“Well, it is! I’m telling you now! No one from the works allowed in the private office without permission. Now, why did you go there—especially when I was out fighting the fire, which was in your department?”
“Fire? Yes, I hear the wheestle, but I see that so soon the fire he is out so I cannot think that it to a great deal amounts. I hope none of my new patterns were burned.” He seemed genuinely anxious on this score.
“Luckily the fire was only in some rubbish,” explained Tom. “But that has nothing to do with the fact that you were in my office in my absence. What did you go there for?” and the voice of the young inventor was stern.
“Oh—I my presence must explanation? Yes, of courseness. I go there to get heem!”
He held up to Tom a complicated slide rule, often used in making intricate computations that, otherwise, would entail much work at figures.
“I need these for that train stop pattern I am making for you, Mr. Swift,” the man explained.
“Yes, I thought you would need that rule, and I intended sending it out to you,” Tom said. “But you should not have gone to my office to take it while I was absent.”
“Pardon! I did not know you were not at home. Also did I not know of the prohibition against entering the office when you were not in. I saw the rule—I need heem very much to make the pattern of finished appearance. So I take the rule and hurry back to my bench.”
“You hurried all right—I’ll say that,” murmured Tom grimly.
“Yes—I am of a hurry kind. Most of us Russians are. Now that I have of explanation made, eet is permit that I take these?” and he again held up the rule.