Ted opened the door. A man was inside, his feet perched upon a desk and he was reading a German newspaper.
“Paper, sir?” Ted asked him.
“No,” was the answer. He did not even glance up.
“I have a Staats-Zeitung and a Wochen-Blatt,” coaxed Ted. All this time he was taking stock of the room.
“A Wochen-Blatt? I’ll take one,” the man became interested. He offered a half dollar to Ted.
“I haven’t the change, but I will get it for you.” Ted was fighting for time, so that he could form impressions.
“And run away with my money?” the man sneered. “Not on your life. I’ll wait until later.”
“You can hold all my papers. I’ll come back.”
The man grudgingly gave the boy the money. At the corner store Ted found his 50 two friends; the automobile had long since left.
“Good work,” Strong commented, after hearing Ted. “Now, how can we get that fellow out of the building for half an hour?”