Your telautomatic torpedo model was tested yesterday and I take great pleasure in stating that it was entirely successful.  There is no doubt that the United States is safe from attack as long as we retain its secret.

Very sincerely yours,

Daniel waters, Ass’t Sec’y.

“Oh, Craig,” congratulated Elaine, as she handed back the note.  “I’m so glad for your sake.  How famous you will be!”

“When are we going to see the wonderful invention, Craig?” I added as I grasped his hand and, in return, he almost broke the bones in mine wringing it.

“As soon as you wish,” he replied, moving over to the safe near-by and opening it.  “Here’s the only other model in existence besides the model I sent to Washington.”

He held up before us a cigar-shaped affair of steel, about eight inches long, with a tiny propeller and rudder of a size to correspond.  Above was a series of wires, four or five inches in length, which, he explained, were the aerials by which the torpedo was controlled.

“The principle of the thing,” he went on proudly, “is that I use wireless waves to actuate relays on the torpedo.  The power is in the torpedo; the relay releases it.  That is, I send a child with a message; the grown man, through the relay, does the work.  So, you see, I can sit miles away in safety and send my little David out anywhere to strike down a huge Goliath.”

It was not difficult to catch his enthusiasm over the marvellous invention, though we could not follow him through the mazes of explanation about radio-combinators, telecommutators and the rest of the technicalities.  I may say, however, that on his radio-combinator he had a series of keys marked “Forward,” “Back,” “Start,” “Stop,” “Rudder Right,” “Rudder Left,” and so on.

He had scarcely finished his brief description when there came a knock at the door.  I answered it.  It was Chase and his assistant, whom Kennedy had employed in the affair.

“We’ve found the place on Pell Street that we think is Wu Fang’s,” they reported excitedly.  “It’s in number fourteen, as you thought.  We’ve left an operative disguised as a blind beggar to watch the place.”

“Oh, good!” exclaimed Elaine, as Craig and I hurried out after Chase and his man with her.  “May I go with you?”

“Really, Elaine,” objected Craig, “I don’t think it’s safe.  There’s no telling what may happen.  In fact, I think Walter and I had better not be seen there even with Chase.”

She pouted and pleaded, but Craig was obdurate.  Finally she consented to wait for us at home provided we brought her the news at the earliest moment and demonstrated the wonderful torpedo as well.  Craig was only too glad to promise and we waved good-bye as her car whisked her off.

Half an hour later we turned into Chinatown from the shadow of the elevated railroad on Chatham Square, doing our best to affect a Bowery slouch.