afternoon some time. Can you get around about
four o'clock, Pete?"

"Sure," the night boss replied.

"We've got some thinking to do about the work, if we're going to put it
through. I'll look for you at four o'clock then, in the office." He
started down the stairs. "I'm going home now."

"Why," said Peterson, "you only just come."

Bannon paused and looked back over his shoulder. The light came from
directly overhead, and the upper part of his face was in the shadow of his
hat brim, but Max, looking closely at him, thought that he winked again.

"I wanted to tell you," the foreman went on; "Grady's come around, you
know--and another fellow--"

"Yes, Max told me. I guess they won't hurt you. Good night."

As he went on down he passed a group of laborers who were bringing
stairway material to the carpenters.

"I don't know but what you was talking pretty loud," said Max to Peterson,
in a low voice. "Here's some of 'em now."

"They didn't hear nothing," Peterson replied, and the two went back to the
distributing floor. They stood in a shadow, by the scale hopper, waiting
for the reappearance of Grady's companion. He had evidently gone on to the
upper floors, where he could not be distinguished from the many other
moving figures; but in a few minutes he came back, walking deliberately
toward the stairs. He looked at Peterson and Max, but passed by without a
second glance, and descended. Peterson stood looking after him.

"Now, I'd like to know what Charlie meant by going home," he said.

Max had been thinking hard. Finally he said:--

"Say, Pete, we're blind."

"Why?"

"Did you think he was going home?"

Peterson looked at him, but did not reply.

"Because he ain't."

"Well, you heard what he said."

"What does that go for? He was winking when he said it. He wasn't going to
stand there and tell the laborers all about it, like we was trying to do.
I'll bet he ain't very far off."

"I ain't got a word to say," said Peterson. "If he wants to leave Grady to
me, I guess I can take care of him."

Max had come to the elevator for a short visit--he liked to watch the work
at night--but now he settled down to stay, keeping about the hopper where
he could see Grady if his head should appear at the top of the stairs.
Something told him that Bannon saw deeper into Grady's manoeuvres than
either Peterson or himself, and while he could not understand, yet he was
beginning to think that Grady would appear before