“That questioning may mean your salvation, young man. If you are innocent, you want the truth disclosed. And the only way we can get at the truth is to follow out every clue that presents. He naturally started with you, because that seemed the obvious clue to follow. But it doesn’t follow that he thinks you guilty or that he is trying to prove you took the papers. If it had been my lot to make this investigation, I should doubtless have done just what he did. Now don’t queer your case with the Chief by making any such charges.”
“I’ll think twice before I speak once,” said Willie. “Will you ask the Chief if he will see me?”
“Yes, but it won’t do you any good. He’s busy.”
The Chief, however, was willing to see Willie. How much Sheridan had to do with making that possible, he did not say. But he came back, smiling, and told Willie to step into the Chief’s office.
“Hello, youngster,” said the Chief cordially. “What brings you back to the Secret Service? Lost your job at the Custom-house already?”
“No, sir,” said Willie, “but it looks as though I’m in a fair way to do so.” And he told the Chief all about his difficulties. He told him so heart-brokenly and fervently, moreover, that the Chief was touched.
“A fellow who appeals to the Secret Service for help when he’s accused of wrong,” said the Chief, “isn’t very likely to be guilty, is he?”
“Thank you,” said Willie. “That’s the first encouraging word anybody has said to me since this thing happened. I am not guilty, and all I ask is to have Mr. Sheridan investigate the matter and show who is.”
“You may be very sure we shall go into the matter thoroughly,” replied the Chief. “It is a serious business. But I cannot promise to put any particular man on the investigation. You may be sure, however, that you will have a fair deal and that we will get to the bottom of the affair.”
Willie went away, feeling that his effort had been in vain. It was, however, more fruitful than he ever dreamed it would be. The first Secret Service operative questioned others besides Willie, and at once everybody in the office knew him for what he was. Thereafter his usefulness was past. The Chief recalled him and sent a second operative: and the new man was Sheridan. But no one knew he was a Secret Service man. He came into the building as a cleaner and porter; and even Willie would not have known him had he seen him. For a long time he made no more headway than did Willie, who was industriously communicating, day after day, with wireless operators, in a quest for some one who had heard his signals on the day the papers were stolen from the Special Agent’s desk. But apparently the quest was vain. Meanwhile Willie did his work with absolute fidelity, putting into it every bit of mind and energy he possessed. But he could see that he was watched on all sides, and that belief in his guilt did not lessen as time passed.