. Maype ve walk through him, yah?"

Larry was willing, and together the pair went into the tenement and
upstairs.

As they passed through one of the halls Larry looked up and saw a
man peering down at him over a balustrade. He gave a gasp.

"Vot it is?" questioned the German reporter.

"That man!" cried Larry. He ran up the stairs and tried to catch
the individual, who was running away.

The man was the person he had helped to rescue from the ocean--the
one who had given his name as Mah Retto.

The strange man entered a side room and locked the door. Larry
knocked, but nobody answered his summons.

"Dot vos not der inventor," said Fritsch.

"I know it--but I'd like to see him, nevertheless," answered the
young newspaper man.

A little later the two reporters came down into the street and
separated. Larry went home, but after supper that evening he walked
again in the direction of the lonely tenement. He wanted to see the
policeman, whose post took in that section of the city, and make
some inquiries of him. The officer might be able to throw some light
on the sudden appearance of the strange man.

Larry found the policeman after some search. The officer, as soon as
he learned Larry was from the _Leader_, was very willing to tell all
he knew, for the _Leader_ was a paper that always spoke well of the
police, and the force appreciated this.

"It sure is a queer house," said Patrolman Higgins. "I remember the
time it was filled with families, but they all moved away because
the owner didn't make any repairs. The only person there was a crazy
German who's daffy on airships. He got out to-day."

"I've heard of him," replied Larry. "But is he the only one in
there? I heard there was another man stopping there."

"Now that you speak of it, I shouldn't wonder but what there was,"
answered Higgins. "I saw two lights in there to-night, for the first
time. I've got sort of used to seeing one in the window where the
crazy German is puttering away at his airship, but awhile ago I
noticed a gleam in another part of the house. I took it for a second
lamp the German had lighted, but now that I think of it, seems to me
it was on the other side of the house. I shouldn't wonder but what
you're right."

"Oh, it doesn't matter much," said Larry, who did not want to arouse
too great interest in the matter. "I just thought you might happen
to know him."

"I'll make some inquiries in the neighborhood," the officer went on.