look in the room where the chest of secrets was kept. Not only was this room open, but so, also, was the chest itself and in plain view were a number of valuable plans and drawings. “Hang it all!” exclaimed Tom. “I wonder if that chest was open while Barsky was in here after that rule? It must have been. Some one is getting careless; but as it may have been I who opened that box and forgot to close it when the fire whistle blew, I’d better not say anything about it. Ned or Mr. Newton might think I was hitting at him. Yes, I’ve got to be more careful, with strange workmen about and valuable new plans under way.” Tom looked carefully over his chest of business secrets, and, as far as he could ascertain, nothing had been disturbed. He knew in a general way what was in the box. “But I think the safest way to do,” he told, himself, “would be to have Ned make a list of all the documents in there. Then we can check them over from time to time. I’ll do that.” So, without saying anything to his chum about the visit of Barsky, Tom told the young manager to list all the documents in the chest after attending to the fire insurance matter. “We can’t be too careful of these invention papers,” remarked the author of many of them. “You’re dead right you can’t,” agreed Ned.