th the quick remark:

"Didn't you hear something?"

But although he fretted and fumed, strolled out the door and in again,
no amount of impatience appeared to hurry matters.

Even Bob began to lose his poise and fear no message was coming when
suddenly the well-known signal came and the familiar clockwork began
to be clicked off.

"Is it he?" demanded Mr. Crowninshield in a tense whisper.

Bob nodded.

On clicked the code. Then suddenly it stopped and the man who was
watching saw the operator raise the discs of rubber from his ears and
shake himself free of his metal trappings.

"Well?" inquired Mr. Crowninshield in quick staccato.

"It was O'Connel. All he said was: _Wait developments._"

"Not a word about Lola?"

"No, sir."

"Not a reference of any sort?"

"That was all."

"But that is no kind of a message," announced the exasperated owner of
Surfside. "Why, it might mean almost anything."

"It sounds hopeful to me."

"I don't see any hope in it," was the despondent answer.

"It least it gives us to understand that something is brewing."

"But why couldn't he have told us more?"

"Perhaps he did not dare to. They may have begun to suspect he was
sending private messages."

"Humph! I had not thought of that."

"Or possibly he may have been in a rush. He sent the letters at a
tremendous pace--so fast that I had to race him. It seemed as if he
was afraid he might not be able to get the message through."

"You didn't answer anything, I suppose."

"Only my signal to let him know I was listening."

"Then you think there is nothing more to be done at present but sit
right here and see what happens?"

"I do not see how we can do anything else."

"It's frightfully annoying."

"Yes. Nevertheless it is our only course."

"You've no inkling whether the developments he mentioned are to be
soon or not?"

"Not the ghost of an idea."

"Then there is nothing for it but to hold on right here a while
longer, I'm afraid. And since we are all to be tied to the spot you
may as well come up to the house later and give Dick his usual radio
lesson."

"Very well, sir."

With a curt nod the financier went out the door and after seeing that
everything was right Bob locked up the building and followed him.

He found the little group assembled in the lee of the awnings waiting
for him. Mr. Crowninshield was there, too, gnawing fiercely at a fresh
cigar.

"I hear you have had a message, Bob," Mrs. Crown