diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'old')
| -rw-r--r-- | old/shrdn10.txt | 6991 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/shrdn10.zip | bin | 0 -> 118879 bytes |
2 files changed, 6991 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/old/shrdn10.txt b/old/shrdn10.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..75a1e51 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/shrdn10.txt @@ -0,0 +1,6991 @@ +Project Gutenberg The Sheridan Road Mystery, by Paul and Mabel Thorne + +Copyright laws are changing all over the world, be sure to check +the laws for your country before redistributing these files!!! + +Please take a look at the important information in this header. +We encourage you to keep this file on your own disk, keeping an +electronic path open for the next readers. + +Please do not remove this. + +This should be the first thing seen when anyone opens the book. +Do not change or edit it without written permission. The words +are carefully chosen to provide users with the information they +need about what they can legally do with the texts. + + +**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** + +**Etexts Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** + +*****These Etexts Are Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers!***** + +Information on contacting Project Gutenberg to get Etexts, and +further information is included below, including for donations. + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a 501(c)(3) +organization with EIN [Employee Identification Number] 64-6221541 + + + +Title: The Sheridan Road Mystery + +Author: Paul and Mabel Thorne + +Release Date: February, 2003 [Etext #3784] +[Yes, we are about one year ahead of schedule] +[The actual date this file first posted = 09/04/01] + +Edition: 10 + +Language: English + +Project Gutenberg The Sheridan Road Mystery, by Paul and Mabel Thorne +********This file should be named shrdn10.txt or shrdn10.zip********* + +Corrected EDITIONS of our etexts get a new NUMBER, shrdn11.txt +VERSIONS based on separate sources get new LETTER, shrdn10a.txt + +This etext was produced by Charles Franks and the +Online Distributed Proofreading Team. + +Project Gutenberg Etexts are usually created from multiple editions, +all of which are in the Public Domain in the United States, unless a +copyright notice is included. Therefore, we usually do NOT keep any +of these books in compliance with any particular paper edition. + +We are now trying to release all our books one year in advance +of the official release dates, leaving time for better editing. +Please be encouraged to send us error messages even years after +the official publication date. + +Please note neither this listing nor its contents are final til +midnight of the last day of the month of any such announcement. +The official release date of all Project Gutenberg Etexts is at +Midnight, Central Time, of the last day of the stated month. A +preliminary version may often be posted for suggestion, comment +and editing by those who wish to do so. + +Most people start at our sites at: +http://gutenberg.net +http://promo.net/pg + + +Those of you who want to download any Etext before announcement +can surf to them as follows, and just download by date; this is +also a good way to get them instantly upon announcement, as the +indexes our cataloguers produce obviously take a while after an +announcement goes out in the Project Gutenberg Newsletter. + +http://www.ibiblio.org/gutenberg/etext03 +or +ftp://ftp.ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext03 + +Or /etext02, 01, 00, 99, 98, 97, 96, 95, 94, 93, 92, 92, 91 or 90 + +Just search by the first five letters of the filename you want, +as it appears in our Newsletters. + + +Information about Project Gutenberg (one page) + +We produce about two million dollars for each hour we work. The +time it takes us, a rather conservative estimate, is fifty hours +to get any etext selected, entered, proofread, edited, copyright +searched and analyzed, the copyright letters written, etc. This +projected audience is one hundred million readers. If our value +per text is nominally estimated at one dollar then we produce $2 +million dollars per hour this year as we release fifty new Etext +files per month, or 500 more Etexts in 2000 for a total of 3000+ +If they reach just 1-2% of the world's population then the total +should reach over 300 billion Etexts given away by year's end. + +The Goal of Project Gutenberg is to Give Away One Trillion Etext +Files by December 31, 2001. [10,000 x 100,000,000 = 1 Trillion] +This is ten thousand titles each to one hundred million readers, +which is only about 4% of the present number of computer users. + +At our revised rates of production, we will reach only one-third +of that goal by the end of 2001, or about 4,000 Etexts unless we +manage to get some real funding. + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation has been created +to secure a future for Project Gutenberg into the next millennium. + +We need your donations more than ever! + +As of July 12, 2001 contributions are only being solicited from people in: +Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, +Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, +Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North +Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, +Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, +Wisconsin, and Wyoming. + +We have filed in about 45 states now, but these are the only ones +that have responded. + +As the requirements for other states are met, +additions to this list will be made and fund raising +will begin in the additional states. Please feel +free to ask to check the status of your state. + +In answer to various questions we have received on this: + +We are constantly working on finishing the paperwork +to legally request donations in all 50 states. If +your state is not listed and you would like to know +if we have added it since the list you have, just ask. + +While we cannot solicit donations from people in +states where we are not yet registered, we know +of no prohibition against accepting donations +from donors in these states who approach us with +an offer to donate. + + +International donations are accepted, +but we don't know ANYTHING about how +to make them tax-deductible, or +even if they CAN be made deductible, +and don't have the staff to handle it +even if there are ways. + +All donations should be made to: + +Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +PMB 113 +1739 University Ave. +Oxford, MS 38655-4109 + + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a 501(c)(3) +organization with EIN [Employee Identification Number] 64-6221541, +and has been approved as a 501(c)(3) organization by the US Internal +Revenue Service (IRS). Donations are tax-deductible to the maximum +extent permitted by law. As the requirements for other states are met, +additions to this list will be made and fund raising will begin in the +additional states. + +We need your donations more than ever! + +You can get up to date donation information at: + +http://www.gutenberg.net/donation.html + + +*** + +If you can't reach Project Gutenberg, +you can always email directly to: + +Michael S. Hart <hart@pobox.com> + +hart@pobox.com forwards to hart@prairienet.org and archive.org +if your mail bounces from archive.org, I will still see it, if +it bounces from prairienet.org, better resend later on. . . . + +Prof. Hart will answer or forward your message. + +We would prefer to send you information by email. + + +*** + + +Example command-line FTP session: + +ftp ftp.ibiblio.org +login: anonymous +password: your@login +cd pub/docs/books/gutenberg +cd etext90 through etext99 or etext00 through etext02, etc. +dir [to see files] +get or mget [to get files. . .set bin for zip files] +GET GUTINDEX.?? [to get a year's listing of books, e.g., GUTINDEX.99] +GET GUTINDEX.ALL [to get a listing of ALL books] + + +**The Legal Small Print** + + +(Three Pages) + +***START**THE SMALL PRINT!**FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS**START*** +Why is this "Small Print!" statement here? You know: lawyers. +They tell us you might sue us if there is something wrong with +your copy of this etext, even if you got it for free from +someone other than us, and even if what's wrong is not our +fault. So, among other things, this "Small Print!" statement +disclaims most of our liability to you. It also tells you how +you may distribute copies of this etext if you want to. + +*BEFORE!* YOU USE OR READ THIS ETEXT +By using or reading any part of this PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm +etext, you indicate that you understand, agree to and accept +this "Small Print!" statement. If you do not, you can receive +a refund of the money (if any) you paid for this etext by +sending a request within 30 days of receiving it to the person +you got it from. If you received this etext on a physical +medium (such as a disk), you must return it with your request. + +ABOUT PROJECT GUTENBERG-TM ETEXTS +This PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm etext, like most PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm etexts, +is a "public domain" work distributed by Professor Michael S. Hart +through the Project Gutenberg Association (the "Project"). +Among other things, this means that no one owns a United States copyright +on or for this work, so the Project (and you!) can copy and +distribute it in the United States without permission and +without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth +below, apply if you wish to copy and distribute this etext +under the "PROJECT GUTENBERG" trademark. + +Please do not use the "PROJECT GUTENBERG" trademark to market +any commercial products without permission. + +To create these etexts, the Project expends considerable +efforts to identify, transcribe and proofread public domain +works. Despite these efforts, the Project's etexts and any +medium they may be on may contain "Defects". Among other +things, Defects may take the form of incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other +intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged +disk or other etext medium, a computer virus, or computer +codes that damage or cannot be read by your equipment. + +LIMITED WARRANTY; DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES +But for the "Right of Replacement or Refund" described below, +[1] Michael Hart and the Foundation (and any other party you may +receive this etext from as a PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm etext) disclaims +all liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including +legal fees, and [2] YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE OR +UNDER STRICT LIABILITY, OR FOR BREACH OF WARRANTY OR CONTRACT, +INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE +OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE +POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. + +If you discover a Defect in this etext within 90 days of +receiving it, you can receive a refund of the money (if any) +you paid for it by sending an explanatory note within that +time to the person you received it from. If you received it +on a physical medium, you must return it with your note, and +such person may choose to alternatively give you a replacement +copy. If you received it electronically, such person may +choose to alternatively give you a second opportunity to +receive it electronically. + +THIS ETEXT IS OTHERWISE PROVIDED TO YOU "AS-IS". NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, ARE MADE TO YOU AS +TO THE ETEXT OR ANY MEDIUM IT MAY BE ON, INCLUDING BUT NOT +LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A +PARTICULAR PURPOSE. + +Some states do not allow disclaimers of implied warranties or +the exclusion or limitation of consequential damages, so the +above disclaimers and exclusions may not apply to you, and you +may have other legal rights. + +INDEMNITY +You will indemnify and hold Michael Hart, the Foundation, +and its trustees and agents, and any volunteers associated +with the production and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm +texts harmless, from all liability, cost and expense, including +legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of the +following that you do or cause: [1] distribution of this etext, +[2] alteration, modification, or addition to the etext, +or [3] any Defect. + +DISTRIBUTION UNDER "PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm" +You may distribute copies of this etext electronically, or by +disk, book or any other medium if you either delete this +"Small Print!" and all other references to Project Gutenberg, +or: + +[1] Only give exact copies of it. Among other things, this + requires that you do not remove, alter or modify the + etext or this "small print!" statement. You may however, + if you wish, distribute this etext in machine readable + binary, compressed, mark-up, or proprietary form, + including any form resulting from conversion by word + processing or hypertext software, but only so long as + *EITHER*: + + [*] The etext, when displayed, is clearly readable, and + does *not* contain characters other than those + intended by the author of the work, although tilde + (~), asterisk (*) and underline (_) characters may + be used to convey punctuation intended by the + author, and additional characters may be used to + indicate hypertext links; OR + + [*] The etext may be readily converted by the reader at + no expense into plain ASCII, EBCDIC or equivalent + form by the program that displays the etext (as is + the case, for instance, with most word processors); + OR + + [*] You provide, or agree to also provide on request at + no additional cost, fee or expense, a copy of the + etext in its original plain ASCII form (or in EBCDIC + or other equivalent proprietary form). + +[2] Honor the etext refund and replacement provisions of this + "Small Print!" statement. + +[3] Pay a trademark license fee to the Foundation of 20% of the + gross profits you derive calculated using the method you + already use to calculate your applicable taxes. If you + don't derive profits, no royalty is due. Royalties are + payable to "Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation" + the 60 days following each date you prepare (or were + legally required to prepare) your annual (or equivalent + periodic) tax return. Please contact us beforehand to + let us know your plans and to work out the details. + +WHAT IF YOU *WANT* TO SEND MONEY EVEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO? +Project Gutenberg is dedicated to increasing the number of +public domain and licensed works that can be freely distributed +in machine readable form. + +The Project gratefully accepts contributions of money, time, +public domain materials, or royalty free copyright licenses. +Money should be paid to the: +"Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +If you are interested in contributing scanning equipment or +software or other items, please contact Michael Hart at: +hart@pobox.com + +[Portions of this header are copyright (C) 2001 by Michael S. Hart +and may be reprinted only when these Etexts are free of all fees.] +[Project Gutenberg is a TradeMark and may not be used in any sales +of Project Gutenberg Etexts or other materials be they hardware or +software or any other related product without express permission.] + +*END THE SMALL PRINT! FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS*Ver.07/27/01*END* + + + + + +This etext was produced by Charles Franks and the +Online Distributed Proofreading Team. + + + + + +THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY + +by PAUL AND MABEL THORNE + + + + +CONTENTS + I THE SHOT + II DETECTIVE SERGEANT MORGAN + III INVESTIGATION + IV THE APARTMENT ACROSS THE HALL + V PECULIAR FACTS + VI THE CABLE FROM LONDON + VII MR. MARSH + VIII A DEFINITE CLUE + IX THE LAST LETTER + X THE STOLEN SUITCASE + XI THE TRAIL GROWS CLEARER + XII MISSING + XIII STARTLING DISCLOSURES + XIV THE NIGHT CALL + XV "DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES" + XVI THE CLOSED COUNTRY HOUSE + XVII WHAT THE CARETAKER SAW + XVIII THE ENEMY SHOWS HIS HAND + XIX KIDNAPPED + XX THE FALLEN PINE + XXI THE CHIMNEY THAT WOULDN'T DRAW + XXII CORNERED + XXIII SUNSET + + + + +THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY + + + + +CHAPTER I + +THE SHOT + + +It was a still, balmy night in late October. The scent of burned +autumn leaves hung in the air, and a hazy moon, showing just over +the housetops, deepened the shadows on, the streets. + +Policeman Murphy stopped far a moment, as was his custom, at the +corner of Lawrence Avenue and Sheridan Road. He knew that it was +about two o'clock in the morning as that was the hour at which he +usually reached this point. He glanced sharply up and down Sheridan +Road, which at that moment seemed to be completely deserted save for +the distant red tail-light of a belated taxi, the whir of whose +engine came to him quite distinctly on the quiet night air. + +JUST THEN POLICEMAN MURPHY HEARD A SHOT! + +Instantly his body quickened with an awakened alertness, and he +glanced east and west along the lonely stretch of Lawrence Avenue. +He saw nothing, and concluded that the sound he had heard must have +come from one of the many apartment buildings which surrounded him. + +Murphy pondered for a moment. Was it a burglary, a domestic row, or +perhaps a murder? The position of the shot was hard to locate, for +it had been but the sound of a moment on the still night. Murphy, +however, decided to take a chance, and started stealthily north on +Sheridan Road, keeping within the shadow that clung to the +buildings. + +He had moved only a short distance in this way when a man in a bath +robe dashed out of the doorway of an apartment house just ahead of +him and ran north. Murphy instantly broke into pursuit. At the sound +of his heavily shod feet on the pavement, the man in the bath robe +stopped and turned. Murphy slowed up and the man advanced to meet +him. + +"I'm glad you're handy, Officer," panted the man. "I think somebody +has been murdered in our building. Come and investigate." + +"Sure," assented Murphy. "That's what I'm here for," and as they +mounted the steps of the apartment house, he inquired, "What flat +was it?" + +"The top floor on the north side," replied the man, who then +informed Murphy that his name was Marsh, and that he lived on the +second floor, just below this apartment. "You see," Marsh continued, +"a little while ago my wife and I were awakened by a noise in the +apartment over us. It sounded like a struggle of some kind. As we +listened we felt sure that several people were taking part in it. +Suddenly there was a shot, and a sound followed as if a body had +fallen to the floor. After that there was absolute silence. I +hastily put on my bath robe, and was hurrying out to find a +policeman when I met you." + +By this time, Marsh, with Murphy at his heels, had reached the door +of the third floor apartment. Murphy placed a thick forefinger on +the button of the electric hell and rang it sharply several times. +The men could distinctly hear the clear notes of the bell, but no +other sound reached them. Again Murphy pressed the button without +response. + +"Murder, all right, I guess," muttered Murphy, "and the guy's +probably slipped down the back stairs. Who lives here, anyway?" he +inquired, turning to Marsh. + +"That's the peculiar part about it," was the reply. "The people who +rent this apartment went to Europe this summer, and as I understand +it, they won't be back for another month. The apartment has been +closed all summer. That is what amazed Mrs. Marsh and myself when we +heard this sound above us." + +"It looks like we'll have to break in," said Murphy. "Let me use +your telephone." + +"Certainly," agreed Marsh, and led the way to his apartment. + +Murphy sat down at the telephone. His hand was on the receiver when +he suddenly paused and turned to Marsh. "You know," he commented, +half meditatively, "it's funny we haven't seen anybody else show up +in the halls. I heard that shot way down at Lawrence Avenue. At +least the people across the hall ought to have been waked up by it. +Are you sure it was in this house?" + +"Why certainly," retorted Marsh. "Didn't I tell you that we heard +the struggle and the shot right over our heads?" + +"Well, it sure takes a lot to disturb some people," said Murphy, as +he placed the telephone receiver to his ear and called for his +connection. After some words he got his precinct station. + +"Hello!" he called. "Is that you, Sergeant? This is Murphy. I'm in +the Hillcrest apartments on Sheridan Road. . . . Yes, that's right. +. . . Just north of Lawrence Avenue. I think somebody's been +murdered and we'll have to break in. Send the wagon, will you? . . . +Don't know a damn thing yet," he added, evidently in reply to a +question. "Hurry up the wagon." He replaced the receiver on its +hook; then turned to Marsh as he stood up. + +"I think I'll hang around the door up there until the boys come. +Much obliged for your help. You'd better get back to bed now." + +"Oh, no," objected Marsh. "I couldn't sleep with all this excitement +going on. And then--Mr. Ames is a friend of mine. He would want me +to look after things for him." + +Murphy looked Marsh over in evident speculation. The man was tall +and broad shouldered. His face was clean shaven. The features were +strong, with a regularity that many people would consider handsome. +He was what one would call a big man, but this appearance of bigness +arose more from a heavy frame, and exceptional muscular development, +than fleshiness. Murphy took in these details quickly, and the pause +was slight before he spoke. + +"Who's Ames?" he said. + +"The man who rents the apartment upstairs." Then apparently taking +the matter as settled, Marsh added, "I'll go along with you." + +Murphy grunted, whether in assent or disapproval was hard to tell, +but as he climbed the stairs again, Marsh was close beside him. + +Murphy placed his hand on the doorknob and shook the door as he +violently turned the knob. The door was securely locked. Then he +threw his two hundred and some odd pounds against the door itself. +The stout oak resisted his individual efforts. + +"No use," he grumbled. "I'll have to wait 'till the boys come." + +The two men then sat down on the top step to wait for the coming of +the police. They chatted, speculating upon the possible causes of +the disturbance. Marsh, however, seemed more interested in getting +Murphy's ideas than in expressing opinions of his own. At length +they heard the clang of the gong on the police patrol as it crossed +Lawrence Avenue. They stood up expectantly. An instant later there +was a clatter in the lower hall as the police entered. They mounted +the stairs rapidly-two officers in uniform and another in civilian +clothes. + +"Where's the trouble?" cried the latter, as the party climbed the +last flight. + +"In here, as far as I know," returned Murphy, as he jerked a thumb +over his shoulder toward the door of the apartment. "I can't get +arise out of anybody. We'll have to break in." + +Marsh stood aside while the four men took turns, two-and-two, in +throwing themselves against the door. It creaked and groaned, and +from time to time there was a sharp crack as the strong oak began to +give. + +In the meantime, the murmur of voices came up from the lower floors. +Presently faces appeared on the landing just below where the police +were working. Marsh leaned over the rail and in a few words outlined +to the excited tenants what was going on. + +Intent on their work of breaking in the door, the policemen paid +little attention to their audience, and apparently did not notice +that the door across the hall was still closed and silent. Murphy, +however, recalled this fact later on. + +At last, with a crash and a splintering of wood, the lock gave way +and the door flew open. All was darkness and silence before them. + +The five men stood grouped in the doorway, listening intently. The +black silence remained unbroken save for the labored breathing of +the men who had just broken in the door. The plain-clothes man then +brought forth an electric pocket lamp and flashed its rays into the +entrance hall, while the others drew their revolvers and held them +in readiness. Then all stepped into the hallway. This was a large, +square entrance way with four doorways opening from it. Two closed +doors faced them. As they discovered later, these led to a bedroom, +and the bathroom. The others, one opening toward the front of the +apartment, and one toward the rear, were wide archways covered with +heavy velvet portieres. + +The plain-clothes man found the wall switch and turned on the +electric light. Instructing one of his companions to watch the hall +door, he led the others in a search of the apartment. Seeking for +the electric light buttons as they moved about the apartment, the +men soon flooded the rooms with light. Each man with revolver ready, +and intent on searching every corner, none of them gave much +attention to the fact that Marsh was dogging every move, apparently +as keenly on the lookout as any one of the party. + +Their inspection revealed nothing more than that the apartment was +apparently in the same condition as its tenant had left it. The door +to the outside stairway at the back was locked and the key was +missing. In addition to the regular lock a stout bolt was in place. +The catches on all the windows were properly locked, and all the +shades remained drawn down close to the sills. It was an empty, +locked apartment, with no outstanding evidence of having been used +for a long time. + +The police, now joined by the man lately on watch at the door, stood +nonplussed in the kitchen. The plain-clothes man uttered an oath. +Then he addressed his companions. + +"I've seen some mighty fishy situations, but this trims anything I +ever ran up against. Ain't been just hearing things, have you, +Murphy? A swig of this home-made hootch does upset a man dreadful, +sometimes." + +Murphy glared. + +"I ain't never touched the stuff," he bellowed. Then added, +aggressively, "You know damned well I wasn't the only one to hear +that shot. The tenant downstairs heard it, too. It was him that +brought me in." + +"Well, you only got his word for it that this is where the shot, was +fired. Maybe HE'S trying to cover something up." + +Murphy started, then glanced around. + +"Hell!" he exclaimed. "Where's that guy gone to, anyway?" + +Marsh, who had recently been close at their heels, was not now in +the group. Murphy moved on tiptoe to the kitchen door and listened. +On the other side of the dining room was the doorway to the entrance +hall, and through the now drawn curtains this space was visible. +Murphy could see that both these rooms were deserted, but an +occasional swishing sound came to his ears. Turning to the waiting +group, he silently and significantly jerked his head toward the +front of the apartment. Following his example, they moved cautiously +across the dining room and the hall and stopped at the door of the +living room. + +Marsh, with his back toward them, was just in the act of pulling a +heavy, upholstered chair back into position. His moving of similar +articles of furniture had made the sounds heard by Murphy. + +Stepping suddenly into the room, Murphy inquired, with a note of +sarcasm in his voice, "Kind of busy, ain't you?" + +Marsh turned abruptly. If they expected to see any signs of +confusion on his face they were disappointed, for he simply smiled +cheerfully. + +"Just following out a line of thought," he answered. + +"What's the big idea!" asked the plain-clothes man, suspiciously, as +he also stepped into the room and carefully looked over the man +before him. + +"Well, detectives in novels always search minutely for things which +may not be apparent to the eye. When confronted with so deep a +mystery as this one, I thought the application of a little of the +story book stuff might do no harm." + +"Huh!" snorted the plain-clothes man, as Marsh finished giving this +information. "You're more than commonly interested in this affair, +ain't you?" + +"Naturally," agreed Marsh. "Remember, I live just below, and +wouldn't like to be murdered in my bed some night. To hear a murder +over your head is a bit disconcerting." + +"How the devil do we know there's been a murder?" shot back the +plain-clothes man. "We've only got your word for it." + +"But this officer also heard the shot," and Marsh turned toward +Murphy. "He was looking for the trouble when I met him." + +"Yes," Murphy admitted. "I heard the shot, but I only got your word +for it that it was here. If there was a murder, what became of the +body?" + +"That is for you gentlemen to find out," Marsh snapped back, now +evidently alive to the fact that these men were regarding him with +something approaching suspicion. "I have already done more than my +share of the work. I have discovered visible proof THAT THERE WAS A +MURDER!" + +This information startled the group of policemen. Hasty glances +swept the room for a moment. Then the plain-clothes man remarked, +with a meaning smile, "Well, I'M from Missouri." + +Marsh walked over to where the policemen stood. + +"Take a look around," he began. "There are certain accepted ways of +placing the furniture in a room. When there is a radical departure +from such placing, an inquiring mind is led to wonder. Notice the +chair I was just moving. It is located almost in the center of the +room--obviously not its regular position. So why was it there?" + +"Say, you'd make some detective!" came in an admiring tone from +Murphy. The others nodded approval of the remark. + +"I began to examine that chair and its surroundings carefully," +continued Marsh, ignoring the interruption. He then moved over to +the chair, and added, as he pulled it to one side, "I moved it away +like this. Now, look at the floor!" + +The policemen crowded forward. What Marsh had found was apparent at +once. On the light background of the rug was a large, dark spot +which the chair had covered. The plain-clothes man stooped and +placed his hand on the spot. It felt damp to the touch, and as he +stood erect again, holding his hand under the light, they all saw +that the fingers were covered with a thin film of red. + +"Blood!" cried Murphy. + +"Yep," affirmed the plain-clothes man. "Fresh blood!" + +Excited exclamations from the others showed their appreciation of +the discovery. + +Marsh smiled. + +"I guess that looks like a possible murder," he said. + +"The chair was placed there to cover the spot, all right," now +admitted the plain-clothes man. + +"But what became of the body?" again questioned Murphy. + +"As I said before," Marsh answered him, "that is for you to find +out. It is not my business." + +"SOME mystery!" exclaimed the plain-clothes man. "This is a job for +Dave Morgan." + + + + +CHAPTER II + +DETECTIVE SERGEANT MORGAN + + +On Sheffield Avenue, just across from the ball park, where the +"Cubs," Chicago's famous baseball team, has its headquarters, is a +row of apartment houses. One realizes, of course, that these are not +homes of wealth, but they have a comfortable, substantial look, +which somehow conveys the idea that those who live there are good +citizens, typical of the hard-working, progressive class that has +made Chicago one of the greatest commercial cities of the world. + +In one of these apartments lived Detective Sergeant Dave Morgan and +his mother. He had located here in the days when, as a patrolman, he +had walked beat out of the Town Hall Police Station, a short +distance away. After his promotion to the detective force, he +remained here because of the convenient location. The elevated +railroad had its right of way directly back of his home, and the +Addison Street station was only around the corner. He could quickly +get to the Detective Bureau or almost any part of the widespreading +city. + +Morgan's home was unpretentious but comfortable. The hand of a +careful and thoughtful housekeeper was in evidence everywhere. In +the big living room, at the front, were several lounging chairs, and +along one wall, between the front windows and the entrance door, +stood two roomy bookcases. A glance at the titles showed the owner's +inquiring and investigative turn of mind. His interest in his +profession was also indicated by several volumes on criminology, and +even popular detective stories of the day. In the center of the room +was a commodious table with a large reading lamp. Beside the table +was the big easy chair in which Morgan always sat, and where many of +the solutions of difficult criminal problems had been worked out by +him. Just across from this easy chair, and within reach of an +outstretched hand, stood a tabouret, holding the telephone. + +On the morning following the peculiar occurrence on Sheridan Road, +Morgan was sitting in his favorite chair. His slippered feet were +stretched before him and clouds of smoke hung about as he puffed at +his favorite pipe, selected from a row of about ten that were +hanging on a nearby home-made pipe holder. This might be said to be +an eventful day for Dave Morgan. Only the day before, he and his +partner, Detective Sergeant Tierney, had completed the solving of a +baffling case and placed the criminal behind the bars. Now he had a +well-earned and long-awaited "day off," and he was going to devote +it to the restful pursuit of his favorite amusement--reading. + +His mother, a white-haired, pleasant faced little woman, entered the +room. + +"Dave," she reminded him, "here's the morning paper. You forgot to +look it over at breakfast." + +"I know, Mother," he returned, "but I wanted to forget all about the +world this morning. That Brock case has tired me out." + +"But," she protested, "I notice from the headlines that there was a +big murder on Sheridan Road last night. I didn't think you'd want to +miss the details of that." + +Professional instinct was too strong. Morgan reached for the paper +and glanced quickly over the glaring headlines and the few words +below, while the mother proudly watched him. + +Morgan made a good figure for a detective. Not so tall as to be +conspicuous, his breadth of shoulder and depth of chest clearly +showed that he possessed the strength to meet most of the +emergencies into which his work might lead him. His face had none of +the hardened sharpness that usually marks the detective. In fact, +although he was nearly thirty, his face still had a boyish look that +made him appear younger, and taken with his sleek dark hair and mild +brown eyes one would have presumed him to be just an average young +business man rather than a hunter of criminals. + +"No details here," he said, a moment later, laying the paper on the +table. "They evidently received the notice just before going to +press. Anyway, there is seldom much mystery about a murder. The men +in that precinct probably have a line on who did it by this time." + +"Yes, I know they use my boy only for the big cases," asserted the +mother, and giving him an affectionate pat on the head, she went to +her housework, while Morgan took a book from one of the cases, +refilled his pipe, and settled down to spend a quiet morning in the +big chair. + +At eleven o'clock the telephone bell rang. Only a few words passed +between Morgan and his caller, but the detective's face lighted up +with interest. The instant he replaced the receiver he sprang to his +feet, went to his bedroom, and hurriedly changed his clothes. + +"Mother," he called. "The Chief has just 'phoned me that they have +the biggest case for me that I ever handled. I must go down at +once." + +His mother came to the door of the room. "Can't you even wait for a +bite of lunch?" she questioned. + +"No," he explained, "it is a hurry call. The Chief says we cannot +lose a minute in getting started. I'll have to stop in somewhere +after I see the Chief." + +Kissing his mother good-bye, Morgan hurried around to the elevated +station. Fifteen minutes later he opened the Chief's office door. + +"Sit down, Morgan," said the Chief, waving his hand toward a chair. +"I've got a case here that'll make even you go some." + +As Morgan sat down the Chief gathered up some typewritten sheets +from his desk, and continued; "I didn't like to break up the first +day you've had off in a long time, Morgan, but there was a murder on +Sheridan Road last night--or early, this morning, to be exact--that +has put a real mystery up to the Department. It'll need a man like +you to solve it--if it can be solved. The newspapers had big +headlines this morning, and the public will be watching us on +account of the peculiar nature of the crime." + +"I saw something about it in my paper this morning," said Morgan. +"There were no details, however. The notice probably caught the last +edition with little more than the fact that a murder had been +committed." + +"Well," exclaimed the Chief, "it's one of the biggest mysteries +we've ever had handed to us. The shot was heard by both the man on +the beat and a tenant in the building, but outside of the stories of +these two men, and the discovery of a blood stain on a rug in a +supposedly empty flat, not another thing has been found. The body is +missing, and there is no trace of how it got out of the flat or +where it is now. Here is a report of all that we know so far. By the +way, your partner Tierney made this report. He happened to be on the +job last night, so I told him to stick to it." + +The Chief handed the typewritten sheets to Morgan. + +"You will note," he went on, "that the man on beat heard a shot at +about 2 A.M.; that he met a tenant from the house who said that he +had heard sounds of a struggle, a shot, and something like the +falling of a body. The police found the flat locked, and after they +broke in could find no one on the premises. Nothing was upset, and +there were no signs of the struggle, said to have taken place. +Another peculiar thing is that the police even overlooked the +bloodstain until the tenant who had heard the shot called their +attention to it. Tierney tried to get some more details this +morning, but you will find from his report that none of the other +tenants admit hearing the shot; that the tenant in the flat across +the hall was apparently not at home, and that the janitor says the +people who rent the flat in which the trouble occurred, have been +away all summer. The only really definite information of any kind +comes from this one tenant, Marsh." + +"You'll probably find Tierney at the flat, as I sent him back after +he had turned in this report. He may have found out something more +by now than he could put in that quick report." + +"Chief," said Morgan, as he thumbed over the typewritten sheets in +his hands, "you say there has been a murder committed here. With +this tenant, Marsh, and a patrolman, getting into action so soon +after the shot, a body couldn't possibly be moved out of the house-- +certainly, not without leaving some trace." + +"Well?" + +"How do we know there was a murder?" + +"We don't know--positively," returned the Chief. "But we're not +going to take any chances. Even if there wasn't an actual murder, +SOMETHING OF A CRIMINAL NATURE WAS PULLED OFF IN THAT FLAT LAST +NIGHT. What it was, we're putting up to you to find out. Go to it, +Morgan! So long!" + + + + +CHAPTER III + +INVESTIGATION + + +Leaving the Detective Bureau, Morgan stopped in a restaurant on +Randolph Street for a quick lunch. From there he walked over to +State Street and took the motor bus for the scene of the singular +event which it was now his duty to investigate. A half-hour later he +dropped off the bus at Lawrence Avenue and Sheridan Road. A few +steps brought him to the Hillcrest apartments, where he found +Tierney waiting on the front steps for him. + +"The Chief telephoned me that you would probably be here about this +time," said Tierney, after acknowledging Morgan's greeting. "I was +on the job last night, and did a little investigating this morning, +so the Chief thought you might want to talk things over with me." + +Morgan nodded. "All right, let's go up. Can we get into the flat?" + +"Sure," answered Tierney. "We put a temporary padlock on this +morning, and I have the key." + +Without further words the two men climbed the stairs to the +apartment on the third floor. Tierney unlocked the padlock and they +went in. Inside the entrance hall of the apartment, Tierney turned +to Morgan. + +"I suppose the Chief has put the case entirely in your hands, so +it's up to you what you want to do first." + +"We had better go into the front room here," answered Morgan, "and +let me get a line on things. About all I know so far is that +somebody THINKS a murder has been committed." + +"You can't make much out of things as they are, that's a fact," +assented Tierney, as they moved into the front room. He dropped into +an easy chair close at hand, and pushed his cap back on his head, +while Morgan went to one of the front windows and ran the shade to +the top. Seating himself where he could get the full benefit of the +light from the window, he drew out the typewritten report and read +it over carefully. + +"This is your report, isn't it, Tierney?" he inquired, folding up +the sheets again and replacing them in his pocket. + +"You bet; and I put into it every damned thing I know," asserted +Tierney. "And that's mighty little," he added. "This is the most +mysterious case I ever saw." + +There was a pause while Morgan drew a pipe from his pocket and +filled and lighted it. Then settling back in his chair, he looked at +Tierney. "Got any theories?" he asked. + +"No," replied Tierney. "I haven't any theories--but I've got a +couple of suspicions." + +"Well?" + +"One," continued Tierney, "is this flat across the hall. Murphy-- +that's the man on the beat who heard the shot and investigated-- +Murphy noticed that in spite of all the racket we made breaking down +the door last night, no one in that flat showed any interest. I +tried to get in touch with them this morning. Nothing doing. Either +they weren't home, or wouldn't answer the bell." + +"That looks bad," commented Morgan. "You mentioned in your report +that you talked with the janitor. Did he drop anything about them +that you didn't think worth while putting in the report?" + +"The janitor simply told me that a man and his daughter lived in the +flat, and that he thought the man was away a good deal; so he +supposed he must be a traveling man. They have always seemed to be +quiet people. He has never even seen them have any company." +"That's suspicious, too," declared Morgan. "Normal people usually +have SOME company. Is that all?" + +Tierney nodded. + +"Now," prompted Morgan, "you said you had another suspicion." + +"You bet!" exclaimed Tierney, straightening up in his chair. "That +guy, Marsh--underneath here." + +"'Great minds'," laughed Morgan. "I sort of focused on that man +myself after reading your report just now." + +"Well, here's the way I look at it," explained Tierney. "When +ordinary folks hear fighting and shooting in the middle of the +night, they generally stick their heads under the covers and lie +close. They don't put on bath robes and run out on the street to be +the first to give a report. Then the janitor tells me that he's seen +this man around a lot in the daytime--'no visible means of support,' +you might say. Both Murphy and I remember that Marsh referred to his +wife. The janitor says he's pretty sure that he never saw any woman +around the flat. And when I asked Marsh this morning to let me talk +to his wife, he said she was not in." + +"You probably noticed in my report that it was this Marsh who showed +us the bloodstain under the chair. You know, we came out of the +kitchen and caught that guy in the act of pulling a chair over the +spot. He said he was replacing the chair where he found it. I've +been wondering whether he wasn't actually covering up the spot +himself. When we caught him in the act, maybe he just decided to +bluff it out." + +"The Department didn't make any mistake when they shifted you into +the Detective Bureau, Tierney," said Morgan, laughing. "Has the +Chief assigned you to any other case for my day off?" + +"No," replied Tierney. "When the Chief told me to come back and meet +you here I figured he wanted me to stick to this case with you." + +"So I thought," agreed Morgan. "But I want to be left alone here for +awhile. You scout around and see if you can find out something more +about this tenant across the hall. Do you know his name?" + +"Clark Atwood, it says on the mail box downstairs." + +"All right, Tierney. See what you can look up in this neighborhood. +I'll get in touch with you later. By the way, you had better leave +that key with me." + +Tierney handed over the key to the padlock, and with a cheery "So +long," started off. + +Morgan, left to himself, began a careful inspection of the +apartment. Although assured that the apartment had been unoccupied, +his first act was to discover, if possible, any signs of recent +habitation. Convinced by the blood spot that the principal part of +whatever had happened had taken place in the front room, he decided +to leave that room until the last. Running all the shades to the top +of the windows as he passed from the front to the rear of the +apartment, Morgan made the place as light as possible. He began his +examination with the kitchen. The fastenings on the windows were +closed, and the undisturbed condition of the dust indicated that +they had not been touched for a long period. A careful inspection of +the glass and woodwork showed no finger marks or any attempt to open +the catches. The bolt on the back door was unfastened, but as the +report stated that the police had found this bolt in place, it was +obvious that it had simply been left open by the police. Morgan +carefully scrutinized the condition of the bolt. After pushing it +back into place the difference in brightness of the protected and +unprotected parts convinced him that the bolt had been closed for +some time. + +He also noted that the key was missing from the lock. However, this +fact had been referred to in the report, and it could make little +difference if the bolt itself had been fastened. As a matter of +fact, during his search of the pantry, he discovered the key on top +of the ice box. A layer of dust indicated that the key had not been +touched for a long time. His thorough investigation of the pantry +revealed no evidence of recent use. The ice box was dry as a bone, +with the musty smell of long disuse. A touch of the finger on +various dishes and pieces of glassware showed that these also were +covered with a film of dust. + +Before leaving the kitchen, Morgan glanced into the sink, to +ascertain if, as often happens, the murderer had washed his hands +there. There was a reddish stain about the outlet, but as Morgan +found this covered with dust her surmised that a long time had +elapsed since any water had been run in the sink. This stain was +presumably the rust which usually gathers in a long unused sink or +basin. + +The small maid's room off the kitchen had certainly not been in use. +Only the bare mattress was on the bed, and Morgan noticed that as +his own feet left imprints in the dust on the floor, it was not +likely that anyone else could have been in the room without leaving +similar traces. + +Next he thoroughly searched the dining room. As this room usually +seems to be the favorite gathering point, both for the occupants of +a house and unbidden prowlers, Morgan's keen eyes examined every +detail of the floor and furnishings, including the drawers of the +sideboard. He immediately noticed that two of the chairs were +standing close to the table, while two others were moved slightly +back from the table as if people had been sitting in them. On the +floor under one of these chairs he found a few spots of cigarette +ashes. To Morgan's quick mind this carried a mental picture. Of +course, the police who had been in the apartment the night before +might have accidentally or intentionally moved the chairs, but he +was quite sure that under the circumstances not one of them would +have sat down to smoke a cigarette. At some time quite recently, +therefore, somebody, probably two persons, had sat at this dining +room table while conversing, or waiting for something. + +This was further confirmed when Morgan, bending his knees and +lowering his body so as to bring his eyes on a level with the table, +studied the top in the reflected light. He saw that the dust on the +table top had been disturbed in front of the two chairs. +Furthermore, he discovered that the person who had not be smoking +had evidently rested a pair of clasped and sweaty hands on the table +top, as two parallel, greasy marks, made by the sides of the hands, +showed quite plainly. To Morgan, clasped and sweaty hands indicated +a possible state of nervousness. Either this had been the victim or +the chief plotter. + +The dining room revealed nothing further to Morgan, but he felt that +he had made some progress in establishing the fact that at least two +people had quite recently been in this supposedly unoccupied +apartment. + +Passing through the entrance hall, Morgan then examined the main +bedroom, which opened off of it. The bed had been dismantled, as in +the maid's room. An examination of the clothes closet, and the +drawers of the dresser and a chiffonier, showed that the room was +commonly occupied by a man and a woman. Everything quite obviously +belonged to the regular tenant. Morgan could find nothing of a +suspicious nature, although he had particularly looked for +correspondence which might in some indefinite way connect this +tenant with the happenings of the night before. + +The bathroom was visited next. Outside of the usual toilet articles +and harmless medical "first aids" in the cabinet, the room was bare. + +The final step was a close examination of the front room. Here the +blood spot stood out dark and forbidding in the light of the +afternoon sun. Beyond the fact that the shot had taken effect, it +told nothing. Morgan stood in thought with his eyes resting upon the +brick fireplace. Suddenly the descending sun threw its rays farther +into the room and rested on a bright spot at the side of the +fireplace. It looked odd to Morgan and he approached it. What he +found was a flattened bullet, which had been held in place by +slightly embedding itself in the rough surface of the brick. As +evidence it had small value outside of confirming the fact that a +shot had been actually fired in this apartment. + +Finding nothing else with a bearing on the case, Morgan started to +leave. At the doorway to the entrance hall, he stopped and turned to +take one last look around the room in the hope that something might +suggest itself. As he stood making this last survey, his eye caught +a faint point of light under a cabinet in a corner. Instantly he +returned to the room, and stooping down, ran his hand under the +cabinet. His fingers seized on a small object, which proved to be a +gold cuff button. As he turned it over in his hand he found the +initial "M" deeply engraved in the heavy gold. + +Remembering that he had learned from the report in his pocket that +the name of the tenant of this apartment was Ames, this discovery +immediately assumed great importance, so Morgan carefuly placed the +cuff button in a vest pocket. + +Encouraged by his find, Morgan made another careful examination of +the room. The flattened bullet and the cuff button, revealed by +friendly rays of sunlight, seemed to be all that he could find. + + + + +CHAPTER IV + +THE APARTMENT ACROSS THE HALL + + +After replacing the padlock and snapping it closed, Morgan pressed +the electric button of the apartment across the hall. Footsteps +sounded in immediate response, and the next moment the door was +furtively opened. Morgan, who by that time was leaning carelessly +against the jamb, quietly moved one foot forward into the opening. + +Although the light in the hallway was dim he could see that the +woman who stood there was young and remarkably pretty. Removing his +hat, he asked politely, "Are you the tenant here?" + +"Yes," came in a soft but nervous voice. + +"May I come in and talk with you a few minutes?" inquired Morgan. + +"What is it you want?" the girl inquired. + +Morgan threw back his coat and disclosed his badge. "I am a city +detective, and I would like a few words with you about this affair +across the hall." + +"What affair is that?" asked the girl. + +Morgan smiled. "Didn't you know there was some trouble across the +hall last night?" + +"No," she returned. "I retired early and have heard nothing about +it." + +Morgan was at a loss for a moment. The girl was not of the type that +one would associate with persons of a criminal sort. Her replies had +been given in a tone of voice so candid and wondering that it hardly +seemed possible she could be acting. Whatever the situation, +however, Morgan wanted to get inside this apartment and study the +girl more closely. + +"Well, I'll tell you all about it," he said, gently, "if you'll let +me come in for a moment or two." + +"I know nothing about it," she maintained, with a touch of +irritation in her voice, and Morgan's foot signaled to him that she +was attempting to close the door. + +Morgan never liked to be rough in his methods. He hesitated over +forcing himself into the presence of this young woman, and yet he +now had an impression that an interview with her was imperative. +There was a slight pause, as he ran over in his mind some way to +gain his entrance without force. + +"Do you know Mr. Marsh downstairs?" he inquired, suddenly, his eyes +keeping a keen watch on her face. + +"I do not know any of the tenants in the building." + +"That's strange," said Morgan, thoughtfully. "I was just talking +with Mr. Marsh, and he told me that you knew all about the trouble +last night. He suggested that if I would come and see you I could +get just the information I wanted." + +"I don't know this Mr. Marsh, and I can't understand why he should +make such a statement." Surprise was apparent in her voice. + +Morgan was quite sure that her surprise was genuine. At the same +time his remarks had just the effect he had hoped they would. It +brought a new element into the matter and added to the girl's +natural curiosity. She opened the door wider, and nodding toward the +front room, said, "Step in and tell me what you wish to know." + +The room into which Morgan entered was a counterpart of the one +across the hall, though as he rapidly observed the furnishings, he +was impressed with the greater taste displayed and the homelike +atmosphere. A piece of embroidery, on which she had evidently been +working, lay on the arm of a chair near the window. + +Conjecturing that she would resume her seat in this chair, Morgan +seated himself where he could keep his back to the window, while the +girl whom he was about to question would directly face the full +light. Morgan's guess was correct. The girl went directly to the +chair she had left to answer his ring, and taking up her embroidery, +picked nervously at its edges, meanwhile watching Morgan +expectantly. + +Surmising that a direct attempt to question her at once might defeat +his purpose, Morgan immediately broke into an account of the +previous night's occurrence. As he brought out the various details +of what was reported to have taken place, he slyly watched her face. +At the end of his recital, he felt convinced that what he told the +girl had previously been unknown to her. Moreover, Morgan became +sensible of a growing feeling of interest and confidence in the +girl. Her sweetness seemed so genuine, her dark blue eyes so frank +and honest in the straightforward way they met his. + +"It seems very strange that I heard none of the excitement," +remarked the girl, when Morgan had finished his story. "I had a +rather busy day yesterday with my studies and retired early." + +Morgan had decided upon his line of questioning while relating the +incidents of the night before. + +"May I ask your name?" + +"Certainly," she replied. "My name is Atwood." + +Morgan, having noticed the absence of a wedding ring, assumed that +she was unmarried. Therefore, he said, "Is your mother at home, Miss +Atwood?" + +A shade of sadness passed over her face. "My mother died some months +ago," she replied. + +"I am sorry. I know what it is to have a good mother," sympathized +Morgan. Then he inquired, "Perhaps your father heard the +disturbance?" + +"Oh no," she replied. "My father is away." + +"He travels?" + +"Yes; my father is a salesman." + +"For some Chicago house, I suppose." + +"No; for a business house in St. Louis. We formerly lived there." + +"St. Louis is a pleasant city," commented Morgan. "Still, many +people prefer Chicago." + +"Oh, I think I should prefer to live in St. Louis, because I have a +few friends there," she said. "But I am studying music, and when my +mother died, father suggested that I live in Chicago where I could +attend a better musical college. Then, too, father could get home +more often as he travels in this vicinity." + +"I suppose your father travels for some well known St. Louis house?" +suggested Morgan. + +"Well, really, I don't know the name of his firm," returned the +girl. "Business has never held any interest for me." + +It struck Morgan as strange that even a girl who did not take an +interest in business should be ignorant of the name of the firm by +whom her father was employed, yet he seemed to find many things that +were contradictory in this girl. The chatty line of conversation he +had taken was bringing out information in a manner highly +satisfactory to Morgan. He was about to make another comment, that +might elicit further facts, when he was interrupted by a question +which he had been expecting. + +"Tell me," inquired Miss Atwood, a slight color coming to her +cheeks, "what this man Marsh said about me." + +Morgan was pleased. This gave him an opening for some questioning +which he had hesitated to take up before. He wanted to know just how +much this girl knew about Marsh. "Don't you really know Mr. Marsh?" +he began. + +"No," she replied. "I didn't even know there was such a person in +the house." + +"Well, that is certainly strange. I'm sure that he told me to talk +to the young lady on the top floor. Perhaps he meant some young lady +who lived across the hall. Still, there doesn't seem to have been +anyone there since the trouble." + +Miss Atwood smiled. "He could not have meant anyone in that +apartment, for I understand it is occupied only by an elderly +couple, a Mr. Ames and his wife. I understood father to say that he +had heard they were traveling in Europe. I am sure no one has lived +there since we have been in this apartment." + +"How long have you been here?" asked Morgan. + +"Let me see," said Miss Atwood, thoughtfully. "This is almost the +end of October, and we have been here since the middle of July. That +is a little over three months, isn't it?" + +"July," repeated Morgan. "That isn't a renting season. You must rent +this apartment furnished." + +"We do," she replied, promptly. "Father was too busy to spend any +time on moving, so we stored our things in St. Louis and took this +apartment." + +"Real estate agents have been making lots of money these days. I +hear a great many people have to pay them a bonus for finding +apartments. I suppose they stuck you that way, too." + +"No," returned the girl. "I understand that father rented direct +from the tenant. I believe the tenant was a friend of his, or +someone he knew in a business way." + +The embroidery which had been lying in Miss Atwood's lap had +gradually slipped forward and at this moment dropped to the floor. +As she reached down to pick it up, Morgan's alert eyes noted a +purplish mark on her forearm. + +"You seem to have bruised your arm, Miss Atwood," he said, in a tone +that was intended to express sympathy. + +"Oh, did you notice that mark?" she exclaimed. "That has been +puzzling me all day. I awoke suddenly last night with a feeling as +if something had bitten me, but almost immediately went to sleep +again. During the morning I noticed this mark and the swelling. I +can't imagine what could have done it." + +"May I look at it?" asked Morgan, as he rose and approached her. +"Perhaps I can suggest something." + +She extended her arm, and Morgan, taking her hand, drew the arm +close to him. He carefully studied the spot. The only time he had +ever seen such marks before was on the arms of drug addicts who had +not been particularly careful in the application of the hypodermic +needle. + +"So you think it is a bite of some kind?" asked Morgan, looking +keenly at her. + +"I can't imagine what else it could be," she replied. + +Morgan dropped her hand and looked out of the window for a moment. +There was no doubt in his mind that the mark had been made by a +hypodermic needle, yet it was the only mark of the kind that he +could see on her arm, and therefore would hardly seem to indicate +that the girl was a drug fiend. Moreover, there had bean no +indication of embarrassment or nervousness in her reference to the +mark, as would undoubtedly have been the case had she been addicted +to the use of a drug. Morgan realized, too, that the fresh pink and +white skin of this girl, and the bright eyes, could not be +maintained if drugs were taken. The case was growing more puzzling +every minute. Had the use of a hypodermic needle on this girl +anything to do with the supposed tragedy across the hall? + +After this discovery, Morgan hesitated to ask further questions at +this time, so he turned to the girl again and remarked, simply, "It +is possible that some kind of spider bit you in the night. If you +have any peroxide in the house, I would suggest that you bathe the +spot with it. And now I must be going. If I have your permission, +Miss Atwood, I would like to drop in again sometime to let you know +about any further discoveries I may make on this case." + +"Thank you," she returned. "I shall be interested." + +As he turned to say good-bye at the door, she added, apologetically, +"I am sorry I had no information to give you." + +"Oh, that's all right," Morgan assured her, "I appreciate your +courtesy in letting me have this little chat with you." But as he +drew the door to after him, Morgan smiled and said to himself, "Poor +little girl; you don't realize what a lot of information you have +given me." + + + + +CHAPTER V + +PECULIAR FACTS + + +When Morgan reached the second floor on his way down, he paused a +moment before Marsh's door. So far as he had gone in this case, +Morgan was confronted with two factors; the connection of this man +with the case, and the bearing which Miss Atwood and her father +might have upon it. Without doubt, some singular conditions +surrounded the Atwoods, but his knowledge of these was still too +vague to give him even a basis for reasoning. On the other hand, the +questionable circumstances surrounding the connection of this man +Marsh with the case, were very definite, indeed, and though Morgan +tried to avoid hasty conclusions, he could not keep back his growing +suspicions of Marsh. As he hesitated before Marsh's door, Morgan +thought that it moved slightly. Stepping closer and pushing the door +gently with an outstretched hand, he found it tightly closed. Yet, +he had a feeling that the door had been softly closed after he had +stopped on the landing. That decided Morgan. The time was not +opportune for an interview with this man. He wanted to obtain some +additional facts before taking the step he was now convinced would +have to be taken, and so went on down the stairs to carry his +investigations further. + +Leaving the house, Morgan turned the corner of Lawrence Avenue and +entered the alleyway in the rear of the Hillcrest apartments. + +Practically all Chicago apartment houses have an outside rear +stairway for the use of tradespeople. Usually, this stairway is open +so that anything which takes place can be observed from all nearby +houses. In this instance the stairway was enclosed, with a door +leading to the back porch of each apartment. A person could pass +from the alley up to the third floor without being noticed, even by +tenants in the building itself. + +Morgan instantly noted that an automobile could stand in the +alleyway close to the entrance; that a person could come down these +stairs unobserved, step into the car and be quietly carried away, +disappearing into the general traffic of the streets in probably not +more than two minutes after leaving the apartment. + +Here, thought Morgan, was a possible solution of the sudden +disappearance of the person who had been either murdered or wounded. +It was a problem, of course, as to which door they had been brought +through, and the solution of that problem would very likely bring +him pretty close to the person or persons who had participated in +the events of the night before. + +Unquestionably, the rear door of the apartment where the trouble had +taken place had not been used for this purpose, although it would +seem the logical and quickest way to make an exit. On the other +hand, for that very reason, the persons back of the supposed crime +had been clever enough to avoid it, thus adding a mystifying element +to what had taken place. + +In the light of present developments, two possible exits suggested +themselves to Morgan. These were the Atwood and Marsh apartments. +The girl, however, claimed that she had slept through the night, and +it hardly seemed possible that anyone could pass through her flat +without arousing her. This, of course, meant taking for granted her +story that she was alone in the apartment and had been in bed and +sleeping. While Morgan felt attracted toward the girl, and placed +considerable confidence in her honesty, he did not allow these +emotions to entirely dull his sense of suspicion. If things did not +clear themselves shortly he would carry his investigations further +along this line. + +In the meantime, his distrust centered on the Marsh apartment. This +man admitted being awake during the reported struggle, and there was +no question about his being partly dressed and in action while some +of the events were taking place. Marsh could easily have passed a +person or a body to a confederate through his back door, locked the +door and then hurried into Sheridan Road to direct the attention of +the police, or any other persons who had been aroused, to the front +of the house, thus enabling his confederate to get quietly, safely +and quickly away. This was only bare theory on Morgan's part. He +needed definite facts to either confirm this theory, or to prove +that his judgment was at fault. The cuff button, with its initial +"M," looked curiously like one of these facts, and, taken in +connection with the other circumstances, pointed strongly toward +Marsh. + +He wanted to know more about Marsh, and the girl had given him some +basic facts which would enable him to enlarge his fund of +information. The owner, or the real estate agent who managed the +building, seemed to be the logical starting point for securing this +information. To find out the names of these people must be his next +step. + +Luckily, at this moment the janitor of the apartment building +appeared, rolling a barrel of ashes up from the basement. While it +was quite obvious that such was the case, Morgan opened the +conversation by inquiring, "Are you the janitor of this flat house?" + +"Yes, sir," replied the man. + +"Does the owner run this building, or has he placed an agent in +charge?" + +"A real estate agent manages it," the janitor informed him. "Parker + Cole--over on Broadway." + +"Thanks," said Morgan, and returned down the alley to Lawrence +Avenue where he turned west and walked over to Broadway. A few +minutes later he stood at the counter in the real estate office, and +a man approached him. + +"Is either Mr. Parker or Mr. Cole in?" + +"I am Mr. Cole," announced the man. "What can I do for you?" + +Morgan opened his coat a minute to give Cole a glimpse of his badge; +then said, "I would like to talk confidentially with you for a few +minutes." + +"Step into my private office," directed Cole, opening a gate as he +spoke, and indicating a space partitioned off at the rear. + +"What is the trouble?" he inquired, when they were seated. + +"I came to see you in connection with the trouble in the Hillcrest +last night." + +"A most unfortunate affair!" exclaimed Cole. "It is the first time +anything of the kind ever occurred in any of the buildings under our +management. It is most unfortunate," he repeated. + +"I have been assigned to the case," Morgan informed him, "and I am +gathering all the information possible. Then I can formulate some +theory upon which to work. Just at this time I want a little +information regarding your tenants in the building." + +"Very fine people--very fine people, indeed," protested Cole. "There +couldn't be a breath of suspicion against any of them." + +"I'll be the judge of that," said Morgan, sharply. + +"But really," cried Cole, "you must not annoy our tenants. Surely it +was only a quarrel among burglars. One man probably wounded his pal +and then, alarmed at the disturbance he had created, hurried him +away." + +Morgan smiled. This was a very ingenious and plausible solution of +the mystery--at least in the real estate agent's eyes. However, +Morgan now sought facts, not amateur theories, and disregarding the +real estate man's talk, he pushed his quest for information. + +"I have a report in my pocket which covers all that I want to know +about most of your tenants; at least for the present. There are two +families, however, about whom I want further information. The first +is the Atwood family, in the third floor south." + +"Atwood--Atwood," repeated Cole, as if he did not place the name. +Then he called, "Joe, bring me the rent book." + +Morgan became alert. It was possible that a man like Cole, with a +large list of properties under his management, might be somewhat +vague in his recollection of the names of a few of his tenants. This +case was different. The Atwoods, according to the girl's story, had +sub-leased their apartment quite recently, presumably with the +agent's sanction. The present excitement should naturally have +recalled this matter to Cole's mind--should even have concentrated +his thoughts upon the names and characteristics of every tenant in +this particular building. Cole's unfamiliarity with the name of +Atwood, therefore, seemed peculiar. + +At this moment a boy entered with a large volume. Laying it on +Cole's desk, the boy passed quietly out of the office. Cole glanced +at the index and then turned over certain pages in the book. + +"We have no Atwood in that house," he declared, finally, looking up +at Morgan. "You must have made a mistake." + +Before replying, Morgan pulled out a small notebook and spread it +open on his knee, ready for use. He also extracted a pencil from his +vest pocket. Glancing at the point to see that it was in working +condition, he turned to Cole with the question, "Who does occupy the +third floor south in that house?" + +"A family named Crocker." + +"Full name, please." + +"Joseph Crocker. He rented that apartment one year ago the first of +this month," stated Cole, after further reference to the book. + +Morgan jotted this down in his notebook. + +"You haven't heard that Mr. Crocker sub-leased his flat?" inquired +Morgan. + +"No," replied Cole, positively. "I would be sure to know about it, +too. A transaction of that kind must be put through and reported in +this office." + +"Can you give me any further particulars about Mr. Crocker?" + +"Well, of course, I could look up his references and the other +papers, if you wish me to. But as I recall it, he came from St. +Louis and had excellent references from that city." + +"I won't bother you to look anything more up on that just now," said +Morgan. "I may be interested in the information later. I'll see what +I can find out first." + +"How did you come to associate the name of Atwood with that +apartment?" inquired Cole. + +"I thought that was the name mentioned in the report I have. It was +probably a mistake of the man who first went through the building. +They often make mistakes in names," Morgan added, reassuringly, as +it was not his desire to start Cole on any investigation of his own +at this time. "Now, what can you tell me about the Marsh family, +second floor north? " + +"Well, there's a party I can tell you more about. It made an +impression upon me at the time we rented the apartment, because we +had to make special arrangements." + +"Yes," said Morgan, encouragingly. + +"You see," continued Cole, "owing to a death in the family, the +people who occupied that apartment moved out in July, and I sublet +the apartment for them from the first of August, to a Mr. Gordon +Marsh. Mr. Marsh, I understand, was driven off his ranch in Mexico +by the revolutionists. As he knew practically no one in the United +States to whom he could refer, we finally compromised by his +agreeing to pay his rent quarterly in advance." + +"How much of a family has he?" asked Morgan. + +"Only his wife," returned Cole. "That was one reason we were willing +to come to terms with him. We like small families; like Mr. Ames, +who rents the apartment where this trouble occurred." + +Morgan welcomed this mention of Ames. It gave him an opening for +further questions regarding this tenant. He was not overlooking the +fact that the Ames family might in some way be connected with the +affair. + +"I suppose Mr. Ames and his wife are still away?" he inquired. + +"Yes," returned Cole. "We received his October rent through his +London bankers, White, Wyth, Harding; and only a few days ago, a +letter referring to some decorating to be done when he returns next +month. By the way, why are you particularly interested in these +families?" + +"Just happen to be people we didn't get reports on at the building, +that is all. Our reports on a case of this kind have to be +complete." + +"Quite right--quite right," approved Cole, his curiosity evidently +satisfied. + +"Mr. Marsh and Mr. Ames are friends, are they not?" queried Morgan, +casually, as he noted down in his book what Cole had recently told +him. + +"Not so far as I know. In fact, it hardly could be possible, +inasmuch as Mr. Ames and his wife went abroad before Mr. Marsh +arrived in Chicago." + + + + +CHAPTER VI + +THE CABLE FROM LONDON + + +After leaving the real estate office, Morgan walked south on +Broadway to Wilson Avenue and entered the Western Union office. Here +he sent a short cable to London. Leaving his address so that the +reply could be forwarded to him, he went across the street and took +an elevated train for home. + +After dinner Morgan settled down in his favorite chair to await +Tierney, who had telephoned that he would be there in a little +while. As he was filling his pipe for the second time, the bell +rang. Morgan opened the door and Tierney bustled in. The cheerful +smile, the snappy step, and the careless motion with which Tierney +shot his hat into a nearby chair, told Morgan as plainly as words, +that his partner brought worth while information. Tierney pulled an +easy chair up to the table, and Morgan pushed the tobacco jar and an +extra pipe over to him. Tierney filled the pipe, lighted up, and +settling back, grinned at Morgan. + +"I may have exceeded orders, but I've sure got some dope on that +guy, Marsh. You told me to find out what I could about Atwood. I +visited various stores in the neighborhood which a family was likely +to patronize. No one knew the name. After I had stopped in a cigar +store, and found that his name was not in the telephone directory, I +figured that there was nothing more I could do along that line until +I'd talked things over with you. So I decided to hang around in +sight of the house and watch developments." + +"At a quarter to three a young woman came out, walked down to +Lawrence Avenue and stood on the corner, apparently waiting for a +motor bus. As she did not look like anyone I had seen in the house, +I gave her the once-over." + +"Was she about medium height, slender, with blonde hair and dark +blue eyes?" questioned Morgan. + +"Well, I didn't get close enough to gaze fondly into her eyes," said +Tierney, "but the rest of your description fits all right. Do you +know who she is?" + +"Probably Miss Atwood," Morgan explained, "daughter of the tenant in +the flat across the hall. In the future it will do no harm to keep +one eye on her, Tierney." + +"I kept both eyes on her today, Morgan, and that's the way I got the +dope I did." + +Morgan smiled appreciatively, and Tierney went on. + +"As I was saying, I watched this girl as she waited for the bus. +Suddenly I glanced toward the house, and there was this guy, Marsh, +standing just inside the doorway. To me it looked as if he was +trying to keep an eye on this girl, without her seeing him if she +looked back. So I kept out of sight as far as I could and watched +the two of them. Sure enough, in about one minute along comes the +bus and the girl gets in. Would you believe it, Morgan, that very +minute Marsh dashes across the street, nails an empty taxi and +starts after the bus." + +"Now, I ain't as quick as you, Morgan, but I sure figured that my +cue was to join the procession. Luck was with me, for the minute I +got this idea I spotted a Checker taxi and rushed at it so hard the +driver nearly fainted. 'Follow that Yellow ahead!' I yelled to the +driver, and before he came to a full stop I had jumped in and we +were off." + +"We trailed down Sheridan Road, through Lincoln Park, and on to +Michigan Avenue--the girl in the bus, Marsh in the Yellow, and me in +the Checker. Just after we passed Adams Street the Yellow stopped at +the curb and Marsh got out. I stopped my cab quick, and as I saw +that Marsh was paying off his driver, I settled with mine and got +ready for the next move." + +"Marsh started down Michigan Avenue, and I could keep pretty close +on account of the crowd. Pretty soon I sighted this girl trotting +along a little way ahead of us. Now, there's a situation for you, +Morgan--Marsh trailing the girl and me trailing Marsh." + +At this point Morgan's interest was shown by the fact that he sat +forward in his chair with his elbows on his knees, and for the +moment forgot to pull at his pipe. + +Tierney continued. "The girl turns into a building at six hundred +and something Michigan Avenue--I've got the exact number in my book. +Marsh strolls over to the curb, while I, taking advantage of his +back being turned for the moment, shot into the building after her. +She entered an elevator, and I strolled in, too. Luckily, she stood +near the door, so I could get into the back of the car and not be +specially noticed. She got off at a musical school. As we had been +the only two people in the elevator, I took a chance, and said to +the man running it, 'Some looker!'" + +"'Yes,' he says, 'a fine looking girl. She comes here twice a +week.'" + +"'Well,' says I, 'that's a good thing for women--to learn music. How +long do they teach them?'" + +"'You mean, how long does a lesson last?' he asked me." + +"'Yes,' I told him." + +"'Oh, about a half-hour,' he says. 'Say! What floor do you want?' he +shot at me as he reached the top." + +"'Good Lord!' I says, winking at him. 'That dame sure upset me. I +want to go back two floors.'" + +"When he let me out I hustled over to the stairway, went down to the +ground floor, and when Marsh had his eyes turned away for a minute, +I beat it out and up Michigan." + +"Now, Morgan, here's where I was clever. That girl was good for a +half-hour and so was Marsh, if he was following her; as I was pretty +sure he was. Now you or I haven't seen all of the inside of Marsh's +apartment, have we? And yet we suspect this guy, and want to get +something on him if we can." + +Morgan nodded, and began to smile as he gathered what Tierney was +about to tell him. + +"Well, Morgan, I figured that a half-hour would give me all the time +I needed, so I ran over to the elevated and went back to Lawrence +Avenue. I slipped up the alleyway, back of the house, and climbed +the rear stairs to Marsh's flat. After thumping on the door several +times I made sure no one was home, especially as the shades in the +kitchen and the pantry were pulled down. So I pulled out my bunch of +keys and had the luck to find one that opened the lock. I closed the +door softly, and tiptoed through the kitchen and the dining room. +Would you believe it, Morgan--THERE WASN'T A STICK OF FURNITURE IN +THOSE ROOMS!" + +"You mean the place was empty?" asked Morgan. + +"Up to the entrance to the hallway it was absolutely bare, Morgan. +The living room is furnished, and so is the bedroom; and there were +a few toilet articles in the bathroom. He has a pair of heavy drapes +across the doorway to the dining room, so that anyone coming in +would never guess the back part wasn't furnished. I looked things +over pretty carefully in the few minutes I had, and I didn't find a +single article that belonged to a woman. I tell you, Morgan, that +fellow's living there alone and only got half the flat furnished! +Take it from me, he's got something on. That flat's just a blind. If +it was me, I'd lock him up tonight." + +"Well, it's coming pretty soon, Tierney," acceded Morgan. "What +you've found out today will help a lot." + +There was a few minutes pause as the two men smoked their pipes, and +Morgan analyzed the facts which Tierney had given him. Suddenly he +leaned over and picked up the telephone from the tabouret. + +"What's doing?" exclaimed Tierney. + +"We shouldn't leave that man Marsh unwatched from now on," explained +Morgan. + +"I know it, Morgan, and I've taken care of all that." + +"You mean the house is watched?" + +"Sure," said Tierney. "The minute I got out of the flat this +afternoon I telephoned the captain of the precinct and told him just +enough to get his co-operation. There's a man on the job now and he +won't leave there, unless he follows Marsh, until I relieve him in +the morning." + +"There's one drawback to that," observed Morgan, as he set the +telephone back in place. "No one knows Marsh except you." + +"There's a man knows him better than I do--Murphy, the man on the +beat. He spent quite a spell with Marsh last night." + +"That's right," agreed Morgan. "How did you fix it?" + +"The Captain put another man on Murphy's beat, and put Murphy into +plain-clothes for tonight. It worked all right, because Murphy was a +night man anyway." + +"You're all right, Tierney," Morgan complimented him. + +Tierney grinned his appreciation. + +"Now then, Tierney," went on Morgan, "you relieve Murphy in the +morning, and watch things until I can get on the job. After I +relieve yon, you get in touch with Headquarters and have some +fingerprint photos taken." + +"Did you find finger prints?" exclaimed Tierney, sitting up with a +start. + +"No," explained Morgan, "but I found the marks of the sides of +somebody's hands on the dining room table in that flat. I want them +prepared and photographed just as if they were fingerprints." + +"But you can't identify anybody by marks of that kind," remarked +Tierney, with an inquiring note in his voice. + +"Probably not," Morgan returned. "I haven't the slightest idea how I +could make use of such a photo now. But I want to provide against +anything that may turn up. The marks are there, and we might as well +have a record of them." + +Tierney opened his mouth to reply, but at that instant Morgan held +up a warning hand. + +In many of the older and smaller apartments, such as the one +occupied by Morgan, the door from the main hall opens directly into +the living room. Such was the arrangement here, and Morgan slowly +turned his head toward this door and listened intently. Then he +carefully arose from his chair, moved softly around the corner of +the table, and slowly tiptoed toward the door. Tierney had not heard +a sound, yet he instantly became as alert as Morgan. He stood ready +for a quick move, if necessary, while his right hand rested on the +butt of the revolver in his hip pocket. + +At that moment there was a quite audible sound outside the door. +Morgan leaped forward and threw the door open. With the sound of the +opening door both men heard somebody break into a hasty descent of +the stairs. Morgan dashed through the door and down the stairs. +Tierney followed close behind him. Before they reached the front +door they heard the roar of an opened muffler and an accelerated +engine, and by the time they reached the front steps there was +nothing to be seen except the black shadow of an automobile without +lights rapidly disappearing down Sheffield Avenue. + +"Well, I'm damned!" growled Tierney, as the car disappeared. + +Morgan said nothing, but stood thoughtfully gazing down the street. + +"What do you make of it?" inquired Tierney. + +"Let's go up again," suggested Morgan, without replying to the +question. + +Back in the living room, the men resumed their seats, and spoke in +lowered voices. + +"It's hard to tell what it means," Morgan at last replied. "That's +the first time anything of the kind ever happened to me." + +"How did you get wise?" asked Tierney. + +"I heard the door move several times," Morgan explained. "At first I +thought it was the wind, but the last time I heard it I was sure it +had a different sound. It seemed to me that somebody had leaned +against the door while trying to listen." + +"By God!" exclaimed Tierney. "This is SOME case, Morgan. Are we +spying on somebody, or is somebody spying on us? Marsh trails a +girl; I chase up Marsh; and now I'm damned if I don't think +somebody's chasing me, too." + +"It begins to look like a bigger case than I thought, Tierney. An +ordinary murderer usually gets out of town or lays low. Quite likely +somebody is afraid we will unearth more than a murder. You run along +now. I want to be alone to think things over. On your way home stop +off and look up Murphy. Find out whether or not Marsh has left the +house tonight. Telephone me what you find out." + +"Sure thing," answered Tierney, and picking up his hat, hurried +away. + +Morgan sat down in his chair and began to refill his pipe. After +lighting it, he settled back into his chair and meditated on the +case. Reviewing in his mind the various bits of fact, information +and incident which he now had at hand, he endeavored to separate or +combine them according to their direct bearing upon the case. + +In his earlier days Morgan had learned that a criminal case was +something like a dusty roadway. Many tracks crossed and re-crossed +one another, becoming just a bewildering mass to the untrained eye. +In the present instance, the situation in the Atwood apartment had +queer aspects which seemed to connect it with the incident of the +night before. The suspicious points were not so glaringly apparent, +perhaps, as the circumstances which connected the man Marsh, but +they were there just the same. While the Atwood situation attracted +Morgan, he was inclined to believe that he had actually uncovered +some other situation; of a criminal nature, perhaps, but not +associated with his present investigations. To one unfamiliar with +crime, the incident of Marsh following the girl might have seemed to +form a connection, but Morgan realized that if there was anything +between the Atwoods and Marsh, the latter would hardly have been +secretly following Miss Atwood. + +On the other hand, it was quite possible that a clever criminal, of +the type he now suspected Marsh to be, having successfully +accomplished one job, might have another in mind, which he thought +he could execute before forced to make his final getaway. Instead of +attributing this incident to a connection between the Atwoods and +Marsh, Morgan figured that it weighed somewhat in the Atwoods' +favor, while still further incriminating the man Marsh. + +At this point in his reflections the telephone bell rang, and +answering it, Morgan heard Tierney's voice. + +"I've just seen Murphy," reported Tierney. "He says that Marsh came +home about seven-thirty and has not been out since; unless he +slipped out the back door. This doesn't seem likely as there is +another man watching the rear. He don't know Marsh, but he would +find out before he let anyone go. Murphy says he has seen a shadow +pass the windows several times during the evening, and we are pretty +sure that Marsh is the only person in that flat." + +"All right," replied Morgan. They exchanged good-byes, and Morgan +replaced the telephone on the tabouret. + +Settling back into his chair once more, Morgan came to the +conclusion that one or more of Marsh's confederates of the night +before had simply been endeavoring to get information so as to warn +Marsh whether or not he was suspected. Morgan knew that, as usual, +he and Tierney had talked in guarded voices, so he felt confident +that little, if any, of their conversation had been overheard. It +was the anxiety of the person on the other side of the door to try +and catch their words which had led him to lean heavily against the +door and so warn Morgan of his presence. Morgan felt fairly certain +that he would find Marsh at home the next day, and after that, if +any reports could be conveyed to him, they would be of little use. + +Piecing together, one by one, the various bits of evidence he had +accumulated against Marsh, convinced Morgan that this was the man he +wanted. The flattened bullet, the cigarette ashes, and the hand +marks could not identify anyone. The cuff button, however, with its +initial "M" was more direct in its accusation. It might be the +principal hold on the suspect. Morgan admitted that the evidence was +purely circumstantial, and that there was really nothing in it to +convict a man in a court of law, but there was enough evidence to +take Marsh up on suspicion, and past experience made him confident +that once he had this man at Headquarters, the usual grilling would +extract enough information from him to lead them to sufficient +evidence of a positive nature. + +There was, of course, still a doubt as to whether or not an actual +crime had been committed. But something surely had happened, and +Morgan began to feel that the next day would throw considerable +light on what it was. + +Having reached these conclusions, and a determination to visit Marsh +the next day and take him into custody, Morgan went to bed. + +At the first note from his alarm clock the next morning, Morgan +jumped promptly out of bed. After awakening his mother so that she +could get his breakfast, he hastily dressed. + +Just as he was swallowing the last of his coffee there came a +prolonged ring at the bell. His mother went to the door, and +returned with a Western Union envelope. "My final bit of evidence!" +exclaimed Morgan, as he hurriedly tore off the end of the envelope +and read the cablegram within. It was brief and to the point, and +read just as Morgan had anticipated it would. + +Marsh unknown to me. Ames. + + + + +CHAPTER VII + +MR. MARSH + + +Morgan had hardly expected such an early reply when he sent his +inquiry to Mr. Ames regarding his acquaintance with Marsh. It was +possible, however, that Mr. Ames had made an early morning call on +his London bankers, and had immediately dispatched his reply. Morgan +was glad that it had arrived at this opportune moment. With Murphy +to testify that Marsh had claimed Ames as a friend, and with this +cablegram to prove the falsity of the claim, he had at least one +unanswerable piece of evidence of a suspicious nature to warrant his +proposed action against the man. + +Bidding his mother good-bye, Morgan hurried around to the elevated +station. He purchased a package of cigarettes at the news stand, and +climbed the steps two at a time to catch a train he heard +approaching. A few minutes later he got off at the Wilson Avenue +station, crossed Wilson Avenue to Sheridan Road, and turning north +soon spotted Tierney at the corner of Lawrence Avenue. + +"Hello," Morgan greeted him. "Any news?" + +"No," replied Tierney. "I relieved Murphy at six o'clock this +morning, and another man has taken up the watch in the alleyway. +Murphy saw nothing of Marsh, and he said the light went out in his +flat about 10:30. The man who watched the alleyway didn't see a soul +except the milkman. Marsh came out a little while ago and I followed +him. He had a quick breakfast in the waffle shop just below here, +and I trailed him back again." + +"I guess I'll find my man in, all right," said Morgan. "I'll go up +now. You tell the man in the alleyway to keep his eyes open while +I'm inside. In about ten minutes, if he doesn't hear anything from +me, he can come up and wait outside Marsh's door. We'll leave him +there that long in case Marsh should try to slip out the back way +when he hears me at the door. If he doesn't hear from me in ten +minutes he can be sure that I got in. He will then probably be more +useful close at hand in the event that anything should slip up. +After you tell him what to do, you can go ahead with the +photographs." + +Tierney nodded in acknowledgment of these instructions and started +back to the alleyway. Morgan entered the apartment house, climbed +the stairs to Marsh's door, and rang the bell. Marsh immediately +opened the door. It seemed to Morgan as if Marsh must have been +standing there awaiting his ring, yet how could the man have +suspected Morgan's intention to call on him at this time? It looked +strangely like the man had been on watch at the door. + +"Good morning," said Marsh. + +"Good morning," returned Morgan. "I want to have a little talk with +you." + +Marsh invited him in with a pleasant ring in his voice, and +indicated the living room with a motion of his hand. Morgan entered +and sat down on a chair close to the entrance, laying his hat on the +floor by the chair. Marsh watched Morgan sit down in this +strategical location, and then, with a slight smile, strolled across +and seated himself in a big chair near the fireplace. Resting his +elbows on the arms of the chair, and interlacing his fingers in +front of him, he looked at Morgan. + +"Well?" he said. + +Morgan unbuttoned his coat and exhibited his badge. "I am Detective +Sergeant Morgan of the Chicago Police Department." + +"Oh, yes--Dave Morgan." + +Morgan looked at Marsh sharply. "You've heard of me before, have +you?" he said. + +"Not until early Tuesday morning," smiled Marsh. "Then I heard one +of the policemen refer to the fact that this would be a job for Dave +Morgan. Evidently you have quite a reputation here in Chicago, Mr. +Morgan." + +"Among crooks--yes," snapped Morgan. The easy attitude of the other +man was just a little puzzling. Morgan, however, was inclined to +attribute it to his confidence that they were not in a position to +actually fasten any guilt upon him. He suspected that the man was +playing a game, and this not only nettled him, but served to +strengthen his suspicions. Morgan went on. + +"I have been assigned to this murder case upstairs, Mr. Marsh. After +considerable investigation I find it will be necessary to ask you a +few questions." + +Marsh nodded but said nothing. + +Morgan sat silent for a moment, as if considering how to begin. +Then, without apparently looking at Marsh, he suddenly said, "It's a +long jump from Mexico to Chicago." + +Marsh unclasped his fingers for a moment and looked hard at Morgan. +Morgan caught what he believed to be a start, but gave no indication +that it had made an impression upon him. + +"I was wondering," he continued, slowly, "what had brought you such +a long way." + +"Obviously, Mr. Morgan, if you know that much about me, you must +also know that I came here on business." + +"When do you attend to your business, Mr. Marsh?" asked Morgan, now +looking him in the eye. + +"At various times of the day," replied Marsh. "Whenever I can get +appointments with the people I am negotiating with. I don't quite +understand the trend of these questions, but I might say that I was +downtown on business the greater part of yesterday afternoon." + +"Does standing on a Michigan Avenue curb constitute the principal +part of your business, Mr. Marsh?" + +"Well, I sometimes fill in my time like that until I am sure the +people who are interested in my movements have gone on about their +own business." + +It was Morgan's turn to look disconcerted. Evidently he had a clever +man to deal with, and he began to wonder if his present step had not +been too precipitate. He felt sure that it was going to be difficult +to fasten anything on this man. He decided, however, that he had +gone too far to draw back now, and he went on with his questions. + +"In the preliminary report which was given me," he said, "I noticed +that you made a statement to the patrolman you called in that the +noise in the flat above aroused both you and your wife." + +"Yes," admitted Marsh. "I believe I did say something like that." + +"But," added Morgan, "we have not been able to get an interview with +your wife." + +"Such an interview would be quite useless. As a matter of fact, she +knows no more, and probably not so much as I do about what took +place." + +"You're probably right about that," smiled Morgan, and there was a +sarcastic ring in his voice. "Just the same, I'd like to have a few +words with her." + +"You know as well as I do, Mr. Morgan, that that would be +impossible." + +Morgan raised his eyebrows. "I don't get you," he said. + +"Well, to be more explicit, then, you know that my wife does not +live here." + +"Here's a new game," thought Morgan. There was no doubt that Marsh +was openly fencing with him. In fact, the man seemed to know every +move which had been made. At last the super-criminal of literature +seemed to have stepped into actual life. Morgan was certain that +some crime had been committed, and the circumstantial evidence +against this man had been accumulating rapidly. Yet, as he faced him +and thought it over, he realized how intangible was their hold upon +Marsh. Of course, when they got this man down to Headquarters they +might force him to give more explicit details regarding his past and +present actions, but a man so clever as this had probably left +little behind him that would convict him of anything; certainly not +of his connection with whatever had taken place in the apartment +above. The cuff button, even, seemed to be growing doubtful in +value. + +These reflections on Morgan's part flashed through his mind so +quickly that there was only the slightest pause between Marsh's last +statement and the next question. + +"What would give yon that impression?" asked Morgan. + +"Your man went through my apartment yesterday, and I'm sure he found +no evidence of a lady occupying it with me." + +Morgan found it difficult to conceal his astonishment, not only at +the statement, but the man's intimate knowledge of things of which +he was supposed to be in ignorance. Then he remembered the +clandestine listener at his door, and his doubts of a moment before +took flight. + +"It is quite evident," declared Morgan, "that you, or someone +connected with you, have taken an unusual interest in the movements +of the Chicago Police Department. Why?" + +"I have taken no special interest in what you have been doing," said +Marsh. "It was not difficult to note that almost from the time I +called the attention of your man on the beat to the occurrence, your +men have been regarding me with suspicion. I cannot possibly +understand why this should be so, but you will admit that it is a +fact, won't you?" + +Morgan remained silent. + +"I could not help noticing," continued Marsh, "that the man who had +been conducting an investigation in this house was keeping watch +across the street. Happening to glance back after entering a taxicab +yesterday, I observed this man entering another taxi, which followed +mine downtown. It was obvious to the most ordinary intelligence that +he was following me. After I reached the 'loop' district I was +absolutely sure of it. Then, when I returned and found footmarks in +my apartment, it was quite evident that someone had been +investigating." + +Morgan was stunned. "Footmarks!" he thought. "Had Tierney been so +clumsy and careless as to enter the flat with muddy shoes?" +Something had to be done to cover an awkward pause, and give him a +chance to gather his wits, so Morgan took out the package of +cigarettes. After helping himself to one, he tossed the package to +Marsh. Morgan noted with satisfaction that the man took one before +handing the package back. Marsh smoked cigarettes! + +"Why did you follow Miss Atwood?" Morgan suddenly shot at him. + +Marsh's face expressed surprise. "Follow Miss Atwood!" he exclaimed. + +"That's what it looked like," asserted Morgan. + +"Well, that WAS a strange coincidence," commented Marsh. + +Morgan found it hard to determine whether this was a reply or an +evasion. He decided, however, that matters had gone far enough, and +that Marsh must either prove himself innocent, or stay in jail until +they could definitely fasten his guilt upon him. To bring matters to +a head, he reached into his pocket for the cablegram. + +"You said that Mr. Ames, the man who rents the flat upstairs, was a +friend of yours." + +"I believe I did," admitted Marsh. + +"Well, I have a cablegram here from Mr. Ames," stated Morgan, as he +brought out the paper. "Read it." + +Marsh leaned forward, took the cablegram, read it gravely, and +returned it to Morgan. + +"You have certainly got me tied up," he said. + +"Tight as a drum!" agreed Morgan. "The game's up, Marsh. You're +coming with me to Headquarters." + +"I'm afraid you have sort of spilled the beans, Morgan," laughed +Marsh, rising. + +Morgan, however, was used to the last minute plays of cornered +criminals. Leaning back in his chair, and smiling encouragingly, his +hands, without seeming purpose, were slipped into the side pockets +of his coat. The right hand quickly gripped a revolver in readiness. + +"Yes," continued Marsh, "I had hoped to work quietly, but this +incident has upset my plans. Yet, after all, perhaps we can work +together with greater success." + +"Now we come to the 'divvy' proposition," thought Morgan. He +remained expectantly silent, however, and his face still wore its +encouraging smile. + +Marsh came closer and the end of the concealed revolver barrel moved +upward just a trifle. The next moment the smile on Morgan's face +faded out and his eyes filled with an astonished stare. + +Marsh had thrown back his coat, revealing the badge of the United +States Secret Service! + + + + +CHAPTER VIII + +A DEFINITE CLUE + + +"You can take your hand off that gun now," suggested Marsh, as he +smiled at Morgan and went back to his chair. "I'll tell you my part +of the story, and perhaps we'll find in the end that two heads are +better than one." + +"You have made a big but perhaps a natural mistake. If you doubt my +word in anything I am about to tell you, it will only be necessary +for you to consult the Secret Service branch in the Federal +Building, to confirm my status in this case." + +"Without any intention of trying to kid you, Morgan, I want to say +this--you've done some quick and clever work in approximately +twenty-four hours. I realized from the first that things had framed +themselves in a peculiar way against me. Yet, I will say frankly, +that I did not expect a local policeman to put the facts together so +quickly." + +"I am only human, Marsh," broke in Morgan, "and your appreciation +sounds good to me. But let's get down to the story." + +"Quite right," agreed Marsh. "It begins two years ago. At that time +the Government discovered that counterfeit five-dollar bills were +appearing in the East. They put me on the case and I traced them +from city to city. Suddenly the output seemed to stop. For a time I +was at loose ends, and then I had word that they were appearing +again in St. Louis. I made a quick jump to that city. Counterfeit +five-dollar bills are comparatively easy to pass. A larger bill may +attract attention, but five dollars is a commonly used unit. For +that reason few people could remember and describe the person who +had tendered the bill. But to make a long story short, I finally +brought their source close to a man named Atwood, by finding out +that his daughter Jane occasionally paid for things with this +particular series of counterfeit five-dollar notes." + +"I located this man's home, where he lived with his wife and +daughter. Neighbors believed him to be a traveling man as he was +away a great deal. I never got a look at the man, because in some +way he evidently got wind that we were watching him and stayed away +from the house. From neighbors, however, I learned that he was tall, +well built, dark haired and wore a small mustache. Not exactly a +definite description, but one which might help in connection with +other things. Finally, I got a new clue from Detroit, which seemed +to indicate that I would find the man there. It came to nothing, +however, and when I returned to St. Louis I found that Atwood's wife +had died in the meantime--that he had stored his furniture, and his +daughter was living in an hotel. I figured that there was nothing to +do but keep a close watch on her from that time on, and eventually +get in touch with Atwood; then, through him, locate the other +members of the gang. While there was no direct evidence that such +was the case, we know from experience that in a counterfeiting case +there are almost always two or more persons engaged in the work." + +"One night this girl gave me the slip, and it took me nearly two +weeks to trace her to Chicago. Keeping watch on places where these +bills occasionally appeared, I recognized her one day, and then +located her in this apartment building. Now experience had shown +that this case was really a game of patience. So far, little had +been accomplished by hanging around the streets and watching the +girl. A vacant apartment in this very building gave me an unusual +opportunity." + +"You know, Morgan, there are few crimes that the Government looks on +with such severity as counterfeiting. To apprehend a counterfeiter +they will go to any lengths and spend any amount of money. So I +received permission to rent this apartment. It gave me the advantage +of not only being right in the building constantly, without +attracting special attention, but as I was on the floor below the +suspects, I had an excellent opportunity to keep an eye on all who +passed up and down the stairs. Another fortunate circumstance was +the fact that the apartment over me was unoccupied. There could be +no question as to where people passing up and down the stairs were +going." + +"Government men, as you know, Morgan, usually work with the utmost +secrecy. Our own local men were not even supposed to know I was here +unless the time came when I should need help. It was not logical, +therefore, for me to disclose my identity or give any hint of it to +the real estate firm that rented me the apartment. That was why I +posed as a ranch owner from Mexico, here in Chicago for the purpose +of interesting certain financial interests in my property. That left +out the entangling subject of references. Naturally, I did not want +to waste money on the complete furnishing of an apartment which +might be vacated at any moment, so I simply furnished up that part +of it which might come under the eye of a stranger. And certainly +these two rooms afforded me all the comfort that I required." + +"But Marsh," interrupted Morgan. "Why did you make those breaks +about your wife, and knowing Ames upstairs?" + +"A man in your line of work, Morgan, ought to understand the wife +idea, now that you know some of the facts. A supposedly married man +passes quite unnoticed, but just give the ladies a hint that a +bachelor is in the house and immediately everyone focuses attention +upon him. He is a poor, lonesome man, to be pitied, and every woman +in the house would have lain awake nights figuring how she could +introduce me to a marriageable young woman. So I invented Mrs. Marsh +as a protection." + +"I'll admit that my claim of friendship with Ames didn't work out +well in this instance. However, it was an idea conceived in a hurry, +and in the ordinary course of events would have really attracted +little, if any, attention. You realize that I was in this house to +watch certain people without disclosing my identity in any way. I +knew positively that the flat over me was closed and empty. Then I +was awakened suddenly in the night by a most suspicious disturbance. +Naturally, I connected it immediately with the people I was +watching. If I took an active interest in this trouble it might +force my hand, because a moment's consideration will show you that +the connection was only a guess on my part, and MIGHT not be a fact. +My first thought, therefore, was to get the local police on the job +as quickly as possible and still keep in touch with the incident +myself." + +"You may ask why I didn't telephone the Police Department, instead +of running into the street. When I looked at my watch I saw that it +was two o'clock, and I knew from observation that a patrolman was +likely to be within a block or two of the house at that hour. On the +other hand, if I telephoned, it might be twenty minutes before your +men arrived, and you know, Morgan, that a lot can happen in twenty +minutes." + +"After your man had telephoned for help he was disinclined to have +me butt into the matter any further. Yet, you can see how imperative +it was for me to be on the job as well as your men. The first +thought, and the most logical excuse, which came to my mind, was to +tell the patrolman that the tenant of the flat was a personal friend +of mine. This made it seem perfectly natural for me to follow up his +interests in the matter. As to keeping track of your movements, it +was only natural that I would want to keep in touch with your +progress in the case as much as possible." + +"One question, Marsh," said Morgan. "How in thunder could you see my +partner's footsteps, as you said you did, in your apartment?" + +Marsh laughed. + +"Through a very simple precaution that I have taken ever since I +moved in here--a little talcum powder sprinkled over the dining room +floor. "Now, Morgan, I have laid my cards on the table. You can see +the close connection that probably exists between the Atwood +counterfeiting case and whatever took place in the flat over us. If +you have found out anything, outside of what you supposed to be my +connection with the case, I would like to have the information. + +"So that you can see how close the connection between the two cases +really is, I will tell you that after your men left Tuesday morning, +I did a little further investigating on my own account, and found +what I believed to be a definite clue to the Atwoods' connection +with the trouble." + +"What was that?" asked Morgan. + +"A SMALL SMEAR OF BLOOD ON THE DOORKNOB OF THE ATWOOD APARTMENT!" + +The fact that Marsh, who had been surrounded by such suspicious +circumstances that Morgan had been enabled to build up one of his +quickest cases, had now turned out to be an operative of the Federal +Government, was one of the most astounding things with which Morgan +had ever met. It was obvious that for once in his life he had +followed persistently on a blind trail, and now found himself only a +little better off than when he started. Naturally, his professional +pride was hurt, but the candid way in which Marsh had, to use his +own words, laid his cards on the table, appealed to Morgan. He felt +that this Government man was both broad-minded and efficient. He +realized that there was surely more to gain by accepting Marsh's +proposition, and working with him, than there would be if each +worked alone, and very probably at cross purposes. The story which +Marsh had told him, the surprising clue he had just offered, and the +facts in his own possession, showed conclusively the close +connection between the affair of the empty apartment and the Atwood +counterfeiting case. Locating the murderer would undoubtedly bring +the counterfeiters to light, and in the same way, locating the +counterfeiters would probably disclose the perpetrator of this now +unquestioned crime. + +Morgan covered up these deliberations by getting out his pipe and +tobacco pouch and lighting up. "Now I can talk," he said, as he +leaned back in his chair. + +"I may have a few facts that you don't know, Marsh, and now that I +know the whole situation I can see that they will probably be of +some value to you. Or in any event, of value to both of us in the +general working out of the case. For I want to say that I am +satisfied with your suggestion about our working together." + +"I called on this Miss Atwood yesterday. While some of the +information which she gave me simply ties up with and confirms your +own story, there was one thing I discovered that may help us. Of +course, in lining up my evidence, I separated the strong points +against you from certain suspicious circumstances connected with the +Atwoods. That girl impressed me so favorably that I could not +definitely connect her with the trouble upstairs. Instead, I was +inclined to believe that I had uncovered something else." + +"During my talk with the girl I noticed a peculiar mark on her arm. +I brought the conversation around to that mark, and she told me that +some time during the night of the crime she had been awakened by a +sharp sting in the arm, but had almost immediately gone to sleep +again. Noticing the mark in the morning, she was under the +impression, so she said, that it was a bite, from some kind of +insect--I suggested a spider. But the truth was, Marsh, that mark +was made by a hypodermic needle!" + +"In my experience I have come into contact with lots of dope users. +I know just how they act, talk and look--and THAT GIRL IS NOT A DOPE +FIEND. In my opinion there are only two solutions to that mark on +the girl's arm. Either she has not slept well of late, and decided +to use something to help her, or else somebody jabbed her without +her knowledge. The first explanation is hardly likely, because +sleeplessness is treated in other ways. Now that you tell me this +man Atwood is a criminal, and that you found a bloodstain on the +doorknob, I am convinced that someone gave her an injection of +morphine so that this job could be pulled without her knowledge. You +probably know as well as I do, that the small purple mark, +accompanied by the swelling, which I noticed on her arm, would +result only from the hasty and careless use of the hypodermic +needle." + +"What you tell me, Morgan," said Marsh, "confirms what I have +thought for some time. That is, that Jane Atwood is only the +innocent tool of her father, and the gang behind him. Perhaps not +even that. She exhibits none of the instincts or earmarks of the +criminal woman, and no woman with easy money at her command would +spend the hours and hard work which she does in the study of music. +Confidentially, Morgan, I like the girl, and what I have just told +you is one of the reasons why I have never attempted to arrest her +and force a confession. I felt that all I could really do was to +keep her under surveillance until such time as I could catch one of +the real criminals getting in touch with her. The father and his +gang have either simply been using her to a limited extent to pass +their counterfeit notes, or else he has included a few with money +which he gave her. Possibly he has maintained her in a home to have +a background of respectability to which he could retire in +emergencies. Letting her use counterfeit notes may have been just +one of the slips of which every criminal is guilty. A really clever +man is also clever enough to know that it doesn't pay to be a +criminal. No matter how long the rope, there is always an end to +it." + +"Well," said Morgan, "there's no question that as matters now stand, +that girl is our only working point. I have already called on her, +and disclosed my identity as a detective, so as far as I am +concerned there is little that can be done in that direction. You, +as a tenant in this house, however, could cultivate her acquaintance +without arousing any real suspicions on her part." + +"I have been watching for an opportunity to strike up an +acquaintance for a long time," replied Marsh, "but no such +opportunity has as yet presented itself. You can rest assured, +however, that I am ready when it does." + +Just then Marsh sat up and listened, as footsteps sounded over their +heads. + +"That's all right, Marsh," smiled Morgan. "Those are my men taking +fingerprint photographs. That was the next point I was going to tell +you about--my discoveries in that apartment." + +"You found fingerprints?" cried Marsh. + +"No, just the marks of the sides of two hands. Apparently not of +much use--but then you never can tell." + +Morgan suddenly jumped to his feet. "Good Lord!" he exclaimed, "that +reminds me. I forgot that I had a man sitting outside on the stairs. +He'll be wondering what has happened." With that Morgan went to the +door and told the plain-clothes man, who had been waiting outside, +that everything was going smoothly and he could go back to the +station. Returning to his chair, Morgan took up the subject of the +clues he had discovered in the apartment. After recounting his +discovery of the cuff button, he added, "and that was one of the +most damning pieces of evidence which I had against you, Marsh--the +letter--"M" on that cuff button." + +"That would not have gone very far," laughed Marsh, "because I've +never worn an initialed cuff button in my life. In fact, Morgan, it +could have been only a clue--not evidence--for it would have been +simple, when the loss was discovered, to also lose the duplicate. +That cuff button may or may not be a clue. Of course, the tenant's +initials do not coincide with the initial on that button, but it +might have been dropped by a servant or a friend. As a matter of +fact, that button might have been lying under the cabinet for some +time before Ames went to Europe. However, it's something worth +having and remembering, for one never can tell when even a little +thing like that may give some lead that would prove worth while." + +"How would you analyze that flattened bullet?" asked Morgan. + +"The shot was fired at close range," Marsh replied. "It may have +passed clear through the person fired at. That bullet is worth +remembering, however, just like the cuff button. Some day it may fit +in with and explain other evidence." + +"There is one more point," added Morgan, "that may or may not have a +bearing on this case. Last night, while my partner Tierney and. +myself were conferring on this case at my house, somebody tried to +listen outside my door. I was pretty sure this was so from the +sounds I heard; and when I went to the door, somebody dashed down +the stairs and escaped in a motor car. I'm ashamed to say it, now, +but at the time I suspected it was one of your confederates." + +"You've been mixed up in a good many cases, Morgan, and probably +have some half-finished affairs in the back of your head right now. +I would say that such an occurrence could be connected with any one +of these. On the other hand, this case is very fresh, and you have +been active in working it up. Some person may be trying to find out +just how close you are getting to the trail, so as to take +precautions, if necessary." + +At that moment there was a scream in the hall outside Marsh's door. +Both men sprang to their feet and Marsh leaped to the door. + + + + +CHAPTER IX + +THE LAST LETTER + + +At the same moment that Marsh opened the door, Tierney and the man +from Headquarters, who had been taking the photographs, came +bounding down the stairs from the third floor. + +They all saw the body of a woman lying motionless on the landing. + +"Who is it?" cried Morgan, over Marsh's shoulder. + +"Jane Atwood!" was the sharp reply. + +With that Marsh stooped and took the unconscious girl up in his +arms, the unusual tenderness and care of his movements being plainly +apparent. Carrying her into his apartment, while the others +followed, Marsh laid her gently on a davenport in the living room. + +"She must have had a shock of some kind and fainted," exclaimed +Morgan. + +"No," returned Marsh, as he softly smoothed back the hair from her +forehead, disclosing a bruise that was now rapidly discoloring and +swelling. "Somebody knocked her insensible." Then added, "You sent +your man away too soon, Morgan." + +"My God!" burst out Morgan. "What nerve! To think of pulling +anything like this in a house full of detectives." + +"We have a tough customer this time," declared Marsh. "Ordinary +methods won't go. Watch her while I get some water." + +Marsh went to the bathroom for a towel and some cold water. In the +meantime Morgan turned sharply to Tierney. + +"From now on, while we work on this case, your job is to stand +outside of every door I enter." + +Tierney grinned. To some men it might have seemed that they were +being thrust into the background. To Tierney, however, the work +immediately presented possibilities that stirred his fighting Irish +blood. Without a word he went out into the public hall and closed +the door behind him. + +Marsh returned, and began to bathe the girl's forehead and the +bruise with the cold water. While he worked over her, the +photographer approached Morgan and held out an envelope. + +"After your friend here picked the girl up," he explained, "I +noticed this lying near her." + +Morgan took the envelope. After a hasty glance he extended it to +Marsh. "A letter to this girl with a St. Louis postmark!" he gasped. + +"Good!" exclaimed Marsh, without stopping his work to revive the +girl. "Just what I have been watching for. Open it." + +Morgan understood. Turning to the photographer, he handed back the +envelope. "Slip into the kitchen, steam this open and make a quick +copy." Then, noticing the case on the floor beside the man, he +added, "Finished your work upstairs?" + +The man nodded. + +"Then make a photograph of this letter at the same time. The +handwriting may prove useful." + +Taking the letter and picking up his case, the man went back to the +kitchen. Morgan turned to Marsh. + +"How is she coming on?" he inquired. + +There was a slight flutter of the eyelids as he spoke and Marsh +called his attention to it. "She will be all right in a moment," he +said. + +Presently Jane Atwood's eyes opened slowly, and she gazed in a +bewildered and uncomprehending way at the two men bending anxiously +over her. Marsh continued to bathe her forehead and gradually she +seemed to realize her position. She struggled slowly into a sitting +position on the davenport while the two men stood back, awaiting her +first words. Contrary to the usual idea of feminine return to +consciousness, she did not inquire where she was. Instead she +startled the two men by asking, "Did you get him?" + +"Get who?" counter questioned Marsh, taking the lead. + +"The man who was outside the door," was the reply. + +Marsh and Morgan exchanged quick glances. To them it was a +confirmation that the listener of the night before was still seeking +information about the case in hand. Moreover, here might be a clue +to his identity, or at least a description that would prove helpful, +so Marsh seated himself on the davenport at her side, while Morgan +went to a chair across the room. + +Both men knew instinctively that this would put the girl more at her +ease than if they continued to stand over her like inquisitors. +Marsh continued the conversation. "We know nothing about what +happened," he said. "We heard a scream. When we opened the door you +were lying there. No one was around except two policemen who came +down from the third floor at that moment, having also heard your +cry." + +After this simple statement of the situation, Marsh paused, waiting +for the girl to go on. He felt that in her dazed and weakened +condition questions would still further bewilder her, might even +cause a revulsion that would delay or prevent their getting +information that would prove of inestimable value. + +The girl paused, as if to collect her thoughts, and passed her hand +before her eyes with a motion similar to sweeping aside a curtain. +Then she spoke. + +"I went to the hairdresser's in the block below. Returning, I +stopped to take a letter out of the mail box and then started up the +stairs to my apartment." At this point she passed her hand over her +hair and smiled as she realized its disheveled appearance now. "As I +turned up the flight to this floor, I saw a man crouched down before +the door of this apartment. He did not hear me until I reached the +top of the stairs. Then he jumped up, and seeing me, tried to push +by. Remembering the burglary, or whatever it was, upstairs, I knew I +should try to stop him. So I seized his coat and we started to +struggle. Instantly I saw him draw back his arm, then I felt the +blow. I remember nothing of what happened from that moment until I +awoke just now on this davenport." + +Marsh sat up and clenched his hands. "If I knew what the fellow +looked like I would thrash him the next time I saw him," he +threatened, hoping thus to draw out the description he wanted. + +"Oh, I can describe him--at least in a general way. He was short, +not much over five feet, and quite thin. His face had a peaked look. +While we struggled his hat fell off and I saw that he was almost +bald. His nose was large, and taken with his thin face and rather +large bright eyes, it seems to me now that he looked just like an +eagle." + +"Had you ever seen him before?" Morgan asked. + +"Never," she answered, and the positive note in her voice could not +be mistaken. + +"I will send your description to all the stations," said Morgan. "We +will try to get that fellow." + +Morgan went to the telephone and called the Detective Bureau. He +gave the necessary directions, and as he returned to his chair, +remarked, "In an hour or two this won't be a safe town for that +fellow." + +"You are the detective who came to see me!" exclaimed the girl. +"Perhaps this is the man you are looking for." + +"Perhaps," agreed Morgan. "I can tell better after I get my hands on +him." + +"Oh, my!" cried the girl, and began to search about the davenport. + +The two men suspected she was looking for the letter, and they were +relieved to see the photographer appear in the doorway at that +moment. + +"Have yon lost something?" inquired Marsh. + +"Yes, the letter I took out of the mail box." + +"Here it is, Miss," said the photographer, stepping forward and +presenting the letter to her. "I picked it up in the hall where you +dropped it." + +She took it and thanked him. "I'm so glad you found it," she added. +"It is from my father, and I have not heard from him in a long time. +I feel better now and will go home." + +She rose slowly with the words. Noting her weakness, Marsh stepped +to her side and slipped his arm under hers. + +"Let me help you up the stairs," he said, gently. + +"Thank you," she returned, simply, realizing her need of help. + +"I'll wait until you come back, Marsh," said Morgan. + +The girl started. "Are you Mr. Marsh?" she exclaimed. Then, as Marsh +nodded, she added, "Why, you are the man who sent this detective up +to see me." + +Marsh glanced quickly at Morgan, who, behind the girl's back, +dropped one eyelid slowly and significantly. + +"Well, you seemed the most likely person to have information, being +right on the same floor," Marsh said, smiling. + +There could be no question that this was a natural explanation, and +the girl seemed satisfied. With a nod and a smile to Morgan and the +photographer, she allowed Marsh to assist her out of the door and up +the stairs to her apartment. Tierney rose from the step where he had +been sitting, to let her pass, and she favored him with one of her +pretty smiles as he did so. Tierney then climbed after them to the +next landing and stood watching. Marsh waited until the door closed +after her. Then, with a catch in his breath that sounded +suspiciously like a sigh, he went back to his apartment. Tierney +gave him a peculiar look as he passed. + +The photographer had gone, but Morgan held out the copy which he had +made of the letter as soon as Marsh entered, with the remark, "Now, +what's the game?" + +Marsh took it and read: + + My dear Daughter: + + I have returned from the last trip I shall ever make. I + have never told you, not wishing to cause you worry, but + my health has been gradually failing for many years. + + I can no longer attend to my duties on the road and have + had to give up my position. The doctor gives me but a few + months to live, so rather than be a burden to you I have + decided to end the thing at once. When this letter reaches + you, the Mississippi will be carrying my body to the sea, + where I hope that it will be lost to the world forever. + + Knowing that my time was approaching, I long ago arranged + for your future. If you will identify yourself to the + National Trust Company, Chicago, you will find that you + have been amply provided for. As we do not lease the + apartment direct from the owner, you had better move out + at once and go to an hotel. No one can hold you responsible. + + Good luck and success in your music. God bless you, and + good-bye. + + Your devoted father. + +"What's the game?" repeated Morgan, when he saw that Marsh had +finished reading the letter. + +"A convenient disappearance, that is all," returned Marsh. "Things +were beginning to get too hot for him. No doubt he thought you were +getting closer than you really were. Poor girl," he added. "She will +take it as gospel truth, and we dare not tell her otherwise--not +now, anyway." + +"One thing is certain in my mind now," asserted Morgan. "There was a +murder upstairs. They planned to put some person who was becoming a +menace, quietly out of the way. But you spoiled it!" + +"No, I did not spoil it," said Marsh. "The shot did that. I have +felt for some time that that shot was a mistake--a slipup +somewhere." + +"I've got to go; it is two o'clock," exclaimed Morgan as he looked +at his watch. "Where shall we hold future conferences! I do not want +to be seen coming here too often. It might lead to suspicions of +you, and I think we can accomplish more if your connection with the +case is not made clear." + +"How about your house?" inquired Marsh. "Knowing that you are now +suspicious, and with Tierney on the doorstep, they will probably +keep away from there in the future." + +"Well, let it stand at that for the present," agreed Morgan. +"Telephone me when you want to come. My number is in the telephone +book." + +With that the two men's hands met in a strong grip as if to seal +their future partnership. Morgan opened the door and then started +back with a cry. + +Tierney lay stretched out across the landing, apparently asleep. + +But Morgan knew the man better. + + + + +CHAPTER X + +THE STOLEN SUITCASE + + +The placing of Tierney on guard in the hall had been an impulsive +act on Morgan's part. It was more to put an idea into immediate +execution than to actually have a protecting outpost at this time, +for the very nature of his experience would have told Morgan that +after the mysterious attack upon Jane Atwood there would be little +possibility of a similar occurrence the same day. The instant he saw +Tierney lying in the hall, however, he realized that the man had +been the victim of a somewhat similar attack, and the mere thought +that such a thing was possible stunned him into inaction for a +moment. The next minute both he and Marsh were kneeling at Tierney's +side and endeavoring to arouse him. + +Morgan removed Tierney's cap and passed his hand around over the +man's head until he found a slight lump, a little back of the right +ear. + +"Knocked out with a black-jack!" he cried. "How could a man get that +close to Tierney without being heard!" + +"The carpet in these halls and on the stairs is well padded," +explained Marsh. "I have noticed on a number of occasions that +people passing up and down these stairs make very little noise +unless a foot happens to strike the woodwork. And you can be sure of +one thing, Morgan, this man must have been pretty close at hand. He +got into action without having to do much climbing." + +"Or descending," added Morgan, suddenly, looking at Marsh. + +"If he came DOWN the stairs, Morgan, then the girl has certainly +been pulling the wool over our eyes." + +Morgan shook his head doubtfully. "Well, I'll acknowledge that it +takes a pretty wise detective to understand a woman." + +At this moment, Tierney showed signs of coming back to life. His +eyes opened and looked at them with a dazed stare. Almost instantly +this changed to a savage glare. His two arms shot up, seized the men +leaning over him and pulled them down. Like most people who have +been knocked. unconscious, Tierney had no idea of the intervening +lapse of time. Before becoming unconscious he had probably realized +that he was attacked, and he was now taking up the fight where he +had left off. + +"Hold on, Tierney--this is Morgan--Morgan--do you understand? And +this is Marsh with me!" + +The two men held Tierney down until he had a chance to collect his +thoughts. Then he smiled sheepishly as he looked from one to the +other. "What the--!" he began; then paused. + +They jerked him to his feet and set him down on the stair. There he +sat for a moment, rubbing the sore spot on his head, of which he now +began to be conscious. + +"Guess I'd better resign," he said, dolefully, coming to a full +realization of the situation. "A detective ain't much use after he +begins to need a bodyguard." + +"Cut the nonsense, Tierney," admonished Morgan. "Tell us what +happened." + +"That's what I'd like to know," growled Tierney. + +"Well then," suggested Morgan, "tell us what happened up to the +point where you don't know anything." + +"Let's see," reflected Tierney. "When you sent me out into the hall, +the first thing I did was to go part way up this flight of stairs +and make sure that all was clear above. Then I sat down exactly +where I am sitting now, but close to the stair rail. I figured that +if anybody came up the stairs I could see him before he spotted me. +I heard a couple of people go out downstairs, but everything was +quiet up here. I kept my eye on your friend here while he took the +girl upstairs. After he went in I settled back in the same place +again. Finally I felt like a smoke. There didn't seem much chance of +anybody coming back again, so I figured I might as well have a smoke +and I got out my pipe. While I was lighting up, something hit me. +You know the rest better than I do." + +"But," expostulated Morgan, "you're no green hand, Tierney. How +could anybody sneak up behind you without your hearing them?" + +Tierney looked foolish for a moment, then brightened up. "Morgan," +he said, "I've got the dope. That old pipe of mine was wheezing like +a sick horse when I began to pall on it. That's what gave the fellow +his chance. I'll admit it, Morgan--I should have known better than +to light it in the first place." + +"All right, Tierney, you've learned your lesson. But I'm afraid you +let something good slip by you." + +"It is my opinion," Marsh broke in, "that he has let the most +important actor in the drama get away. The man must have been pretty +desperate to take such a chance, and I doubt if anyone but the +leading character would have been so anxious to get away quickly and +unseen. Now then, let us go up to the Atwood apartment. I will +assume the role of protector to Miss Atwood while you two, whom she +knows to be detectives, can search the flat." + +At this, Tierney stood up on the stairs and looked suspiciously at +Marsh. Then, as Morgan agreed to the idea, Tierney turned toward him +and exclaimed, "Say, you gone crazy?" + +Morgan gazed at him in astonishment. + +Marsh laughed. "Tierney is still suspicious," he said. + +Morgan's face lit up with understanding. Going over to Tierney, he +whispered in his ear, + +"Well, I'm damned!" Tierney mumbled. + +The three men then climbed the stairs to the Atwood apartment, and +Morgan's hand was already on the push button of the electric bell +when there was an exclamation from Marsh. + +"Stop!" he cried. "Look here." + +They instantly saw what he meant. The wood door was standing open +about two inches, and there was sufficient light in the entrance +hall of the apartment to show that at least no one was looking out. + +"Remember, I'm in the background on this," Marsh whispered to +Morgan. "You two take, the lead--but be cautious." + +Morgan pulled out his revolver and Tierney followed his example. +Then Morgan gave the door a quick push and stood back. It swung back +against the wall with a resounding thud, but outside of that sound +everything remained silent. The three men then moved warily into the +doorway, with Tierney and Morgan in the lead. While Marsh remained +in the entrance hall, Tierney stepped into the living room and +Morgan crept cautiously through the portieres into the dining room. +So silently did these two men move that Marsh heard, nothing until, +a moment later, he saw Morgan step back through the portieres. The +doors of both the bedroom and the bathroom stood open and Morgan, +without saying anything to Marsh, investigated these two rooms. Then +he returned to the entrance hall and spoke to Marsh, who had already +been joined by Tierney. + +"Not a soul in the flat but the girl," whispered Morgan. "She's in a +chair in the dining room, and apparently unconscious again. There's +an odor of chloroform in the dining room!" + +Marsh sprang through the dining room portieres, followed by the +others. He found Jane Atwood in a rocking chair near one of the +windows. She was apparently unconscious, but there were convulsive +movements of her body. Marsh sniffed the aromatic odor and nodded. +"I don't think they gave her much," he said. "She's just barely +unconscious. I'll try to revive her while you two look things over +more carefully." + +Morgan turned to Tierney. "You take another look at the front," he +directed. "Look through all the drawers and closets, but be careful +not to leave anything upset." + +Tierney promptly started on his work of investigation. Morgan turned +back into the kitchen. He had previously noticed that the maid's +room was upset and he wanted to examine this room again. The bed was +made up, but as the linen was fresh and unwrinkled it seemed certain +that no one had occupied it recently. The chief cause of the +disorder seemed to have been a hasty examination of the closet. A +roll of blankets and some other articles that had evidently been on +the shelf of the closet had been pulled down and scattered over the +bedroom floor. A couple of suits, and other articles of men's +attire, were hung on the hooks, apparently undisturbed. Morgan saw +that a speedy search had been made for something. Whether or not the +object had been found it was impossible to say. + +Going back into the kitchen, and trying the rear door, he discovered +that, though closed, it was unlocked. He locked it, and returning to +the dining room, found that Marsh had succeeded in reviving the +girl. Tierney was also there, and the two men were chatting with +her. + +"You seem to be having a good deal of trouble today," said Morgan, +as he neared her. + +She smiled wanly at him. + +"I can't understand it at all. Burglars must be extremely bold in +Chicago." + +"Do you think it was a burglar?" asked Morgan. + +"What else could it be?" she returned. "I am sure that I have no +enemies anywhere, and I haven't even any friends in Chicago." + +"Are you keeping anything of special value in the house?" inquired +Morgan. + +"Only what you can see about you," she replied "And these rings, +which have not been touched." + +"You are sure you didn't have anything of value concealed in the +maid's room?" + +"No, that's the room my father uses when he comes home from his +trips." + +"Well, perhaps he had something of value there." + +"I'm quite sure he did not," she said, positively. + +"How do you feel now, Miss Atwood?" asked Marsh, catching the drift +of the questioning. + +"Just a little bewildered," she replied, "and slightly nauseated, +but I think I shall be all right presently." + +"Do you feel equal to looking over that room now?" Marsh inquired. + +"I think so," she said, and with Marsh's assistance, she arose from +her chair. + +Morgan led the way and the girl, leaning on Marsh's arm, followed. + +"You see," said Morgan, when they had reached the maid's room, +"somebody has pulled everything off the shelf. Is there anything +missing as far as you know?" + +Miss Atwood looked over the articles on the floor, glanced at the +empty shelf, and at the bottom of the closet. Then she turned to +Morgan. "My father had a suitcase on that shelf," she said. "I do +not see it there now." + +"Oh," murmured Morgan. "Was it an empty suitcase?" + +"I really couldn't tell you. I never examined it, as it was always +pretty well hidden under a lot of other things." + +"I see," said Morgan. "The burglar evidently stole only the +suitcase, thinking perhaps there was something of value in it. We'd +better go now," he added, turning to the others. "Miss Atwood will +want to lie down and rest after her exciting day." + +When they reached the front door, Morgan turned to her. "Do you +expect your father home soon, Miss Atwood?" he inquired. + +"Oh," she exclaimed, "I haven't read my letter yet. You see, I had +just reached the dining room when that burglar attacked me." + +"You need not worry about any further disturbances or attacks, Miss +Atwood," Morgan assured her. "There will be a policeman at the front +and back of this house inside of an hour, and they will stay here +until we clear up this case." + +"And remember that I live close at hand, on the floor below, Miss +Atwood," reminded Marsh. "If there is anything I can do to help you +at any time, don't fail to call upon me." + +"Thank you," she replied, and closed the door as the men went down +the stairs. + + + + +CHAPTER XI + +THE TRAIL GROWS CLEARER + + +"I want to use your telephone for a minute," Morgan said to Marsh, +as they went down the stairs. "I want to have men put on duty here +as soon as possible, and I think it would be well to send out that +description you have of Atwood. We might catch him at one of the +railway stations, trying to leave the city." + +Marsh unlocked the door of his apartment and Morgan immediately went +to the telephone. He gave the Detective Bureau a description of +Atwood, added that the man would probably be carrying a suitcase, +and suggested that all outgoing trains be watched. Then he got the +captain of the precinct on the telephone, and after explaining the +attacks that had taken place, was assured that two men would be +placed on duty to watch the house within a few minutes. + +"Good Lord, I'm starving to death!" cried Tierney, as Morgan left +the telephone. "What time is it, anyway?" + +Morgan glanced at his watch. + +"Three-thirty," he replied. "Now you speak of it, Tierney, I feel +kind of hungry, myself. How about you, Marsh?" + +"It was on my mind to suggest a little luncheon," returned Marsh. +"Suppose we run down to Sally's Waffle Shop. It's only a block +south, and it would be a quiet place to talk things over while we +are eating. It is a good place to eat, too. I've had nearly all of +my meals there since I took this apartment." + +The others agreeing, the three men then walked down to the little +restaurant. As it was an off hour they were able to get a table in a +secluded corner where their conversation could not be overheard. + +"I think this lunch should be on me," said Morgan, as he looked at +Marsh with a twinkle in his eye. + +"No," objected Marsh, "I should hardly call you a loser. Your work +has really disclosed a lot." + +"Anyway, Headquarters will think you're doing something, Morgan," +broke in Tierney. "All those descriptions you shot over the 'phone +today looked as if you were getting the dope on somebody." + +"I suggest," said Marsh, "that as you fellows have been my guests +most of the day, you now be my guests for luncheon. Order what you +like. You can get anything here from waffles to a full meal." + +"A big, fat, juicy steak for mine!" cried. Tierney. + +"Yes, you're an invalid, aren't you!" scoffed Morgan. + +Tierney rubbed the bump on his head and grinned. + +They gave their orders to the waitress, and while waiting, Morgan +explained Marsh's participation in the work in reply to an anxious +reminder from Tierney. The startling shattering of the net, which +they believed they had drawn around Marsh, for once stunned Tierney +into silence. When their hunger had been partly satisfied, Morgan +reminded Marsh that they had not yet analysed the peculiar situation +discovered in the Atwood apartment. + +"I hurried you fellows out so we could tall over that suitcase," +Morgan explained. "Of course, I've got some ideas of my own, but I'd +like to know what you think, Marsh." + +"Well," replied Marsh, "if you and Tierney will tell me exactly what +you discovered, I'll tell you what I think." + +"My part's easy to tell," said Tierney. "I didn't find anything +suspicious. I spent most of the time turning over a lot of pink silk +and lace things that almost made me blush. There were no letters or +photographs, and as far as I could see, none of the things had been +disturbed until I turned them over myself." + +"And I," said Morgan, "found the mess that you saw in the maid's +room. I also discovered that the back door was unlocked." + +"I had a theory," explained, Marsh, "and what you say about the back +door clinches it. Now, suppose you were a crook, and had committed a +crime that, through careless management, had brought the police +right next door to your headquarters; the place you had hoped to +reserve for emergencies, as a matter of fact. Suppose you had reason +to believe that they would begin to suspect you. You have long had a +plan ready to throw the police off the scent, if anything should +ever happen, by pretending to make away with yourself. You put the +first step of this plan into execution by sending a letter stating +that you are now as good as dead. Then you suddenly remember that at +your refuge you have left some important evidence; something that, +if discovered, might offset your well-laid plans. What would you do? +You'd try to get that evidence, wouldn't you?" + +"That is precisely what happened. Atwood, accompanied by one of his +men, who was to stand guard, returned to his apartment to secure +that almost forgotten evidence. Now, the man he left on guard heard +some familiar voices, or perhaps a name he recognized. He overlooked +his duty for the moment and tried to listen. He was discovered. +Naturally, his first thought was of himself, and he made his escape. +Up in his apartment, Atwood, who had secured what he sought, is +ready to go, but is delayed by this disturbance in the hall. He +doesn't know exactly, what it is, so he sticks close. Then he thinks +of making his escape down the back stairs, but unfortunately some of +his feminine neighbors are gossiping on the stairs below. He could +not go down that way without attracting attention that might prove +awkward later. Suddenly he hears the door of his apartment open, and +some person enter. He watches, and discovers that his daughter has +come home, alone. Now, if she should see him, his well-laid plan is +ruined. Its greatest success lies in her honest conviction that he +is really dead. He is trapped; front, rear and on the premises. He +is desperate. Something must be done quickly. In a favorable moment +he springs upon the girl from behind and renders her unconscious +with chloroform. He finds the back stairs still closed to him, and +in his haste forgets to lock the door as he closes it. He finds a +man keeping guard on the front stairs. He decides quickly that he +can deal better with this man than the women of the back. He watches +and waits, leaving the door open for a quick retreat. His +opportunity comes when this man's attention is directed to the +lighting of a pipe. In a flash he is down the stairs, knocks the man +unconscious, and goes out the front door. The next minute he is lost +in the crowds on the street and is free." + +"That, gentlemen, is my explanation of what happened in the house +today. Of course, it is largely theory, but I believe it fits the +case uncommonly well." + +"I'll say you're there!" cried Tierney. + +"Yes," Morgan agreed. "You talk as if you had been a spectator of +the whole occurrence. I doubt if a clearer explanation could be +made, and I think you came pretty near the truth when you said a +little while ago that we actually had uncovered something today. +There is still a mystery of some kind, but thanks to you, we are now +in a position to take some definite steps toward solving it." + +"Still, there is one illogical point in your surmise. The letter +from St. Louis arrived sometime this morning. If Atwood was in +Chicago Tuesday morning, how did he get that letter off, so +quickly?" + +"The trouble with an analysis based chiefly on speculation, Morgan, +is that many points may seem illogical and unexplained. We can only +rely definitely upon the outstanding features. However, I never +adopt any explanation unless it has a basis in possibility. You +remember that a while ago I told you I thought that shot was a +mistake--that it was never intended a shot should be fired. Whoever +was engaged in that occurrence knew that the shot would lead to a +police investigation, and once the police start, there is no telling +where the matter may end. To head them off quickly, is it not +possible that someone left immediately for St. Louis to post that +letter?" + +Morgan nodded. "It's straining a point, but it's quite possible, +Marsh. At least, we have no better explanation." + +They had finished their meal, and after Marsh settled the bill, +parted on the sidewalk; Marsh to return to his apartment and await +developments there, while Morgan and Tierney undertook some +investigations which Morgan had in mind. + +On his return to the house, Marsh noted with satisfaction that a +policeman in uniform way already on duty. However, he wanted to make +sure that the girl was all right, so instead of going directly to +his apartment, he continued on up the stairs to the Atwood apartment +and rang the bell. After a slight pause, Miss Atwood opened the +door. Her eyes were red with weeping, and she held her handkerchief +so as to partly conceal her face. + +"I called to see if everything was all right," explained Marsh. +"Why, what has happened?" + +He knew perfectly well the cause of the girl's trouble, and he had +to struggle hard to assume an air of ignorance. It tore his heart to +see this girl, for whom he felt a growing affection, in such +distress, knowing that all the time he possessed the knowledge to +sweep away her grief. And yet would it? Was it not probable that a +girl like her would feel even greater grief at the knowledge that +her father was a hunted criminal instead of merely dead? She +presented a most pitiable figure standing there, absolutely alone in +the world. She had gone through experiences that day which would +have made the average woman collapse, and to cap it all she had +received the final blow in the news of her father's death. + +Marsh's heart went out to her: He longed to take her into his arms +and ask her to allow him to henceforward be her protector. It was +hard to hold himself in check, yet he knew that it was no time for +this disclosure of his own feelings. Instead, he stepped quietly +through the door and sat down in the living room, where the girl +joined him. She wept silently for a few moments, while Marsh sat and +waited. At last she spoke. + +"My father is dead, Mr. Marsh." + +"What a shock!" he exclaimed. "I am so sorry. How did it happen?" + +"You know I received a letter from him this morning. It said that +his health had failed, that he could no longer work, and that by the +time the letter reached me he world have committed suicide." + +Marsh's life had been devoted to running down criminals. He had had +very little to do with women except those of the criminal type. He +was at a loss, therefore, for words to comfort this delicate girl. +He was further embarrassed by the knowledge of facts which he dared +not divulge. Everything he said sounded crude and rough in his ears, +but somehow his words seemed to have a soothing effect on the girl +and eventually her weeping ceased. + +"She's a wonder!" thought Marsh. "The bravest little woman I ever +knew." Then addressing her, he said, "Miss Atwood, after all that +has happened, it is not possible for you to stay here alone tonight. +You should go to an hotel, where you will feel protected and secure, +and at least know that, even though they are not your friends, you +have people all about you." He hesitated a moment, then added, "I +hope you will receive my offer in the spirit in which it is +intended. If you are in any way financially embarrassed at the +moment, I would be glad to take care of your hotel expenses until +you can straighten out your affairs." + +"hank you, Mr. Marsh," she returned. "I appreciate both your offer +and the spirit in which you make it, but I am well provided with +funds. Father was always generous with me, and even in his last +letter he said that he had left me well provided for." + +"Then pack up a bag at once, Miss Atwood, and let me escort you to +some hotel. I suggest the Monmouth. It is only a couple of blocks +away and I know it to be a nice, quiet family hotel where the people +would be congenial. In this time of trouble you would find it a +comfort to have a few women friends. I think you have made a mistake +in devoting so much time to your musical studies, while neglecting +social opportunities." + +The girl considered a moment, then, springing up, said, "I will +follow your suggestion. It would be dreadful to stay here alone +tonight. In fact, now that I have no one to make a home for, it +would probably be better for me to stay permanently at an hotel." + +She went to her room and prepared to leave the house. She soon +reappeared with a bag, which Marsh took from her. A few minutes +later they parted at the desk of the Monmouth Hotel, and Marsh +returned to his apartment. + +It was strange how lonely the place seemed, 'now that he knew the +girl was no longer under the same roof with him. + + + + +CHAPTER XII + +MISSING + + +Two days had passed without any word from Morgan, and Marsh himself +had made little progress on the case, for a large part of those two +days had been taken up in assisting Jane Atwood to pack her personal +things and remove them to her new home in the hotel. + +They had been pleasant days for Marsh, because he had derived +considerable happiness from the little services he had been able to +render the girl, and also because it was the first time in all the +months he had been watching over her that he was actually in her +company. + +During this time Marsh had made one discovery of a peculiar nature, +but its working out appeared to have no particular effect on the +developments of the case. The morning after he escorted Jane Atwood +to the hotel, she had returned to the apartment to begin her +packing. While assisting in this, Marsh had suggested that she +notify the man from whom her father had rented the apartment, so +that he could take steps to secure another tenant. He was amazed to +learn that she knew nothing whatever about the matter, not even the +name of the man from whom they rented. So during the morning, Marsh +called at the office of the agent of the building and explained the +situation. The agent was surprised, saying that he had always +supposed a Mr. Crocker, whose name appeared on the lease, occupied +the apartment himself. The man's name not appearing in the telephone +directory, the agent had suggested that he would write to the man's +former St. Louis address. Marsh thought this a good idea, and owing +to the odd situation which had developed, left his telephone number, +suggesting that the agent let him know what he heard in the matter. + +The next afternoon, the real estate agent telephoned him that a +telegram had just arrived from the man in St. Louis, stating that he +had never rented any such apartment in Chicago, had never signed any +lease, and did not know anything about the matter. To Marsh, the +situation was obvious. In renting the apartment Atwood had used the +name of a well known St. Louis man so as to have good references and +close the deal quietly without in any way bringing his own name and +personality into the matter. There was nothing in this information +to help the case in any way, yet it created a strange situation. +Here was an apartment full of furniture that rightfully belonged to +the girl, and yet he could in no way convince her of that fact +without also disclosing the other circumstances connected with the +case. All that they could do was to walk out and close the door +behind them, leaving the problem to the real estate agent to solve. +This they did on Friday afternoon, and so far as Marsh was +concerned, the Atwood apartment was of no further interest, for it +was obvious, now that Atwood was supposed to be dead, no one +connected with him would be likely to ever again visit the +apartment. He decided, however, to remain in his own apartment for +the present. The lease he had signed had still nearly a year to run. +He was comfortable, and free to come and go as he pleased, without +anyone noticing his movements. Then there was no telling how long he +would have to remain in Chicago, for he felt that the solution of +this case still rested somewhere within the city limits. At the +present moment he was facing a blank wall, but any day or hour might +furnish a new clue that would set things moving again. In fact, he +was inclined to feel that when he again heard from Morgan, the +detective would probably have valuable information for him. + +It was Saturday morning, and Marsh, on his way back from breakfast +at the little waffle shop, purchased a copy of the Tribune and went +back to his apartment to look over the day's news. No sooner had he +opened the paper than this headline met his eyes: + +PROMINENT BROKER MISSING + +Marsh dropped the paper on his knees and thought for a moment. Ever +since Tuesday morning, when the trouble had occurred, he had +carefully scanned the papers for reports of any missing people who +might in any way be connected with this occurrence. Here at last was +an announcement that looked promising. He began to read the article. + + Richard Townsend Merton, the well known La Salle Street + broker, has been missing far ten days, it was learned + yesterday. Gilbert Hunt, the general manager of the Merton + business, notified the police that Mr. Merton had not + appeared at his office, his clubs, or his hotel for some + days. A telegraphed inquiry to his wife, who resides with + an invalid son in Arizona, brought the reply that Mr. Merton + had not been there. The manager is inclined to believe that + Mr. Merton has either wandered away during a lapse of memory, + or may have met with an accident. + +The article then continued with the usual outline of what the police +were doing, and a description of the broker's life and habits. Marsh +learned from this that Merton had closed his country home in Hubbard +Woods when his wife moved to Arizona with their son. He had lived +for the past two years at a downtown hotel, and spent most of his +evenings at his clubs. + +After reading the entire article carefully, Marsh cut out the +accompanying photographs of Merton and the absent wife and son. Here +was something worth investigating, he thought, for he remembered the +cuff button with the initial "M," which Morgan had discovered. + +For upwards of an hour Marsh sat in deep deliberation, figuring how +he could get in close touch with the situation without in any way +disclosing his official connection or real interest in the matter. +At last he decided to follow a plan which he had used successfully +in connection with two previous cases. He looked up the address of +the Merton offices, and putting on his coat and hat, took the +Sheridan Road motor bus downtown. + +Marsh located the Merton offices on the fifteenth floor of the La +Salle Trust Building, and paused a moment inside the door to look +the place over. He found himself in a large room which contained +several stenographers and clerks. To his left was a grill work with +a window marked, "Cashier," and beyond this, several men who were +evidently bookkeepers. In front of him was a railing, behind which +sat a girl at a telephone switchboard. At the other side of the +room, floors opened into what were evidently three private offices. +On the first door he saw the name, Mr. Merton; on the second, Mr. +Hunt. The third door was blank. + +Approaching the girl, Marsh inquired if Mr. Hunt was in. + +"Yes," she replied, looking him over. "Have you a card?" + +Marsh handed her a card and she went into Mr. Hunt's office. In a +moment she returned and said, "Please step in." + +Marsh entered Hunt's office and closed the door behind him. It was +the usual private office, with a large flat top desk in the center. +This was so arranged that Hunt's back was to the light, which fell +full upon any visitor's face. Some files, a bookcase, and a small +table littered with papers, stood against the wall. Hunt motioned to +a chair and said, "Sit down, please." Marsh's card lay before him on +the desk. He picked it up and read: + + GORDON MARSH + Private Investigator + +Then looking at Marsh as he laid the card down, he said, "what can I +do for you?" + +"As you see by my card," replied Marsh, "my business consists of +conducting special private investigations. I read in the morning +paper that Mr. Merton is missing, and I came in to see if you would +care to use my services." + +"I have placed the entire matter in the hands of the police," +returned Hunt. + +"You probably know, as well as I do, Mr. Hunt, that that is the next +thing to burying the matter. They will be very busy for a couple of +days and then forget it." + +"That is about what I thought, Mr. Marsh," admitted Hunt. + +"But isn't it important, for business reasons, that you ascertain +definitely, and as quickly as possible, just what has happened to +Mr. Merton?" Marsh asked. + +"To a certain extent, yes. But Mr. Merton has left the business +entirely in my hands for some time, and things will continue +satisfactorily in his absence." + +"Then I presume you wouldn't care to have me conduct a private +investigation on your behalf, Mr. Hunt?" + +"Well, I'll tell you, Mr. Marsh," said Hunt. "Until you presented +your card to me this morning, the thought of doing anything beside +notifying the police had not occurred to me. Let me think for a +minute." + +With that, Hunt swung his chair around so that his back was toward +Marsh, and gazed thoughtfully out of the window for a few minutes. + +"In your work," he said at length, swinging around toward Marsh once +more, "you probably come into more or less close contact with the +police. I mean by that, that you would work with them more or less +on a case of this kind." + +"Certainly," replied Marsh. "I follow up every likely clue, +including everything which may be unearthed by the police." + +"After thinking it over, it may be that we can come to some +arrangement, Mr. Marsh," said Hunt. "What are your terms?" + +"My charges are $25.00 a day, and expenses," said Marsh. + +"Whew!" whistled Hunt, "that's pretty steep. I could hire all the +private detectives I wanted for ten dollars a day." + +"But I'm not a regular detective," protested Marsh. "I'm an +investigator." + +"You make a distinction, do you?" smiled Hunt. + +"Absolutely," asserted Marsh. "I merely dig up the facts and turn +them over to you for any action you see fit. My investigative work +could hardly be classed with the ordinary work of the detective." + +Hunt clasped his hands before him on the desk. After a moment's +thought, he said, "All right, Marsh, I'm going to engage you. See +what you can discover, and report to me whenever you think you are +making progress. Incidentally, keep your eye on the police and see +what they are doing. As long as you are working on this job for me, +it will be curious to see just how effective our police really are. +Now, I suppose you want to ask some questions." + +"Yes," said Marsh, "one or two; although as a rule I prefer to start +with my mind as free as possible. Mr. Merton has been living at the +LaSalle Hotel, I understand?" + +"Yes." + +"How long has he been living there?" + +"Two years." + +"I suppose I can find out something of his habits there." + +"I think I get your drift, Marsh," said Hunt, with a smile. "I can +assure you from my personal knowledge, that Mr. Merton has led a +very quiet and most exemplary life. Practically all his evenings +have been passed at the University and Chicago Athletic Clubs, and I +believe that occasionally he dropped into the Hamilton Club, of +which he is a member." + +"Why did his wife go to Arizona?" inquired Marsh. + +"The boy has weak lungs and the doctors said his life could be saved +only by several years' residence in the Arizona climate. Mrs. Merton +worships the boy and insisted upon going with him. They have been +there two years." + +"When do yon expect them back?" asked Marsh. + +"I understand the boy is not much better. It might be years before +they return, unless the boy should die." + +Marsh thought a moment, then said, "You mentioned before that the +business could go on without Mr. Merton. I presume he has given you +power of attorney?" + +"Yes," said Hunt. + +"In case of his death, Mr. Hunt, who would be his executors?" + +"I cannot see that that has any bearing on the case." + +"Perhaps not," said Marsh, "but I am following a line of thought." + +"Well," returned Hunt, "if it's of any use to you, I may say that I +will be the sole executor." + +"It was a very wise move on your part to employ me in this matter, +Mr. Hunt, in view of that fact." + +"How so?" inquired Hunt. + +"Because to the outsider it might appear that you had some personal +interest in Mr. Merton's disappearance. You know, sometimes the +police are stupidly suspicious." + +Hunt sat up with a start. "You have given me food for thought, +Marsh," he said. "I hadn't looked at the matter in that light +before." + +"Well," returned Marsh, "you can now see that my investigations and +reports will be of the utmost value to you. Furthermore, as you have +already suggested, I can keep my ear to the ground where the police +are concerned, and keep you advised of what is going on." + +"Mr. Marsh," said Hunt, rising. "I am very glad you came in to see +me. You can count upon my keeping you on this job until everything +is settled." + +"One more question," said Marsh, also rising. "I noticed a mention +of Mr. Merton's country house. Has anyone looked to see if Mr. +Merton could by any chance have gone there because of illness, or +for some other reason?" + +"I know positively he is not there," Hunt replied. "I keep a +caretaker on the premises, and occasionally look over the place +myself to make sure that everything is all right. The caretaker +assures me that Mr. Merton has not been near the place since he +closed the house two years ago." + +"One thing more, Mr. Hunt, before I go. People sometimes question my +right to investigate. Will you give me a line stating that I am +authorized to represent you in this matter?" + +"Certainly." Hunt sat down at his desk and hastily penned a few +lines on a sheet of letter paper, which he then handed to Marsh. + +Marsh carefully folded the paper, placed it in his pocket-book, and +bidding Hunt good day, went out. + + + + +CHAPTER XII + +STARTLING DISCLOSURES + + +"Why is it that business men, who pride themselves on their +astuteness, almost invariably slip up somewhere?" thought Marsh, as +he left the La Salle Trust Building and walked north on La Salle +Street. This thought was occasioned by the fact that Hunt had +neglected to ask Marsh for his address and telephone number. It +might be, of course, that the man had taken it for granted that his +name and address would be readily found in the telephone directory. +Though this explanation passed through his mind, he was more +inclined to believe that Hunt's intense interest in the matter, or +possibly a newly aroused fear, created by Marsh's reference to the +peculiar attitude in which he was placed, had driven the subject of +details, out of Hunt's mind. + +Marsh had come downtown with the intention of giving his present +address, but as the interview progressed, a feeling grew upon him +that it might be just as well, at this time, to give some downtown +business address. The fact that no inquiry had been made on this +point relieved him of the necessity of giving a fictitious address +on the spur of the moment. His next step, however, must be the +securing of such an address, for it was beyond question that during +his next interview with Hunt this information would have to be +given. + +Marsh glanced over his shoulder at the great clock in the Board of +Trade Building, which keeps guard over La Salle Street. It was just +twelve o'clock, and he reasoned that the people he contemplated +questioning would probably be going to lunch. He decided to spend +the next hour, therefore, in securing some sort of office address. +By this time he had reached Madison Street, and turning east, looked +over the buildings as he passed along, with the idea of selecting +one in which a temporary office might be secured. At the corner of +Madison Street and Wabash Avenue, he stopped and looked around him. +On one corner was the building of a great department store. On the +other three corners, big office buildings towered above him. At this +corner also here was one of the Madison Street stations of the +elevated railroad system. Certainly, it was a most logical location +for a man in his supposed line of work, so he entered one of the +buildings, approached the starter in front of the elevators, and +inquired if he knew anyone who would rent desk room. The starter +furnished him with the names and room numbers of two places where he +might inquire. The first of these which he visited proved +satisfactory. He arranged with the young woman in charge to receive +all mail and telephone calls for him and forward these to his +regular address. Making a note of the telephone number, he paid two +month's rent in advance so as to get the matter off his mind, and +returned to the street. The details of this arrangement had taken +but a short time, so Marsh went up to the men's grill maintained by +a nearby department store, intending to eat a leisurely luncheon in +one of the secluded booths. + +As he sat studying the menu, a small finger suddenly began to direct +his attention to certain items, while a soft voice whispered in his +ear, "How do you do, Mr. Marsh?" + +In work such as his, startling things were apt to occur at any +moment, so Marsh gave no outward indication of his surprise. + +"How do you do," he returned, without looking up, but his mind was +working rapidly to place the voice. + +"What are you doing here?" the voice asked. + +"You know better than to ask that question, Miss Allen." Marsh now +glanced up with a smile. + +The waitress stood up, and to anyone across the room it would have +appeared as if they were merely discussing his order, which she was +writing on a pad. + +"If you are still engaged in counterfeiting work," she said, "I may +be able to give you a valuable tip." + +"All right," said Marsh, "bring me one of those oyster pies and a +cup of coffee. We'll have a chat when you come back." + +In a few minutes she was back with his order and talked rapidly in a +guarded voice as she placed the silver on the table and arranged his +dishes. + +"About this time yesterday I had four men at this table and caught +snatches of their conversation. I put the facts together about like +this: There is a house in the suburbs, near Chicago, where a +counterfeiting plant has been in operation. In some way the +attention of the police has been attracted, and the whole outfit is +to be cleaned out as soon as they think they can get away safely. I +have no idea regarding the location, but if you are looking anything +up this may be a hint for you." + +"Thanks, Miss Allen. It is a hint." + +Without further words, she hurried away to attend to another table. + +Marsh knew that the girl who had just given him this information was +a Government operative, like himself. He would have liked to learn +more, if possible, especially descriptions of the men, but he did +not know the nature of the work she was engaged in, and feared that +any further contact between them might be unwise. For a moment he +thought of slipping her his telephone number, but the cautiousness +bred by years of experience warned him that telephones, like walls, +sometimes have ears. However, he realized that she had told him +something worth while. It was unlikely that there was more than one +counterfeiting band in Chicago at this time. She had given him a +clue, which, like the cuff button, might tie up at any moment with +some other developments. Moreover, he now knew that his men were +planning to get away and that something must be done in a hurry. +After finishing his luncheon he wrote his newly acquired downtown +address on a slip of paper, wrapped it in a bill, and then signaled +to the girl that he desired his check. He handed her the bill +carelessly, and said in a low voice, without looking up, "Something +inside for you." She returned in a moment with his change, and as +she laid it on the table, said simply, "I understand." Marsh then +started out on his search for information regarding Merton. + +While Marsh was confident that he would get, the most important part +of his information at the hotel where Merton had lived, he decided +to work up to that point rather than start there. One reason for +this decision lay in the fact that night employees of the hotel +could probably give him more valuable information regarding Merton's +movements than those on duty during the day. He was only a block +from Michigan Avenue, where the clubs at which Merton spent most of +his time were located. At these places he secured little information +that would further his quest. Merton had impressed the employees of +the clubs simply as a quiet man who had dropped in to read his +newspaper or book, or have quiet chats with other members with whom +he was acquainted. Occasionally he was known to engage in a game of +billiards or cards. It was hardly the life of a man who could have +such close associations with a gang of counterfeiters as to draw +upon himself an act of revenge or the necessity of removing him as a +matter of protection. So far as Marsh could discover, Merton had +never presented a questionable bill to the clubs. In fact, so far as +anyone connected with them could recollect, all payments of any +character had been made by check. Marsh had pursued inquiries along +this line, because, while almost anyone is liable at one time or +another, to be in possession of counterfeit money, such a happening +in Merton's case might have possessed unusual significance. It was +Marsh's desire to ascertain, so far as possible, if there had been +any connection of even a remote character, between Merton and the +counterfeiters. Unless some such connection were established, it +would be hard to believe that Merton had been the Sheridan Road +victim. Yet the coincidences of this disappearance, the evidences of +a crime, and the cuff button initialed "M," possessed too strong a +significance to be entirely disregarded. + +At the third club Marsh secured practically no information. Merton +had been an infrequent visitor and had made little or no impression +upon the employees. + +Walking north on Dearborn Street and across Madison Street, on his +way from this club to Merton's hotel, Marsh thought quickly. If he +could not at this time establish a connection, then at least he +would try to ascertain the nature of the bait which had been held +out to take this man of quiet habits to the North Side at two +o'clock in the morning. + +On reaching the hotel he found that it was still too early to +interview the people he wished to see, so he sat down in one of the +big chair in the lobby to pass the time studying the aspects of the +case. + +Even when his mind was busy, Marsh's eyes were on the alert, and +faces met under the most trivial circumstances, photographed +themselves upon his memory. His eyes rested casually upon a man who +sat opposite him, looking over an evening paper. Gradually Marsh +began to feel that the face was familiar. With this realization came +the recollection that the man had seated himself very quickly after +Marsh had selected his chair. Perhaps his recognition of the face +was something that came out of the past, but Marsh always endeavored +to connect every noticeable incident with the problem of the moment. +It was not long, therefore, before he had placed the man. On coming +out of the office building where he had made his temporary address +arrangements, he had passed this man standing near the door and also +remembered seeing the same man in the grill room where he had +lunched. The fact that the man was now seated near him in the hotel +lobby was more than a coincidence. Marsh's eyes roved about the +lobby with apparently careless interest, and not even the man across +from him could have guessed that he had noted anything or become +more watchful than before. However, he was planning action. If this +man was watching him there could be but one reason--his connection +with the present case. If he was connected with this case then he +was evidently one of the men they wanted. Marsh intended to be sure. + +To change the situation from watched to watcher would involve some +quick and clever work. Marsh pondered. + +As the bell boy passed Marsh called to him, Slipping a coin into the +boy's hand, he said, "I had an appointment here with a Mr. Morgan. +See if you can locate him." As the boy started off, calling the +name, Marsh watched the man opposite out of the corner of his eye. +The man threw down his newspaper, stretched and yawned, while his +eyes wandered about the lobby. His movements were of a very casual +sort, but to Marsh's watchful eye it was noticeable that his glances +were actually following the bell boy seeking Morgan. Marsh was now +convinced that his actions were under surveillance, and he next +planned how to throw the man off. As he sat intent on this problem, +he was startled to heap the bell boy say, "Here's the gentleman, +sir," and looking up, Marsh saw Morgan standing in front of him. + +The training of both men forbade any indication of the astonishment +both felt, but looking into the other's eyes, each read the question +there. Marsh jumped up, and holding out his hand, exclaimed +boisterously, "Where have you been hiding yourself? I'd about given +you up." + +"I'm sorry I am late," apologized Morgan, in an equally loud voice, +taking the cue. He pulled an adjoining chair close to Marsh and sat +down. + +"Now," said Marsh, in a low voice, "it is probably needless to tell +you not to make your observation too obvious, but I want to call +your attention to the man sitting opposite." + +Morgan nodded. + +"He has been following me all the afternoon," continued Marsh, in +the same guarded voice. "As long as I sit here I surmise that he +will stay where he is. That will give you time to slip out, pick up +one of your men, and get him on the job. I suspect it will be worth +while getting a line on him." + +"That's easy," returned Morgan. "I'll have him locked up inside of +the next ten minutes." + +"No," said Marsh, "that would be taking too big a chance." + +"On. the contrary," said Morgan, "it would be taking no chance at +all. That man has been wanted for a year for putting over a +confidence game. I won't mention any names because lips sometimes +tell stories to watchful eyes. You just sit here and you'll see +something in a few minutes." With that, Morgan went out. + +A few minutes later a man strolled through the lobby and approached +the stranger. He leaned over and whispered to him and the two went +out together. Marsh was congratulating himself that when this man +got to Headquarters he might be made to talk to some effect, when +Morgan and another man, whom Marsh easily recognized as a detective, +approached. + +"Where in blazes did your man go?" exclaimed Morgan. + +Marsh stared for a moment. "Why I thought your man got him," he +said. "Somebody came in and quietly took him out." + +"Good-night!" exclaimed Morgan. "Somebody must have tipped him off." +He turned to the man with him. "No use hanging around now. Our +bird's flown." + +As the man left them Morgan sat down again beside Marsh. "How the +deuce did you know I was here?" he asked. + +"I didn't," returned Marsh. "I had that bell boy page you to test +the man across from me. I never had such a surprise in my life as +when you turned up. What were you doing here?" he added. + +"The Chief asked me to look into this Merton case. What were YOU +doing here?" + +"The same thing," replied Marsh. + +"Looking up Merton?" + +"Yes." + +"Well, that's funny. What for?" + +"Because I strongly suspect he is the murdered man in our case." + +Morgan gasped. + + + + +CHAPTER XIV + +THE NIGHT CALL + + +As Morgan recovered from his astonishment, Marsh anticipated some +leading questions. He headed these off at this time, by saying, "In +this case, conditions seem to be somewhat reversed; for up to this +time we have found practically no one who could be put under +surveillance, yet we have every evidence that we are being carefully +watched by others. Several incidents have occurred, including the +present little drama which convinces us of that fact. There is no +question that we should again compare notes as soon as possible, but +this is a dangerous place to discuss the case. I came here to +question certain people. As they will not be on duty until later +there is nothing I can do along that line for a little while. In the +meantime, we ought to look over Merton's rooms upstairs. I could not +make an attempt to do this, because I do not possess the proper +authority without explaining my real connections. You, however, as a +city detective engaged on the case, will have no difficulty in +making arrangements to inspect his room." + +"That is just what I dropped in to do," replied Morgan. + +"Then go ahead and make your arrangements," said Marsh, "and when +you are ready, let me go up with you. If we meet anyone, remember +that I am working under the special authorization of Mr. Hunt, and +you and I have just become acquainted." + +Morgan went to the hotel office. In a few minutes he returned with a +bell boy and nodded to Marsh. Guided by the bell boy, they took an +elevator and ascended to Merton's rooms, which they found consisted +of a sitting room, bedroom and bath. Obeying instructions, the bell +boy at once retired and closed the door after him. + +They first inspected the bedroom, giving special attention to the +dresser. This contained nothing save the usual supply of clothing, +which served no other purpose than to indicate the wealth and +conservative taste of the owner. Marsh particularly sought some +jewelry that might help to identify the cuff button as the property +of the lost man. He found nothing, however, and considered it +probable that whatever jewelry Merton owned was on his person. + +From the bedroom the two men went to the sitting room, which they +hoped would hold greater possibilities, for a desk stood in one +corner near a window. A framed photograph of Merton's wife and son, +standing on top of the desk, of course had no significance. They +then began a search of the drawers and the interior of the desk. + +"Probably you have noticed," said Marsh, after a moment, "the +disordered condition of this desk." + +"Now that you speak of it," agreed Morgan, "I think it is pretty +well mussed up." + +"I should say," commented Marsh, "that either Merton is very +careless, or else we are not the first people to examine this desk." + +"Probably the desk has been gone over, Marsh," acceded Morgan. "But +you must remember that Merton has been known to be missing for +several days and hotel employees, even under ordinary circumstances, +are apt to be curious. The point is worth remembering, but I doubt +if it is of any importance." + +One by one, they examined various letters and papers. A few touched +on business subjects, but the majority were of a personal nature. +Most of these were from Merton's wife; the others from business men +whose well known names placed them beyond suspicion. In one corner +of the desk Morgan picked up a sheet containing some notations +regarding bond purchases. Beneath this he found a black, leather- +covered notebook of a size that would conveniently fit into a vest +pocket. One glance into this and Morgan gave an exclamation. "See +here!" he cried, calling Marsh's attention to the book. "This +notebook has been kept in cipher. These combinations of letters and +figures mean absolutely nothing as they stand." + +The two men slowly turned the pages, but as Morgan had stated, the +matter which the book contained conveyed nothing to them. + +"That looks as if Merton had something to conceal, Marsh." + +"On the face of it--yes," returned Marsh. "But just glance at this +sheet which covered the notebook. From its subject matter I should +be inclined to believe that it represented Merton's handwriting." + +Morgan nodded and Marsh went on. + +"Now, when you come to look at this notebook, even a hasty glance +shows a difference in the handwriting. In. fact, now that my +attention has been drawn to it, there is really a marked +difference." + +"Well?" queried Morgan. + +"Offhand," returned Marsh, "I would say, that somebody has been +keeping a secret record. That person sat at this desk making +additional notes. In a moment of forgetfulness, or perhaps the +necessity of hasty concealment, the notebook was placed under this +sheet and later overlooked. There is a possibility that this +notebook was left by the person who preceded us at this desk." + +Morgan took the notebook and examined it carefully for a few +minutes. "In my work," he said, "I have several times run up against +ciphers of various kinds. This is unlike anything I ever saw before, +and looks as if it would be mighty hard to unravel." + +Marsh again took the book and after carefully examining it, said, "I +don't pretend to be a cipher expert. In fact, I never waste time on +it. We have men both here and at Washington who can read this sort +of stuff backward. I'll send this book to them and we'll soon get a +key to the cipher." + +At this moment, both men became silent and alert. Someone was +slipping a key into the lock of the door. Marsh quickly dropped the +notebook into the side pocket of his coat. A moment later the door +swung open and Gilbert Hunt entered. + +He stopped with a start of surprise, but quickly recovered himself. + +"You gentlemen gave me a shock!" he exclaimed. "I didn't expect to +find anyone here. Already on the job, Mr. Marsh?" he added. + +"Yes," returned Marsh, easily. "I never lose any time, and this room +naturally should be looked over." + +"And this gentleman with you?" questioned Hunt. + +"Detective Sergeant Morgan--Mr. Hunt," introduced Marsh. "Morgan is +conducting the police investigation." Then he added, with a wink at +Hunt. "We met downstairs and I thought we might as well look things +over at the same time." + +"I see," said Hunt, smiling. "Have you discovered anything?" + +"Nothing to which I can attach any great importance at this time," +replied Marsh. + +"I thought I would come up and look things over," explained Hunt, as +he strolled over to the desk and ran his fingers through the papers. +The two men watched him with keen attention. + +"Seems to be nothing here outside of personal correspondence," said +Hunt, turning around. + +"Yes," Morgan answered, "those letters appear to be of a very +ordinary character. As far as I can see, there is nothing there that +would help us." + +"I presume you are working along other lines also?" inquired Hunt. + +"Surely," said Morgan. "We have several men on the case now." + +"And what have you found, Mr. Marsh?" inquired Hunt. + +"Nothing that gives me a lead so far. I will report to you as soon +as anything comes to light." + +"Better come to my home some evening," Hunt suggested. "We can talk +in greater privacy than at the office. You will find my address in +the telephone directory. By the way, I believe you neglected to give +me your address this morning, and I do not find your name in the +telephone book." + +"That's right," exclaimed Marsh." I believe I did neglect to do +that." Marsh went over to the desk, tore off the corner of a sheet +of paper, and wrote down his new address and telephone number. "Here +it is," he said, handing the paper to Hunt. "My name would not be in +the telephone book as my work necessitates frequent changes of +address. One month I am liable to be in California and the next in +Europe. For the present, however, you will be able to get word to me +at the address I have given you. Naturally, I will seldom be there, +but you can always leave word for me to get in touch with you." Then +Marsh turned to Morgan. "We'd better be moving along," he said. + +"Yes," agreed Morgan, "there's nothing more to be gained here." + +After exchanging a few commonplace words with Hunt, the two +detectives went out, leaving Hunt in the room. Downstairs, in the +lobby, Marsh said, "I strongly suspect that Hunt wanted to be left +alone in that room. That's why I hurried you away. The sooner he +gets through up there, the quicker he will leave the hotel. I don't +want him around while I am looking up the rest of my information. +Now, you watch the Madison Street entrance, while I stand across the +street on La Salle. When he leaves, the one that sees him will let +the other know." + +The two men then separated and took up their watch. + +Hunt must have made a careful examination of Merton's rooms, because +it was not until a half hour later that Morgan rejoined Marsh and +informed him that he had seen Hunt enter his automobile on Madison +Street and drive away. + +"Morgan," said Marsh. "I want to have a talk with you after I get +through here. Suppose I come to your apartment tonight?" + +"Fine!" agreed Morgan. "I have some information to give you. I'll +run up to Headquarters now, make a report, and go right home. You +will find me there whenever you are ready." + +"And here is a suggestion, Morgan. When either of us calls on the +other, the signal will be three knocks on the door instead of +pushing the electric bell. I have a suspicion that answering a bell +these days will have to be conducted with caution." + +"Perhaps you are right," said Morgan. "I'll remember." + +Morgan then walked on up La Salle Street, while Marsh crossed over +and entered the hotel once more. There was now only one person who +might give him a really definite lead--the night telephone operator- +-and he went straight to her switchboard. Marsh knew that this young +woman was probably overfed with smooth talk, so he counted upon +getting better results by going straight to the point. + +"Good evening," he said. "You are the night operator here, are you +not?" + +The young woman, who was arranging things before her in a way that +indicated she had but recently come on duty, replied in the +affirmative. + +"Do you remember Mr. Merton, who has been reported missing?" asked +Marsh. + +"I should say I do," exclaimed the girl. "An awfully nice man. He +appreciated good service. Every Saturday night he gave me a box of +candy." + +"Read this," said Marsh, handing her his authorization from Hunt. + +"Oh, I hope you do find out something," said the girl, as she +returned the paper to Marsh. "I'd just hate to think anything +serious had happened to Mr. Merton." + +"All right," answered Marsh, "then you'll be willing to help me?" + +"What can I do?" she inquired. + +"Mr. Merton's kindness to you made an impression upon you, did it +not?" Marsh asked. + +The girl nodded. + +"Then you would naturally recollect anything of an unusual nature +which might have taken place during the last few days, would you +not?" + +"Yes... I think so," returned the girl, somewhat guardedly. + +"A telephone call late at night?" suggested Marsh. + +The girl was busy with her switchboard for a time. Then she leaned +back and looked at Marsh. "See here," she said, "I'd do most +anything to help find that man, but I can't take a chance on losing +my job." + +Marsh now knew that he was going to get important information if he +handled the matter diplomatically. + +"Remember," he explained, confidentially, "I am not a regular +detective. I have nothing to do with the city police department. +There will be no publicity attached to anything I learn. I am merely +looking up confidential information for Mr. Hunt, who, as you know, +has charge of Mr. Merton's business." + +The girl was again busy at the switchboard, and when at last there +came a pause, she looked carefully around to see that no one else +was within ear shot. Then she leaned toward Marsh. + +"He got a telephone message at twelve o'clock on Monday night," she +whispered. + +"You mean last Monday?" questioned Marsh. He recollected that Merton +had been reported missing for ten days. + +The girl nodded. + +"Of course, at that hour," suggested Marsh, "you were not very busy +and would therefore be likely to listen in on the wire." + +"The very idea!" she exclaimed, indignantly. + +"Look here," said Marsh. "If I can rescue Merton from the +predicament he is probably in, someone will be handsomely rewarded. +Is it not a safe bet that the person who gives me the correct +information to put me on the right track, will be pretty well taken +care of?" + +The girl sat in thoughtful silence. + +"And if Mr. Merton should happen to be dead, Mrs. Merton would be +very grateful, indeed, to anyone who had helped her learn the +truth," Marsh added. + +Again the girl looked cautiously about. The hint of an ample reward +was having its effect. + +"If I lose my job..." she warned, and then again leaned toward +Marsh. "I listened in, all right. It was a man who said his name was +Nolan. From what I heard I think he used to be a chauffeur for Mr. +Merton. He said he was in an awful hole, that he was unjustly +accused of theft, and that they were about to lock him up. He asked +Mr. Merton if he could do anything to keep him out of this disgrace. +Mr. Merton said he would try and asked where he was. Nolan said he +was being detained in the apartment of a man named Ames, at some +place on Sheridan Road--I forget the exact number." + +"Did Mr. Merton go there then, do you know?" + +"I couldn't tell you that. He simply said, 'All right,' and hung up +the receiver." + +"You have given me just the information I needed," said Marsh. "Your +job is in no danger if you let this matter rest just between us two. +If anyone else should question you, you don't know anything. And +above all, forget about me. You get the idea?" + +"You bet!" replied the girl, as she turned again to her switchboard. + +Marsh left the hotel, well satisfied with his progress. It was now +fairly well established that Richard Townsend Merton was the victim +of Clark Atwood. + + + + +CHAPTER XV + +"DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES" + + +Up to this time the case had seemed one of the most mysterious with +which Marsh had ever had to deal. Now, however, while elements of +mystery still remained, he had certain definite clues upon which to +work. The little notebook in his pocket might prove to be a key that +would unlock the final barrier. The most important thing before him +now, therefore, was to secure a solution to the cipher. It was of +too important a nature to trust to the mails so Marsh decided to put +it directly into official hands. He glanced at his watch. It was +after six, and being Saturday, it was likely that these men had left +their offices in the Federal Building. At the same time, this was a +very busy branch of the Government and it was just possible that +someone might be lingering late. Marsh decided to take a chance. + +It had been clearly impressed upon him by this time that he was no +longer free to come and go unnoticed. At this very moment there +might be a pair of eyes somewhere in that hurrying throng on La +Salle Street ready to follow his every move. However much they might +suspect him, his exact status in the case was probably still a +puzzle to them. He did not believe it safe as yet to betray his +connection with the Government. The problem then was to reach the +Federal Building without being followed. + +Marsh called a taxi, and loudly giving an address on the South Side, +was whirled away. Taking out a bill, he laid it on the seat. In a +couple of blocks the taxi was held up for a moment by traffic and +Marsh stepped hastily out and softly closed the door. He dashed up +the street, turned down an alleyway, and half way down the block +turned again through another alley that brought him to a different +street. In these dark, deserted byways he could have instantly +detected any attempt to follow him. A few minutes later he entered +the Federal Building, quite sure that any possible pursuers had been +thrown off the trail. + +He found a hard working official still in his office, and showing +his credentials and explaining the object of his visit, Marsh turned +over the notebook. Then he slipped out of the Federal Building, and +went to a nearby restaurant to get his dinner. After dinner he +proceeded by devious routes to keep his appointment with Morgan. +Climbing to Morgan's apartment, Marsh gave three raps, the signal +agreed upon. + +Tierney opened the door, but after an exchange of greetings, put on +his cap and passed out into the hall to stand guard. + +"Both of us must have important information," said Morgan. "Which of +us, shall tell it first?" + +"Let me hear your story first," returned Marsh. + +"All right," agreed Morgan. "Here goes. My chief information lies in +the fact that we now have two men who are undoubtedly connected with +Atwood. Both of these men are known to the police, and once we get +our eyes on them they will probably lead us to the men we want. It +is only a question of hours, perhaps, because every man on the force +now has their descriptions and will keep his eyes open. The first of +these is Wagner, the man you saw in the hotel lobby. The other is +the man who attacked Miss Atwood. With her description in mind, +Tierney and I looked over the photographs at Headquarters. We picked +out a man known as 'Baldy' Newman as best answering the description. +I took a copy of the photograph to Miss Atwood at her hotel, and +while she was not sure, she said it was enough like the man she saw +to be the same person. Now, this 'Baldy' Newman is a well known West +Side gunman, and we know his usual hangouts. He's a little bit of a +shrimp, but an expert with his gun, and therefore a dangerous +customer to handle, so Tierney and I were mighty vigilant. We found, +however, that for nearly two years he has shown up only twice at his +old hangouts. That time ties up in a significant way with your +story, Marsh. The last time was early on Monday night, when he +showed a roll of money and boasted that he was going to pull off a +real job that night. We got this from the bartender, who was mighty +sore at 'Baldy.' It seems that our friend had slipped a five dollar +bill off his roll to pay for drinks for the crowd, and the bartender +still has this bill as a souvenir. IT WAS A COUNTERFEIT. Of course, +there's enough in all that to positively tie 'Baldy' up with our +case, even if Miss Atwood had not been fairly confident of her +identification." + +"Now," continued Morgan. "Here's some stuff I brought for you. +Sooner or later I believe you can make use of it." Morgan handed +some photographs to Marsh, which he explained as Marsh looked them +over. + +"The first," he said, "is a photograph of 'Baldy' Newman. He's a +good man for you to keep your eye out for, because if he ever shot +first it would be all day with you. The second photograph is of +Wagner. You have already seen him, but this picture will fix him +more firmly in your mind. The next photograph is the one our man +made of Atwood's letter. Of course, the letter doesn't tell us much, +but the handwriting may. That last photograph is of the hand marks +on the dining room table in the Ames apartment. Ordinarily, marks of +that kind would tell very little. Our finger print expert, however, +called my attention to the fact that there is a scar on the right +hand. Of course, a scar in that position might be found on many +hands, but if you look carefully at that photograph you will see +that the scar forms a sort of acute angle. It is, therefore, not an +ordinary scar. The man whose hand we find it on is pretty sure to be +one of the men who was in the Ames apartment that night." + +"High class crooks like Atwood, while they work alone, are often +hard to get, but sooner or later they grow ambitious. They want to +be the brains of an organization. Then they call in second-rate +crooks like 'Baldy' and Wagner, to do the dirty work. These men are +never so clever, and some day, through them, the police get their +hands on the man higher up. I think, Marsh, that in this case that +is what we are going to do." "You have done well, Morgan," praised +Marsh. "I believe on the whole that, while I have secured some +valuable information, your work has really brought us the nearest to +the man we want." + +"That was pretty sharp of yon to tie up Merton with the case," +commented Morgan. "Of course, when you mentioned it to me I saw its +possibilities. Before that I was thrown off the track by the fact +that Merton was reported to have been missing for ten days, whereas +this supposed crime occurred at two o'clock last Tuesday morning. +Why do you suppose that fellow Hunt threw us off like that?" + +"Probably he did not do it intentionally," answered Marsh. "Hunt is +running the business for Merton, and very likely saw little of him +outside of the once. It may have been ten days since Merton had +appeared at his office, although only a few days since he was +missing from the hotel." + +"What made you suspect it in the first place?" inquired Morgan. + +"I'll tell you the whole story," said Marsh. "Naturally, I was +watching the papers for missing people. When I saw that announcement +this morning, and remembered the 'M' on the cuff button, it began to +look like a possibility. At any rate, it was worth looking up. To +get at the real facts, I knew that I would have to be on the inside, +so I presented myself to Hunt this morning as a private investigator +who was anxious to get the job of looking up Merton in the interest +of his office. I think I got closer to Hunt than any policeman ever +would. In fact, I was furnished with inside information that may or +may not be significant. This man Hunt holds a power of attorney from +Merton, and Merton's will names him as sole executor, Of course, to +a criminal investigator that sounds bad on its face. On the other +hand, if Hunt possessed such power with Merton there could be no +object in his wanting to get him out of the way. Certainly, a man in +Hunt's position would not have had dealings with a crook like +Atwood. Furthermore, if Hunt did want to make away with Merton, he +would more likely do it himself than take the risk of employing +others, and so place himself in a position to be blackmailed later. +Carrying the thought still further, would a clever man like Atwood +take a chance of upsetting his own plans by hiring himself out to +Hunt as a common thug?" + +"I am positive that Atwood either killed or kidnapped Merton, for I +have discovered, through the telephone girl at the hotel, that +Merton received a telephone call at twelve o'clock Monday night, +summoning him out. That telephone call was supposed to come from the +Ames apartment. At two o'clock Tuesday morning the shot was fired in +that apartment and Merton has not been seen since. We know +definitely that Atwood occupies the apartment across the hall, but +at this time I cannot see any possible connection between the two +men. Hunt is evidently nervous, because it is my opinion that he +used undue influence over Merton, and this disappearance has placed +him in a peculiar position. I particularly called this phase of the +case to his attention this morning, and subtly suggested that my +work would be of value to him in preventing suspicion on the part of +the police. That feature was plainly what made him decide to employ +me, and I am relying upon it to eventually get further valuable +information." + +"The little book, with notes in cipher, which we discovered in +Merton's room, is somewhat of a puzzle to me just now. It may +contain information that will be helpful, or it may prove just a +memoranda of business deals. We must not overlook the fact that a +man in Merton's line of work, and the men with whom he did business, +have many big plans which must be kept secret until they are +launched. That book may have contained data along such lines, and +Merton may have simply been referring to it when suddenly called +out. You will recall that we found a memorandum regarding business +transactions covering the book." + +"But," protested Morgan, "there must have been some connection +between Merton and Atwood or else Atwood would not have taken such a +dangerous step against him. Even you will admit that Atwood was not +an ordinary crook. Doubtless, then, every step he took was the +result of a definite plan." + +"Quite true," agreed Marsh, "but there was never a plan yet that +didn't have possibilities of failure. You remember what I have said +before; that I believed that shot to have been a mistake. If the +shot was a mistake, could not other mistakes have also crept in? Get +Atwood and I believe that many things will be cleared up." + +"Now there is one thing more," went on Marsh. "I cannot tell you +where I got the tip, and the information is only general. Still it +helps. There are at least four men in the gang we seek, and their +headquarters is in some suburban house near Chicago. The most +important point, however, is this: they know positively that we are +after them, and have made arrangements to get out at the first +opportunity. That means WE must work fast." + +Morgan was sitting in his favorite chair by the table. Marsh was +seated at the front of the room with his back to the window. At this +moment the window glass above his head cracked, a dull thud sounded +on the wall across the room, and bits of paper and plaster dropped +to the floor. + +Instantly Marsh slipped down in his chair, so that his head came +below its back, while Morgan's hand shot out and snapped off the +electric lamp on the table, throwing the room into darkness. Aside +from the slight cracking of the window glass, and the dull crash as +the missile struck the plastered wall, there had been no other +sound. + +Morgan left his chair and felt his way through the darkened room. +Opening the hall door he cautiously peered out. Tierney, with his +hands in his trouser pockets, was leaning with his back against the +wall. He glanced up quickly as the door opened. + +"Everything all right, Tierney?" inquired Morgan. + +"Sure thing." + +"Haven't seen or heard anybody?" + +"Nope." + +Morgan closed the door and moved back into the room. + +"'Dead men tell no tales'," said Marsh, lightly. + +"Was it that, or just a warning?" questioned Morgan. + +"People do not go to all that trouble just to deliver a warning, +Morgan. They wanted to get me." + +"Why you?" protested Morgan. "I was here, too." + +"They couldn't possibly have seen you where you sat, Morgan. On the +other hand, my head, sticking above the back of this chair, and +showing against the lamp-light, made an excellent target." + +Marsh now rose and examined the window. "A nice, clean hole," he +commented, "and not more than two inches above my head. A mighty +good marksman, with a high-powered rifle, evidently." + +"Rifle!" exclaimed Morgan. "We didn't hear a sound!" + +"Come here," Marsh called. Morgan joined him at the window. "From +here you can see the grand stand in the ball park. The upper tiers +are on a line with this window." + +"But," objected Morgan, "that is too far away for any man to get a +good sight; and remember, we heard no shot." + +"Don't forget," Marsh reminded him, "that we live in scientific +times. With a telescopic sight, and a Maxim Silencer on his rifle, a +good marksman could steady it on the back of one of those seats and +pick us off at twice the distance without a sound." + +"It is very discouraging," groaned Morgan. "To think that we may be +picked off before we've even began to get near our man." + +"On the contrary," returned Marsh, "it is very encouraging. When a +criminal gets as desperate as that you are not very far away from +him." + +Marsh then pulled down the shades and instructed Morgan to light the +lamp once more. + +"Seems kind of dangerous, under the circumstances," remonstrated +Morgan. + +"On the contrary, the man who fired that shot is probably miles away +by this time. He is doubtless laughing to think of fat policemen +crawling around over the benches up there right now." + +"They would have been," admitted Morgan, "if I had been alone. As it +was, I left it to you to do what you thought best." + +"I have a special reason, however, for lighting the lamp and pulling +down the shades," explained Marsh. "It is just possible that another +member of the gang is watching out there for me to leave. Pulling +down the shades and lighting up will lead him to think I am still +here. In the meantime, I am about to slip down your back stairs." + +"Where are you going to stay tonight?" inquired Morgan. + +"Home, of course." + +"I admire your nerve!" exclaimed Morgan. "Sleeping up in that place +all alone, with these fellows hot on your trail." + +Marsh laughed. "Seems to me they're pretty close to your house, too, +Morgan. Aren't you going to sleep at home?" + +"Yes," said Morgan, grinning, "but somehow or other that big, half- +furnished place of yours seems more dismal and open to the enemy +than my little home here with a police station only a couple of +blocks away." + +"You forget that I have two policemen on guard up there. They've not +been ordered off yet. If I were to let my imagination scare me to +death, Morgan, I would have been out of the Government service long +ago. This experience is no worse than some of the things I went +through during the war." + +"Now, before I go, there are two matters I should like you and +Tierney to look up for me. First, locate a man named Nolan, who was +formerly Mr. Merton's chauffeur. Find out what he has been doing for +the last week or two; particularly where he was last Monday night. +Nolan is the man who is supposed to have telephoned Merton." + +"Then try to get a line on Gilbert Hunt; how long he has been with +Merton, and things of that sort. I will look for you at my apartment +Monday evening. If anything important should happen in the meantime, +try to get me on the telephone. Now, I'm going." + +As they passed through the apartment, Morgan said, "I'm sorry you +didn't meet my mother. She never interrupts conferences, and has +gone to bed by this time." + +"There will be many other opportunities, I hope," returned Marsh. + +By this time they had reached the back door, and after a silent +handshake, Marsh slipped quietly down the rear stairs, then through +the alley to Addison Street, where he boarded an elevated train and +went home. + +He was re-assured by the careful way in which the officer on duty in +front of his house scrutinized him as he passed, and went upstairs +and straight to bed. It had been a busy day and Marsh had many half- +formed plans for the morrow. + + + + +CHAPTER XVI + +THE CLOSED COUNTRY HOUSE + + +Sunday morning was gray and dark, with low-hanging clouds and a +frosty snap in the air that gave the city its first touch of real +autumn weather. Returning from breakfast, Marsh lit the gas logs in +his fireplace and sat down before their cheery blaze to smoke and +think. + +Step by step he analyzed and strove to connect the developments of +the last few days. The case was strange in many ways. With numerous +clues, suspicions circumstances and half-identified people on every +hand, there was no one feature upon which definite action could be +taken. Atwood was the most elusive criminal he had ever pursued. +Never at any time had the man become an actual personality. Like a +will-o'-the-wisp, he was ever in sight, yet just beyond reach. While +the detectives struggled along tangled paths that led nowhere, +Atwood's long arm continually reached out to strike back. + +As he thought along these lines, an explanation slowly took form in +Marsh's mind. In some of its features it seemed weird and unreal. +This, perhaps, was due to the fact that the few definite pieces of +information in his possession had to be largely supported and +connected by theories and deductions. Strange as the explanation +might seem, it nevertheless gave birth to a well-defined plan of +action. + +In this way the morning slipped by and Marsh was surprised, on +looking at his watch, to find that it was nearly noon. He went to +his telephone, called the Monmouth Hotel, and asked to speak to Miss +Atwood. When the girl answered the telephone, Marsh inquired if she +would care to have dinner with him. The invitation was accepted with +quite evident pleasure on the girl's part, and Marsh soon left to +keep his appointment with her. On his way to the hotel, Marsh +stepped into a cigar store, looked up Gilbert Hunt's telephone +number, and made an appointment for the evening. Marsh took this +precaution of telephoning Hunt from a pay station because a +telephone call is easily traced, and he had not yet decided to +advise Hunt of his real address. + +Jane Atwood joined Marsh in the lobby of the hotel, and the +friendliness of her greeting made him glad of his decision to take +her on the trip he had planned for the afternoon. + +They had dinner at the Edgewater Beach Hotel. It was the girl's +first visit to this show-place of the North Side, and Marsh was +delighted with her animated interest in everything about her. In +fact, he found it hard to believe that this girl, whose bright +chatter, sunny smile and sparkling eyes now held him fascinated, had +so recently been through such trying experiences. Marsh felt that it +was a natural reaction brought about by this diversion, and he long +afterward remembered it as one of the happiest hours in a life that +had been replete with professional adventure, but barren in the +companionship of women of her sort. + +As they sat sipping their coffee, Marsh said, "I imagine you have +seen very little of Chicago, Miss Atwood?" + +"Yes," she admitted. "One takes less interest in things when sight- +seeing trips must be made alone. You know, I have not seemed to make +any friends in Chicago." + +"When I can spare the time, I want to take you around a little. I am +sure that you would enjoy the art museum, for art is akin to music +and from what you have told me I know that you are deeply interested +in that." + +"Yes," she replied, "music has always been my chief companion. The +dreams that other girls confide in chums, I have told to my piano." + +Marsh lit a cigarette and smoked for a moment in silence. + +"How would you like to take a little trip with me out to one of the +North Shore suburbs this afternoon?" he inquired. + +"I should enjoy it very much," she said. + +"Well," Marsh went on, "there is a house out at Hubbard Woods that I +want to look over this afternoon for a friend. This is just the day +for a stroll along the autumn-leafed roads. I thought perhaps you +would like to go with me." + +Marsh aided her with her wraps and they walked across to the +elevated railroad. At Evanston, a few miles north of the city, they +changed to the suburban electric line. The girl took a lively +interest in the pretty suburban towns through which they passed, and +it seemed to Marsh as if they had but just boarded the train when +the conductor called out their station and they alighted. + +The place was well named. A lonely little station set down in the +midst of thick woods, and a road that wound slightly downhill and +away among the trees were all that met the eye. They strolled down +this road, passing occasional homes. These were usually well back +from the road and almost concealed among the trees. In fact, in some +places the house itself was not visible, the only indication of a +residence being an ornamental gateway, or sometimes just a simple +driveway disappearing into the woods. Fallen leaves rustled about +their feet, but much of the foliage remained on the trees. Some of +this was still green, setting off the masses of autumn colors that +ranged from a sombre brown to vivid reds and many shades of yellow. + +"And a great city only a few miles away," mused Marsh, giving voice +to both their thoughts. + +"It is beautiful," admitted the girl, "but so lonely and quiet. +Somehow, one, feels so far, far away from everything. Perhaps the +gloomy day affects me, but it seems as if the air were full of some +solemn mystery." + +At this point Marsh saw a young couple, strolling on the other side +of the road. He surmised that they were local residents, and +excusing himself to Miss Atwood, crossed over and inquired of the +man if he knew where the Merton estate was located. + +"Yes," was the reply. "Just keep on south along Sheridan Road. It +won't take you five minutes to get there. The place is on the left +hand side of the road. You can't miss it; a gateway with gray stone +posts, and there are two big pines inside the entrance to the +driveway." + +Thanking him, Marsh rejoined Miss Atwood. + +"I wanted to find out how to locate the place I was looking for," he +explained. "You will pardon my leaving you alone, but it seemed +unnecessary to make you cross the street." + +"Oh, I didn't mind," she replied. + +Marsh's real reason, however, in thus leaving Miss Atwood, was to +prevent her hearing mention of the name of Merton. Unquestionably, +the girl had read of the case in the papers, and after her own +recent experiences might feel a certain timidity in approaching the +missing broker's home; especially after her recent mention of how +the surroundings affected her. + +A slight turn in the road brought them to the driveway which the +young man had described. there was no mistaking the two great pines +that stood like sentinels at either side, just back of the imposing +stone gateway. One of these trees was evidently dead, for it was +gaunt and bare, in marked contrast to its companion; and as they +paused a moment before the entrance, the wind broke off a rotting +branch, which fell at her feet. The gates of iron grill work were +standing open, and they turned in and started up the driveway, which +was covered with crushed gray stone. The house was farther from the +road than Marsh had expected, for it was several minutes before they +reached it. As he stood before the great pile of stone and wood, +with its drawn shades and general appearance of desertion, Marsh +thought of the long, winding road through the woods behind them and +half regretted that he had brought Miss Atwood with him. His desire +had been to attract as little attention as possible in his +inspection of the house. One man scouting around this lonely place +would have been a suspicious object. On the other hand, it had +seemed to him that a man and woman, out for an afternoon stroll, +might exhibit an interest in a large country-house without +attracting suspicious attention. But now, as he stood there in the +gray autumn light, with the wind sighing through the trees about +them and a fine snow beginning to drift down, the place seemed to +take on an uncanny atmosphere that, even though nothing worse could +happen, would have a depressing effect on the girl. It was too late +to back out, however. It would be hard to explain a sudden retreat +to the girl, and there was no time to be lost in trying to get the +information which he sought. Marsh glanced at his companion. She was +looking around with evident interest, and he was glad to note that +as yet she exhibited no signs of nervousness. + +"I understand there is a caretaker here. Will you come up with me +while I ring the bell?" + +The girl assented, and they climbed the wide steps over which the +autumn leaves were thickly scattered. 'whether or not the bell rang, +Marsh could not tell, but certainly no sound came to them. He +decided to knock and struck the door with the knuckles of his +clenched hand. At the first blow, the door moved and swung inward. + +A large hall stretched dimly before them. At one side, Marsh saw a +stairway and at the other a high curtained doorway, which probably +led to the drawing room. At the bank of the hall seemed to be +another smaller doorway, but Marsh could not be sure in the dim +light. He was in a quandary. So far as he could see, the house was +deserted. Possibly the caretaker was spending his Sunday afternoon +with friends, and the door had been closed carelessly so that the +latch had not caught. Had Marsh been alone he would have welcomed +this opportunity to carefully inspect the house. The girl now +blocked such an attempt, for it was obviously unwise, for many +reasons, to ask her to accompany him into the house; and he could +not consider the idea of leaving her alone, even for a few minutes. +There was no alternative but to postpone his visit until the next +day. + +Marsh stepped through the doorway, pulled the door closed, and tried +the knob to see that the door had latched securely. As he turned +away, he glanced toward the shrubbery that bordered the adjoining +woods. Although he turned instantly to the girl, and started to +assist her down the steps, Marsh's quick eyes had noted a man +crouching half-concealed in the shrubbery. + +As they retraced their steps down the driveway, Marsh kept a firm +grasp on the automatic in his pocket while his eyes, without +apparent interest, continually watched the trees and shrubbery on +either side. They reached the main road without incident and turned +north toward the station. Not a word had been spoken as they passed +along the driveway, for Marsh had been too intent upon keeping a +keen watch to think of words, and the depressing atmosphere of the +place had evidently begun to affect Miss Atwood. In fact, Marsh +thought that she seemed to brighten as soon as they passed through +the gateway. + +"Are you in the real estate business, Mr. Marsh?" she asked. + +"No," he replied. "What made you think that?" + +"You never told me what your business was," she answered, "and your +coming out here to look at that house today gave me the idea that +you might be interested in real estate." + +"No," he said, "I am not interested in real estate," then added, +evasively, but not quite untruthfully, "I am planning, however, to +go into some sort of business in Chicago." + +The fact was that since meeting this girl, Marsh had began to take +an entirely different view of life. He looked back upon his +wanderings and realized the emptiness of the passing years. It +seemed to him now that a man could ask for nothing more than to +settle down to some regular employment in such a wonderful city, and +go home every night to find this girl waiting for him. + +Marsh stepped off the motor bus at Oak Street to keep his +appointment with Hunt. He reflected that he had never seen a street +so representative of Chicago and its rapid growth. At his back was +the great new Drake Hotel and the whole neighborhood was one of +wealth and fashion. Yet, as he passed along the street, he noticed +tiny frame or brick dwellings nestling shoulder to shoulder with +obviously wealthy homes, and here and there the dark, towering +structures of old and new apartment buildings. He found Hunt's +apartment in one of the new buildings and paused for a moment on the +curb to look it over. Though handsome architecturally and modern in +every respect, there was a peculiar sombreness about the building, +and the bright lamps that gleamed at the entrance but served to +exaggerate the dim interior of the hallway. + +Not realizing exactly why he did so, but probably responding to an +instinct for caution, Marsh strolled back and forth before entering +the building. He noted the two dark and narrow alleyways on either +side. One of these, reached through a dim, deep recess in the front +wall, was evidently the tradesmen's entrance. Marsh then entered the +vestibule and pushed the bell under Hunt's name. This was +immediately answered by the clicking of the electric door opener. +Hunt's man-servant stood at the apartment door, and after closing it +behind him, ushered Marsh down a short hall and into the living +room. Marsh's quick eye took in the luxuriousness of the +furnishings--and something more. He surmised that Hunt was a +bachelor. Hunt advanced to meet him with extended hand. + +"Good evening, Mr. Marsh," Hunt greeted him, affably. "I hope you +bring me some important information." + +"I think it will at least be interesting," returned Marsh, as he +handed his hat and coat to Hunt's man. + +A log fire blazed in a large open fireplace. Before this was a +deeply upholstered davenport plentifully supplied with extra +cushions, and at either side of the fireplace were large lounging +chairs. Hunt called Marsh's attention to these and told him to make +himself comfortable. As Hunt seated himself on the davenport, Marsh +decided to take one of the chairs near the fire. This gave him the +advantage of having the firelight on Hunt's face while his own was +more or less in the shadow, for the heavily shaded lamps about the +room furnished only a soft glow that made details indistinct. + +Hunt clasped his hands and leaning forward rested his elbows on his +knees. "Tell me what you found in Merton's rooms yesterday," he +said. + +"I found absolutely nothing of importance," replied Marsh. It might +be splitting hairs, he thought, but it was Morgan who had actually +discovered the notebook. "I looked carefully through his dresser," +he want on, "and also examined all the papers in the desk." + +"And you found nothing of importance, Mr. Marsh?" + +"Nothing," replied March, putting as strong a note of positiveness +into his voice as possible, for he now began to suspect to whom the +notebook had belonged. "The desk contained only personal and a +little business correspondence. Morgan and I examined all the +signatures. If you looked that correspondence over, as I presume you +did, you will acknowledge that no suspicion could be directed at the +men whose names appeared there." + +Hunt nodded in an absent-minded way and again asked, "Perhaps this +man Morgan found something?" + +"I would have known if he had," said Marsh, again evasively. "I +entered the room with him, and as you know, we left together." + +Hunt now seemed satisfied that Marsh had no special information to +give him about the contents of Merton's rooms: "Well, tell me just +what you have discovered," he said, settling back into a corner of +the davenport. + +"For one thing," Marsh began, "I know that Mr. Merton is dead." + +He leisurely took out his cigarette case, carefully selected a +cigarette, and touch a match to it. It was evident, that this act on +Marsh's part was intended to give Hunt time in which to think and +pass some comment if he cared to. The man remained silent. + +"All right, my friend," thought Marsh. "We'll tell you a little +more; just enough to make you think--and perhaps act." Then he +continued aloud, "I work along somewhat different lines than those +followed by the police. For example, I frequently get better results +by sitting down quietly in my room, laying certain obvious +circumstances before me, and, through what you might call a method +of addition, derive an answer to my problem." + +"Quite interesting," murmured Hunt. + +"And that is the way I have worked out this problem." + +"Tell me the details," said Hunt. + +"While you reported to the police that Mr. Merton had been missing +for ten days, I discovered by inquiries at his hotel that he was in +his room as late as last Monday night. In fact, he was seen to leave +the hotel at midnight." + +"So I have heard," Hunt broke in hastily. "At the time I notified +the police I had not seen Mr. Merton at the office for about ten +days." + +Marsh nodded, and inquired, "I suppose you follow the papers +carefully every day?" + +"Naturally," was the reply. + +"Then," said Marsh, "you probably read about the murder on Sheridan +Road last Tuesday morning--the Sheridan Road Mystery, the papers +called it." + +"Yes, I read about that affair." + +"Didn't it make you think?" asked Marsh. + +"I don't understand." + +"I'll explain," said Marsh. "Mr. Merton left his hotel at midnight +Monday. Two hours later a man was murdered in the Sheridan Road +apartment. Mr. Merton has not been seen since." + +"Well?" queried Hunt. + +"I've just been wondering--that's all," answered Marsh, throwing the +remains of his cigarette into the fire place. There was a slight +pause as he selected another from his case and lit it. + +"Mr. Marsh," said Hunt, "you're driving at something. What is it?" + +"Just this,". answered Marsh, leaning forward and looking Hunt in +the eye. "You hold a power of attorney from Mr. Merton. You are to +be sole executor of his estate. Mrs. Merton may not return for +years. That's an easy way to get a business, Mr. Hunt." + +Hunt adjusted a couple of pillows and settled back again. "Do I +gather from your remarks, Mr. Marsh, that you mean to imply +something?" + +"No," returned Marsh, "I am just stating an obvious situation." + +Hunt now leaned toward Marsh. "Have the police arrived at the same +conclusions?" + +"Have you ever noticed," countered Marsh, "that what the police know +usually appears in the papers?" + +"You mean by that that the police have not formed the same +connection which you have?" + +"I inferred as much," returned Marsh. + +"Are you thinking of bringing your theories to their attention?" +asked Hunt, as he again settled himself back against the cushions. + +"That depends." + +"On what?" inquired Hunt. + +"Yourself." + +Hunt remained silent for a moment, then said, "Do I understand that +you are making me a proposition?" + +"I'm not laying myself open to a charge of blackmail, Mr. Hunt." + +"No," jeered Hunt, "I see you're a clever rogue. I might have +guessed as much when you offered to investigate this matter for me." + +"A man must make a living," returned Marsh. + +"This is a cheap way to do it." + +"I haven't had your opportunities," snapped Marsh. + +"Damn you!" cried Hunt, leaping to his feet and shaking his fist in +Marsh's face. "I'll hand you over to the police." + +"And lose a good lieutenant, Mr. Hunt?" + +"You're a dirty blackguard, Marsh," stormed Hunt. "You've worked +your way into my confidence and now attempt to use your knowledge to +hold me up. I admit that you've got me by the throat. A man placed +in the position which you have made only too clear to me has only +one way out. Of course, I could clear myself, but the stigma and +suspicion would remain. All right, what's your price?" + +Marsh stared in puzzled silence for a moment, as Hunt glared down at +him. In some ways the outcome of the conversation was not exactly +what he had expected. + +"Mr. Hunt," he said, rising, "I'm in this thing for bigger game than +a few hundred dollars." + +"I told you to name your price," replied Hunt. + +"As I told you before," returned Marsh, "I'm not laying myself open +to a charge of blackmail. You think the matter over for a day or +two; and in the meantime I'll take my coat and hat." + +Hunt hesitated for a moment, then struck a bell which stood on a +small table by the davenport. A moment later his man appeared with +Marsh's coat and hat and assisted him to put on his coat. + +"Good night, Mr. Hunt," said Marsh, smiling, and holding out his +hand. + +"Good night," said Hunt, shortly, turning away and ignoring the +proferred hand. + +The servant opened the door and Marsh; passed out. He hurried over +to Rush Street and into the telephone booth in a nearby drug store. +He talked for a few minutes over the telephone and then took a +street car for home. + +A half hour later an observant person might have noticed a man +lingering in the shadows of Oak Street. + + + + +CHAPTER XVII + +WHAT THE CARETAKER SAW. + + +Early Monday morning Marsh started for Hubbard Woods, to carry out +his investigations regarding the Merton house These investigations +must be conducted along different lines from those he had +contemplated on Sunday, for his last interview with Hunt had +considerably changed his position in the matter. Hunt now regarded +him with suspicion, and it might be considered probable that he had +even gone so far as to warn the caretaker he had said was in charge, +against admitting Marsh. + +Marsh intended to have another look at the place, but only a +surreptitious one from the cover of the woods. His chief object now +was to discover if neighbors knew anything about the place. As he +came down the road he recognized the turn, which the day before had +brought him directly in front of the gate, so he stepped to the side +of the road, and approached the turn with caution, for he did not +want anyone who might be coming from the house to find him near it +at this time. + +As Marsh walked slowly around the bend in the road he saw the rear +of a closed car just disappearing between the gateposts. Only the +guarded way in which he had approached had prevented the occupants +of the car from seeing him. Marsh hurried to the shelter of one of +the big stone gateposts and peered around it in time to note that +the car was a large, black one of the limousine type. The next +minute it was lost to view around a curve in the driveway, and Marsh +paused for a moment to reflect. This might be Hunt's car bringing +him up for one of the visits which he had said he was accustomed to +make. On the other hand, it seemed too early an hour for a man of +Hunt's habits. Moreover, Marsh had reason to believe that Hunt's car +would be followed; and certainly there was no one else in sight now. +Marsh decided that the matter was worth investigating, and turned +into the concealing shadow of the woods. He made his way with +difficulty through the tangled underbrush, in what he believed to be +the general direction of the house. His guess was correct, for the +house was before him when he emerged, a few minutes later, from the +woods. He was protected from the sight of anyone in the house by a +screen of heavy shrubbery, which divided the lawn from the woods. + +He found that in his unguided advance through the woods, he had +approached the house to the south, so that he saw not only the house +itself, but also had a good view of the garage at the back. The car +had evidently just been run into the garage, for a man was closing +the doors, while another stood nearby. A moment later, the two men +approached the house and passed out of sight. Marsh presumed that +they had used the back door, which was out of his line of vision. +While the distance was too great for him to see the men's features +distinctly, he knew that neither of them was Hunt, for he was now +sufficiently familiar with Hunt's figure to have easily recognized +it. + +To have seen one man or woman around the premises would not have +surprised Marsh, as he was prepared to find a caretaker in charge. +That two men should drive up in an expensive automobile, however, +store it in the garage, and enter the house, as if perfectly at +home, was a peculiar incident. Caretakers do not usually have +automobiles; certainly not expensive limousines. If the family had +been away for a few days, it would be natural for the chauffeur, or +some of the servants, to use the car. But this house had been closed +for two years, and Marsh was under the impression that Merton had +not been using a private car. If he had been using a car it was +hardly likely that he would have let his old chauffeur go. The +telephone conversation, which the girl at the hotel had overheard, +between Merton and the supposed Nolan, indicated that Merton had +more than a casual regard for his ex-chauffeur, or the man would not +have appealed to him. + +Marsh's suspicions being now definitely aroused, he decided not to +take a chance by showing himself in the open. This might very +probably be "the house in the suburbs," and he was not prepared to +battle alone with four or more desperate men. Though he lingered for +some time in his place of concealment, there were no further signs +of life, so Marsh, deciding that he was wasting valuable time, crept +cautiously into the woods and worked his way back through the +undergrowth to the main road. + +The next step was to find a close neighbor. Having twice approached +the house from the north, Marsh knew that there was no residence +near it on that side. He turned south, therefore, and after going +only a few hundred feet, approached a gateway that was similar in +many respects to that at the entrance to the driveway of the Merton +home. It lacked the tall, distinctive pines, however, and a short +distance inside the gate he could see a cozy little gardener's +cottage, or lodge. Marsh was well pleased at this discovery, for he +had hoped to locate something of the kind. Servants are more easily, +questioned, more talkative, and usually in the possession of a +larger amount of neighborhood gossip, than their employers. He +approached the door and knocked. + +"Come in," called a feminine voice, unquestionably Swedish in its +accent. + +Marsh opened the door and found himself in a room that appeared to +be kitchen, sitting and dining room. A small, round table was set +for two, and a woman stood near the stove, preparing lunch or a +midday dinner. Marsh had not realized how quickly the morning was +passing. The woman's occupation reminded him that he was hungry, and +also gave him a sudden inspiration. He would offer to buy his lunch +here, for people always grow more friendly and communicative over a +meal. + +"You want my husband? He bane come in a minute," the woman said, +when she saw Marsh. + +"No," Marsh replied, "I wasn't looking for your husband. I've been +walking around the neighborhood, and thought perhaps I could get +lunch here. I'll pay you well for your trouble." + +The woman smiled broadly. "Dere bane enough one more. Yust set down- +-one, two minute." + +Marsh laid his hat and coat on an old-fashioned couch that stood +against the wall, and was about to sit down beside them, when the +door opened again and a stocky man entered. His tanned face was +expressionless, and the eyes looked dully at Marsh. A lock of light +brown hair drooped over his forehead from under a cap, which he wore +well back on his head. The cap seemed to be a fixture, for it was +not removed while Marsh remained, and the detective had the humorous +thought that it might also serve as a nightcap. + +"Aye give dis yentleman lunch," explained the woman. + +The man grunted, took off his coat, rolled up his sleeves and sat +down at the table. + +"Not very talkative," thought Marsh. Then the woman told him to sit +down at the place she had prepared for him. She heaped the three +plates with a stew-like mixture. Marsh did not recognize it, but he +liked the flavor. With this, and the fresh home-made bread, a cup of +strong coffee, and urged on by a healthy appetite, which his morning +in the frosty country air had made keener, he enjoyed his lunch. + +To these people eating was just a part of their day's work, and +beyond the satisfying of a natural appetite, evidently produced no +special feeling of enjoyment. Contrary to his expectations, +therefore, Marsh did not find an opportunity to open a conversation. +One or two remarks were greeted merely with grunts, so he decided to +wait until the business of eating had been completed. The man's food +disappeared rapidly, including a second helping, and Marsh was +pleased to see him at last take out an old cob pipe and fill it with +an evil-looking, strong-smelling tobacco from a dirty paper package. +Marsh lit a cigarette, chiefly as a matter of protection. + +"Have you lived here long?" inquired Marsh, addressing the man. + +"Tree year," answered the woman. The man rolled his eyes in her +direction. + +"I'm thinking of buying a place around here," continued Marsh. "This +house next door seems to be a nice place." + +He nodded his head in the direction of the Merton home. + +The man and his wife exchanged glances. She laughed, but the, man's +face looked as solemn as its expressionless lines would permit. + +"Et bane bad place," he muttered. + +"Nels--he bane crazy!" snapped the woman. "Crazy widt de moonshane!" + +"Moonshine!" repeated Marsh. + +"Hootch," she explained. "Ole's hootch." + +Marsh laughed, and Nels grinned, his features for the first time +showing an awakened interest. + +Marsh thought quickly. The woman was evidently the "boss," but she +would not talk about something in which she had no faith. On the +other hand, the man undoubtedly had some + +knowledge of things which Marsh desired to know. He decided to side +with the man. + +"You don't approve of hootch?" Marsh asked her. + +"No--no!" she exclaimed vehemently. + +"But it makes a strong man work harder--keeps up his health." Marsh +glanced at Nels, who showed appreciation of this defense of home- +made strong drink by grinning at Marsh. The Secret Service man +decided they would soon be friends, and quietly slipping his hand +into his pocket, began to detach a bill. + +The woman snorted in protest. "Et make Nels see t'ings. No goodt for +him," she said, sharply. Then she rose and began clearing the table. +While her back was turned, Marsh quickly slipped a bill over to +Nels, winked hard at him, and nodded toward the door. Dull as the +man seemed, he apparently understood Marsh's suggestion. He winked +back and grinned, but as the woman returned to the table his face +instantly resumed its blank expression. + +"Well," said Marsh, rising. "I must be going." He drew out some +bills and presented one to the woman. "I thank you for the lunch. It +was fine. You are a good cook." + +When taking his leave, Marsh put special emphasis on his parting +with Nels. After closing the door behind him, however, he strolled +in a very leisurely way toward the gate, and instead of keeping on +along the road he leaned against the outside of one of the posts +where he was not visible from the cottage. He had not waited long +when footsteps sounded on the crushed stone of the driveway and Nels +appeared. Marsh beckoned to him and they walked down the roadway +until out of sight of the gate. + +"Nels," said Marsh, stopping and facing the Swede, "you don't think +I ought to buy that house next door, eh?" + +Nels shrugged his shoulders. "Dat bane your bes'ness," he said. + +"But I don't want to buy a place that has a bad name. Will you tell +me what you think is the matter with it?" + +Nels glanced about him, and standing a little closer to Marsh, said +in a lowered, voice, "Aye tenk bad men live dere." + +"But," protested Marsh, "I thought the house was closed, and had +only a caretaker, or someone like that?" + +"No caretaker," answered Nels. "Tree--four--five men. House look +close, but men inside." Then he added, shaking his head, "Fonny- +fonny." + +"How do you know all this, Nels?" + +"Aye watch. Aye see you yesterday, with yong lady." + +Marsh smiled. This was evidently the man he had seen crouching in +the bushes, and who had caused him to hurry Miss Atwood away from +the house. + +"Yes," said Marsh, "I was going to look over the house, but there +seemed to be nobody home." + +"Men inside," answered Nels, giving Marsh a shock. + +"Tell me all about it, Nels," said Marsh, patting the man on the +shoulder, "and I'll give you some more money." + +"House close two year. Since den Aye see fonny men--most in night +time. Big, black car--no light. House stay close--all dark--fonny-- +so Aye watch." + +"Is that all?" inquired Marsh. + +"Aye tell my wife--she say Aye drink too much hootch," grinned Nels. +"So Aye don't tell her about deh oder night." + +"What night was that?" + +"Aye tenk las' Monday night. Aye go see Ole. He have some new stuff- +-goodt--goodt. Aye stay late--don't see well com'n' home. Aye tenk +Aye turn in my own gate and walk--walk--walk--but no home. Aye hear +auto com'n'--get out of de road. Et pass me--stop." Nels lowered his +voice to a whisper. "Aye bane nowhere near home--in front bad place. +Men turn on lights--CARRY DEAD MAN IN HOUSE!" + +"How did you know he was dead?" exclaimed Marsh. + +"He all loose--so," and Nels endeavored to illustrate by allowing +his body to droop limply. + +"Then what?" + +"Car put in gar-rage--all quiet. Aye get scared. Aye see clear now-- +Aye run like hell!" + +"That's all you know, is it, Nels?" asked Marsh. + +"All now--but Aye watch." + +"You're a good man, Nels--real smart," said Marsh. "Here's some more +money for you. Maybe I'll come to see you again." + +"You bane fine man," grinned Nels, as he pocketed the additional +bill. + +"Good-bye, Nels," said Marsh, "Better not tell anybody about our +talk. Your wife might hear about it." + +Nels winked knowingly and they parted, Marsh going directly to the +station of the electric line and returning to Chicago. + +As he approached his apartment, Marsh saw a heavily built man +lounging on the steps and chatting with the policeman on duty. Marsh +paid no attention to this man, merely nodding to the policeman as he +passed, and climbed the stairs to his apartment. But after he had +unlocked the door he stood in the hall instead of entering. +Presently the man came up the stairs and they entered the apartment +together. As soon as the door closed the man said, "I've got that +dope for you." He pulled out a long envelope and handed it to Marsh. + +"Thanks," said Marsh as he took the envelope. "Things are shaping +themselves fine." + +"Anything I can do?" asked the man. + +"Nothing now," answered Marsh, "but you had better have several men +where we can reach them in a hurry. How is Oak Street?" + +"No change," was the reply. "Hasn't left the house all day." With +that the man opened the door and left. + +Marsh opened the envelope. It contained the black leather notebook, +a letter, and some typewritten sheets. He sat down and read the +letter. + + The solution of the cipher code used in the notebook submitted, + was comparatively simple and we were able to work it + out here. This code was evidently not intended for the + transmission of secret messages; it was very probably used + exclusively to make notations in this book with the sole idea + of maintaining privacy for these memoranda. + + Due to the simplicity of the code, it could be easily memorized + and therefore used for making hurried notes for quick + reference. + + To the inexpert person the combination of letters and figures + gave a bewildering appearance to the notes, but it did not + actually make the cipher any more intricate. + + You can readily make up your own key to this cipher by + writing out the letters of the alphabet from A to Z. Under + these letters you again write the letters of the alphabet, + placing the letter A under the letter Z and working backward. + By this arrangement, A would stand for Z and Z for A. Below + This you again write out the letters of the alphabet, and under + these, beginning at Z and working backward, write the numbers 1 + to 10, which brings yon to the letter Q. From P to J you write + the figures 20 to 26 and from I to A you write the figures 30 + to 38. The person using this cipher probably memorized these + two arrangements. In writing a word of say six letters, he + would use four letters and two figures. To anyone glancing at + his notes in a casual way, the system looked intricate, but to + him these notes could be read almost as easily as if written in + plain English. + +Attached to the letter were several pages containing the decoded +notations from the book. After carefully reading these, Marsh folded +the sheets and started to place them in his pocket. Then he paused, +glancing about the room thoughtfully. A moment later he smoothed the +sheets out flat and lifting up the corner of the rug, slipped them +under it well toward the center. Walking back and forth over the +spot several times, he seemed satisfied. Then he turned up one of +the chairs, placed the notebook inside of the bottom lining, and +putting on his hat and coat, went out. + + + + +CHAPTER XVIII + +THE ENEMY SHOWS HIS HAND + + +After returning from supper, Marsh sat down to look over the evening +paper. The Merton case, which had replaced the Sheridan Road mystery +in editorial esteem, was now retired to an inner page. He read the +usual short notice that the police expected to have the guilty +parties in custody within the next twenty-four hours, accompanied by +an announcement of some of their plans so that the people sought +could have timely warning of what to expect. Then he turned to other +news of the day and the time slipped by. + +About nine o'clock Marsh raised his head and listened. He had +distinctly heard two sharp reports, like pistol shots. Motors +continued to hum past on Sheridan Road, and he could detect none of +the unusual sounds which accompany a disturbance of any kind. As a +result of having hundreds of cars pass his windows daily he was used +to the crack of bursting motor tires, or the back-fire in mufflers. +Marsh's trained ear had seemed to catch something different in the +two reports, but perhaps it was only imagination. He resumed his +reading. + +Three soft knocks sounded on the hall door. + +It was the usual signal, and Morgan was expected. Marsh laid down +the paper, and going to the door, threw it open. Instantly a small +figure leaped into the entrance hall and stood facing him with its +back to the living room door. A big army automatic held in a long, +thin hand, covered Marsh menacingly. + +"Shut the door--QUICK!" snarled the visitor. + +Marsh towered above the diminutive figure, and he thought with +satisfaction that with his bare hands he could crush it like an +eggshell. But it has been said that the invention of the pistol made +all men equal. Certainly at this moment the automatic in the small +man's steady hand more than offset Marsh's physical superiority. So, +though he smiled in contempt, he also diplomatically gave the door a +sharp push and it slammed closed. + +"Now, we'll go in and have a little talk," his visitor informed +Marsh, and slowly backed into the living room. + +Marsh followed. + +A hasty glance showed the man the location of the big davenport. +Backing to this, he sat down, looking smaller than ever, and +motioned Marsh to a chair across the room. While Marsh seated +himself the little man turned down his coat collar and pulled his +cap up from his face. Marsh immediately recognized "Baldy" Newman. + +"Now," said Newman, "you and me is goin' to have an important +conference on serious matters." + +Marsh did not reply. He seemed quite at his ease, and not at all +interested. Nevertheless, both his eyes and his brain were actively +taking stock of the situation; watching for some slip that might +enable him to change their relative positions. Newman was leaning +comfortably back on the davenport, his legs crossed and his feet a +long way from the floor. Marsh surmised that there would be some +delay in getting the latter into action again. The automatic, +however, was still ready. Held firmly in one hand, the weight of the +barrel was supported in the palm of the other, the back of which +rested on Newman's knee. Marsh realized that when he looked at this +gun he was staring directly into its muzzle. Obviously, this was a +time for watchful waiting only. + +"We can't figure where you fit into this here game," Newman began. +"You ain't a bull; you don't work; and you don't steal." + +Marsh laughed at this quaint appraisal of him. + +"Well, what ARE you tryin' to pull off?" questioned Newman, his +bright, piercing eyes studying Marsh's face. + +"You have me at a disadvantage," returned Marsh. "I do not know what +game you refer to in the first place. In the second, I cannot see +why the pursuit of my private business should interest you." + +"Come on--come on!" remonstrated Newman. "I ain't got any time to +waste kiddin' around with you." + +"Get down to the point then," advised Marsh. + +"All right, I will," said Newman. "We don't mind these bulls. +They're bone-heads. I can run circles around any one of them. But +you're gettin' too damned close, and we want to know what you're +after." + +"Thanks for the tip," replied Marsh. "If I were really interested in +you, the information you have just given me would be of great +value." + +Newman eyed Marsh suspiciously for a moment. + +"Don't worry," he said. "You're not goin' to bother us much. We've +arranged to take care of you, if you won't listen to reason. If +you're crooked, just lay off for awhile, that's all, and we'll see +you get what's right later. If you really are a bull, or are helpin' +these other bulls, then I'm warnin' you to back out gracefully +before it's too late. I came here with a flag of truce to give you a +chance, and you can save yourself a lot of trouble by bein' on the +square with me." + +Bargaining with a known crook was not to Marsh's taste. If they were +in the dark as to his intentions and his status, let them remain so. +He guessed now that the gun in Newman's hands would not be used +except as a last resort to avoid personal capture. The man's idea +was to have his say, and then go as quietly as he had come, if +possible. Marsh's tense watching relaxed somewhat. There was no +immediate danger, and the future could adjust itself. He would like +to get this fellow now, but if not, then he would get him later. + +"It is none of your business what work I am engaged in," said Marsh. +"Moreover, you can tell your gang for me to go straight to hell. +Now, take my advice and get out quick before you lose the +opportunity." Newman's lips parted in a vicious grin. + +"You've got nerve, I'll say that for you," he commented. "But you +don't know what a hole you're in. We've got more than one string to +our bow. If you won't listen to one kind of reason, perhaps you'll +listen to another. Now, you're stuck on Jane Atwood." + +Marsh sprang to his feet with an oath. + +"Leave that girl out of this," he cried, "or I'll beat you to a +pulp!" + +"Steady, Mister, steady!" exclaimed Newman. "You ain't bullet proof. +Handlin' a gun is part of my business, and you won't get two feet +from that chair if you make a false move. Sit down and listen to +me." + +Reason quickly replaced the unthinking rage of the moment, and Marsh +sat down as the other directed. But his mind was made up to one +thing--Newman would not leave that room now except as a prisoner or +a dead man. + +"That's the idea," said Newman. "You're helpless as a babe, and you +might as well acknowledge it. Now, listen to this. You're crazy +about Jane Atwood, or all signs fail. In fact, you probably hope to +marry her. She's a classy, refined girl, with a big purpose in life. +What's more, she's got peculiar notions of what's right and what's +wrong. If she knew her father was a crook, and that he died to +escape you, where do you think you'd get off? She'd never have +anything, more to do with you, that girl wouldn't. She'd devote her +life to somethin' or other to make up for her father's slip--that's +what she'd do." + +Newman paused, and Marsh ground his teeth and waited. + +"Now, my man," continued Newman, "another false move on your part +and the facts will be given to that girl, with absolute convincin' +proof. There'll be no way of talkin' her out of it. You'll be +through--that's all!" + +While Newman talked, he had gradually leaned forward, deeply +absorbed in the driving home of this final threat. The muzzle of the +automatic had also slowly turned until a bullet would now strike +several feet to the right. Marsh had carefully watched for this +approaching opportunity and now he acted. + +Like a flash, he jumped to his feet, swinging his right arm upward +and forward as if hurling something at Newman. Instinct was stronger +than training. The man's arms were quickly raised to ward off the +expected missile. Then, realizing that Marsh was upon him, he +endeavored to escape, but the powerful hands had already closed on +him. He was swung upward into the air, while bullets from the +automatic crashed into the walls, the ceiling and the floor, as he +tried to direct its fire at his opponent. + +For the matter of a second, Newman was poised in midair. Then Marsh, +swept by a fierce and uncontrollable rage, dashed the helpless +bundle across the room and it struck with a smashing thud. + + + + +CHAPTER XIX + +KIDNAPPED + + +Marsh slowly regained control of himself as he stood staring at the +crumpled figure. Striding across the room, he bent over Newman. The +man was breathing heavily, and his eyes had a dazed glare. Although +he was not unconscious in the full sense of the word, it seemed +probable that it would be some time before Newman could start any +more trouble. Marsh decided, however, that it would be safer to +provide against future possibilities, so he drew Newman's hands +together and snapped on a pair of handcuffs. + +Suddenly Marsh realized that his doorbell was ringing furiously. +This time he took no chances, and his automatic was in his hand +ready for instant use when he opened the door. He found Morgan and +Tierney in the hall. + +"For God's sake, what's the matter?" cried Morgan. + +By this time Marsh had recovered his calm and easy manner. "I had a +visitor," he said, smiling, and slipping his automatic back into his +pocket. "Come in." + +The two men passed through to the living room and Marsh closed the +door and followed. + +"Where did he go?" asked Morgan, as Marsh entered the room. + +"There it is," said Marsh, contemptuously, nodding toward Newman. + +Morgan and Tierney hurried to the man and straightened him out on +his back. Newman was still too dazed to do more than roll his eyes +at them. + +"'Baldy' Newman!" exclaimed Morgan, looking up at Marsh. "How did +you get him?" + +Marsh briefly explained the incident. "And what beats me," he +concluded, "is how he got by the policeman at the door." + +"By a well-laid plan, Marsh. We were talking about it to the +patrolman when the shooting began. That was the first we realized +what the scheme had been." + +"What was it?" inquired Marsh. "I thought I heard a couple of shots +sometime ago, but as nothing seemed to happen afterward, I concluded +it was just somebody's tire." + +"You heard shots, all right," returned Morgan. "It seems that an +auto stopped on Lawrence Avenue in front of the alleyway. Someone in +the car fired two shots at the policeman on guard there. He +immediately started for the car, and the man in front, who had also +heard the shots, joined him. Naturally the car was out of sight +before they had run half a block, and so they returned to their +posts. They didn't even get the number of the license, although I +suppose it would have been of little use if they had. When you look +those things up you generally find that the car has been stolen from +some respectable citizen." + +"Tierney and I arrived just after the patrolmen got back to the +building, and the man in front told us about it. I was puzzled over +just what the game was until we heard the shooting up here. Then I +guessed that they had only drawn off the policemen so as to let +someone get in, so Tierney and I beat it up the stairs as fast as we +could. When you took so long to answer the door, we thought you were +gone, sure." + +"Well, the little rat did have me wondering for a few minutes," +admitted Marsh. "If he had really come to kill me I think he could +have got me, all right. But the fact was, he just came to warn me, +and intended to use his gun only as a last resort. Under such +circumstances, if you can only keep them talking long enough, they +get careless. You can see what happened to 'Baldy' because he stayed +too long." + +"He'll have a long stay somewhere else now," commented Tierney, +cheerfully. + +"And we'll make him talk same more before we get through with him," +declared Morgan. + +"There is one thing I want to ask of you, Morgan," said Marsh. "Get +him out of here as quietly as you can, and don't let the news get +into the papers. We don't want the people who sent him to know +exactly what has happened. Just let them wonder for a day or two." + +"I get your point," answered Morgan. He then went to the telephone +and called the patrol wagon, impressing upon the man at the other +end of the wire, the need for secrecy, and instructing him to have +the patrol drive up the alley back of the house. + +"Now," said Morgan, as he turned from the telephone, "I suppose you +want to hear about the information I was to get for you." + +"Yes," replied Marsh. "Were you able to get it?" + +"All that's worth knowing," returned Morgan. "I turned Tierney loose +on this man Nolan, and looked up Hunt myself. You can dismiss Nolan +from the case at once. He has a job as chauffeur with a big business +man in Milwaukee, and hasn't been in Chicago for a month. At one +o'clock last Tuesday morning he was bringing this man and his wife +home from an affair at the man's club. Someone simply impersonated +Nolan." + +"Now, about Hunt. I found that he started to work for Merton as his +confidential secretary about five years ago. Merton apparently +thought a good deal of him, and gradually put more and more of his +business into his hands. About a year ago, he made Hunt his general +manager, and Hunt has practically been running the entire business +ever since. People in the financial district seem to consider Hunt a +fine fellow. What he was doing before he went with Merton I have +been unable to find out in such a short time." + +"I cannot say that this information helps us out very much," said +Marsh. "Your news about Nolan simply confirms the idea I already +had--that the Nolan message was a trick. I dug up some information +today which looks like the best clue we have had so far. I think +that by tomorrow afternoon we'll close in on the men we want. +Telephone me at twelve o'clock tomorrow, Morgan, and I will tell you +just what to do." + +At this moment they heard pounding on Marsh's back door. + +"I guess that's the wagon, Tierney," said Morgan. "Let them in." + +Tierney went back through the flat and returned immediately with two +policemen, who gathered up "Baldy" Newman and his gun and carried +them quietly out and down the rear stairs. + +"I'd like to tell the world," said Morgan, "that the West Side's +most famous gunman has been captured with a man's bare hands. But +we'll keep it quiet if you insist on it, Marsh." + +"After tomorrow, Morgan, you will have more than 'Baldy' Newman to +your credit. Until then, our success depends on secrecy. Now, +remember, telephone me at twelve sharp tomorrow." + +With that, the men parted for the night and Marsh, after making sure +that all his doors and windows were securely fastened, went to bed. + +But twelve o'clock on Tuesday passed without Marsh receiving his +expected message, for the very good reason that Morgan and Tierney +could not get to a telephone. + +These two men spent the greater part of the morning in the financial +district in a futile attempt to get further information regarding +Hunt. About eleven o'clock Morgan suggested that they go to the +North Side and get their lunch so that after telephoning Marsh they +would be close at hand in case he wanted them quickly. They took the +elevated to Wilson Avenue, and after leaving the train, turned east +toward Broadway. At the corner stood a big, black limousine. The +door was open and the chauffeur turned to them and said, "Say +friends, will you help me get this guy out of the car? He's too +drunk to move." + +Morgan saw that a man was lying back in a corner with his eyes shut, +and nodding to Tierney, went over to the car. + +"I've been driving him for two hours," said the chauffeur, "and I +don't think there's any chance of getting my money. I want to throw +him out. He's too heavy for me to lift. You two guys look husky, and +like good fellows, so I thought maybe you'd lift him out for me." + +As this sort of thing frequently came to the attention of the +detectives, they did not suspect anything out of the ordinary when +they climbed into the car and started to pull the man out of the +seat. Suddenly the chauffeur slammed the door and sprang to the +wheel. The man in the seat, who but a moment before had apparently +been in a drunken stupor, now sat up, and drawing his right arm from +behind his back, covered the two detectives with an automatic. + +"Sit down," he commanded, "and be quiet." + +In the meantime, the car was moving swiftly across Wilson Avenue. +Turning north on Sheridan Road, its speed increased to a terrific +pace. Morgan noticed this and hoped that it would attract the +attention of the motorcycle police, but they met none of these men +and the car soon left the city limits and passed through Evanston. + +From here on, the road was quiet and they passed only an occasional +car. The man with the automatic now instructed them to hand over +their revolvers. After he had these in his possession, he felt +Morgan and Tierney over carefully to see that they had no other +concealed weapon. Then, keeping them covered with the automatic, he +reached out and drew down all the shades in the car so that they sat +in a semi-darkness and were unable to see where they were going. +Morgan judged that they had been riding about an hour when the car +suddenly stopped. The door was opened and a man stuck his head in. +The man was Wagner. + +"Turned the tables on you, didn't we?" he jeered. Then he stepped +back and they saw that he also held an automatic in his hand. "Come +on," he said, "step lively. You're welcome to our happy home." + +Tierney began to swear, but Morgan jabbed him with his elbow. It +would be like committing suicide to show any fight now. + +"These bulls ought to travel in regiments for self-protection," +taunted the man who had been with them in the car. But Morgan +noticed, as he stepped out of the car, that the chauffeur had left +his seat and was also standing ready with an automatic. These men +might have their little joke, but they were taking no chances. The +three men escorted Morgan and Tierney up the steps and into the +house. Wagner then directed them to precede him up the stairs. They +passed down a long hall and into a big room. + +"Make yourselves comfortable," sneered Wagner. "And I might as well +tell you that you can make all the noise you want, because the +nearest house is so far away they couldn't hear a fog horn. Just try +to be nice, good little boys, and maybe we'll let you go sometime." + +He backed out of the door and they heard him turn the key. + + + + +CHAPTER XX + +THE FALLEN PINE + + +That Marsh escaped a similar fate later in the afternoon was due +solely to his individual way of arming himself. For some years Marsh +had carried a small automatic pistol, which unobtrusively rested in +the side pocket of his coat. When he was outside in weather that +required an overcoat, the automatic was temporarily transferred to +the overcoat pocket. Marsh did this because a gun was seldom needed +except in emergencies. At such times a movement toward the hip +pocket, where men usually carry their revolvers, frequently gave the +other man an opportunity to act first. Marsh had even carried his +precautions in this line a little further, for the automatic was +always placed in the left-hand pocket. A movement of the left hand +does not receive the same suspicious attention from a criminal. In +fact, as he had several times discovered, it was possible to +distract the attention by a movement of the right hand while quickly +drawing the gun with the left, and at close quarters a gun in the +left hand was just as effective as in the right. + +When no word had come from Morgan by one o'clock, Marsh decided to +look the detective up. He called Morgan's home on the telephone, +then the detective bureau, and two nearby precinct stations that +Morgan might have been likely to drop into while waiting to +telephone him. Morgan's mother said he had left early, and the +detective bureau informed Marsh that they had not heard from Morgan +again after receiving a report from him early in the day. The +stations did not remember having seen the detective for a long time. +At each place Marsh left his name, and a message for Morgan to ring +up at once if he came in. + +Marsh was now in a quandary. He remembered that he had not asked +Morgan to look anything up that morning and therefore knew of no +place where he might endeavor to obtain a trace of him. The case had +now reached a point where immediate action was necessary, yet he +could not act alone. Of course, he could have called upon the Secret +Service Division at the Federal Building, but he had special reasons +for wanting Morgan's and Tierney's assistance at this time rather +than that of Secret Service men. After long consideration, +therefore, he came to the conclusion that there was nothing he could +do except stay by his telephone and wait. It never occurred to Marsh +that anything of a serious nature could have happened to the +detectives on the crowded city streets. The only plausible +explanation of the delay might be that Morgan and Tierney had +discovered some new clue which they thought of sufficient importance +to follow up before keeping their appointment with him. Marsh +accepted this explanation readily, because he realized that there +were still many loose ends to the case that would permit of new +developments at any moment. + +When four o'clock came, however, and there was still no word from +Morgan, Marsh decided that something must have happened to the two +men. He had had ample evidence of the desperate and daring character +of their opponents. To raise a hue and cry in the Police Department +would utterly defeat his plans. Whatever he did must be carried out +quietly. So far as he knew, at this time, there were only two +possible sources of information--one, the house on Oak Street; the +other, the closed house at Hubbard Woods. First he would get a +report from the man on watch at Oak Street. If nothing had occurred +there, he would then carry out his proposed raid on the Hubbard +Woods house with some of his own men. + +Having reached this decision Marsh put on his coat and hat and went +down to the corner of Lawrence Avenue to wait for a bus. A stream of +motor cars swept steadily by and when one of these turned into the +curb and stopped, Marsh paid little attention to it. He was +astounded, therefore, when a man opened the door, and addressing +him, said, "Step in and be quick about it!" Marsh gave the man a +sharp glance, then noticing that one of the man's arms was extended +toward him, he dropped his eyes and saw that the coat sleeve was +pulled down over the hand, while the barrel of an automatic +projected about an inch from the sleeve. Marsh looked about him +quickly. The policeman in front of his house was too far away to be +of any assistance, if, in fact, his attention could be attracted at +all. In the other direction, the nearest people were two women, one +of whom was pushing a baby carriage. He then saw that another man +had descended from the driver's seat and was approaching him. Marsh +stepped back and his right hand shot toward his right hip pocket. +Not that he had any intention of drawing a gun while so carefully +covered by the other man, but he had a thought. + +"Easy, easy!" cried the man. "You haven't a chance in the world! Do +you want to get bumped off right now?" + +Marsh murmured something inaudible and withdrew his hand. The man +with the gun signaled to his companion. This man came up and felt +around Marsh's hip pockets. + +"Aw, he's kiddin'," the fellow exclaimed. "He ain't got any gun at +all." + +Marsh's thought had been correct. + +"All right," said the man with the gun, smiling. "Let's go." + +It had flashed through Marsh's mind that what was now happening to +him might have also happened to Morgan and Tierney. If such was the +case it was more than likely that these men would take him to the +same place, and that was just the information he wanted. As for +getting him into that place, that was a different matter. To carry +out his quickly formed plan, it was necessary for Marsh to sit with +his left side away from this man, who would probably join him in the +car, so without further hesitation he climbed into the car and +settled back in the far corner of the seat. The man followed and sat +down at Marsh's right, pulling the door to after him. The other man +climbed back to his seat at the wheel and started the car. They went +down Sheridan Road, and turning through the next street, made the +circuit of the block, returning again to Sheridan Road and moving +swiftly north. + +After a time the man turned to Marsh, and said, "If you take things +easy you'll get out of this with a whole skin, but if you start +anything--GOOD night!" + +Marsh smiled but said nothing. + +"Oh, I know you're a cool customer," the man appraised, "but if you +think you're going to put anything over on us this time, you've made +a bum guess." + +"It's hardly likely," replied Marsh, "that an unarmed man would try +any tricks while you sit there with that automatic. The fact is, +however, that you fellows are giving yourselves a lot of trouble for +nothing." + +"What do you mean?" snapped the man. + +"I mean that I have already offered you my services. All you had to +do was to tip me the word." + +The man looked at Marsh suspiciously for a moment. "Do you mean +that?" he said. + +"I see no reason why you should doubt my word." + +"All right," returned the man. "Hand over those papers you've got +and I'll drop you out at the next street." + +"What papers do you mean?" queried Marsh. + +"There you go--stalling again. No use; the boss said to bring you +up, and I guess he knows best." + +"I don't know where you get that idea about any papers," said Marsh. +"I can show you quickly enough that the only papers I have on me are +of a personal nature and of no use to anyone else." + +"Maybe so--maybe so. But after we get you under lock and key, we +know damn well where we can find them." + +Thus the argument continued at intervals until they were far up into +the North Shore suburbs. Darkness had fallen and the interior of the +car was absolutely black except when they passed an occasional +street light or an automobile. As Marsh had told Morgan, if you can +only make them talk long enough, they grow careless. Passing under +the last street light, Marsh had observed that the automatic was no +longer leveled in his direction. + +The car was of the limousine type, with a glass partition shutting +off the driver so that unless he happened to look around he would +not know what was going on within the car. Marsh figured that now +darkness had fallen, the driver's attention would be directed +entirely to the road ahead, for street lights along the suburban +section of Sheridan Road were few and far between. + +"It's getting warm in here," said Marsh. He raised his right hand +and pushed his hat back on his head. At the same time his left hand +withdrew the automatic from his coat pocket and the next instant it +was pressed into the ribs of the man beside him. + +"One move and you're through!" breathed Marsh in his ear. "Give me +that gun!" His right arm came down with the hand closing over the +man's automatic. The man started to swear, but stopped suddenly as +Marsh warned, "Shut up. This matter is in my hands now, and I mean +business!" Marsh slipped the man's automatic into his own pocket, +and then brought out a pair of light, steel handcuffs which he +immediately snapped on his prisoner's wrists. + +"When I get ready," Marsh informed him, "I'm going to step out of +this car, and I want you to sit perfectly still until I am gone. If +you want to know how good a shot I am, just make a move." Marsh +settled back into his corner and the car rolled on. + +At last, just as they made a sharp turn, Marsh caught a different +sound from the wheels, and he knew they had passed into a driveway. +With a last warning to the man, Marsh quietly opened the door on his +side and stepped out of the car. In the distance he could hear his +late captor's manacled hands beating on the glass of the front +windows to attract the driver's attention. There was no time to +lose, for they would be after him in a minute. + +Marsh sped down the driveway, but before he reached the entrance +gate he could hear the hum of the pursuing car, and as he sprang +through the gate the car was only a few yards away. Then a most +surprising thing happened. Weakened by its rotting fibres and the +never-ending battle with the winds, the dead pine, which stood +beside the gate, swayed and cracked. The next minute it fell +crashing across the driveway in a cloud of dying splinters and dust, +effectually blocking pursuit by motor. + +Marsh dashed across the roadway and concealed himself in the +underbrush. The falling pine had identified the place to Marsh as +quickly as if the men had told him its name. He was facing the +entrance to the house in Hubbard Woods. + +The driver of the pursuing car had switched on the powerful +headlights to aid him in locating the fugitive. These lights warned +him of the fallen pine blocking the road. Marsh could hear the +grinding of the emergency brake; and the hum of the motor died away +as the man "killed" his engine in his effort to make a quick stop. +So swiftly had the car been moving, however, that it struck the log +with a tremendous impact which echoed through the still woods. The +front wheels scattered far and wide, and the body of the car climbed +up and rested on the pine log. + +The two men, although probably well shaken up by the accident, +jumped hastily from the car and rushed into the roadway. The +headlights were shining directly on Marsh and for a moment he +thought the men might discover him among the bushes. Standing in the +glare, however, they were partially blinded and the manacled man, +realizing this, turned to the other. + +"Shut off those damn lights. He'll take a pot-shot at us before we +can see him." + +The driver leaped back to the car, shut off the lights, and then +returned to his companion. + +"Not much danger," he said. "The guy's probably making a quick +getaway." + +"Hell!" the manacled man exclaimed, "the boss'll skin us alive." + +"The boss be damned!" exclaimed the other. "This guy'll have the +bulls on us if we don't get him, and the boss won't be ready for the +getaway until Thursday." + +"We've got to get him!" declared the manacled man. "He can't run all +the way to Chicago. I figure he made for either the electric line or +the railroad station. You beat it up there quick and see if you can +get him." + +"All right," agreed the driver. "And you run down the road." + +"Where do you get that stuff?" exclaimed the other, holding up his +manacled hands. "I'm no good with these bracelets on. It's all up to +you now. You're wasting time. Beat it!" + +The driver started up the road at a run and Marsh listened to the +rapid beat of his footfalls until they disappeared in the distance. +Then he cautiously crept out of the bushes and approached the other +man. It was so dark that Marsh could barely make out the man's form +as it was outlined against the gray of one of the gateposts. +Consequently, the man did not discover him until Marsh's hand was on +his arm. + +"That you, Wagner?" he gasped. + +Marsh laughed. "Don't make me talk," he said. "I'm all out of breath +making that getaway your friend spoke of." + +"Hell!" the other man groaned, expressively. + +"It sure is--for you," replied Marsh. "Now, just lie down in the +road while I tie your feet." + +The man turned to run, probably hoping to escape in the darkness. +Marsh's hand still gripped his arm and with a quick movement of his +foot, Marsh threw the man down; then unbuckled the belt around the +fellow's waist and proceeded to secure his feet with it. As Marsh +rose to a standing position a voice close at hand, said, "That'll be +all for you. Throw up your hands!" + +Marsh did not move. + +"I said, put up your hands," repeated the voice. + +"They are up," replied Marsh, counting on the darkness. + +"Don't kid me!" The speaker suddenly, flashed an electric pocket +lamp on Marsh. By its gleam Marsh saw the sparkle of a revolver and +wisely put his hands over his head. + +The man was standing in front of thick shrubbery. At this moment, +Marsh saw, by the dim glow of the pocket lamp, two hands slip from +the shrubbery and close about the man's throat. The lamp and the +revolver fell to the ground as the man instinctively raised his own +hands to break the hold. But in the darkness Marsh heard his body +drop with a wheezing sigh. + + + + +CHAPTER XXI + +THE CHIMNEY THAT WOULDN'T DRAW + + +Marsh stood for a moment in puzzled thought. Then he heard a +cheerful voice say, "Aye bane got him all right," and he recognized +his rescuer. + +"Hold him for a minute," ordered Marsh, and he leaped over the pine +to the car, returning immediately with one of the robes. With Nels' +assistance Marsh wound the robe about the upper part of the man's +body, fastening his arms to his side as effectively as if he had +been placed in a straightjacket. Then he took the man's belt and +secured his feet in the same way he had tied up those of the other +man. Marsh next took the men's handkerchiefs and two of his own. +Stuffing one into each man's mouth, and tying another around his +head, Marsh effectually gagged them into silence. + +"Now," he said to Nels, "we'll lay these two fellows out of sight in +the underbrush." + +When this was accomplished he instructed Nels to follow him, and +they cautiously approached the house. As they crossed the lawn, +Marsh heard rapid footsteps ahead, followed by the opening of the +house door. He immediately dashed in pursuit. In the hall he paused +to listen for sounds that would indicate the direction the man had +taken. He heard the clicking of a telephone receiver hook and a +voice calling, "Hello! Hello!" Leaping through an arched and +curtained doorway at his left, Marsh discovered a dim light in a +connecting room, and darted to the doorway, drawing his automatic +and transferring it to his right hand as he ran. He found himself in +the library of the house, and in one corner he saw the driver of the +car with a telephone in his hands. + +"Drop that phone!" called Marsh, leveling his automatic. + +Ignoring Marsh's command, the man hastily gave a number to the +operator. It was quite clear what was happening. This man, returning +from his fruitless quest at the station, had witnessed the capture +of his companions. He was now endeavoring to warn some person; +probably the principal, who was the man Marsh particularly wanted. +There was no time for argument, so Marsh fired. + +The man dropped the telephone and stumbled forward in a heap on the +floor. Marsh dashed across the room and replaced the receiver on its +hook, hoping that the connection had not been made in time for the +man at the other end of the wire to hear the shot. Though the man +had fallen, Marsh knew that he had nothing worse than a flesh wound +in the arm, because he was sure of his aim. He tied the man's hand +with a handkerchief, and his feet with his belt, and left him on the +floor. Turning quickly to Nels, who had followed him into the room, +and now stood watching, he handed the Swede the captured automatic, +saying, "Do you know how to use it?" + +"Ya, Aye know;" was the smiling reply. + +"All right," said Marsh. "I'm going to search the house. Follow me +and keep your eyes open." Marsh hurried back through the front room +to the hall, with the Swede at his heels, and he heard the man +murmuring, as he went, "You bane fine man." + +As they climbed the stairs, feeling their way in the dark, they +heard a distant hammering. It came from the back of the house, and +Marsh and Nels speeded down the hall. The hammering ceased as they +approached the door at the end of the hall. A thin strip of light +showed beneath it and Marsh heard familiar voices. + +"I tell you somebody's come after us," said one. + +"Oh, hell! The man said nobody could hear a foghorn here," replied +the other. "What's the use?" + +Marsh found the key in the lock, and turning it, threw the door +open. There stood Morgan and Tierney in the wreckage of what had +once manifestly been a beautifully furnished bedroom. A black +opening, through which a strong draft came when the door was opened, +showed where once had been a shuttered window. The remains of chairs +littered the floor, parts of the bed were scattered around the room, +and in the center of the floor was a pile of felt that had once been +the stuffing for the mattress. + +"My God!" cried Marsh, "what has happened?" + +The two men's faces lighted up at sight of him, and Tierney shouted, +"What did I tell you, Morgan? I knew that guy would find us." + +"He bane fine man," added a voice from the doorway. + +"Hello Svenska!" bellowed Tierney. "Who are you?" + +Nels grinned as Marsh explained who he was. + +"How did you get in? Where's the gang?" rapidly questioned Morgan. + +"One wounded and tied downstairs, and two safely tied up by the +gate," explained Marsh. "One of the two out there is your man +Wagner. Now tell me how you got here." + +Morgan gave him a brief outline of their adventures. + +"But how did the room get in this state?" questioned Marsh. + +"Well, you know Tierney," replied Morgan, with a laugh. "He's a +mighty restless individual when you try to shut him up. He +demolished all the chairs on the door. We found the window frame and +the shatters had been screwed tight to keep us in, so Tierney took +the bed apart and used the sides to clean out the whole business. +When we discovered it was too far to drop from the window, we tried +to make a rope with the ticking of the mattress, but when we tested +it, the stuff proved to be too rotten to hold us." + +"And the worst of it is," added Morgan, "it was cold enough in here +before Tierney broke out the window. Since then we've been freezing. +If there's a fire in the house, lead us to it." + +"I don't think there is," replied Marsh. "Now that you speak of it, +I noticed a damp chill in the place the minute I came in. Nels," he +added, turning to the Swede; "you're a good fellow. I saw a big, +open fireplace in the library. Build a wood fire there and we'll +warm my friends up." + +Nels nodded and started off. + +"We haven't any time to lose," announced Marsh, turning back to +Morgan. "I expect to find my final evidence in this house, and we've +got to get back to town pretty soon. You fellows can warm up a bit +and then we'll start a systematic search from the garret to the +cellar." + +All three then went down to the library where Nels was building the +fire. Tierney loudly voiced his approval as the red and yellow +flames began to creep over the wood. A minute later, however, he was +choking and swearing as the acrid wood smoke rolled out into the +room instead of up the chimney. + +"Aye fix him," explained Nels. "Chimney cover to keep out draft, +mebbe." He hurried out of the room. + +A few minutes later he returned with a white face and staring eyes. + +"You come," he half-whispered, from the doorway. "Aye see +somet'ing." + +"What is it?" questioned Marsh. + +"Aye don't know--Aye only tenk--come quick!" + +"Go ahead," said Marsh, "we'll follow," and with Nels leading the +way they all climbed the stairs. Nels had turned on the electric +lights in the halls. They could now see their way clearly as he +guided them to the attic and across it to an open window which +opened on a wide gutter. They crawled out after him and worked their +way along a short distance to the big, old fashioned, outside stone +chimney from the library fireplace. + +"Yust put your hand in--so," directed Nels, making a motion with his +arm. + +Marsh reached up and followed the suggestion. Just below the top of +the chimney his fingers came into contact with a human head. + +"My God!" he cried. "Here's our man." + +"Holy Saints!" gasped Tierney. + +Then Morgan asked, "What do you mean?" + +"I think we've found Merton's body," replied Marsh. "You'll have to +help me get him out." + +With considerable effort, and hindered by the blackness of the +night, Marsh and Morgan climbed the slanting, slate-covered roof and +perched themselves on the broad capstone of the chimney. Slowly they +loosened the wedged in body, gradually drew it out through the top +of the chimney, and passed it down to Tierney and Nels, who crept +with it along the gutter and passed it through the attic window. +Marsh and Morgan followed them, and under the glow of the one dim +electric light, the two men made a hasty examination of the body. It +was in a fair Mate of preservation, due probably to the cold air, +which had been made especially effective by the draft through the +chimney. The identification was made certain when Marsh extracted a +card case from the man's coat, in which they found the business and +personal cards of Richard Townsend Merton, and Morgan located the +duplicate of the cuff button he had discovered in the empty +apartment. + +The examination completed, Marsh turned to Morgan. + +"Do you notice that this man was stabbed, not shot?" he asked. + +"Yes," returned Morgan. "That was one of the things I looked to make +certain of." + +"Now," said Marsh, addressing the two detectives, "I guess this job +has warmed you fellows up. We can't lose another minute. You, +Tierney, make a careful examination of this attic. It should not +take yon long, and you can then join Morgan, who will start now to +make an examination of the second and third floors. Nels and I will +look over the first floor and the basement. You join us as soon as +you get through. If you find anything worth while, bring it down." + +Leaving Tierney in the attic, and dropping Morgan off at the third +floor, Marsh and Nels passed on down to the first floor of the +house. A careful inspection of this floor brought nothing of +especial interest to light except that there were no signs of its +having been used. The kitchen and the pantry were bare of food, and +Marsh could see that neither of the sinks in the pantry and the +kitchen, nor the kitchen stove, had been used for a long time. + +"I thought you said those men were living in the house," he queried, +turning to Nels. + +"So Aye tenk," Nels assured him. + +"Queer," murmured Marsh. "No fire, no food, and no signs of +cooking." + +"Mebbe in basement," suggested Nels. + +"Well, we're going there now," said Marsh. "Do you know the way, +Nels?" + +"Aye guess," replied the Swede, leading the way into a long hall +that led from the pantry along one side of the house. A short +distance up this hall Nels opened a door, and they discovered a +stairway leading into the basement. Marsh lit a match and located an +electric switch. When he turned this a light flashed on below and +they descended the stairs. Here they found a hall leading across the +house, with a doorway at the far end, and one on either side. + +"Aye tenk," said Nels, pointing down the hall, "dat door go outside- +-dis one to laundry--dat one Aye don't know." + +Marsh opened the last door indicated by Nels, and lighting another +match, found it a rough basement containing the heating plant, coal +bins, and general storage space. He found the electric light and +turned it on. But little coal vas left in the bins, and the thick +mantle of dust over the other things in this part of the basement +showed that it had been a long time since anything had been touched. +The last thing, Marsh looked into the firebox under the heating +plant. This was well filled with an ash that had resulted from the +burning of papers, but after poking around with a long stick, he +found that nothing remained which could in any way be used as +evidence. + +Turning out the light, they crossed the hall and opened the other +door. With a match, Marsh found a wall switch close to the door, and +snapping this, the room was flooded with brilliant light from +several electric lamps pendant from the ceiling, each covered with a +green metal shade. + +Here was the solution of the deserted condition of the upper part of +the house. That part of the house had been left intentionally +deserted, for all the men's activities had been centered in this +room. It was a large, square room that had been the laundry of the +house. Four cots, standing along one wall, indicated where the men +had slept, and several pots on the gas stove showed where they had +obtained their heat and done their cooking. Through the glass door +of a cupboard, in one corner, he saw cans and packages of food. The +table, in the center of the room, was littered with soiled dishes +and the remains of a meal. + +Large patches of black cloth on two sides of the room marked the +probable location of windows which had been carefully covered to +keep any light from showing on the outside. But what interested +Marsh most was the complete counterfeiting equipment in one corner +of the room. A small trunk also stood in this corner, and raising +the lid Marsh discovered a large quantity of the five dollar bills +he had been tracing over the country for the last two years. What he +really sought, however, were the plates, and these were apparently +missing. + +At this moment Nels spoke. "You like to see dis?" he asked. + +Turning, Marsh found that Nels had the cupboard door open, and was +pointing to a suitcase, which lay on the floor. It had been +previously concealed by the lower part of the door. + +"You bet I would!" exclaimed Marsh and hurried across to the +cupboard. He pulled out the suitcase, which was fairly heavy, and +tried to open it. It was locked. Nels pulled out a big knife, with a +long blade, and began to cut through the leather at the edges. He +presently laid back one side of the suitcase, exposing some clothing +to view. It was only a thin layer, however, which Marsh threw +quickly aside. Under the clothing he found a carefully wrapped +package. Tearing off the covering, he saw what he sought--the plates +for the five dollar bills. Beneath the package, laid out in a +carefully arranged row, were bundles of stocks and bonds. + +Here, at last, was the evidence Marsh had sought, and the +confirmation of the theory he had carefully worked out. + + + + +CHAPTER XXII + +CORNERED + + +Marsh replaced everything in the suitcase, put it back in the +cupboard, and closed the door. + +"We're through here for the present, Nels," he said. + +Shutting off the lights, the two men returned to the main floor. As +they entered the library, Morgan and Tierney appeared, having +completed their search of the upper part of the house. + +"Any luck?" asked Marsh. + +"Nothing at all with any bearing on the case," answered Morgan. "How +about you?" + +"I found all the evidence we need; most of it in a suitcase, which +is probably the one Atwood removed from his apartment." + +"There goes one of your theories, Marsh," laughed Morgan. + +"Which one?" inquired Marsh. + +"That Clark Atwood and this man Hunt were not in cahoots." + +Marsh smiled. "What is the proverb?" he said. "'Tis wisdom sometimes +to seem a fool.'" + +"Now then, Morgan," he continued, briskly, "there's the telephone. +You make arrangements to have your men come out and take care of the +evidence in the basement, and the prisoners. While you're doing +that, the rest of us will bring in those fellows we left out by the +road." + +Morgan went to the telephone as directed, and Marsh led the others +down the drive to the gate. Everything was just as they had left it, +and they found the two men where they had placed them, behind the +bushes. + +"If I'm any example," said Tierney, "these two guys must be near +frozen to death." + +"That'll cool off their ambition for a fight," replied Marsh. + +Marsh placed Wagner, who was the smaller of the two men, over his +shoulder, and Tierney and Nels, carrying the other man between them, +followed Marsh back to the house. They put the two men in chairs in +the library, and lifting the other man from the floor placed him in +a chair near them. Marsh then turned to Morgan. + +"Have you fixed everything up?" + +"Yes, they ought to be here inside of an hour and a half." + +"Fine!" commented Marsh. Then turning to Nels, he pulled out a bill +and presented it. + +"Nels," he said, "we've all got to go into the city. Somebody must +watch this place while we're gone. You have a good gun there, so you +can stick around until the police come." + +"Sure--Aye watch." + +"Come on," Marsh called, and the three men started out. The last +thing Marsh heard as he went down the steps, was a voice murmuring, +"He bane fine man." + + Oak Street lay shadowy and deserted, as Marsh, accompanied by +Morgan and Tierney, turned into it from Rush Street. + +"Wait here for a minute," requested Marsh, as they stopped in front +of the entrance to Hunt's building, and he moved toward the dark +tradesmen's entrance. As he neared it, a man appeared from the +shadows. They held a low-voiced conversation, and Marsh then +returned to the others. When the door was opened, in answer to their +ring, the three detectives climbed the stairs. + +Hunt's man-servant stood at the door. + +"Mr. Hunt in?" asked Marsh. + +"Yes, sir," replied the man. "I think you were here before, sir." + +"Yes, Sunday night." + +"Walk right in, sir. Mr. Hunt's in the living room." + +Hunt had evidently been reading, but had risen at the sound of +voices, for on entering the living room they found him standing by +the davenport, with his finger between the pages of a book. + +"Good evening," said Marsh. + +There was a look of surprise on Hunt's face, but he quickly mastered +it. + +"I hardly expected to see you here," he observed, significantly. +"And who are your friends?" + +"Detective Sergeant Morgan, whom you have met before; and his +partner, Detective Sergeant Tierney." + +Again that astonished expression passed over Hunt's face. He spoke +quite calmly, however. + +"May I ask the reason for this late call?" + +"It's really a continuation of the visit I made here Sunday night," +answered Marsh. "My story has had another and more interesting +chapter added to it, and I thought you might like to hear it." + +"Naturally, I am interested," returned Hunt, smiling. "Will you +gentlemen take chairs?" + +Hunt's man, who had followed them into the room, now offered to +assist them in taking off their coats. + +"Never mind," said Marsh, "we shall be here only a few minutes," and +the man left the room. + +Marsh now seated himself in the chair he had occupied on the +occasion of his previous visit, and Morgan and Tierney took chairs +on the opposite side of the fireplace. Hunt laid aside his book and +offered them cigars from a humidor. Marsh refused, calling attention +to the fact that he was lighting a cigarette, but Morgan and Tierney +accepted, and Hunt, selecting a cigar for himself, then settled down +among the cushions in a corner of the davenport. + +"My story really begins two years ago, Mr. Hunt," said Marsh, "but I +will pass briefly over the early part of it by merely saying that at +that time I took up the trail of a counterfeiter, known as Clark +Atwood." + +"Why should you take up the trail of a counterfeiter?" inquired +Hunt. + +"Because," declared Marsh, throwing back his coat and exposing his +badge, "I belong to the Secret Service Division of the United States +Treasury Department." + +Hunt remained silent and Marsh continued. "Upon the death of his +wife in St. Louis, a few months ago, this man Atwood brought his +daughter to Chicago and placed her in an apartment on Sheridan Road. +Posing as a traveling man, Atwood was busy in other places, and made +only occasional visits to his daughter. To maintain a place of +safety and refuge in time of trouble, this man Atwood kept his +daughter in ignorance of his real occupation. I may say, at this +point, that Atwood had made his living by criminal means for many +years, and the venture in counterfeiting was simply the latest of +his many ways of gaining a livelihood." + +"In the course of time it became necessary for Atwood to get a +certain man out of the way. The plans were carefully laid and the +stage set. His daughter believed him to be traveling on the road, +but after he was sure that she had retired for the night, he quietly +entered his apartment, went to her bedroom, and by means of a +hypodermic needle, charged with morphine, rendered her unconscious +while she slept, so that there would be no chance of her awakening +and spoiling his plans. Then Atwood, and a well known police +character known as 'Baldy' Newman, entered an empty apartment across +the hall by means of a duplicate key. At twelve o'clock, this man +'Baldy' telephoned the victim at his hotel. Newman represented +himself as the man's former chauffeur, and appealed for immediate +assistance to get out of some trouble he was in. Atwood, and his +confederate, then waited in the dining room of this apartment until +the victim rang the bell. Newman admitted him and led him into the +dining room. There the two men confronted him with revolvers and on +the threat of taking his life, forced him to sign a paper." + +"After that, the victim made an attempt to escape. He fled to the +front of the apartment, closely pursued by the two men. They +attempted to make away with him silently, as originally planned, by +knifing him to death. The victim brought a hitch into their plans by +drawing a revolver and firing one shot before he died. Had this not +occurred, it is probable that the murderers' plans would not have +been discovered until long after they had made a safe getaway. As it +was, the shot merely hastened their actions at the time. The lights +in the apartment were turned out, the dead man was carried across +the hall, through Atwood's apartment, and down the rear stairs, +where he was thrown into a waiting automobile. When the police +arrived, a few minutes later, the men believed that they had gotten +safely away, without leaving a trace. They did leave traces, +however, and from that minute the police never left the trail until +they closed in on the men today." + +Marsh took a photograph from his pocket. "Among the traces left in +that apartment," he went on, "were the imprints of a man's hands on +the dining room table. I have here a photograph of those imprints, +and among the many identifying marks there is a scar of a peculiar +shape." + +Marsh returned the photograph to his pocket. + +"I am very glad to learn that you have cleared up the murder of my +employer, Mr. Marsh," said Hunt. "What seems curious to me, however, +is why you should think this man Atwood would want to kill Mr. +Merton. Surely Mr. Merton could never have had any dealings with a +criminal such as you describe Atwood to be." + +"On the contrary, Mr. Hunt," returned Marsh, "Merton had extensive +business dealings with Atwood. In fact, he went so far as to place +Atwood in a position where he could rob Merton of several hundred +thousand dollars worth of stocks and bonds. The transfer of these +securities had been taking place for a year or more, and it had +reached the point where the greater part of Merton's fortune was in +Atwood's hands. It is evident that Atwood's original intention was +to step quietly out of sight with this fortune, but subsequent +events led him to believe that he could go on in quiet security if +Merton were out of the way. That was the reason why Merton was +murdered." + +Hunt threw the remains of his cigar into the fireplace, and slipped +the hand that had held it down into the pillows of the davenport. + +"And you think you have at last located this man Atwood do you, Mr. +Marsh?" + +"Yes," returned Marsh, calmly, "because I have absolute proof that +CLARK ATWOOD AND GILBERT HUNT ARE ONE AND THE SAME MAN!" + +Instantly Hunt's hand whipped out from behind the sofa cushions, and +the three detectives found themselves covered by an automatic as +Hunt stood up. + +"Clever work, gentlemen," he said, smiling. "But after leading men +of your type around by the nose for many years, you can hardly +expect me to stay here and calmly accept defeat now." + +"Oh, no," answered Marsh. "we fully expected you to put up a good +fight." He slipped his hands into his trouser pockets, and crossing +his legs, leaned back, smiling up at Hunt. "Go ahead; what's your +next move?" + +"My next move," cried Hunt, sharply, "is to leave you damn fools +sitting right there. When I didn't hear from my men this afternoon I +knew that something was wrong, and my way of escape is ready." + +He backed slowly toward the door, keeping the detectives covered +with his automatic. When he reached the door of the room, he called, +"Everything ready, George?" + +"Yes, sir," a voice replied from the distance. + +Hunt again addressed the detectives. "I advise you gentlemen to stay +quietly where you are for a few minutes. I am going out of the back +door of this apartment, and you, will find it difficult to find YOUR +way through in the dark--especially as you may meet a shot at any +moment. I bid you good evening, gentlemen." + +With that, Hunt backed out of sight through the doorway and all was +silent. Immediately, Morgan and Tierney leaped to their feet and +dashed toward the door. + +"Hold on!" exclaimed Marsh, still sitting quietly in his chair, +"Where are you going?" + +The two detectives stopped in astonishment. + +"We're going to get him!" shouted Tierney. + +"No need of taking all that trouble," returned Marsh. "My men are +ready for him. Long ago a Secret Service man even replaced his +driver at the wheel of his car." + +As if in answer to this statement from Marsh, they a was a distant +fusillade of shots. + +"They've got him," said Marsh, rising. "Now we can go." + +"If there's no hurry now," said Morgan, "I wish you would tell us +the rest of the story." + +"What do you mean?" inquired Marsh. + +"How did you come to connect these two men, and how did you get that +inside dope on the stealing?" + +"You know all the incidents," returned Marsh, "and you ought to be +able to connect them as I did. The only information I had about +which you did not know was that notebook. The book contained +memoranda in Hunt's handwriting, which, by the way, closely +resembled the writing in Atwood's last letter. Among these were the +names, addresses and telephone numbers of the men who worked with +him, and showing their different locations during the past year or +two. He also made notations of the different stocks and bonds which +he took out of Merton's vaults at various times." + +"Atwood, you know, took a suitcase at the last moment from his +apartment. This afternoon I located a suitcase in the Merton house, +containing the counterfeit plates, and the stocks and bonds which I +had found noted in Hunt's memorandum book. Naturally, a large part +of the story I told tonight was merely surmise on my part, but you +can see how near I came to the truth from the way Hunt acted." + +"Another interesting point, due to your foresight, Morgan, was that +matter of the scar. I studied very carefully the photograph you had +taken. Sunday night, when I was calling here on Hunt, I goaded him +into a rage, so that he shook his right fist in my face. I had a +good view of the scar then, and my last doubt vanished." + +"Another point that isn't clear," queried Morgan, "is that paper +Merton signed. What was it?" + +"I don't know," said Marsh. "That was a wild guess on my part; that +he had signed any paper at all. It seemed odd, however, that an +experienced financier like Merton would make an employee sole +executor. So I decided that before his death, Merton was forced to +sign either a new will, or a codicil to his old will, which was +dated back some months so as to offset any suspicions." + +"And what do you suppose Hunt expected to gain by kidnapping all of +us?" again questioned Morgan. + +"Don't you see," explained Marsh, "that we were getting too close, +and might be expected to spring the trap at any minute. Our +disappearance would divert the police into a search for us instead +of for them. In the meantime, they could get quietly away and +vanish. And besides, I was supposed to have that notebook--the most +incriminating evidence we possessed at that time." + +"But see here," now broke in Tierney. "Why did you let that guy +think he had a chance to get away, when you had the goods on him? +The three of us could have nabbed him the minute we came in." + +"Tierney," replied Marsh, "there's a little girl up north that I +hope to marry some day. You know her--she's Atwood's daughter. If +that girl knew that her father was a crook it would break her heart. +I didn't intend that she should ever know. I told Hunt that story +tonight so as to show him the hopelessness of his position, and thus +drive him out to a finish battle with my men. Sooner or later he had +to pay the penalty of being a murderer, and I did not think he would +allow himself to be taken alive, so I gave him his chance. His death +prevents a personal trial and the presenting of all the evidence. +The name of Atwood need not now appear in the reports of the case, +and the girl will never connect the references that may be made to +Gilbert Hunt, with her father." + +"One week!" exclaimed Morgan. "Marsh, you complimented me once on +twenty-four hours bum work; It's my turn now, to hand it to you for +one week's REAL work." + +"I appreciate your good intentions, Morgan," laughed Marsh, "but you +forget that I have actually been two years on this job. The last +week was simply the windup. It was not my superior work--merely a +slip in the man's plans that gave me a clue." + +"Hell!" cried Tierney. "Cut that modest stuff. A man who could turn +the biggest mystery the Department ever had into a CLUE, is some +guy!" + + + + +CHAPTER XXIII + +SUNSET + + +One of the sudden changes characteristic of the Chicago climate had +taken place. The wintry chill had left the air before the advance of +a soft, warm breeze that blew out of the west. It might have been +early spring instead of late fall. + +Marsh waited outside the music school on Michigan Avenue for Jane +Atwood. Presently she appeared, and Marsh was conscious of a +quickened beating of the heart as he watched the slender, graceful +figure approach. He noted the becoming flush, which spread over her +features as she recognized him, and he was certain that no woman +ever before had such sparkling eyes and so sweet a smile. + +"This is a pleasant surprise," she greeted him. + +"I knew you had a lesson today," explained Marsh, "and the weather +was so fine that I thought you might enjoy a walk before you went +home." + +"I should love it!" she exclaimed. "I was just dreading the thought +of going straight home to that plain little room in the hotel. Hotel +rooms never do seem homelike, do they?" + +"Most of my life has been spent in hotels," returned Marsh, as they +strolled toward the curb. "My parents died before I was twenty, and +since then I have led a roving life." He signaled a passing taxi, +and directed the chauffeur to take them to Lincoln Park. + +Marsh glanced down Oak Street as the car flashed by. The mysterious +shadows that hung over the street at night, and the recent tragic +incident which had taken place there, seemed almost like a dream to +Marsh, as he saw the street stretch peacefully toward the west in +the light of the late afternoon sun. Marsh's attention was quickly +diverted, however, for at this point the tall buildings, the smoky +streets, and the crowds were left behind. At one side began the long +line of palatial residences that has brought to this section of +Chicago the sobriquet of "The Gold Coast." On the other side lay a +strip of park, and beyond that stretched the rolling waters of Lake +Michigan, as far as the eye could see. + +"This is what I like about Chicago," exclaimed Marsh. "After a day +in the hurry and bustle and grind of the business district, you are +swept in a few minutes into a region of trees, grass and spreading +waters. At one stroke you seem to leave the seething city behind and +enter into the wide spaces of the earth." + +"You speak like a poet," declared the girl, "rather than a plain +business man." + +"Perhaps," returned Marsh, in a low voice, "it is because of +something new that has come into my life." + +The girl's eyes looked into his for a moment, and seemed to read +something there, for she turned with heightened color to look out +over the lake. + +They sat in silence for the next few minutes; then Marsh leaned +forward and opened the door of the taxi. "We'll stop here," he +called to the driver. + +"Have you been in Lincoln Park before?" he inquired, as they +strolled north. + +"Only to pass through in the bus," returned Jane. + +"I think," commented Marsh, "that this is one of the prettiest +parks. I presume that those rolling hills are artificial, but they +are certainly a relief, after the monotonous flatness of the rest of +the city. There is one, just ahead of us, that is the highest in the +park. I want to take you there, for it is a place where I have often +sat during the last few months, when I wanted to be alone and +think." + +"I believe," said Jane, "that this is the first time you have really +told me anything abort yourself." + +"Frankly," replied Marsh, "that is one of the reasons why I +suggested this walk today. This favorite spot of mine appealed to me +as just the place to tell you something of my story. There it is," +he added, pointing across the driveway to a little tree-clad hill. +He guided her across the drive, up the winding path through the +trees, to an open space on the hilltop, where they found a bench and +sat down. + +"It is beautiful," agreed the girl. + +Several miles of the shore line lay stretched before them, and +beyond it miles and miles of blue-green water rolled in, to break +into miniature waves against the embankment. The sun had nearly +touched the treetops behind them, and the gray of evening already +lay out over the lake. The distant horizon changed from a deep +purplish tint, where it met the water, through many, shades, until +it turned to rich gold, where the light of the setting sun fell full +upon fleecy clouds that drifted slowly, far up in the air. + +"You asked me a few days ago," began Marsh, "about the nature of my +business. I did not feel free to tell you at that time, because I +was engaged in working out one of my most important cases. That case +is completed; and so is my work along that line. I am a detective, +Miss Atwood--for the last ten years in the Secret Service Division +of the United States Government." + +"How interesting," she exclaimed. + +"No, you are wrong," returned Marsh. "I thought it was interesting, +but I have found out my mistake. It was a wandering, unnatural life, +full of nervous days and sleepless nights. No home life, no family, +no friends--lacking all the things that really make life worth +living. Miss Atwood, the men who work down there in those great +buildings during the day, and go to a little home at night, to be +greeted by a cheery wife and romping children, are the most +fortunate men in the world. Some of them grow restless at times, and +may long for what they think is the glamour and excitement of a life +like mine. Work such as mine is necessary to the peace, happiness +and progress of the world--but I have come to the conclusion that I +would rather let the other fellow do it." + +"What do you plan to do, then?" the girl asked softly. + +"Unfortunately, my training has been along one line only, and I must +stick to that. But I intend to follow it in a way that will permit +me to have a home, and some of the things in life which other men +enjoy. I have already sent in my resignation to the Secret Service. +As soon as it is accepted I plan to open an office in Chicago, to do +private investigative work. There is an immense opportunity for this +among the thousands of great business houses here. Then I am going +to have a home--and," he added, leaning toward her and gazing +straight into her eyes, "I want you to help me start that home." + +Jane flushed. "What do you mean?" she murmured. + +"That I love you," replied Marsh, as he took her small, soft hand in +his. + +"But you have known me such a short time," protested Jane. + +"Jane," he said, "I have watched over you for nearly two years. When +you walked along St. Louis streets and entered shops; when you +passed back and forth to your music school in Chicago; I was many +times close at hand." + +She gazed at him in startled surprise. "I don't understand," she +said. + +"My work took me to St. Louis," Marsh explained. "There I saw you +and fell in love. The same work brought me to Chicago, soon after +you arrived here, and though you did not know me--probably not even +by sight--I was there, watching over you, and worshipping day by +day. Perhaps a week is too short a time for you to begin to care, +but I had hoped that you would." + +"I do care," she half whispered, "but I did not know that you +thought so much of me. I have often longed for a real home myself. +You know, my own home was never really a happy one. For years my +mother was sickly and nervous, and it was I who incurred all the +household responsibilities. It has been years since I had the care +and companionship that most girls receive from a mother. My father +always provided liberally for us, but, he was seldom at home." + +"Then we will start a real home together?" he pleaded. + +"Yes," she whispered. + +The sun sank out of sight and the twilight folded them in friendly +seclusion as Marsh took her in his arms. + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg The Sheridan Road Mystery, by Paul and Mabel Thorne + diff --git a/old/shrdn10.zip b/old/shrdn10.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..49b25b4 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/shrdn10.zip |