IN TH

the rain. Dale lowered her revolver slowly. It was Richard

young man about town, in his early thirties, could possibly understand and appreciate the motives that had driven her to seek his aid. Still, it was for Jac

him and moved down from the alcove, t

frighte

evolver down on the table. Fleming perceived

apped but nobody seemed to

sorry," said Dale with

oat and placed them on a chair, brushing himself off a

over in his car," he said.

words in the usual commo

e!" she said, facing him squarely, w

ovement. "Oh, I sa

ou know the Union

ghed l

ny other bank for that matter," he admitted rueful

gle was best from whic

ing in this bank failure, a lot of yo

y. "Beresford is sitting down the road

ent, she was on the verge of giving her project up entirely. Then, "Waster

ple are going to suffer,

smissing the poor wi

ouble," he said with airy heartlessn

grammed cigarette f

e, "you didn't send for me to discuss this hypoth

ith enjoyment while Dale paused, summoning up

al. Please don't mind. I'm merely-desperate! You see

ed. "I see! An

ed with i

y, all her defenses thrown aside. "My aunt thinks he's a new gardener. He is here, Mr. Fleming, be

out there, absently, not seeming to notice whether it scorched his finger

ment to bring against a dead m

sted stubbornly, givin

odded. "A

mile that Dal

ome in?" he said. "You don't th

"but I think you mi

oor and listened tensely for an ins

hing of yours," she said in a low voice. He nodded

about a Hidden Room in

her for a moment. Then

Never heard of it! Now, let me get this straight. The i

odded

told Jack Bailey that he had built

hlessness of the small soul within the gentlemanly shell. His eyes took on a shifty, uncertain stare-they no longer looked at Dale-their gaze seemed turned inward, beholding a visioned treasure, a glittering pile of gold. And yet, the change in his look was not so pronounced as

ondering why he made no com

re any blue-prints of the

for a moment. Then it vanished-he held

ave you looked in the old secretary in the library? My uncle used to

ber-you locked it whe

elected a key. "Suppose you go and look," he

her heart. "Oh, I can hardly thank you enough!" and before he could e

oment's inspection-he shook his head. Perhaps the other bookcase near the French windows-no-it wasn't there. Ah, the bookcase over the fireplace! He remembered now! He made for it, hastily swept the books from the top shelf, reached groping

nes with greedy eyes, his lips opening in a silent exclamation of triumph. Then he pondered for an instant, the blue-print itself-was an awkward size-bulky-good, he had it! He carefully tore a small port

y to the secretary. Then, as he still made no move to transfer the scrap o

e between them with a swift movement. Once more he stole a glance at the scrap of

rn this over to you and let you give it to Bailey?" he said. "Every m

water in her face. "What do you m

the blue-print

said. "What is it

ue distrust in him ha

going to giv

t the blue-print again. "So the missing cashier is in this h

emper wa

she said, with a stamp of her foot. She made a movement as if

ective and let him

ming startled. "What's

been trying

t pe

n't k

out beyond Dale

re," he mutter

s of the alcove swung open just a crack. Was a listener crouched behi

s lips drew back from his teeth in the snarl of a predatory

nd threw them on the fire, retaining only the precious scrap in his

detective," he said quietly, tapp

sickeningly but she

e said fiercely. "What

ng back to him just enough to add an additional touch o

y badly and my uncle has left me a house containing that amount in cash. Suppose I choose to consider that that mone

ned all he

with that paper I'll scream

tle mock-bow of co

is a detective in this house-and that, if I were cornered, I should tell

ate!-she was helpless. She could not call the detective without ruining Jack-and

em open, seemed about to dash up the alcove stairs. The sight of him escaping with the only existing clue to the hidden room galvanized Dale

r him, clutching the revolver. He waited for her on the bot

y from her, but in doing so had unguarded the precious blue-print-she snatched at it desperately, tear

red on Fleming's face like the glare of a flashlight focused from above by an invisible hand. For an instant it reveal

ury on Fleming's face seemed to change to a

g of a candle, and he crumpled forward to the foot of the stairs-st

ttle whimperin

ous scrap of blue-print into the bosom of her dress. She stood frozen, not daring to move, not dar

en, feet stumbled through the darkness-"The noise came from this r

nguished since the storm, came on in full brilliance-revealing her to them,

lung out awkwardly by his side. No li

nd his face, impassive as ever, showed not the slightest surprise. Brooks and Anderson were likewise completely dressed-but Miss Cornelia had evidently begun to retire for the night when she had heard the shot-her transformation was

xamining Fleming's body with profes

n through the watching group. Dale felt a

ed it swiftly, careful not to confuse his own fingerprints with any that might alre

for some seconds be

ody shot him!" she man

ook a step

mean by someb

accusing eyes-a multitude of shadowy voices, shouting,

said wildly. "Somebo

son's voice was as passionle

. She saw Fleming's face before her-furious at first-then changing to that strange

a welcome

case!" she wailed, jabbing her forefinge

rom the first shock of the dis

anation, Mr. Anderson

s made a circuit of the room and came back to Fleming's body. "

looking toward her lover for comfort-comfort he

sudden tinkling sounded-the sharp, pe

tically. "The house phone!" she said.

And yet-somehow-somewhere-one of the other pho

an Gorder pride she possessed and went to the pho

od rigid, listening. Then she gasped. An expr