print records and a miscellany of odd “exhibits” preserved by the men who used the office. Barney had come to accept them as the cub accepts the curiosities of the reporters’ room. He was growing blasé. It took the expected summons from Babbing to give him the thrill of a call from the editor.
As soon as he entered Babbing’s door, the detective said: “I understood you to report that no one was shadowing Mr. Harper.”
Harper was sitting there, massively composed.
“Yes, sir.”
“Mr. Harper tells me,” Babbing said, “that a detective got into his house yesterday, disguised as an electrician, on the pretext of renewing the light bulbs.”
“I did n’t cover the house,” Barney replied.
“He was detailed,” Babbing explained, “to see whose men were following you on the street. He found no one at it.”
“I think you ’d better put a man on the job,” Harper grumbled.
