nry squirmed some more. He tried hard to look dignified
despite the professor's grip on his goatee, but failed miserably.

"Out with it!"

"It's really nothing, Joseph--"

"Out with it, I say!"

"Ow! Joseph, stop!" And then: "It's just ... the man who bought my X-ray
glasses had red hair--"

"The man who bought your X-ray glasses!"

"Joseph! You're hurting!"

"What do you mean, 'the man who bought your X-ray glasses'?" The
professor thrust his gaunt face to within an inch of Henry's, his eyes
like steel gimlets. "If you tell me you've sold those glasses, you
misbegotten moron--"

"But Joseph!" Henry struggled to free himself. "You told me to get rid
of them. You warned me not to use them."

"I never told you to sell them! You knew I wanted to talk to Coggleston
about their use to the army--"

"Yes, but you didn't tell me _not_ to sell them. And I had all my notes,
and knew just how to make another pair, and so when the red-headed man
offered me fifty dollars for them--"

But Professor Paulsen had ceased to listen. Already he was on the
telephone and calling Major Coggleston. Tersely he explained the
situation.

Then:

"Could he have gotten the formula, Ray? Was it anywhere he could see it
through those devil's glasses?" And, a moment later: "Oh. Coggleston, I
can't tell you how sorry I am--"

"What did he say?" Henry demanded excitedly as the other hung up. "Is it
all right, Joseph--"

"No." The scientist shook his head, eyes dark with worry. "Coggleston
says we can be practically certain the spy got that formula. He says the
man in charge was having a staff meeting of his aides, and they had it
written out on a blackboard for discussion."

"Joseph--"

"Ray's on his way over now. He wants to ask you some questions about the
man's description--"

* * * * *

Even as the words left the savant's mouth, they heard a car roar up the
driveway. Major Ray Coggleston hurried in the door, a sergeant at his
heels. He wasted no time on preliminaries.

"What did he look like?" he demanded.

"Well, he had red hair...."

"Yes, yes. We know that."

"He was pretty big. Almost as tall as Joseph."

"Yes. Go on."

"I guess he talked sort of loud."

"Got it."

Henry hesitated. Tugged at his goatee, his face screwed with
concentration.

"Really, Major Coggleston, that's about all I can remember about him,"
he said at last.

The officer swore. He paced the floor in a fre