[00:00.00]Text The Mystery of the Silver Box
[00:05.30]The Thinking Machine turned to the worried businessman,"State your problem."
[00:11.68]"It isn't a crime that is,a crime that can be punished by law,"Mr.Grayson said,
[00:19.12]"but it has cost me millions,perhaps as much as ten million dollars!
[00:25.00]Briefly,there is an information leak at my office.
[00:30.15]My business plans have become known to others almost as soon as I have made them
[00:36.31]My plans are large;
[00:39.34]I have millions of dollars at stake,and the need for secrecy is great.
[00:45.27]For years my plans have been safe,
[00:49.14]but half a dozen times in the last eight weeks
[00:53.68]they have become known to my competitors in the smallest detail,
[00:59.35]and in time for them to steal my customers."
[01:04.21]"Tell me more please,"said The Thinking Machine.
[01:09.07]"I make machines and tools used in factories.
[01:13.93]Recently I sent my salesmen to a new industrial area out West
[01:20.59]to demonstrate some new machines.
[01:24.24]At first this was a great success;
[01:28.08]the factory owners truly liked this on-the-spot service
[01:33.13]and bought everything the salesmen demonstrated.
[01:37.25]But suddenly my staff there reported that wherever they went,they were too late.
[01:44.02]My biggest business competitor
[01:47.65]had already sent their salesmen out to demonstrate their products at a lower price
[01:53.71]The Thinking Machine walked to the window.
[01:57.55]"So now you want to know how and when information is leaking from your office.
[02:02.91]Well,to whom do you tell your business plans?"
[02:07.95]"No one,except my personal secretary,Evelyn Winthrop.
[02:14.19]She has been with me for six years;more than five years before this leak began.
[02:20.83]I have always trusted her."
[02:24.88]"And she is the only one who knows your plans?"
[02:28.95]This week,for instance,I planned to send salesmen to Oklahoma with new oil drills.
[02:35.72]My district manager didn't know this plan.
[02:39.87]Miss Winthrop heard of it only on the morning they were to go out.
[02:45.43]Then I dictated to her in my office
[02:49.40]some letters of instructions to my district managers.
[02:54.26]That is all Miss Winthrop knew of my Oklahoma plan."
[02:59.41]"You outlined the plan in those letters?"
[03:03.28]"No.They merely told my managers which sales men I wanted for Oklahoma
[03:09.73]and the costs of the various drills."
[03:13.38]"But a careful person,knowing the content of all those letters,
[03:18.74]could have worked out what you intended to do?"
[03:22.71]"Yes,but no one person knew the contents of all the letters.
[03:28.67]Miss Winthrop and I were the only two human beings who knew what was in them all.
[03:35.51]Neither Miss Winthrop nor I left the office all day.
[03:40.87]Yet before the day ended,I received phone calls from two managers
[03:46.51]telling me of the unbeatable offers from my competitor."
[03:51.37]"What is your business competitor's name?"
[03:55.23]"Ralph Matthews,"said Mr.Grayson.
[03:59.28]The Thinking Machine went to a desk,addressed an envelope,
[04:04.64]got a sheet of paper and placed it inside,and sealed the envelope.
[04:10.51]Then he turned back to Mr.Grayson,"Let us go to see Miss Winthrop now,he said.
[04:17.46]From the office door,The Thinking Machine went straight to Miss Winthrop's desk
[04:23.42]and handed her the envelope."Mr.Ralph Matthews asked me to give you this,"he said.
[04:30.79]The young woman glanced up at his face frankly,took the envelope,
[04:36.35]and turned it curiously in her hand.
[04:40.40]"Ralph Matthews,"she repeated the names as if it sounded strange to her,
[04:46.46]"I don't think I know him."
[04:50.01]Nevertheless,she opened the envelope and took out the paper.
[04:54.97]"Why,it's a blank sheet!"she remarked,puzzled.
[04:59.70]The detective turned suddenly to Mr.Grayson
[05:03.86]who had looked on with frank astonishment.
[05:08.30]"May I use a telephone,please?"asked The Thinking Machine.
[05:12.84]He picked the receiver of Miss Winthrop's phone
[05:17.41]and held it to his ear a moment."It's busy,"he said.
[05:22.66]He hung up,pausing for a moment to admire a beautiful silver box
[05:27.84]right beside the telephone.
[05:31.18]"Thank you,Miss Winthrop,"he said as he left the room.
[05:35.86]Back in Mr.Grayson's office,the detective told him to ask Miss Winthrop
[05:42.10]to take some dictation the next morning at 9:45.
[05:47.45]And that night,
[05:50.22]he arranged for a secret extension to be attached to Miss Winthrop's phone.
[05:56.78]The next morning he was at the extension,pencil in hand,
[06:01.74]while Mr.Grayson carried out his orders.
[06:05.58]A little later,he asked the businessman to go with him to the secretary's desk.
[06:12.14]"So you did know Ralph Matthews after all,"he said,
[06:17.42]throwing onto her desk a sheet of paper he had brought with him.
[06:22.28]The girl stopped her noisy typing and rose from her chair,trembling.
[06:28.13]"What do you mean,sir?"she demanded weakly.
[06:32.86]"And you might as well remove the silver box,"The Thinking Machine coutinued.
[06:37.92]"There is no further need of the telephone connection." |