“It was closed when I left it there.”
“That’s odd,” remarked Mr. Keen in a low voice, but he did not in the least doubt Tom’s word. “Was there any one in the office but yourself?” he asked. “Maybe the envelope fell to the floor off my desk, and, being quite full, burst open. The janitor may have picked it up.”
“Mr. Cutler was in his room, when I came back last night,” replied Tom. “He had some one with him. But I don’t believe the envelope could have fallen off your desk. I placed it right in the middle.”
“Strange how it could have come open then,” went on Mr. Keen. “It looks as if the envelope was opened, and then sealed up again, but not securely. Well, it doesn’t matter much.”
But Tom could see that the lawyer was annoyed by the incident, though the telephone boy was glad there was no hint of suspicion against himself.
At the same time, there came into Tom’s mind, a vague suspicion against Mr. Cutler. Yet, what object would that lawyer have in opening the envelope containing papers in a case, which, presumably, all the partners knew about?
“Or could it have been Sandow?” thought Tom. “He might have sneaked in and opened the envelope, when Cutler left him alone for a minute. That Sandow is a sneak, I believe. I have proof enough of that in the way he tried to make me believe that mysterious message I heard him give Cutler didn’t amount to anything.”
But Tom had little more time for thought that morning, as the switchboard kept him almost constantly engaged. The firm had several important cases to attend to, and inquiries and messages concerning them were constantly coming in.
“Whew! My ear aches!” exclaimed Tom to himself, after an hour during which he had been engaged in putting plugs in, taking them out, shifting cams and pressing buttons. “This sort of life is lively enough, at times, to suit almost any one. But I guess I’ll have a chance now to look at my law book.”
For Tom still stuck to the resolution he had made, to “read law” during his spare moments. He was looking intently at the book, yet alert for any telephone call that might come in, when he became aware that a stranger had entered the office. He looked up to see a man, evidently a farmer in his “Sunday” clothes, standing beside the telephone desk.