rned to Helen, her voice shaking with emotion.

"There's no doubt about it now," she declared. "Someone entered our
rooms while we were away and stole the manuscript I had been working
on!"

Chapter Twenty

THE MYSTERY DEEPENS

The girls stared helplessly at each other and Helen was finally the
first to speak.

"But Janet, that can't be possible. It must be here somewhere."

Janet shook her head firmly. "It isn't here and we both know it. My
premonition when we entered the room was right. Something is decidedly
wrong."

"But what can we do about it?" asked Helen.

"I'm going to call the clerk," said Janet, picking up the telephone. She
explained briefly what had happened. "The assistant manager is here.
He's coming up in five minutes," she said when she replaced the
instrument on the stand.

Helen rushed back to her own room to finish dressing and was fully
clothed when the assistant manager arrived. He made a careful
examination of the door and the lock and then went all over the rooms
with the girls, but as Janet had felt convinced, there was no further
trace of the missing papers.

"I regret this deeply," said the hotel official, "and can only promise
that every effort will be made to see that the papers are returned if
they are still in the building." He excused himself to question the
housekeeper about any maid who might have been working in the room while
the girls were away.

In less than five minutes he returned, a maid following close behind
him.

"I think the mystery is solved," he explained. "The maid says she came
in to put fresh towels in the bathroom and someone knocked at the door.
She answered and a man from the World Broadcasting Company said he had
come to get your manuscript. He came right on in and picked up the
papers beside the typewriter. Of course she should not have admitted
him, but he appeared to know just what he wanted."

"What did he look like?" Janet asked the maid.

"Well, I didn't pay particular attention, but he was small and I guess
you would call him dark. He had on a hat and it was pulled down over his
forehead. He took the papers and went on out. Said they'd be waiting for
you at the broadcasting office tomorrow."

"I believe this solves the mystery," said the assistant manager.

"I hope so," agreed Janet. "We're sorry to have caused you so much
trouble."

When the hotel official and the maid had taken their departure, Helen
turned to her companion.