“Sure,” said Willie. “It won’t cost a cent, if you can get a battery. I’ll rig up the outfit and run it for you.”
“Then I’ll do it. But there’s one thing we want understood. If we put in this outfit, you mustn’t neglect your work to be fooling with your wireless. You can use it before and after office hours, and during your hour off at noon, as much as you like. But during business hours you’re not to touch it unless you are handling messages for me.”
“That’s agreed to,” replied Willie.
“Then I’ll see what we can do about the battery. And by the way, please get me a fresh supply of stationery from that cupboard in the corner. Just fill this compartment in my drawer.” And the Chief tossed his bunch of keys to Willie.
While Willie was trying to find the key that fitted the cupboard, Mr. King turned to his telephone and called up the motor equipment bureau. Then he stepped out of the room.
Willie got the cupboard open, filled his superior’s desk drawer with stationery, and locked the cupboard. He laid the keys on Mr. King’s desk. Then he picked them up and put them in his pocket. “Somebody might take them,” said Willie to himself, “or they might be lost.”
Before Mr. King returned to his desk, a powerful, highly charged battery was delivered at the office door. Willie receipted for it. Just then Mr. King returned.
“Get your outfit and rig it up as quick as you can,” he said.
Willie slipped over to his boarding-house to get his suit case. Mrs. McMichael was not at home and Willie could not get in the house. He thought she might be visiting some of the neighbors and he walked about the neighborhood looking for her. After a time she came back. Willie was waiting on the step. He got his suit case and hurried back to the office. He realized that he had been gone quite a while.
“I’ll work all the faster to make up for it,” thought Willie.