'Come in,' called a voice; and in Chippy went, and closed the door behind him.
Mr. Elliott looked up from the morning letters, with which he was busy, and raised his eyebrows.
'Well, Slynn,' he said, 'and what may you want?'
Chippy stood up very straight, and saluted.
'Come to report, sir, on the robbery at the warehouse.'
'What!' shouted Mr. Jim Elliott, and his eyebrow went up higher than ever.
'Went on scout, sir, last night, about ten,' began Chippy, and then plunged into the recital of his adventures.
He had no more than fairly started when the door whirled open once more, this time without any formality of tapping, and in burst the senior partner in a state of great excitement.
'Jim, Jim,' he called out, quite failing to notice that his brother was not alone, 'there's more stuff gone. The warehouse was broken into again last night, for all the police were on the watch. Altogether a good seventy pounds' worth of goods have been stolen.'
'Ah, yes, Richard,' returned his brother. 'I'm just receiving a report on the matter from one of my scouts.'