st thing you know you'll be the real thing and getting a head
position at Washington."

"I shouldn't mind that," answered John Watkins.

"Where are you going to-morrow?"

"To New York--to nose around."

"Want to locate the counterfeits?"

"I want to see if they have been reported. I've got a certain idea
about them, but I am not sure if I am right."

"What's the idea?"

"That Langmore girl has engaged a detective named Adam Adams to clear
her, if he can. He was dodging around the house when I was there, and
somehow it's got into my head that he knows about the counterfeits."

"Does he belong to the secret service?"

"No, he's a private detective. I don't know much about him, but they
say he's a pretty good one," continued John Watkins.

"You think he opened the safe?"

"I'm thinking that perhaps he was at the safe after I opened it. The
safe is of a make in which the combination can be changed with ease.
He could have looked into it and then have changed the numbers. I
certainly didn't forget the old combination--it was so easy, four on
forty, three on thirty and two on twenty--but that wouldn't open it
when I went back."

"Can't you get in with him and find out what's what?" suggested Matlock
Styles. "You can tell him that you are working up this case of the
counterfeits."

"I may do that. The trouble is, these private detectives don't like to
go in with an outsider--they are too much afraid of losing the credit
for what they are trying to do."

"Is anybody else on the case?"

"Not that I know of. If there was--"

At that moment the door bell of the house rang and soon one of the
girls came upstairs.

"Mr. Martin is below," said she to John Watkins.

"Is that so? Tell him I will see him in a minute." The secret service
man turned to the Englishman. "He is a real estate man who is going to
sell this house for me. I'd forgotten that I had an appointment with
him."

"Never mind, give me that money you promised and I'll be going,"
answered Matlock Styles. "I've got a lot of things to attend to in the
next few days."

"I'll give it to you in the library. The money is in the safe," was
the answer, and then both of the men left the room.

Adam Adams descended to the ground and walked slowly to the front of
the house. In a few minutes he saw the Englishman step out on the
front piazza followed by the secret service man.

"Where are you going now?" asked the latter.

"Home and to b