“My dear Little.
“About the time this letter reaches you there will arrive in London a Mrs. H. G. Burton and her son, Guy. The kid is coming over to have his eyes treated. They’ll probably remain several weeks and will then return to New York direct. They will stop at the Morley hotel. By the way, the kid is bugs over wireless telegraphy. That’s his weakness. Maybe this will interest you professionally.
“O. P. Q.”
This letter was mailed as soon as finished, but another letter, written by another person, who had been secretly watching every move of Mr. Pickett, accompanied it in the same mail across the Atlantic. It was addressed to one W. W. Watson in London.
A. Little received the Pickett letter and delivered it to one Christopher Gunseyt, who, in turn, delivered it to another, J. C. Smithers, a Bond street jeweler. Meanwhile Watson received the other letter and also got busy. He observed secretly the passing along of the Pickett letter from Little to Gunseyt and from Gunseyt to Smithers. Then, by a series of cleverly camouflaged moves, he managed to relieve Smithers of the mysterious missive in such manner that the latter never missed it.
In the meantime, Guy and his mother registered for rooms at a New York hotel. Their steamer would sail on the following day, and their order for tickets and staterooms on the liner had been placed through a local agent at Ferncliffe.
Mrs. Burton had a friend in the city whom she wished to see on the afternoon of the day following their arrival at New York, and Guy had promised to send his brother a wireless message at 4 p. m. In the morning he telephoned to his wireless acquaintance, “V T,” whom, by the way, he had never met personally; indeed, he did not know “V T’s” name. They had often exchanged greetings by wireless, but had never introduced themselves, except by their amateur radio calls. “V T” had, however, given the Burton boys his telephone number and requested them to call him up when they came to New York.
As a result of Guy’s telephone call, the latter received a visit from “V T” at the hotel. The New York amateur introduced himself as Harry Taylor.
“I’m glad to know your name,” Guy remarked as they started for Harry’s home, “my brother and I usually spoke of you as Vacuum Tube, but we’ll be more respectful hereafter.”
Guy was delighted with his “new-old acquaintance.” He was with him most of the afternoon while his mother visited her friend. At 4 o’clock he called Walter and talked with the latter half an hour. Then he bade Harry good-by and returned to the hotel.