IONS AND CR

ed devotion to the Van Gorder family, Lizzie chose that particular moment

not have to show the gentleman to his room. Her ideas of detectives were entirely drawn from sensational magazines and

ive's instructions, promptly told the

n make yourself comfortable for the night." There-t

Anderson carelessly. The allusion to the gun made Lizzie start nervously, unhappil

he inquired. Miss Cornelia assented.

me?" he asked,

eeling like a small and distrustful spar

l rogues gallery of other criminals na

re you?" h

gly. "Have I got to answer that?" she w

hirty-two," she said, wit

ked surprised and

ornelia treacherously in spite of a look

ppeared and vanished o

d sternly, "do you ev

said Lizzie

or the countr

do

Anderson deigne

e no doubt as to the sinc

t he favored her with a long and careful scrutiny before he moved to the table and picked up

re?" he said crispl

cken. When she had finished, she made a gesture of wild disc

not only her patron saint but all the rosary

ive still kept

ourself, did you?"

id Lizzie angri

our sleep?" The bare idea strained L

eet out for a million dollars!" she said with heartfel

, relaxing considerably; "That's m

d, and flounced out of the room in high dudgeon, her pompad

ss Cornelia. If he had found any clue to the mystery in

bout the but

ept that he was Courtl

"Do you consider

conspiratorial, taking pains not to draw the attention of the others to her presence. Bu

nelia he

tion between the colossal theft at the Un

d to think ove

into the room from the alcove, silently closing

gh Fleming took that money from his own bank and con

he cashier is missing. In the second place, if Courtleigh Fleming did it and got as far as Colorado, he had it with him when he died, and the

lia obstinately, "I leased this

ive smiled

" he said, the professional note coming back to hi

demolition of the mental card-cas

on the detection of crim

e impression that a clue is a big and vital factor that sticks up like-well, like a sore thumb. The fact is that the criminal takes care of the big and importa

that the money from the Union Bank is i

it very u

She still clung tenaciously to her own theorie

your room," she said a little stiffly. T

wed her to the door. If either had noticed the unobtrus

ng under great excitement. She went quickly to the alcove doors-they opened softly-disclosing the young man who had said that he was Brooks the new gardener-and yet not the same young man-for his assumed air of servitude had dropped from him like a cl

a warning finger as he

red. "Be careful! Th

ed glance at the d

d me here," he said

't thi

esture of h

searched them," he paused, "as they're sure to-they'll find your le

ged a gardener-and that'

in a tense voice. "You know I didn't take t

of first-love wa

atefully, passionately. Then the galling memory of the predicament in which he stood, the hunt

e stammered, turning awa

nformed him of

ve been trying to break into

air in a gesture of bewilderment.

people?" he qu

zled. "She d

in the palm of the other. "Through some underneath channel old Fleming has been selling those securities for months, turning them into cash.

police that? Now they thi

was a few hours to myself to try

?" said Dale at her wits' end. "That Courtleigh

's face g

ody at once and I'd hav

ng-room-walls-ceiling-hopefully-desperately-lookin

sure it is her

d he had no intention of being exiled to a foreign country. He wanted to

even

-" He crossed to the billiard-roo

nce and you know the way fellows get to talking when they're far away and cut off-" He paused, seeing the cruel glea

is friend of mine," he resumed, "he told m

" gaspe

I remember what he said. He said, 'You watch old Fleming. If I get mine over here

as as exci

the money is in

ll right, the minute he got the word the bank had been looted. And he'd fixed things so I'd be railroaded to prison-you wouldn't und

the nephew who is

k in. He could make an ex

his hands

ld of a blue-print of t

the secret-and yet not find it. "Oh, Jack, I'm so con

her shoulders in an effo

's like this." He pantomimed the old nursery rhyme of The House that Jack Built, "Here's the house that Courtleigh Fleming built-here, somewhere, is the Hidden Room in the house that

. "I've forgotten it alre

an offhand gaiety

game, dearest. 'Money, money-who's got the money?' You know!" For the dozenth time he stared at the unr

rner. He got the driver and stood wondering where he had best begin. That blank wall above the fireplace looked as promising as any. He tapped it gently with the golf club

the long roll on its iron drum outside, in th

," said Dale dully, her excitem

y thing to do is to go over this house room by room." H

d. "Jack! Perhaps Courtleigh Fleming's ne

way into the billiard room and began to rap at random upon its walls while Dale listened

s night. For, coming into the living-room to lay a cloth for Mr. Anderson's night suppers not only did the lights blink threat

he lights went out, leaving her in inky darkness

Dale huddled close to her lover as they groped their way back to the living-room, cautiously, doing th

le." Her outstretched hands touched a familiar object. "Her

. In the weak glow of the little taper, whose tiny flame illuminated

s," he said, "if all the wa

fled knocking that seemed to come from the ceiling

hat?" gas

ocking was repeated-k

s, gazing up at the ceiling intently, as if he could tear fro