“What a mess!” exclaimed the federal agent, as the lights revealed the utter confusion.
“Who’s in charge?” he asked.
“Arthur Jacobs is the filing chief for this room,” replied Bob.
“Then you’d better get him on the telephone and see that he gets down here at once. Explain what’s happened and tell him that you want to check over the files for any possible missing papers.”
Bob looked up the number of the filing chief’s home telephone and dialed. It was some time before a sleepy voice answered and when Bob informed the filing chief who was speaking the voice was sharp and angry.
But when he imparted the news and added that a federal agent was waiting for his arrival and the checkup, the filing chief promised to come down at once.
In the meantime a janitor came up from somewhere below and fixed the fuses so that there was ample light in the long room.
“I can start in checking up on the files now,” said Bob, but his uncle held out his hand.
“I don’t want a thing touched until the filing chief is here,” he explained. “Then, if something important is missing, you’ll have a clean bill of health.”
“But I’m sure that nothing important has come through lately,” said Bob. “Of course we don’t know definitely when important records are being filed, but we usually have a pretty good hunch.”