"Callister about?" he asked, with an air of general proprietorship of the whole establishment.
Mr. Maxwell peeped through the little round opening in the glass partition and immediately opened the door.
"He's in, but very busy," he replied, stepping into the outer room.
"Tell him Detective Cutts wants to see him, will you, young feller?" said the individual with the cigar.
Now the appearance of Mr. Billy Cutts, police detective, as a visitor at the stock broker's office caused the newly engaged clerk no surprise.
The fact was, Detective Cutts had been a daily caller upon Mr. Callister for more than a week.
Of the nature of the man's business Maxwell, the clerk, was unaware, but it appeared to be involved in much mystery, and was invariably conducted behind locked doors.
"Mr. Cutts, sir," said the clerk, as the door of the broker's office was opened in response to his knock.
"Show him in, Mr. Maxwell. Show him in," was the bland reply.
And during that momentary glimpse of the interior of the private office, the assumed Maxwell saw that the desk was littered with papers and large drawings, closely resembling architects' plans, strange things to be seen in a stock broker's office, to say the least.