In a room in one of the West Side streets of Chicago, in an old-fashioned office building, which also rented rooms to lodges and societies, eight men were engaged in earnest conversation.

“You are wrong, O’Reilly,” said one of them. “England will not dare come into it. There are men in England who would want the country to war against my land. But the powers that be, and the people, too, will be against it.”

“I hate England, Berman,” said O’Reilly. “There are Irishmen who are willing to lick the hand that has beaten them and has held them in subjection, but they are not true sons of Erin. I am against England, but I do not despise the English as you Germans do. Once they are aroused, mark my words, slow as they may be at the start, they will be a mighty force.” His eyes flashed. “Many people call me a traitor, but Ireland, not England, is my country, and all Irishmen should be against the country that holds it slave.

“But to business, gentlemen. Will you, Mr. Schmidt, explain the call for this meeting?”

“That I will,” answered he who had been addressed. “There are two things for us to take up the less important first. I have a telegram from our good friend Pfeffer up in Wayland, in Alberta, Canada, where he is doing our work, but is presumably a German instructor. Ah, here it is

He drew out the coded wire that Pfeffer had sent. “I have figured out the code and it reads as follows:

“’Ference eld erecon urday h atch h oysat ed w arsh b adian t cific M eftcan erepa en l am h alledsev ome y c ther h pect b emo ssus n h ay i ee o trong w haps s as s persper ay h eekpa formation m atchin s w.’

“’Conference held here Saturday. Watch boy Ted Marsh, Canadian Pacific, left here seven A. M. Sunday. Called home by mother. Suspect he is on way to see Strong. Perhaps he has papers, may seek information. Watch.’"

There was a discussion as to the telegram. “Who is Strong?” asked O’Reilly.

“He is the chief operative secret service man stationed in Chicago by the Government at Ottawa. We have him watched. We have even instructions out that if he becomes dangerous he will disappear very suddenly.”

“That is bad business,” said a little man named Heinrich.

“Bad business nothing!” answered Schmidt. “No one must stand in the forward way. Germany first, last, forever. What is Strong, what are you, what am I poof, nothing! But Germany ah ” the speaker’s eyes gleamed.

“It will give those who are suspicious ground for proof that their suspicions are more than suspicions,” answered Heinrich.

“Let us not wander from the point, gentlemen,” another man interrupted. “As I gather from the telegram, this boy may be coming to see Strong. Now, we must first make sure of that fact, then find out what it is he is coming for and stop him in his attempt, if it concerns us.”

“O’Reilly,” asked Mr. Winckel, a man with spectacles which carried thick lenses, “can you or one of your friends, perhaps, meet the boy and pose as this man Strong? Schmidt, you or Feldman had better go to Milwaukee and try to place the boy and get such information as you can. But do not let him suspect you.”

“I’ll go,” said Schmidt.

“When is he due?” asked Mr. Winckel.

“Why, I should think it would be some time tonight,” answered Schmidt. “I’ll look and make sure.”

“Find out his home address,” added Winckel. “Telegraph it to us and one of us will hurry up and find out if his mother really expects him. How about your part, O’Reilly?”

“I’ll see to it,” answered the Irishman.

“That is finished now. Oh, yes, one more thing, Schmidt, better have Strong watched even more closely. What is the other business?” It could be seen that Mr. Winckel was the moving spirit.

“Tomorrow, eight o’clock, here the chief will come from Washington. When Captain Knabe comes, he will tell us just when the day will be. It is very soon, very soon; the long wait is over. Then, too, he will tell us what we shall do. You will all be here? Now we shall go to our work.”

They broke up. They were very thorough, each man had his work assigned and would see it carried through.

We shall turn to John Strong, who early that morning had been slipped a memorandum in code by the waitress serving breakfast to him, announcing that Ted was to come and to meet him. Also, Ted’s home address.

John Strong was a clean-cut Canadian, hair graying at the temples. No one knew better than he how carefully he was watched. That he was able to be as useful to his government as he was, showed his ability.

He decided at once that he would not meet Ted. That would show one thing the important thing to those who would want to know. How could he get to the boy’s mother without being observed?

To the girl who waited on him he whispered that he wanted her to arrange for two cars to wait at the main entrance of the Hotel La Salle at ten o’clock.

He strolled out and immediately felt himself shadowed. He reached the hotel, looked at the register very carefully, as if there was something there he wanted to see, then turned to the cigar-stand. Turning around, he saw another man looking just as carefully at that register. He smiled. Now he knew one of those who were watching him. He pulled out some memorandum slips from his pocket and made some notations. As if by accident he left one of the slips on the case, lighted his cigar, bought a newspaper, and sat down and lounged.

Another man came to the cigar counter, also bought some cigars, picked up some matches, and with it the slip of paper.

So there were two.

At five minutes past the hour Strong strolled to the door, made a frantic dash for the machine, which seemed very slow to start. A moment later two men entered the machine immediately next, gave the driver instructions to follow the first machine, which by now had dashed off.

The first car went south. You may remember that Mrs. Marsh lived north. The second car followed. The occupants could never suspect the innocent appearing chauffeur of that second car, as he swore and raved at the policeman who had ordered him to stop to let the east and west traffic go by at the side street. The frantic men inside were assured that he would make up the lost time; that he knew the number of the car he was following. But he never found that car. He became very stupid, although always pleasant.

John Strong reached the home of Mrs. Marsh, certain that he had eluded the pursuit.

“Mrs. Marsh, I believe?” he asked as she opened the door.

“I am Mrs. Marsh,” she answered.

“I am a friend of some friends of Ted. The main reason for his coming down to Chicago is to see me, although I am sure he will think that seeing you will count for even more than that.”

“Did you get word from him?” further asked Strong.

“Yes, I got a telegram. It said he was coming to see you, but that I was to let anyone else who might ask think that he was coming because I sent for him. I do not understand.”

Very carefully Strong explained it all to Mrs. Marsh.

“It is important that these people should not suspect that he is coming to see me, only that he is coming home, nothing more. It may even be, that one of them will be here to see you, some time today. They surely will if they find out anything about his coming, and where you live. I will say this, that I feel I am speaking for Mr. Dean when I say it will be a great service to him and to his country.”

“I shall be glad to do anything for Mr. Dean. You can count on me. I think I understand and perhaps will be able to help. Perhaps, too, my daughter, Helen, even more so.”

“Will you have your daughter come and see me right after supper. The train comes in at 9:10 tonight, and she will meet you afterward at the station. She will go there from my office. Possibly, as you say, she can help.”

He left Mrs. Marsh, confident that she understood and that she had the ability and willingness to carry her part through.

Readers will find it interesting to study out the simplicity
of this code. There is special pleasure in their working it out
for themselves. It is simple and unweaves itself once you have
the key. For those who do not wish to decipher the code, they can
use the following method. The first syllable of any word of more
than one syllable is attached to the third word following. Of one
syllable words the first letter is found by itself after the
second word. In no case is a single letter considered a word.