Ep. 10 - The Girl at the Switchboard

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Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Chapter ten, The Girl at theswitchboard. When you come right down to
it, mused Bill Quinn. Womencame as near to winning the late but
unlamented war as did any other singlefactor. The Food administration placarded their statement
that food will win the war broadcastthroughout the country, and that was followed

(00:26):
by a whole flock of other claimants, particularly after the armistice was signed.
But there were really only two elementsthat played a leading role in the final
victory, men and guns, andwomen played these to the limit of their
powerful ability, saving food, buyingbonds, doing extra work, wearing a

(00:49):
smile when their hearts were torn,and going way out of their usual sphere
in hundreds of cases, and makinggood impractically every one of them. So
far as we know, the Alliedside presented no analogy to Molly Pitcher or
the other heroines of past conflicts,for war has made such forward steps that

(01:12):
personal heroism on the part of womenis almost impossible. Of course, we
had botched Caverre and her regiment ofdeath, not to mention Edith Cavell.
But the list is not a longone when it is finally completed. However,
there are a few names which thepublic hasn't yet heard, which will

(01:34):
stand well toward the front. Forexample, there was Virginia Lang. Was
she the girl at the switchboard thatyou mentioned in connection with the von Ueled
case? I interrupted, that's theone, said Quinn. And what's more,
she played a leading role in thatmelodrama, a play in which they

(01:57):
didn't use property, guns or cartridges. Miss Lang continued, Quinn was one
of the few women I ever heardof that practically solved a Secret Service case
on her own. Of course,in the past, the different governmental detective
services have found it to their advantageto go outside the male sex for assistance.

(02:22):
There have been instances where women inthe employ of the Treasury Department rendered
valuable service in trailing smugglers. Thematter of the Dauville diamonds is a case
in point, and even the SecretService hasn't been above using women to assist
in running counterfeiters to Earth. Whilethe archives of the State Department would reveal

(02:45):
more than one interesting record of femininecooperation in connection with underground diplomacy, but
in all these cases, the womenwere employed to handle the work, and
they were only doing what they werepaid for. While Virginia lang Well in
the first place. She was oneof the girls in charge of the switchboard

(03:07):
at the Rennock in New York.You know the place, that big apartment
hotel on Riverside Drive, where thelobby is only a shade less imposing than
the bellboys, and it costs youa month's salary to speak to the superintendent.
They never have janitors in a placelike that. Virginia herself, I

(03:30):
came to know her fairly well inthe winter of nineteen seventeen, after Dave
Carroll had gone to the front.Was well qualified by nature to be the
heroine of any story. Rather abovethe average in size, she had luckily
taken advantage of her physique to roundout her strength with a gymnasium course.

(03:53):
But in spite of being a bigwoman, she had the charm and personality
which am more often found in thoseless tall. When you couple this with
a head of wonderful hair, apractically perfect figure, eyes into which a
man could look and looking lose himself, lips which would have caused a lipstick

(04:15):
to blush, and oh what's theuse words? Only caricature a beautiful woman?
And besides, if you haven't gottenthe effect already. There is nothing
that I could tell you that wouldhelp any In the spring of nineteen sixteen,
when the Von Yule Chase was atits height, Miss Lang was employed

(04:39):
at the Rennock Switchboard, and itspeaks well for her character when I can
tell you that not one of thebachelor tenants ever tried a second time to
put anything over. Virginia's eyes couldsnap when they wanted to, and Virginia's
lips could frame a cutting retort asreadily as a pleasant phrase. In a

(05:00):
place like the Rennock, run asan apartment hotel, the guests changed quite
frequently, and it was some testto keep track of all of them,
particularly when there were three girls workingin the daytime, though only one was
on at night. They took itby turns, each one working one week

(05:23):
in four at night, and theother three holding down the job from eight
to six. So as it happened, Virginia did not see Dave Carroll until
he had been there nearly a month. He blew in from Washington early one
evening and straightway absented himself from thehotel until sometime around seven on the following

(05:46):
morning. Following the schedule right throughevery night, did you ever know Carroll?
He and I worked together on theFarron case out in Saint Louis.
The one were a bookmaker at theraces tipped us off to the biggest counterfeiting
scheme ever attempted in this country,and after that he took part in a

(06:06):
number of other affairs, including theone which prevented the Haitian Revolution in nineteen
thirteen. Dave wasn't what you wouldcall good looking, though he did have
a way with women. The firstnight that he came downstairs after a good
day's sleep and spotted Virginia Lang onthe switchboard, he could have been pardoned

(06:30):
for wandering over and trying to engageher in a conversation, but the only
rise he got was from her eyebrows. They went up and that I am
sure I have never met you,manner which is guaranteed to be cold water
to the most ardent male. Andthe only reply she vouchsafed was what number

(06:51):
do you wish you appear to havemine? Dave laughed and then asked for
twenty eight hundred the private branch whichconnected with the service headquarters. When he
came out of the booth, hewas careful to confine himself to thank you

(07:12):
and the payment of his toll.But there was something about him that made
Virginia Lang feel he was different,a word which with women may mean anything
or nothing. Then she returned tothe reading of her detective story, a
type of literature to which she wasmuch addicted. Carroll, as you have

(07:33):
probably surmised, was one of themore than two score government operatives sent to
New York to work on the VonYueled case. He was a night shift
with roving orders to wander around thesection in the neighborhood of Columbus Circle and
stand ready to get anywhere in theupper section of the city in a hurry

(07:54):
in case anything broke. But beyondreporting to headquarters regularly every hour, the
assignment was not exactly eventful. Theonly thing that was known about von Yueld
at that time was that a personusing such a name or alias was in
charge of the German intrigues against Americanneutrality. Already nearly a score of bomb

(08:20):
outrages, attempts to destroy shipping plots, against munition plants, and the like
had been laid at his door,but the elusive hun had yet to be
spotted. Indeed, there were manymen in the service who doubted the existence
of such a person, and ofthese Carol was won. But he shrugged

(08:43):
his shoulders and stoically determined to bearthe monotony of strolling along Broadway and up
past the Plaza to Fifth Avenue andback again every night, a program which
was varied only by an occasional seanceat rising webbers or papsts, For that
was in the days before the onehalf of one percent represented the apotheosis of

(09:07):
liquid refreshment. It was while hewas walking silently along fifty ninth Street on
the north side, close to thepark, a few nights after his brush
with Virginia Lang, that Carrol caughtthe first definite information about the case that
anyone had obtained. He hadn't notedthe men until he was almost upon them,

(09:31):
for the night was dark and theoperatives rubber heels made no sound upon
the pavement. Possibly he wouldn't havenoticed them then if it hadn't been for
a phrase or two have whispered Germanthat floated out through the shrubbery. He
will stay at Connor's was what reachedCarol's ears. That will be our chance,

(09:52):
A rare opportunity to strike two blowsat once, one at our enemy
and the other at this smug,self satisfied nation which is content to make
money out of the slaughter of Germany'ssuns. Once he is in the hotel,
the rest will be easy, howinquired a second voice, A bomb

(10:16):
so arranged to explode with the slightestadditional pressure In a careful growled a third
man eight fifty nine would hardly careto have his plan spread all over New
York. This cursed shrubbery is sodense that there is no telling who may
be near. Come and Carol,crouched on the outside of the fence which

(10:41):
separates the street from the park,knew that seconds were precious if he was
to get any further information. Aquick glance down the street showed him that
the nearest gate was too far awayto permit of entrance in that manner,
So, slipping his automatic into theside pocket of his coat, he leaped
upward and grasped the top of theiron fence on the other side. He

(11:05):
could hear the quick scuffle of feetas the Germans, alarmed, began to
retreat rapidly. A quick upward heavea purchase with his feet, and he
was over his revolver in his handthe instant he lighted on the other side.
Halt, he called more from forceof habit than from anything else,

(11:28):
for he had no idea that anyof the trio would stop, but evidently
one of them did, for frombehind the shelter of a nearby bush came
the quick spat of a revolver anda tongue of flame shot toward him.
The bullet, however, sung harmlesslypassed, and he replied with a few

(11:50):
sillade of shots that ripped through thebush and brought a shower of German curses
from the other side. Then anotherof the conspirators opened fire from a point
at right angles to the first,and the ruse was successful, for it
diverted Carol's attention long enough to permitthe escape of the first man, and

(12:11):
the operative was still flat on theground, edging his way cautiously forward when
the park police arrived, the vanguardof a curious crowd attracted by the shots.
What's the trouble, demanded the Sparrowcop. None at all, replied
Dave, as he slipped the stillwarm revolver into his pocket and brushed some

(12:37):
dirt from his sleeve. Guy triedto hold me up, that's all,
and I took a potshot at him. Cut it secret service, and he
cautiously flashed his badge in the lightof the electric torch which the park policeman
held. Huh, grunted the guardas he made his way to the bush

(12:58):
from behind which had been attacked.You evidently winged him. There's blood on
the grass here, but no signof the bird himself. Want any report
to headquarters, he added in anundertone. Not a word, said Carroll.
I'm working this end of the game, and I want to finish it

(13:22):
without assistance. It's the only thingthat's happened in a month to break the
monotony, and there's no use declaringanyone else in on it. By the
way, do you know of anyplace in town known as Connors? Connors?
Never heard of it. Sounds asthough it might be a dive in
the Bowery. Plenty of queer placesdown there. No, it's hardly likely

(13:48):
to be in that section of thecity, Dave stated, farther uptown.
I think, but it's a newone on me. On me too,
agreed the guard, And I thoughtI knew the town like a book.
When he reported to headquarters a fewmoments later, Carol told the Chief over

(14:09):
the wire of his brush with thetrio of Germans, as well as what
he had heard. There was morethan a quiver of excitement in the voice
from the other end of the wire, for this was the first actual proof
of the existence of the mysterious numbereight fifty nine. Still believe von Yuld

(14:31):
is a myth, inquired the Chief. Well, I wouldn't go so far
as to say that was the answer, because the bullet that just missed me
was pretty material. Evidently some oneis planning these bomb outrages, and it's
up to us to nab him,if only for the sake of the service.

(14:54):
Did you catch the name of theman to whom your friends were alluding,
asked the Chief. No, theyjust referred to him as he.
That might mean any one of anumber of people, mused the Chief.
Sir. Cecil spring Rice is intown, you know, stopping at the
Waldorf. Then there's the head ofthe French mission at the Vanderbilt with a

(15:18):
bunch of people, and Lord Wimbledon, who spent five million dollars for horses
in the west, stopping at thesame place you are. You might keep
an eye on him, and I'llsend Kramer and Fleming up to trail the
other two. Did you ever hearof the place they called Connor's Chief?

(15:41):
No, but that doesn't mean anything. It may be a code word,
a prearranged name to camouflage the hotelin the event any one were listening in,
possibly, replied Carroll, just beforeyou hung up. But somehow I
have a hunch that it wasn't.I'll get back on the job and let

(16:03):
you know if anything further develops.His adventure for the night appeared to have
ended, for he climbed into bedthe following morning without having been disturbed,
but lay awake for an hour ormore, obsessed with the idea that he
really held the clue to the wholeaffair, but unable to figure out just

(16:23):
what it was. Where was itthat they intended to place the bomb,
Why would they arrange it so asto explode upon pressure rather than concussion or
by time fuse? Where was Connors? Who was the man they were plotting
against. These were some of thequestions which raced through his brain, and

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he awoke in the late afternoon stillhaunted by the thought that he really ought
to know more than he did.That night, at dinner, he noted,
almost subconsciously that he was served bya new waiter, a fact that
rather annoyed him because he had beenparticularly pleased at the service rendered by the

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other man. Where's Felix, heinquired, as the new attendant brought his
soup. He isn't in tonight,sir, was the reply. He had
an accident and won't be here fora couple of days. An accident,

(17:29):
yes, sir, was the laconicanswer. Anything serious, No, sir,
he hurt his hand, and thewaiter disappeared without another word. Carol
thought nothing more of it at thetime, but later, over his coffee
and a good cigar, a suddenidea struck him. Could it be that

(17:52):
Felix was one of the men whomhe had surprised the night before, the
one he had fired at and hit. No, that was too much of
a coincidence, But then Felix wasmanifestly of foreign origin, and while he
claimed to be Swiss, there wasa distinct Teutonic rasp to his words.

(18:15):
Upon occasion, signaling to his waiter, Dave inquired whether he knew where Felix
lived. I'd like to know ifthere is anything that I can do for
him, he gave as his reasonfor asking. I haven't the slightest idea
came the answer, and Carol wasaware that the man was lying, for

(18:37):
his demeanor was sullen rather than subservient, and the customary sir was noticeable by
its absence. Once in the lobby, Dave noticed that their pretty telephone operator
was again at the switchboard, andthe idea occurred to him that he might
find out Felix's address from the hotelmanager or head waiter. I understand that

(19:03):
my waiter has been hurt in anaccident, the operative explained to the Goddess
of the wires, and I'd liketo find out where he lives. Who
would be likely to know? Thehead waiter ought to be able to tell
you, was the reply, accompaniedby the flash of what Carol swore to

(19:23):
be the whitest teeth he had everseen. Just a moment, and I
will get him on the wire foryou. Then, after a pause,
booth number five please, But Carolgot no satisfaction from that source either.
The head waiter maintained that he knewnothing of Felix's whereabouts and hung up the

(19:45):
receiver in a manner which was distinctlyfinal, not to say impolite. The
very air of mystery that surrounded themissing man was sufficient to incline him to
the belief that, after all,there might be something to the idea that
Felix was the man he had shotat the night before. In that event,

(20:08):
it was practically certain that Lord Wimbledonwas the object of the German's attention,
but that didn't solve the question ofwhere the bomb was to be placed,
nor the location of Connors. Justthe same, he muttered, half
aloud, I'm going to stick aroundhere to night. Why that momentous decision?

(20:33):
Came a voice almost at his elbow, a voice which startled and charmed
him with its inflection. Looking up, he caught the eyes of the pretty
telephone girl laughing at him. Talkingto yourself is a bad habit, she
warned him, with a smile whichseemed to hold an apology for her brusqueness
of the night before. Particularly inyour business, my business, echoed Dave.

(21:02):
What do you know about that?Not a thing in the world except
and here her voice dropped to awhisper, except that you are a government
detective and that you've discovered something aboutLord Wimbledon, probably some plot against his
lordship. Where how what in theworld made you think that, stammered Carol,

(21:27):
almost gasping for breath. Very simple, replied the girl. Quite elementary,
as Sherlock Holmes used to say.You called the headquarter number every night
when you came down. The othergirls tip me off to that, for
they know that I'm fond of detectivestories. Then everybody around here knows that

(21:52):
Felix, the waiter that you inquiredabout, is really German, though he
pretends to be Swiss, and thathe, the head waiter, and the
pastry cook are thickest thieves. You'dhardly expect me to say yes, would
you, particularly as I'm supposed tobe a government operative. Now I know

(22:15):
you are, smiled the girl.Very few people use the word operative.
They'd say detective or agent. Butdon't worry, I won't give you away.
Please don't, laughed Carroll, halfbanteringly, half in earnest, for
it would never do to have itleak out that a girl had not only

(22:37):
discovered his identity but his mission thenas an afterthought, do you happen to
know of any hotel or place herein town known as Connors? He asked
why? Of course, was thereply amazing in its directness the manager's name.

(23:00):
But then she halted abruptly, pickingup a plug and said what number
please into the receiver. Carol sensedthat there was a reason for her stopping
in the middle of her sentence,and looking around, found the pussy footed
head waiter beside him, apparently waitingfor a call. Silently damning the custom

(23:23):
that made it obligatory for waiters tomove without making a sound, Carol wandered
off across the lobby, determined totake a stroll around the block before settling
down to his night's vigil. Astop at the information desk, however,
rewarded him with the news that LordWimbledon was giving a dinner in his apartments

(23:45):
the following evening to the British ambassadorthat, being all the hotel knew officially
about his grace's movements, I'll takecare to have half a dozen extra men
in the job, Carol assured himself, for that's undoubtedly the time they would
pick if they could get away withit. A single bomb then would do

(24:07):
a pretty bit of damage. Theevening brought no further developments, but shortly
after midnight he determined to call theRennick in the hope that the pretty telephone
girl was still on duty and thatshe might finish telling him what she knew
of Connors Hotel. Rennick. Camea voice which he recognized instantly. This

(24:33):
is Dave Carroll speaking, said theoperative. Can you tell me now what
it was you started to say aboutConnors? Not now? Came the whispered
reply, Then in a louder voice, just a moment, please, and
I'll see if he's registered. Duringthe pause which followed, Dave realized that

(24:56):
the girl must be aware that shewas watched by someone. Was it the
silent moving head waiter? No,he hasn't arrived yet, was the next
phrase that came over the wires,clearly and distinctly, followed by instructions couched
in a much lower tone, meetme drive entrance one five Shore, and

(25:22):
then a click as the plug waswithdrawn. It was precisely five minutes past
one when Carroll paused in front ofthe riverside drive doorway to the Rennock,
considering it the part of discretion tokeep on the opposite side of the driveway.
A moment later, a woman aloneleft the hotel, glanced around quickly,

(25:48):
and then crossed to where he wasstanding. Follow me up the street,
she directed in an undertone as shepassed. Michael has been watching like
a hawk. Dave knew that Michaelwas the head waiter, and out of
the corner of his eye he sawa shadow slip out of another of the

(26:08):
hotel doorways farther down the drive andstart toward them. But when he looked
around a couple of blocks farther upthe drive, there was no one behind
them. Why all the mystery,he inquired as he stepped alongside the girl.

(26:29):
Something's afoot in the Renneck, shereplied, and they think I suspect
what it is and have told youabout it. Michael hasn't taken his eyes
off me all evening. I heardhim boast one night that he could read
lips, so I didn't dare tellyou anything when you called up, even
though he was across the lobby.Connors, the place you asked about is

(26:56):
the Renneck? Spell it backward.Connor is the manager, hence the name
of the hotel, then said Carol. That means that they've got a plan
underway to bomb Lord Wimbledon and probablythe British Ambassador at that dinner tomorrow evening.

(27:17):
I overheard one of them say lastnight that a bomb arranged to explode
at the slightest pressure would be placedin the and then he stopped in the
cake gasped the girl as if byintuition, but her next words showed that
her deduction had a more solid foundation. This is to be a birthday dinner

(27:41):
in honor of Lord Percy, somebodywho's in Lord Wimbledon's party, as well
as in honor of Lord Cecil.The pastry cook, who's almost certainly mixed
up in the plot, has plentyof opportunity to put the bomb there where
it would never be suspected. Theinstant they cut the cake, but her

(28:03):
voice trailed off in mid air assomething solid came down on her head with
a crash. At the same moment, Dave was sent reeling by a blow
from a blackjack, a blow whichsent him spinning across the curb and into
the street. He was dimly awarethat two men were leaping toward him,

(28:26):
and that the third was attacking thetelephone girl, panting, gasping, fighting
for time in which to clear hishead of the effects of the first blow,
Carroll fought cautiously but desperately, realizingthat his opponents desired to avoid gun
play for fear of attracting the police. A straight left to the jaw caught

(28:49):
one of the men coming in andknocked him sprawling, but the second,
whom Carroll recognized as Michael, wasmore wary. He dodged and fainted with
the skill of a professional boxer,and then launched an upper cut which went
home on the point of Dave's jaw. It was at that moment that the

(29:11):
operative became aware of another participant inthe fray, a figure in white with
what appeared to be a halo ofgold around her head. The thought flashed
through his mind that he must bedreaming, but he had sense enough left
to leap aside when a feminine voicecalled look out, and the arc light

(29:33):
glinted off the blade of a knifeas it passed perilously close to his ribs.
Then the figure in white brought somethingdown on Michael's head, and wheeling
seized the wrist of the third manin a grip of iron ten seconds later,
the entire trio was helpless and Carolwas blowing a police whistle for assistance.

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There was really nothing to it atall, protested telephone Girl. During
the ride in the patrol, theymade the mistake of trying to let Felix,
with his wounded hand, take careof me. I didn't have two
years of gym work and a completecourse in jiu jitsu for nothing, and
that blackjack came in mighty handy Amoment or two later. All Felix succeeded

(30:21):
in doing was to knock my hatoff and I shed my coat the instant
I had attended to him. That'swhy I thought you were a goddess,
and White murmured Dave. No goddessat all, just a girl from the
switchboard who was glad to have achance at the brutes. Anyhow, that
few minutes beats any book I haveread for action. Dave's hand stole out

(30:47):
in the darkness as they jolted forward, and when it found what it was
seeking, girl, he said,do you realize that I don't even know
your name, Lang, said avoice in the dark. My friends call
me Virginia. After what you justdid for me. I think we ought

(31:08):
to be at least good friends,laughed Carol, and the thrill of the
fight which had just passed was asnothing when she answered, at least that
Dave. Quinn paused for a momentto repack his pipe, and I took
advantage of the interruption to ask whathappened at the Wimbledon dinner the following night.

(31:32):
Not a thing in the world,replied Quinn. Everything went off like
clockwork, everything but the bomb.As the Poe Dunk Gazette would say,
a very pleasant time was had byall. But you may be sure that
they were careful to examine the cakeand the other dishes before they were sampled
by the guests. Michael, Felixand the cook were treated to a good

(31:57):
dose of the third degree at headquarters, but without results. They wouldn't even
admit that they knew any such personas number eight fifty nine or Von Yueled.
Two of them got off with lightsentences for assault and battery. The
pastry cook, however, went tothe pen when they found a quantity of

(32:19):
high explosives in his room, andmiss Lang. If you care to look
up the marriage licenses for October nineteensixteen, you'll find that one was issued
in the names of David Carroll andVirginia Lang. She's the wife of a
captain now for Dave left the servicethe following year and went to France to

(32:44):
finish his fight with the hun.I saw him not long ago, and
the only thing that's worrying him iswhere he is going to find his quota
of excitement. For he says thatthere is nothing left in the service but
chasing counterfeiters and guarding the president.And he can't stand the idea of staying
in the army and drawing his payfor wearing a uniform. End of Chapter ten.