,,the ,,ear ,,in ,,the ,,wall ,,by ,,arthur ,b4 ,,reeve ,,frontispiece ,,by ,,will ,,foster ,,contents ,,chapter ,i ,,the ,,vanisher ,,ii ,,the ,,black ,,book ,,iii ,,the ,,safe ,,robbery ,,iv ,,the ,,anonymous ,,letter ,v ,,the ,,suffragette ,,secretary ,,vi ,,the ,,woman ,,detective ,,vii ,,the ,,gang ,,leader ,,viii ,,the ,,shyster ,,lawyer ,,ix ,,the ,,jury ,,fixer ,x ,,the ,,afternoon ,,dance ,,xi ,,the ,,typewriter ,,clue ,,xii ,,the ,,portrait ,,parle ,,xiii ,,the ,,conviction ,,xiv ,,the ,,beauty ,,parlour ,,xv ,,the ,,phantom ,,circuit ,,xvi ,,the ,,sanitarium ,,xvii ,,the ,,society ,,scandal ,,xviii ,,the ,,wall ,,street ,,wolf ,,xix ,,the ,,escape ,,xx ,,the ,,metric ,,photograph ,,xxi ,,the ,,morgue ,,xxii ,,the ,,canard ,,xxiii ,,the ,,confession ,,xxiv ,,the ,,debacle ,,of ,,dorgan ,,xxv ,,the ,,blood ,,crystals ,,xxvi ,,the ,,white ,,slave ,,xxvii ,,the ,,election ,,night ,i ,,the ,,vanisher ,hello1 ,jameson1 is ,kennedy in8 ,i glanced up from the evening papers to encounter the square-jawed1 alert face of ,district ,attorney ,carton in the doorway of our apartment4 ,how do you do1 ,judge8 ,i exclaimed4 ,no1 but ,i expect him any second now4 ,won't you sit down8 ,the ,district ,attorney dropped1 rather wearily ,i thought1 into a chair and looked at his watch4 ,i had made ,carton's acquaintance some years before as a cub reporter on the ,star while he was a judge of an inferior court4 ,our acquaintance had grown through several political campaigns in which ,i had had assignments that brought me into contact with him4 ,more recently some special writing had led me across his trail again in telling the story of his clean-up of graft in the city4 ,at present his weariness was easily accounted for4 ,he was in the midst of the fight of his life for re-election against the so-called ,system1 headed by ,boss ,dorgan1 in which he had gone far in exposing evils that ranged all the way from vice and the drug traffic to bald election frauds4 ,i expect a ,mrs4 ,blackwell here in a few minutes1 he remarked1 glancing again at his watch4 ,his eye caught the headline of the news story ,i had been reading and he added quickly1 ,what do the boys on the ,star think of that ,blackwell case1 anyhow8 ,it was1 ,i may say1 a case deeply shrouded in mystery--the disappearance without warning of a beautiful young girl1 ,betty ,blackwell1 barely eighteen4 ,her family1 the police1 and now the ,district ,attorney had sought to solve it in vain4 ,some had thought it a kidnaping1 others a suicide1 and others had even hinted at murder4 ,all sorts of theories had been advanced without in the least changing the original dominant note of mystery4 ,photographs of the young woman had been published broadcast1 ,i knew1 without eliciting a word in reply4 ,young men whom she had known and girls with whom she had been intimate had been questioned without so much as a clue being obtained4 ,reports that she had been seen had come in from all over the country1 as they always do in such cases4 ,all had been investigated and had turned out to be based on nothing more than imagination4 ,the mystery remained unsolved4 ,well1 ,i replied1 of course there's a lot of talk now in the papers about aphasia and amnesia and all that stuff4 ,but1 you know1 we reporters are a sceptical lot4 ,we have to be shown4 ,i can't say we put much faith in ,,that4 ,but what is your explanation8 ,you fellows always have an opinion4 ,sometimes ,i think the newspapermen are our best detectives4 ,i can't say that we have any opinion in this case--yet1 ,i returned frankly4 ,when a girl just simply disappears on ,fifth ,avenue and there isn't even the hint of a clue as to any place she went or how1 well--oh1 there's ,kennedy now4 ,put it up to him4 ,we were just talking of that ,betty ,blackwell disappearance case1 resumed ,carton1 when the greetings were over4 ,what do you think of it8 ,think of it8 repeated ,kennedy promptly with a keen glance at the ,district ,attorney2 why1 ,judge1 ,i think of it the same as you evidently do4 ,if you didn't think it was a case that was in some way connected with your vice and graft investigation1 you wouldn't be here4 ,and if ,i didn't feel that it promised surprising results1 aside from the interest ,i always have naturally in solving such mysteries1 ,i wouldn't be ready to take up the offer which you came here to make4 ,you're a wizard1 ,kennedy1 laughed ,carton1 though it was easily seen that he was both pleased and relieved to think that he had enlisted ,craig's services so easily4 ,not much of a wizard4 ,in the first place1 ,i know the fight you're making4 ,also1 ,i know that you wouldn't go to the police in the present state of armed truce between your office and ,headquarters4 ,you want someone outside4 ,well1 ,i'm more than willing to be that person4 ,the whole thing1 in its larger aspects1 interests me4 ,betty ,blackwell in particular1 arouses my sympathies4 ,that's all4 ,exactly1 ,kennedy4 ,this fight ,i'm in is going to be the fight of my life4 ,just now1 in addition to everything else1 people are looking to me to find ,betty ,blackwell4 ,her mother was in to see me today2 there isn't much that she could add to what has already been said4 ,betty was a most attractive girl4 ,the family is an excellent one1 but in reduced circumstances4 ,she had been used to a great deal as a child1 but now1 since the death of her father1 she has had to go to work--and you know what that means to a girl like that4 ,carton laid down a new photograph which the newspapers had not printed yet4 ,betty ,blackwell was slender1 petite1 chic4 ,her dark hair was carefully groomed1 and there was an air with which she wore her clothes and carried herself1 even in a portrait1 which showed that she was no ordinary girl4 ,her soft brown eyes had that magnetic look which is dangerous to their owner if she does not know how to control it1 eyes that arrested one's gaze1 invited notice4 ,even the lens must have felt the spell4 ,it had caught1 also1 the soft richness of the skin of her oval face and full throat and neck4 ,indeed one could not help remarking that she was really the girl to grace a fortune4 ,only a turn of the hand of that fickle goddess had prevented her from doing so4 ,i had picked up one of the evening papers and was looking at the newspaper half-tone which more than failed to do justice to her4 ,just then my eye happened on an item which ,i had been about to discuss with ,carton when ,kennedy entered4 ,as a scientist1 does the amnesia theory appeal to you1 ,craig8 ,i asked4 ,now1 here is an explanation by one of the special writers1 headed1 ',personalities ,lost ,through ,amnesia4' ,listen4 ,the article was brief3 ,mysterious disappearances1 such as that of ,betty ,blackwell1 have alarmed the public and baffled the police before this--disappearances that have in their suddenness1 apparent lack of purpose1 and inexplicability much in common with her case4 ,leaving out of account the class of disappearances for their own convenience--embezzlers1 blackmailers1 and so forth--there is still a large number of recorded cases where the subjects have dropped out of sight without apparent cause or reason and have left behind them untarnished reputations and solvent back accounts4 ,of these1 a small percentage are found to have met with violence2 others have been victims of suicidal mania1 and sooner or later a clue has come to light which has established the fact4 ,the dead are often easier to find than the living4 ,of the remaining small proportion1 there are on record1 however1 a number of carefully authenticated cases where the subject has been the victim of a sudden and complete loss of memory4 ,this dislocation of memory is a variety of aphasia known as amnesia1 and when the memory is recurrently lost and restored1 we have alternating personality4 ,the ,society for ,psychical ,research and many eminent psychologists1 among them the late ,william ,james1 ,dr4 ,weir ,mitchell1 ,dr4 ,hodgson of ,boston1 and ,dr4 ,a4 ,e4 ,osborn of ,san ,francisco1 have reported many cases of alternating personality4 ,studious efforts are being made to understand and to explain the strange type of mental phenomena exhibited in these cases1 but as yet no one has given a clear and comprehensive explanation of them4 ,such cases are by no means always connected with disappearances1 and exhaustive studies have been made of types of alternating personality that have from first to last been carefully watched by scientists of the first rank4 ,the variety known as the ambulatory type1 where the patient suddenly loses all knowledge of his own identity and of the past and takes himself off1 leaving no trace or clue1 is the variety which the present case of ,miss ,blackwell seems to suggest4 ,there followed a number of most interesting cases and an elaborate argument by the writer to show that ,betty ,blackwell was a victim of this psychological aberration1 that she was1 in other words1 a vanisher4 ,i laid down the paper with a questioning look at ,kennedy4 ,as a scientist1 he replied deliberately1 the theory1 of course1 does appeal to me1 especially in the ingenious way in which that writer applied it4 ,however1 as a detective--he shook his head slowly--,i must deal with facts--not speculations4 ,it leaves much to be explained1 to say the least4 ,just then the door buzzer sounded and ,carton himself sprang to answer it4 ,that's ,mrs4 ,blackwell now--her mother4 ,i told her that ,i was going to take the case to you1 ,kennedy1 and took the liberty of asking her to come up here to meet you4 ,good-afternoon1 ,mrs4 ,blackwell4 ,let me introduce ,professor ,kennedy and ,mr4 ,jameson1 of whom ,i spoke to you4 ,she bowed and murmured a tremulous greeting4 ,kennedy placed a chair for her and she thanked him4 ,mrs4 ,blackwell was a slender little woman in black1 well past middle age4 ,her face and dress spoke of years of economy1 even of privation1 but her manner was plainly that of a woman of gentle breeding and former luxury4 ,she was precisely of the type of decayed gentlewoman that one meets often in the city1 especially at some of the middle-class boarding-houses4 ,deeply as the disappearance of her daughter had affected her1 ,mrs4 ,blackwell was facing it bravely4 ,that was her nature4 ,one could imagine that only when ,betty was actually found would this plucky little woman collapse4 ,instinctively1 one felt that she claimed his assistance in the unequal fight she was waging against the complexities of modern life for which she had been so ill prepared4 ,i do hope you will be able to find my daughter1 she began1 controlling her voice with an effort4 ,mr4 ,carton has been so kind1 more than kind1 ,i am sure1 in getting your aid4 ,the police seem to be able to do nothing4 ,they make out reports1 put me off1 tell me they are making progress--but they don't find ,betty4 ,there was a tragic pathos in the way she said it4 ,betty was such a good girl1 too1 she went on1 her emotions rising4 ,oh1 ,i was so proud of her when she got her position down in ,wall ,street1 with the broker1 ,mr4 ,langhorne4 ,tell ,mr4 ,kennedy just what you told me of her disappearance1 put in ,carton4 ,again ,mrs4 ,blackwell controlled her feelings4 ,i don't know much about it1 she faltered1 but last ,saturday1 when she left the office early1 she said she was going to do some shopping on ,fifth ,avenue4 ,i know she went there1 did shop a bit1 then walked on the ,avenue several blocks4 ,but after that there is no trace of her4 ,you have heard nothing1 have no idea where she might have gone--even for a time8 queried ,kennedy4 ,he asked it with a keen look at the face of ,mrs4 ,blackwell4 ,i recalled one case where a girl had disappeared in which ,kennedy had always asserted that if the family had been perfectly frank at the start much more might have been accomplished in unravelling the mystery4 ,there was evident sincerity in ,mrs4 ,blackwell as she replied quickly1 ,absolutely none4 ,another girl from the office was with her part of the time1 then left her to take the subway4 ,we don't live far uptown4 ,it wouldn't have taken ,betty long to get home1 even if she had walked1 after that1 through a crowded street1 too4 ,of course1 she may have met a friend1 may have gone somewhere with the friend1 put in ,kennedy1 as if trying out the remark to see what effect it might have4 ,where could she go8 asked ,mrs4 ,blackwell in naive surprise1 looking at him with a counterpart of the eyes we had seen in the picture4 ,i hope you don't think that ,betty--- ,the little widow was on the verge of tears again at the mere hint that her daughter might have had friends that were not all1 perhaps1 that they should be4 ,carton came to the rescue4 ,miss ,blackwell1 he interposed1 was a very attractive girl1 very4 ,she had hosts of admirers1 as every attractive girl must have4 ,most of them1 all of them1 as far as ,mrs4 ,blackwell knows and ,i have been able to find out1 were young men at the office where she worked1 or friends of that sort--not the ordinary clerk1 but of the rising1 younger1 self-made generation4 ,still1 they don't seem to have interested her particularly as far as ,i have been able to discover4 ,she merely liked them4 ,there is absolutely nothing known to point to the fact that she was any different from thousands of girls in that respect4 ,she was vivacious1 full of fun and life1 a girl any fellow would have been more than proud to take to a dance4 ,she was ambitious1 ,i suppose1 but nothing more4 ,betty was not a bad girl1 asserted ,mrs4 ,blackwell vehemently4 ,she was a good girl4 ,i don't believe there was much1 in fact anything important1 on which she did not make me her confidante4 ,yes1 she was ambitious4 ,so am ,i4 ,i have always hoped that ,betty would bring our family--her younger sister--back to the station where we were before the panic wiped out our fortune and killed my husband4 ,that is all4 ,yes1 added ,carton1 nothing at all is known that would make one think that she was what young men call a 'good fellow' with them4 ,kennedy looked up1 but said nothing4 ,i thought ,i could read the unspoken word on his lips1 as he glanced from ,carton to ,mrs4 ,blackwell1 known4 ,she had risen and was facing us4 ,is there no one in all this great city1 appealed the distracted little woman with outstretched arms1 who can find my daughter8 ,is it possible that a girl can disappear in broad daylight in the streets and never be heard of again8 ,oh1 won't you find her8 ,tell me she is safe--that she is still the little girl ,i--- ,her voice failed and she was crying softly in her lace handkerchief4 ,it was touching and ,i saw that ,kennedy was deeply moved1 although at once to his practical mind the thought must have occurred that nothing was to be gained by further questions of ,mrs4 ,blackwell4 ,believe me1 ,mrs4 ,blackwell1 he said in a low tone1 taking her hand1 ,i will do all that is in my power to find her4 ,thank you1 murmured the mother1 overcome4 ,a moment later1 however1 she had recovered her composure to some degree and rose to go4 ,there was a flattering look of relief on her face which in itself must have been ample reward to ,craig1 a retainer worth more to him in a case like this than money4 ,i'm going back to my office1 remarked ,carton4 ,if ,i learn anything1 ,i shall let you know4 ,the ,district ,attorney went out with ,mrs4 ,blackwell4 ,busy as he was1 he had time to turn aside to help this bereaved woman1 and ,i admired him for it4 ,do you think it is one of those cases like some that ,carton has uncovered on the ,east ,side and among girls newly arrived in the city8 ,i asked ,craig when the door was shut4 ,can't say1 he returned1 in an abstracted study4 ,it's awful if it is1 ,i pursued4 ,and if it is1 ,i suppose all that will result from it will be a momentary thrill of the newspaper-readers1 and then they will fall back on the old saying that after all it is only a result of human nature that such things happen--they always have happened and always will--that old line of talk4 ,that sort of thing is ,,not a result of human nature1 returned ,kennedy earnestly4 ,it's a ,system4 ,i mean to say that if it should turn out to be connected with the vice investigations of ,carton1 and not a case of aphasia1 such a disappearance you would find to be due to the persistent1 cunning1 and unprincipled exploitation of young girls4 ,no1 ,walter1 it is not that women are weak or that men are inherently vicious4 ,that doesn't account for a case like this4 ,then1 too1 some mawkish people to-day are fond of putting the whole evil on low wages as a cause4 ,it isn't that--alone4 ,it isn't even lack of education or of moral training4 ,human nature is not so bad in the mass as some good people think4 ,no1 don't you1 as a reporter1 see it8 ,it is big business1 in its way1 that ,carton is fighting--big business in the commercialized ruin of girls1 such1 perhaps1 as ,betty ,blackwell--a vicious system that enmeshes even those who are its tools4 ,i'm glad if ,i can have a chance to help smash it4 ,now1 ,i'll tell you what ,i want you to do1 just so that we can start this thing with a clear understanding of what it amounts to4 ,i want you to look up just what the situation is4 ,i know there is an army of 'vanishers' in ,new ,york4 ,i want to know something about them in the mass4 ,can't you dig up something from your ,star connections8 ,kennedy had some matters concerning other cases to clear up before he felt free to devote his whole time to this4 ,as there was nothing we could do immediately1 ,i spent some time getting at the facts he wanted4 ,indeed1 it did not take me long to discover that the disappearance of ,betty ,blackwell1 in spite of the prominence it had been given1 was by no means an isolated case4 ,i found that the ,star alone had chronicled scores of such disappearances during the past few months1 cases of girls who had simply been swallowed up in the big city4 ,they were the daughters of neither the rich nor of the poor1 most of them1 but girls rather in ordinary circumstances4 ,even the police records showed upward of a thousand missing young girls1 ranging in age from fourteen to twenty-one years and ,i knew that the police lists scarcely approximated the total number of missing persons in the great city1 especially in those cases where a hesitancy on the part of parents and relatives often concealed the loss from public records4 ,i came away with the impression that there were literally hundreds of cases every bit as baffling as that of ,betty ,blackwell1 of young girls who had left absolutely no trace behind1 who had made no preparations for departure and of whom few had been heard from since they disappeared4 ,many from homes of refinement and even high financial standing had disappeared1 leaving no clues behind4 ,it was not alone the daughters of the poor that were affected--it was all society4 ,many reasons1 ,i found1 had been assigned for the disappearances4 ,i knew that there must be many causes at work1 that no one cause could be responsible for all or perhaps a majority of the cases4 ,there were suicides and murders and elopements1 family troubles1 poverty1 desire for freedom and adventure2 innumerable complex causes1 even down to kidnapping4 ,the question was1 however1 which of these causes had been in operation in the case of ,betty ,blackwell8 ,where had she gone8 ,where had this whole army of vanishers disappeared8 ,were these disappearances merely accidents--or was there an epidemic of amnesia8 ,i could bring myself to no such conclusions1 but was forced to answer my own queries in lieu of an answer from ,kennedy1 by propounding another4 ,was there an organized band8 ,and1 after ,i had tried to reason it all out1 ,i still found myself back at the original question1 as ,i rejoined ,kennedy at the laboratory1 ,where had they all--where had ,betty ,blackwell gone8 ,,ii ,,the ,,black ,,book ,i had scarcely finished pouring out my suspicions to ,kennedy when the telephone rang4 ,it was ,carton on the wire1 in a state of unsuppressed excitement4 ,kennedy answered the call himself1 but the conversation was brief and1 to me1 unenlightening1 until he hung up the receiver4 ,dorgan--the ,boss1 he exclaimed1 has just found a detectaphone in his private dining-room at ,gastron's4 ,at once ,i saw the importance of the news and for the moment it obscured even the case of ,betty ,blackwell4 ,dorgan was the political boss of the city at that time1 apparently entrenched1 with an organization that seemed impregnable4 ,i knew him as a big1 bullnecked fellow1 taciturn to the point of surliness1 owing his influence to his ability to deliver the goods in the shape of graft of all sorts1 the archenemy of ,carton1 a type of politician who now is rapidly passing4 ,carton wants to see us immediately at his office1 added ,craig1 jamming his hat on his head4 ,come on4 ,without waiting for further comment or answer from me1 ,kennedy1 caught by the infectious excitement of ,carton's message1 dashed from our apartment and a few minutes later we were whirling downtown on the subway4 ,you know1 ,i suppose1 he whispered rather hoarsely above the rumble and roar of the train1 but so as not to be overheard1 that ,dorgan always has kept a suite of rooms at ,gastron's1 on ,fifth ,avenue1 for dinners and conferences4 ,i nodded4 ,some of the things that must have gone on in the secret suite in the fashionable restaurant ,i knew would make interesting reading1 if the walls had ears4 ,apparently he must have found out about the eavesdropping in time and nipped it1 pursued ,kennedy4 ,what do you mean8 ,i asked1 for ,i had not been able to gather much from the one-sided conversation over the telephone1 and the lightning change from the case of ,betty ,blackwell to this had left me somewhat bewildered4 ,what has he done8 ,smashed the transmitter of the machine1 replied ,kennedy tersely4 ,cut the wires4 ,where did it lead8 ,i asked4 ,how do you know8 ,kennedy shook his head4 ,either he did not know1 yet1 or he felt that the subway was no place in which to continue the conversation beyond the mere skeleton that he had given me4 ,we finished the ride in comparative silence and hurried into ,carton's office down in the ,criminal ,courts ,building4 ,carton greeted us cordially1 with an air of intense relief1 as if he were glad to have been able to turn to ,kennedy in the growing perplexities that beset him4 ,what surprised me most1 however1 was that1 seated beside his desk1 in an easy chair1 was a striking looking woman1 not exactly young1 but of an age that is perhaps more interesting than youth1 certainly more sophisticated4 ,she1 too1 ,i noticed1 had a tense1 excited expression on her face4 ,as ,kennedy and ,i entered she had looked us over searchingly4 ,let me present ,mr4 ,kennedy and ,mr4 ,jameson1 ,mrs4 ,ogleby1 said ,carton quickly4 ,both of them know as much about how experts use those little mechanical eavesdroppers as anyone--except the inventor4 ,we bowed and waited for an explanation4 ,you understand1 continued ,carton slowly to us in a tone that enjoined secrecy1 ,mrs4 ,ogleby1 who is a friend of ,mr4 ,murtha1 ,dorgan's right-hand man1 naturally is alarmed and doesn't want her name to appear in this thing4 ,oh--it is terrible--terrible1 ,mrs4 ,ogleby chimed in in great agitation4 ,i don't care about anything else4 ,but1 my reputation--it will be ruined if they connect my name with the case4 ,as soon as ,i heard of it--,i thought of you1 ,mr4 ,carton4 ,i came here immediately4 ,there must be some way in which you can protect me--some way that you can get along without using-- ,but1 my dear ,mrs4 ,ogleby1 interrupted the ,district ,attorney1 ,i have told you half a dozen times1 ,i think1 that ,i didn't put the detectaphone in-- ,yes1 but you will get the record1 she persisted excitedly4 ,can't you do something8 she pleaded4 ,i fancied that she said it with the air of one who almost had some right in the matter4 ,mrs4 ,ogleby1 reiterated ,carton earnestly1 ,i will do all ,i can--on my word of honour--to protect your name1 but-- ,he paused and looked at us helplessly4 ,what was it that was overheard8 asked ,craig point-blank1 watching ,mrs4 ,ogleby's face carefully4 ,why1 she replied nervously1 there was a big dinner last night which ,mr4 ,dorgan gave at ,gastron's4 ,mr4 ,murtha took me and--oh--there were lots of others-- ,she stopped suddenly4 ,yes1 prompted ,kennedy4 ,who else was there8 ,she was on her guard1 however4 ,evidently she had come to ,carton for one purpose and that was solely to protect herself against the scandal which she thought might attach to having been present at one of the rather notorious little affairs of the ,boss4 ,really1 she answered1 colouring slightly1 ,i can't tell you4 ,i mustn't say a word about who was there--or anything about it4 ,good heavens--it is bad enough as it is--to think that my name may be dragged into politics and all sorts of false stories set in motion about me4 ,you must protect me1 ,mr4 ,carton1 you must4 ,how did you find out about the detectaphone being there8 asked ,kennedy4 ,why1 she replied evasively1 ,i thought it was just an ordinary little social dinner4 ,that's what ,mr4 ,murtha told me it was4 ,i didn't think anyone outside was interested in it or in who was there or what went on4 ,but1 this morning1 a--a friend--called me up and told me--something that made me think others besides those invited knew of it1 knew too much4 ,she paused1 then resumed hastily to forestall questioning1 ,i began to think it over myself1 and the more ,i thought of it1 the stranger it seemed that anyone else1 outside1 should know4 ,i began to wonder how it leaked out1 for ,i understood that it was a strictly private affair4 ,i asked ,mr4 ,murtha and he told ,mr4 ,dorgan4 ,mr4 ,dorgan at once guessed that there had been something queer4 ,he looked about his rooms there1 and1 sure enough1 they found the detectaphone concealed in the wall4 ,i can't tell any more1 she added1 facing ,carton and using her bewitching eyes to their best advantage4 ,i can't ask you to shield ,mr4 ,dorgan and ,mr4 ,murtha4 ,they are your opponents4 ,but ,i have done nothing to you1 ,mr4 ,carton4 ,you must suppress--that part of it--about me4 ,why1 it would ruin--- ,she cut her words short4 ,but ,i knew what she meant1 and to a certain extent ,i could understand1 if not sympathize with her4 ,her husband1 ,martin ,ogleby1 club-man and man about town1 had a reputation none too savoury4 ,but1 man-like1 ,i knew1 he would condone not even the appearance of anything that caused gossip in his wife's actions4 ,i could understand how desperate she felt4 ,but1 my dear lady1 repeated ,carton1 in a manner that showed that he felt keenly1 for some reason or other1 the appeal she was making to him1 must ,i say again that ,i had nothing whatever to do with it8 ,i have sent for ,mr4 ,kennedy and--- ,nothing--on your honour8 she asked1 facing him squarely4 ,nothing--on my honour1 he asserted frankly4 ,she appeared to be dazed4 ,apparently all along she had assumed that ,carton must be the person to see1 that he alone could do anything for her1 would do something4 ,her face paled as she met his earnest look4 ,she had risen and now1 half chagrined1 half frightened1 she stood irresolute4 ,her lips quivered and tears stood in her eyes as she realized that1 instead of protecting herself by her confidence1 she had1 perhaps1 made matters worse by telling an outsider4 ,carton1 too1 had risen and in a low voice which we could not overhear was trying to reassure her4 ,in her confusion she was moving toward the door1 utterly oblivious1 now1 to us4 ,carton tactfully took her arm and led her to a private entrance that opened from his office down the corridor and out of sight of the watchful eyes of the reporters and attendants in the outer hall4 ,i did not understand just what it was all about1 but ,i could see ,kennedy's eye following ,carton keenly4 ,what was that--a plant8 he asked1 still trying to read ,carton's face1 as he returned to us alone a moment later4 ,did she come to see whether you got the record8 ,no--,i don't think so1 replied ,carton quickly4 ,no1 ,i think that was all on the level--her part of it4 ,but who did put in the instrument1 really--did you8 asked ,kennedy1 still quizzing4 ,no1 exclaimed ,carton hastily1 this time meeting ,craig's eye frankly4 ,no4 ,i wish ,i had4 ,why--the fact is1 ,i don't know who did--no one seems to know1 yet1 evidently4 ,but1 he added1 leaning forward and speaking rapidly1 ,i think ,i could give a shrewd guess4 ,kennedy said nothing1 but nodded encouragingly4 ,i think1 continued ,carton impressively1 that it must have been ,langhorne and the ,wall ,street crowd he represents4 ,langhorne1 repeated ,kennedy1 his mind working rapidly4 ,why1 it was his stenographer that ,miss ,blackwell was4 ,why do you suspect ,langhorne8 ,because1 exclaimed ,carton1 more excited than ever at ,kennedy's quick deduction1 bringing his fist down on the desk to emphasize his own suspicion1 because they aren't getting their share of the graft that ,dorgan is passing out--probably are sore1 and think that if they can get something on the ,boss or some of those who are close to him1 they may force him to take them into partnership in the deals4 ,carton looked from ,kennedy to me1 to see what impression his theory made4 ,on me at least it did make an impression4 ,hartley ,langhorne1 ,i knew1 was a ,wall ,street broker and speculator who dealt in real estate1 securities1 in fact in anything that would appeal to a plunger as promising a quick and easy return4 ,kennedy made no direct comment on the theory4 ,in what shape is the record1 do you suppose8 he asked merely4 ,i gathered from ,mrs4 ,ogleby1 returned ,carton watchfully1 that it had been taken down by a stenographer at the receiving end of the detectaphone1 transcribed in typewriting1 and loosely bound in a book of limp black leather4 ,oh1 he concluded1 ,dorgan would give almost anything to find out what is in that little record1 you may be sure4 ,perhaps even1 rather than have such a thing out1 he would come to terms with ,langhorne4 ,kennedy said nothing4 ,he was merely absorbing the case as ,carton presented it4 ,don't you see8 continued the ,district ,attorney1 pacing his office and gazing now and then out of the window1 here's this record hidden away somewhere in the city4 ,if ,i could only get it--,i'd win my fight against ,dorgan--and ,mrs4 ,ogleby need not suffer for her mistake in coming to me1 at all4 ,he was apparently thinking aloud4 ,kennedy did not attempt to quiz him4 ,he was considering the importance of the situation4 ,for1 as ,i have said1 it was at the height of the political campaign in which ,carton had been renominated independently by the ,reform ,league--of which1 more later4 ,you don't think that ,langhorne is really in the inner ring1 then8 questioned ,craig4 ,no1 not yet4 ,well1 then1 ,i put in hastily1 can't you approach him or someone close to him1 and get--- ,say1 interrupted ,carton1 anything that took place in that private dining-room at ,gastron's would be just as likely to incriminate ,langhorne and some of his crowd as not4 ,it is a difference in degree of graft--that is all4 ,they don't want an open fight4 ,it was just a piece of finesse on ,langhorne's part4 ,you may be sure of that4 ,no1 neither of them wants a fight4 ,that's the last thing4 ,they're both afraid4 ,what ,langhorne wanted was a line on ,dorgan4 ,and we should never have known anything about this ,black ,book1 if some of the women1 ,i suppose1 hadn't talked too much4 ,mrs4 ,ogleby added two and two and got five4 ,she thought it must be ,i who put the instrument in4 ,carton was growing more and more excited again1 ,it's exasperating1 he continued4 ,there's the record--somewhere--if ,i could only get it4 ,think of it1 ,kennedy--an election going on and never so much talk about graft and vice before6 ,what was in the book--mostly1 do you imagine8 asked ,craig1 still imperturbable4 ,carton shrugged his shoulders4 ,oh1 almost anything4 ,for instance1 you know1 ,dorgan has just put through a new scheme of city planning--with the able assistance of some theoretical reformers4 ,that will be a big piece of real estate graft1 unless ,i am mistaken4 ,langhorne and his crowd know it4 ,they don't want to be frozen out4 ,as they talked1 ,i had been revolving the thing over in my head4 ,dorgan's little parties1 as reported privately among the men on the ,star whom ,i knew1 were notorious4 ,the more ,i considered1 the more possible phases of the problem ,i thought of4 ,it was not even impossible that in some way it might bear on the ,betty ,blackwell case4 ,do you think ,dorgan and ,murtha are hunting the book as anxiously as--some others8 ,i ventured4 ,you have heard of the character of some of those dinners8 answered ,carton by asking another question1 then went on3 ,why1 ,dorgan has had some of our leading lawyers1 financiers1 and legislators there4 ,he usually surrounds them with brilliant1 clever women1 as unscrupulous as himself1 and--well--you can imagine the result4 ,poor little ,mrs4 ,ogleby1 he added sympathetically4 ,they could twist her any way they chose for their purposes4 ,my own impression had been that ,mrs4 ,ogleby was better able to take care of herself than his words gave her credit for1 but ,i said nothing4 ,carton paused before the window and gazed out at the ,bridge of ,sighs that led from his building across to the city prison4 ,what a record that ,black ,book must hold6 he exclaimed meditatively4 ,why1 if it was only that ,i could 'get' ,murtha--,i'd be happy1 he added1 turning to us4 ,murtha1 as ,i have said1 was ,boss ,dorgan's right bower1 a clever and unscrupulous politician and leader in a district where he succeeded somehow or other in absolutely crushing opposition4 ,i had run across him now and then in the course of my newspaper career and1 aside from his well-known character in delivering the goods to the organization whenever it was necessary1 ,i had found him a most interesting character4 ,it was due to such men as ,murtha that the organization kept its grip1 though one wave of reform after another lashed its fury on it4 ,for ,murtha understood his people4 ,he worked at politics every hour--whether it was patting the babies of the district on the head1 or bailing their fathers out of jail1 handing out shoes to the shiftless or judiciously distributing coal and ice to the deserving4 ,yet ,i had seen enough to know the inherent viciousness of the circle--of how the organization took dollars from the people with one concealed hand and distributed pennies from the other hand1 held aloft and in the spotlight4 ,again and again1 ,kennedy and ,i in our excursions into scientific warfare on crime in the underworld had run squarely up against the refined as well as the debased creatures of the ,system4 ,pyramided on what looked like open-handed charity and good-fellowship we had seen vice and crime of all degrees4 ,and yet1 somehow or other1 ,i must confess to a sort of admiration for ,murtha and his stamp--if for nothing else than because of the frankness with which he did what he sought to do4 ,neither ,kennedy nor ,i could be accused of undue sympathy with the ,system1 yet1 like many who had been brought in close contact with it1 it had earned our respect in many ways4 ,and so1 ,i contemplated the situation with more than ordinary interest4 ,carton wanted the ,black ,book to use in order to win his political fight for a clean city and to prosecute the grafters4 ,dorgan wanted it in order to suppress and thus protect himself and ,murtha4 ,mrs4 ,ogleby wanted it to save her good name and prevent even the appearance of scandal4 ,langhorne wanted it in order to coerce ,dorgan to share in the graft1 yet was afraid of ,carton also4 ,was ever a situation of such peculiar1 mixed motives8 ,i would move heaven and earth for that ,black ,book6 exclaimed ,carton finally1 turning from the window and facing us4 ,kennedy1 too1 had risen4 ,you can count on me1 then1 ,carton1 he said simply1 as the recollection of the many fights in which we had stood shoulder to shoulder with the young ,district ,attorney came over him4 ,a moment later ,carton had us each by the hand4 ,thank you1 he cried4 ,i knew you fellows would be with me4 ,,iii ,,the ,,safe ,,robbery ,it was late that night that ,kennedy and ,i left ,carton after laying out a campaign and setting in motion various forces1 official and unofficial1 which might serve to keep us in touch with what ,dorgan and the organization were doing4 ,not until the following morning1 however1 did anything new develop in such a way that we could work on it4 ,kennedy had picked up the morning papers which had been left at the door of our apartment and was hastily running his eye over the headlines on the first page1 as was his custom4 ,by ,jove1 ,walter1 ,i heard him exclaim4 ,what do you think of that--a robbery below the deadline--and in ,langhorne's office1 too4 ,i hurried out of my room and glanced at the papers1 also4 ,sure enough1 there it was3 ,,safe ,,robbed ,,in ,,wall ,,st4 ,,office ,door ,into ,office of ,langhorne ,westlake1 ,brokers1 ,forced and ,safe ,robbed4 ,one of the strangest robberies ever perpetrated was pulled off last night in the office of ,langhorne ,westlake1 the brokers1 at-----,wall ,street1 some time during the regular closing time of the office and eight o'clock4 ,mr4 ,langhorne had returned to his office after dining with some friends in order to work on some papers4 ,when he arrived1 about eight o'clock1 he found that the door had been forced4 ,the office was in darkness1 but when he switched on the lights it was discovered that the office safe had been entered4 ,nothing was said about the manner in which the safe robbery was perpetrated1 but it is understood to have been very peculiar4 ,so far no details have been announced and the robbery was not reported to the police until a late hour4 ,mr4 ,langhorne1 when seen by the reporters1 stated positively that nothing of great value had been taken and that the firm would not suffer in any way as a result of the robbery4 ,one of the stenographers in the office1 ,miss ,betty ,blackwell1 who acted as private secretary to ,mr4 ,langhorne1 is missing and the case has already attracted wide attention4 ,whether or not her disappearance had anything to do with the robbery is not known4 ,naturally he would not report it to the police1 commented ,kennedy2 that is1 if it had anything to do with that ,black ,book1 as ,i am sure that it must have had4 ,it was certainly a most peculiar affair if it did not1 ,i remarked4 ,there must be some way of finding that out4 ,it's strange about ,betty ,blackwell4 ,kennedy was turning something over in his mind4 ,of course1 he remarked1 we don't want to come out into the open just yet1 but it would be interesting to know what happened down there at ,langhorne's4 ,have you any objection to going down with me and posing as a reporter from the ,star8 ,none whatever1 ,i returned4 ,we stopped at the laboratory on the campus of the ,university where ,craig still retained his professorship4 ,kennedy secured a rather bulky piece of apparatus1 which1 as nearly as ,i can describe1 consisted of a steel frame1 which could be attached by screws to any wooden table4 ,it contained a lower plate which could move forward and back1 two lateral uprights stiffened by curved braces1 and a cross piece of steel attached by strong bolts to the tops of the posts4 ,in the face of the machine was a dial with a pointer4 ,kennedy quickly took the apparatus apart and made it up into two packages so that between us we could carry it easily1 and at about the time that ,wall ,street offices were opening we were on our way downtown4 ,langhorne proved to be a tall1 rather slim1 man of what might be called youngish middle age4 ,one did not have to be introduced to him to read his character or his occupation4 ,every line of his faultlessly fitting clothes and every expression of his keen and carefully cared-for face betokened the plunger1 the man who lived by his wits and found the process both fascinating and congenial4 ,mr4 ,langhorne1 began ,kennedy1 after ,i had taken upon myself the duty of introducing ourselves as reporters1 we are preparing an article for our paper about a new apparatus which the ,star has imported especially from ,paris4 ,it is a machine invented by ,monsieur ,bertillon just before he died1 for the purpose of furnishing exact measurements of the muscular efforts exerted in the violent entry of a door or desk by making it possible to reproduce the traces of the work that a burglar has left on doors and articles of furniture4 ,we've been waiting for a case that the instrument would fit into and it seemed to us that perhaps it might be of some use to you in getting at the real robber of your office4 ,would you mind if we made an attempt to apply it8 ,langhorne could not very well refuse to allow us to try the thing1 though it was plainly evident that he did not want to talk and did not relish the publicity that the news of the morning had brought him4 ,kennedy had laid the apparatus down on a table as he spoke and was assembling the parts which he had separated in order to carry it4 ,these are the marks on the door1 ,i presume8 he continued1 examining some indentations of the woodwork near the lock4 ,langhorne assented4 ,the door was open when you returned8 asked ,kennedy4 ,closed1 replied ,langhorne briefly4 ,before ,i put the key into the lock1 ,i turned the knob1 as ,i have a habit of doing4 ,instead of catching1 it yielded and the door swung open without any trouble4 ,he repeated the story substantially as we had already read it in the papers4 ,kennedy had taken a step or two into the office1 and was now facing the safe4 ,it was not a large safe1 but was one of the most modern construction and was supposed to be burglar proof4 ,and you say you lost practically nothing8 persisted ,craig4 ,nothing of importance1 reiterated ,langhorne4 ,kennedy had been watching him closely4 ,the man was at least baffling4 ,there was nothing excited or perturbed about his manner4 ,indeed1 one might easily have thought that it was not his safe at all that had been robbed4 ,i wondered whether1 after all1 he had had the ,black ,book4 ,certainly1 ,i felt1 if he had lost it he was very cool about the loss4 ,craig had by this time reached the safe itself4 ,in spite of ,langhorne's reluctance1 his assurance had taken ,kennedy even up to the point which he wished4 ,he was examining the safe4 ,on the front it showed no evidence of having been souped or drilled4 ,there was not a mark on it4 ,nor1 as we learned later from the police1 was there any evidence of a finger-print having been left by the burglar4 ,langhorne now but ill concealed his interest4 ,it was natural1 too1 for here he had one of the most modern of small strong-boxes1 built up of the latest chrome steel and designed to withstand any reasonable assault of cracksman or fire4 ,i was on the point of inquiring how on earth it had been possible to rob the safe1 when ,kennedy1 standing on a chair1 as ,langhorne directed1 uttered a low exclamation4 ,i craned my neck to look also4 ,there1 in the very top of the safe1 yawned a huge hole large enough to thrust one's arm through1 with something to spare4 ,as ,i looked at the yawning dark hole in the top of what had been only a short time ago a safe worthy of the latest state of the art1 it seemed incomprehensible4 ,try as ,i could to reason it out1 ,i could find no explanation4 ,how it had been possible for a burglar to make such an opening in the little more than two hours between closing and the arrival of ,langhorne after dinner1 ,i could not even guess4 ,as far as ,i knew it would have taken many long hours of patient labour with the finest bits to have made anything at all comparable to the destruction which we saw before us4 ,a score of questions were on my lips1 but ,i said nothing1 although ,i could not help noticing the strange look on ,langhorne's face4 ,it plainly showed that he would like to have known what had taken place during the two or more hours when his office had been unguarded1 yet was averse to betraying any such interest4 ,mystified as ,i was by what ,i saw1 ,i was even more amazed at the cool manner in which ,kennedy passed it all by4 ,he seemed merely to be giving the hole in the top of the safe a passing glance1 as though it was of no importance that someone should have in such an incredibly short time made a hole through which one might easily reach his arm and secure anything he wanted out of the interior of the powerful little safe4 ,langhorne1 too1 seemed surprised at ,kennedy's matter of fact passing by of what was almost beyond the range of possibility4 ,after all1 remarked ,kennedy1 it is not the safe that we care to study so much as the door4 ,for one thing1 ,i want to make sure whether the marks show a genuine breaking and entering or whether they were placed there afterwards merely to cover the trail1 supposing someone had used a key to get into the office4 ,the remark suggested many things to me4 ,was it that he meant to imply that1 after all1 the missing ,betty ,blackwell had had something to do with it8 ,in fact1 could the thing have been done by a woman8 ,most persons1 remarked ,craig1 as he studied the marks on the door1 don't know enough about jimmies4 ,against them an ordinary door-lock or window-catch is no protection4 ,with a jimmy eighteen inches long1 even an anemic burglar can exert a pressure sufficient to lift two tons4 ,not one door-lock in ten thousand can stand this strain4 ,it's like using a hammer to kill a fly4 ,really1 the only use of locks is to keep out sneak thieves and to compel the modern1 scientific educated burglar to make a noise4 ,this fellow1 however1 was no sneak thief4 ,he continued to adjust the machine which he had brought4 ,langhorne watched minutely1 but did not say anything4 ,bertillon used to call this his mechanical burglar detector1 continued ,kennedy4 ,as you see1 this frame carries two dynamometers of unequal power4 ,the stronger1 which has a high maximum capacity of several tons1 is designed for the measurement of vertical efforts4 ,the other measures horizontal efforts4 ,the test is made by inserting the end of a jimmy or other burglar's tool and endeavouring to produce impressions similar to those which have been found on doors or windows4 ,the index of the dynamometer moves in such a way as to make a permanent record of the pressure exerted4 ,the horizontal or traction dynamometer registers the other component of pressure4 ,he pressed down on the machine4 ,there was a pressure here of considerably over two tons1 he remarked at length1 with a very high horizontal traction of over four hundred pounds4 ,what ,i wanted to get at was whether this could have been done by a man1 woman1 or child1 or perhaps by several persons4 ,in this case1 it was clearly no mere fake to cover up the opening of the door by a key4 ,it was a genuine attempt4 ,nor could it have been done by a woman4 ,no1 that is the work of a man1 a powerful man1 too1 accustomed to the use of the jimmy4 ,i fancied that a shade of satisfaction crossed the otherwise impassive face of ,langhorne4 ,was it because the ,bertillon dynamometer appeared at first sight to exonerate ,betty ,blackwell1 at least so far1 from any connection with the crime8 ,it was difficult to say4 ,important though it was1 however1 to clear up at the start just what sort of person was connected with the breaking of the door ,i could not but feel that ,kennedy had some purpose in deferring and minimizing for the present what1 to me at least1 was the greater mystery1 the entering of the safe itself4 ,he was still studying and comparing the marks on the door and the record made on the dynamometer1 when the office telephone rang and ,langhorne was summoned to answer it4 ,instead of taking the call in his own office1 he chose to answer it at the switchboard1 perhaps because that would allow him to keep an eye also on us4 ,whatever his purpose1 it likewise enabled us to keep an ear on him1 and it was with surprise which both ,kennedy and ,i had great difficulty in concealing1 that we heard him reply1 ,hello--yes--oh1 ,mrs4 ,ogleby1 good-morning4 ,how are you8 ,that's good4 ,so you1 too1 read the papers4 ,no1 ,i haven't lost anything of importance1 thank you4 ,nothing serious1 you know4 ,the papers like to get hold of such things and play them up4 ,i have a couple of reporters here now4 ,heaven knows what they are doing1 but ,i can foresee some more unpaid advertising for the firm in it4 ,thank you again for your interest4 ,you haven't forgotten the studio dance ,i'm giving on the twelfth8 ,no--that's fine4 ,i hope you'll come1 even if ,martin has another engagement4 ,fine4 ,well-good-bye4 ,he hung up the receiver with a mingled air of gratification and exasperation1 ,i fancied4 ,haven't you fellows finished yet8 he asked finally1 coming over to us1 a little brusquely4 ,just about1 returned ,kennedy1 who had by this time begun slowly to dismember and pack up the dynamometer1 determined to take advantage of every minute both to observe ,langhorne and to fix in his mind the general lay-out of the office4 ,everybody seems to be interested in me this morning1 he observed1 for the moment forgetting the embargo he had imposed on his own words4 ,as for myself1 ,i saw at once that others besides ourselves were keenly interested in this robbery4 ,there1 remarked ,kennedy when at last he had finished packing up the dynamometer into two packages4 ,at least1 ,mr4 ,langhorne1 you have the satisfaction of knowing that it was in all probability a man1 a strong man1 and one experienced in forcing doors who succeeded in entering your office during your brief absence last night4 ,langhorne shrugged his shoulders non-committally1 but it was evident that he was greatly relieved and he could not conceal his interest in what ,kennedy was doing1 even though he had succeeded in conveying the impression that it was a matter of indifference to him4 ,i suppose you keep a great many of your valuable papers in safety deposit vaults1 ventured ,kennedy1 finishing up the wrapping of the two packages1 as well as your personal papers perhaps at home4 ,he made the remark in a casual manner1 but ,langhorne was too keen to fall into the trap4 ,really1 he said with an air of finality1 ,i must decline to be interviewed at present4 ,good-day1 gentlemen4 ,a slippery customer1 was ,craig's comment when we reached the street outside the office4 ,by the way1 evidently ,mrs4 ,ogleby is leaving no stone unturned in her effort to locate that ,black ,book and protect herself4 ,i said nothing4 ,langhorne's manner1 self-confident to the point of bravado1 had baffled me4 ,i began to feel that even if he had lost the detectaphone record1 his was the nature to carry out the bluff of still having it1 in much the same manner that he would have played the market on a shoestring or made the most of an unfilled four-card flush in a game of poker4 ,kennedy was far from being discouraged1 however4 ,indeed1 it seemed as if he really enjoyed matching his wit against the subtlety of a man like ,langhorne1 even more than against one the type of ,dorgan and ,murtha4 ,i want to see ,carton and ,i don't want to carry these bundles all over the city1 he remarked1 changing the subject for the moment1 as he turned into a public pay station4 ,i'll ring him up and have him meet us at the laboratory1 if ,i can4 ,a moment later he emerged1 excited1 perspiring from the closeness of the telephone booth4 ,carton has some news--a letter--that's all he would say1 he exclaimed4 ,he'll meet us at the laboratory4 ,we hastily resumed our uptown journey4 ,what do you think it is8 ,i asked4 ,about ,betty ,blackwell8 ,kennedy shook his head non-committally4 ,i don't know4 ,but he has some of his county detectives watching ,dorgan and ,murtha in that ,black ,book case1 ,i know4 ,they are worried4 ,it doesn't look as though they1 at least1 had the record--that is1 if ,langhorne has really lost it4 ,i wondered whether ,langhorne might not1 after all1 as ,kennedy had hinted1 have concealed it elsewhere4 ,the activity of ,dorgan and ,murtha might indicate that they knew more about the robbery than appeared yet on the surface4 ,had they failed in it8 ,had they been double-crossed by the man they had chosen for the work1 assuming that they knew of and had planned the job8 ,the safe-breaking and the way ,langhorne took it had served to complicate the case even further4 ,while we had before been reasonably sure that ,langhorne had the book1 now we were sure of nothing4 ,,iv ,,the ,,anonymous ,,letter ,what do you make of that8 inquired ,carton half an hour later as he met us breathlessly at the laboratory4 ,he unfolded a letter over which he had evidently been puzzling considerably4 ,it was written1 or rather typewritten1 on plain paper4 ,the envelope was plain and bore no marks of identification1 except possibly that it had been mailed uptown4 ,the letter ran3 ,,dear ,,sir3 ,although this is an anonymous letter1 ,i beg that you will not consider it such1 since it will be plain to you that there is good reason for my wishing to remain nameless4 ,i want to tell you of some things that have taken place recently at a little hotel in the ,west ,fifties4 ,no doubt you know of the place already--the ,little ,montmartre4 ,there are several young and wealthy men who frequent this resort4 ,i do not dare tell you their names1 but one is a well-known club-man and man about town1 another is a banker and broker1 also well known1 and a third is a lawyer4 ,i might also mention an intimate friend of theirs1 though not of their position in society--a doctor who has somewhat of a reputation among the class of people who frequent the ,little ,montmartre1 ready to furnish them with anything from a medical certificate to drugs and treatment4 ,i have read a great deal in the newspapers lately of the disappearance of ,betty ,blackwell1 and her case interests me4 ,i think you will find that it will repay you to look into the hint ,i have given4 ,i don't think it is necessary to say any more4 ,indeed it may be dangerous to me1 and ,i beg that you will not even show this letter to anyone except those associated with you and then1 please1 only with the understanding that it is to go no farther4 ,betty ,blackwell is not at this hotel1 but ,i am sure that some of those whose wild orgies have scandalized even the ,little ,montmartre know something about her4 ,yours truly1 ,,an ,,outcast4 ,kennedy looked up quickly at ,carton as he finished reading the letter4 ,typical1 he remarked4 ,anonymous letters occasionally are of a friendly nature1 but usually they reflect with more or less severity upon the conduct or character of someone4 ,they usually receive little attention1 but sometimes they are of the most serious character4 ,in many instances they are most important links in chains of evidence pointing to grave crimes4 ,it is possible to draw certain conclusions from such letters at once4 ,for instance1 it is a surprising fact that in a large number of cases the anonymous letter writer is a woman1 who may write what it does not seem possible she could write4 ,such letters often by their writing1 materials used1 composition and general form indicate at once the sex of the writer and frequently show nationality1 age1 education1 and occupation4 ,these facts may often point to the probable author4 ,now in this case the writer evidently was well educated4 ,assumed illiteracy is a frequent disguise1 but it is impossible for an author to assume a literacy he or she does not possess4 ,then1 too1 women are more apt to assume the characteristics of men than men of women4 ,there are many things to be considered4 ,too bad it wasn't in ordinary handwriting4 ,that would have shown much more4 ,however1 we shall try our best with what we have here4 ,what impressed you about it8 ,well1 remarked ,carton1 the thing that impressed me was that as usual and as ,i fully expected1 the trail leads right back to protected vice and commercialized graft4 ,this ,little ,montmartre is one of the swellest of such resorts in the city1 the legitimate successor to the scores and hundreds of places which the authorities and the vice investigators have closed recently4 ,in fact1 ,kennedy1 ,i consider it more dangerous1 because it is run1 on the surface at least1 just like any of the first-class hotels4 ,there's no violation of law there1 at least not openly4 ,craig had continued to examine the letter closely4 ,so1 you have already investigated the ,little ,montmartre8 he queried1 drawing from his pocket a little strip of glass and laying it down carefully over the letter4 ,indeed ,i have1 returned the ,district ,attorney1 watching ,kennedy curiously4 ,it is a place with a very unsavoury reputation4 ,and yet ,i have been able to get nothing on it4 ,they are so confounded clever4 ,there is never any outward violation of law2 they adhere strictly to the letter of the rule of outward decency4 ,over the typewritten characters ,kennedy had placed the strip of glass and ,i could see that it was ruled into little oblongs1 into each of which one of the type of the typewritten sheet seemed to fall4 ,apparently he had forgotten the contents of the letter in his interest in the text itself4 ,he held the paper up to the light and seemed to study its texture and thickness4 ,then he examined the typed characters more closely with a little pocket magnifying glass1 his lips moving as if he were counting something4 ,next he seized a mass of correspondence on his desk and began comparing the letter with others1 apparently to determine just the shade of writing of the ribbon4 ,finally he gave it up and leaned back in his chair regarding us4 ,it is written in the regular pica type1 he remarked thoughtfully1 and on a machine that has seen considerable rough usage1 although it is not an old machine4 ,it will take me a little time to identify the make1 but after ,i have done that1 ,i think ,i could identify the particular machine itself the moment ,i saw it4 ,you see1 it is only a clue that would serve to fix it once you found that machine4 ,the point is1 after all1 to find it4 ,but once found1 ,i am sure we shall be close to the source of the letter4 ,i may keep this and study it at my leisure8 ,certainly4 ,for a moment ,carton was silent4 ,then it seemed as though the matter of ,betty ,blackwell brought to mind what he had read in the morning papers4 ,that robbery of ,langhorne's safe was a most peculiar thing1 wasn't it8 he meditated4 ,i suppose you know what ,miss ,blackwell was8 ,langhorne's stenographer and secretary1 of course1 ,i replied quickly4 ,yes1 ,i know4 ,but ,i mean what she had actually done8 ,i don't believe you do4 ,my county detectives found out only last night4 ,kennedy paused in his rummaging among some bottles to which he had turned at the mention of the safe robbery4 ,no--what was it8 he asked4 ,carton bent forward as if our own walls might have ears and said in a low voice3 ,she was the operator who took down the detectaphone conversations at the other end of the wire in a furnished room in the house next to ,gastron's4 ,he drew back to see what effect the intelligence had on us1 then resumed slowly3 ,yes1 ,i've had my men out on the case4 ,that is what they think4 ,i believe she often executed little confidential commissions for ,langhorne1 sometimes things that took her on short trips out of town4 ,there is a possibility that she may be on a mission of that sort4 ,but ,i think--it's this ,black ,book case that involves her now4 ,langhorne wouldn't talk much about anything1 ,i put in1 hastily remembering his manner4 ,he may not be responsible--but from his actions ,i'd wager he knows more about her than appears4 ,just so1 agreed ,carton4 ,if my men can find out that she was the operator who 'listened in' and got the notes and the transcript of the ,black ,book1 then she becomes a person of importance in the case and the fact must be known to others who are interested4 ,why1 he pursued1 don't you see what it means8 ,if she is out of the way1 there is no one to swear to the accuracy of the notes in the record1 no one to identify the voices--even if we do manage finally to locate the thing4 ,dorgan and the rest are certainly leaving nothing undone to shake the validity of the record1 ruminated ,kennedy1 accepting for the moment at least ,carton's explanation of the disappearance of ,miss ,blackwell4 ,have you any idea what might have happened to her8 ,carton shook his head negatively4 ,there are several explanations1 he replied slowly4 ,as far as we have been able to find out she led a model life1 at home with her mother and sister4 ,except for the few commissions for ,langhorne and lately when she was out rather late taking the detectaphone notes1 she was very quiet1--in fact devoted to her mother and the education of her younger sister4 ,what sort of place was it in which the receivers of the detectaphone were located--do you know8 asked ,kennedy quickly4 ,yes1 it seems to be a very respectable boardinghouse1 answered ,carton4 ,she came there with a grip about a week ago and hired a room1 saying she was out of town a great deal4 ,just about the same time a young man1 who posed as a student in electrical engineering at some school uptown1 left4 ,it must have been he who installed the detectaphone--perhaps with the aid of a waiter in ,gastron's4 ,at any rate1 she seems to have been alone in the boarding-house--that is1 ,i mean1 not acquainted with any of the other guests--during the time when she was taking down the record4 ,dorgan traced the wires1 outside the two buildings1 to her rooms1 but she was not there4 ,in fact there was nothing there but a grip with a few articles that give no clue to anything4 ,somehow she must have heard of it1 for no one knows anything about her1 since then4 ,perhaps ,langhorne is keeping her out of the way so that no one can tamper with her testimony1 ,i suggested4 ,it's possible1 said ,carton in a tone that showed that he did not believe in that explanation4 ,how about that safe robbery1 ,kennedy8 ,some of the papers hinted that she might have known something of that4 ,i had a man down there watching1 afterwards1 but ,i had cautioned him to be careful and keep under cover4 ,one of the elevator boys told him that the robbers had made a hole in the safe4 ,what did he mean8 ,did you see it8 ,rapidly ,kennedy sketched what we had done1 telling the story of how the dynamometer had at least partly exonerated ,betty ,blackwell4 ,when he reached the description of the hole in the safe1 ,carton was absolutely incredulous4 ,as for myself1 it presented a mystery which ,i found absolutely inexplicable4 ,how it was possible in such a short time to make a hole in a safe by any known means1 ,i could not understand4 ,in fact1 if ,i had not seen it myself1 ,i should have been even more sceptical than ,carton4 ,kennedy1 however1 made no reply immediately to our expressions of doubt4 ,he had found and set apart from the rest a couple of little glass bottles with ground glass stoppers4 ,then he took a thick piece of steel and laid it across a couple of blocks of wood1 under which was a second steel plate4 ,without a word of explanation1 he took the glass stopper out of the larger bottle and poured some of the contents on the upper plate of steel4 ,there it lay1 a little mound of reddish powder4 ,then he took a little powder of another kind from the other bottle4 ,he lighted a match and ignited the second pile of powder4 ,stand back--close to the wall--shield your eyes1 he called to us4 ,he had dropped the burning mass on the red powder and in two or three leaps he joined us at the far end of the room4 ,almost instantly a dazzling1 intense flame broke out4 ,it seemed to sizzle and crackle4 ,with bated breath we waited and1 as best we could1 shielding our eyes from the glare1 watched4 ,it was almost incredible1 but that glowing mass of powder seemed literally to be sinking1 sinking right down into the cold steel4 ,in tense silence we waited4 ,on the ceiling we could see the reflection of the molten mass in the cup which it had burned for itself in the cold steel plate4 ,at last it fell through to the lower piece of steel1 on which it burnt itself out--fell through as the burning roof of a frame building might have fallen into the building4 ,neither ,carton nor ,i spoke a word1 but as we now cautiously advanced with ,kennedy and peered over the steel plate we instinctively turned to ,craig for an explanation4 ,carton seemed to regard him as if he were some uncanny mortal4 ,for1 there in the steel plate1 was a hole4 ,as ,i looked at the clean-cut edges1 ,i saw that it was smaller but identical in nature with that which we had seen in the safe in ,langhorne's office4 ,wonderful6 ejaculated ,carton4 ,what is it8 ,thermit1 was all ,kennedy said1 as just a trace of a smile of satisfaction flitted over his face4 ,thermit8 echoed ,carton1 still as mystified as before4 ,yes1 an invention of a chemist named ,goldschmidt1 of ,essen1 ,germany4 ,it is composed of iron oxide1 such as conies off a blacksmith's anvil or the rolls of a rolling-mill1 and powdered metallic aluminum4 ,you could thrust a red-hot bar into it without setting it off1 but when you light a little magnesium powder and drop it on thermit1 a combustion is started that quickly reaches fifty-four hundred degrees ,fahrenheit4 ,it has the peculiar property of concentrating its heat to the immediate spot on which it is placed4 ,it is one of the most powerful oxidizing agents known1 and it doesn't even melt the rest of the steel surface4 ,you see how it ate its way directly through this plate4 ,steel1 hard or soft1 tempered1 annealed1 chrome1 or ,harveyized--it all burns just as fast and just as easily4 ,and it's comparatively inexpensive1 also4 ,this is an experiment ,goldschmidt it fond of showing his students--burning holes in one--and two-inch steel plates4 ,it is the same with a safe--only you need more of the stuff4 ,either black or red thermit will do the trick equally well1 however4 ,neither of us said anything4 ,there was nothing to say except to feel and express amazement4 ,someone uncommonly clever or instructed by someone uncommonly clever1 must have done that job at ,langhorne's1 added ,craig4 ,have you any idea who might pull off such a thing for ,dorgan or ,murtha8 he asked of ,carton4 ,there's a possible suspect1 answered ,carton slowly1 but since ,i've seen this wonderful exhibition of what thermit can do1 ,i'm almost ashamed to mention his name4 ,he's not in the class that would be likely to use such things4 ,oh1 laughed ,kennedy1 never think it4 ,don't you suppose the crooks read the scientific and technical papers8 ,believe me1 they have known about thermit as long as ,i have4 ,safes are constructed now that are proof against even that1 and other methods of attack4 ,no indeed1 your modern scientific cracksman keeps abreast of the times in his field better than you imagine4 ,our only protection is that fortunately science always keeps several laps ahead of him in the race--and besides1 we have organized society to meet all such perils4 ,it may be that the very cleverness of the fellow will be his own undoing4 ,the unusual criminal is often that much the easier to run down4 ,it narrows the number of suspects4 ,well1 rejoined ,carton1 not as confident now as when he had first met us in the laboratory1 then there is a possible suspect--a fellow known in the underworld as ',dopey' ,jack--,jack ,rubano4 ,he's a clever fellow--no doubt4 ,but ,i hardly think he's capable of that1 although ,i should call him a rather advanced yeggman4 ,what makes you suspect him8 asked ,kennedy eagerly4 ,well1 temporized ,carton1 ,i haven't anything 'on' him in this connection1 it's true4 ,but we've been trying to find him and can't seem to locate him in connection with primary frauds in ,murtha's own district4 ,dopey ,jack is the leader of a gang of gunmen over there and is ,murtha's first lieutenant whenever there is a tough political battle of the organization either at the primaries or on ,election ,day4 ,has a record1 ,i suppose8 prompted ,kennedy4 ,would have--if it wasn't for the influence of ,murtha1 rejoined ,carton4 ,i had heard1 in knocking about the city1 of ,dopey ,jack ,rubano4 ,that was the picturesque title by which he was known to the police and his enemies as well as to his devoted followers4 ,a few years before1 he had begun his career fighting in preliminaries at the prize fight clubs on the lower ,east ,side4 ,he had begun life with a better chance than most slum boys1 for he had rugged health and an unusually sturdy body4 ,his very strength had been his ruin4 ,working decently for wages1 he had been told by other petty gang leaders that he was a sucker1 when he could get many times as much for boxing a few rounds at some athletic club4 ,he tried out the game with many willing instructors and found that it was easy money4 ,jack began to wear better clothes and study the methods of other young men who never worked but always seemed to have plenty of money4 ,they were his pals and showed him how it was done4 ,it wasn't long before he learned that he could often get more by hitting a man with a blackjack than by using his fists in the roped ring4 ,then1 too1 there were various ways of blackmail and extortion that were simple1 safe1 and lucrative4 ,he might be arrested1 but he early found that by making himself useful to some politicians1 they could fix that minor difficulty in the life4 ,thus because he was not only strong and brutal1 but had a sort of ability and some education1 ,dopey ,jack quickly rose to a position of minor leadership--had his own incipient gang1 his own lobbygows4 ,his following increased as he rose in gangland1 and finally he came to be closely associated with ,murtha himself on one hand and the guns and other criminals of the underworld who frequented the stuss games1 where they gambled away the products of their crimes1 on the other4 ,everyone knew ,dopey ,jack4 ,he had been charged with many crimes1 but always through the aid of the big fellows he avoided the penitentiary and every fresh and futile attempt to end his career increased the numbers and reverence of his followers4 ,his had been the history and he was the pattern now of practically every gang leader of consequence in the city4 ,the fight club had been his testing ground4 ,there he had learned the code1 which can be summarized in two words1 ,don't squeal4 ,for gangland hates nothing so much as a snitch4 ,as a beginner he could be trusted to commit any crime assigned to him and go to prison1 perhaps the chair1 rather than betray a leader4 ,as a leader he had those under him trained in the same code4 ,that still was his code to those above him in the ,system4 ,we want him for frauds at the primaries1 repeated ,carton1 at least1 if we can find him1 we can hold him on that for a time4 ,i thought perhaps he might know something of the robbery--and about the disappearance of the girl1 too4 ,oh1 he continued1 there are lots of things against him4 ,why1 only last week there was a dance of a rival association of gang leaders4 ,against them ,dopey ,jack led a band of his own followers and in the ensuing pistol battle a passer-by was killed4 ,of course we can't connect ,dopey ,jack with his death1 but--then we know as well as we know anything in gangland that he was responsible4 ,i suppose it isn't impossible that he may know something about the disappearance of ,miss ,blackwell1 remarked ,kennedy4 ,no1 replied ,carton1 not at all1 although1 so far1 there is absolutely no clue as far as ,i can figure out4 ,she may have been bought off or she may have been kidnapped4 ,in either case the missing girl must be found1 said ,craig4 ,we must get someone interested in her case who knows something about what may happen to a girl in ,new ,york4 ,carton had been revolving the matter in his mind4 ,by ,george1 he exclaimed suddenly1 ,i think ,i know just the person to take up that case for us--it's quite in her line4 ,can you spare the time to run down to the ,reform ,league headquarters with me8 ,nothing could be more important1 just at the minute1 replied ,craig4 ,the telephone buzzed and he answered it1 a moment later handing the receiver to ,carton4 ,it's your office1 he said4 ,one of the assistant district attorneys wants you on the wire4 ,as ,carton hung up the receiver he turned to us with a look of great satisfaction4 ,dopey ,jack has just been arrested1 he announced4 ,he has shut up like an oyster1 but we think we can at least hold him for a few days this time until we sift down some of these clues4 ,v ,,the ,,suffragette ,,secretary ,carton took us directly to the campaign headquarters of the ,reform ,league1 where his fight for political life was being conducted4 ,we found the offices in the tower of a skyscraper1 whence was pouring forth a torrent of appeal to the people1 in printed and oral form of every kind1 urging them to stand shoulder to shoulder for good government and vote the ring out of power4 ,there seemed to me to be a different tone to the place from that which ,i had ordinarily associated with political headquarters in previous campaigns4 ,there was a notable absence of the old-fashioned politicians and of the air of intrigue laden with tobacco4 ,rather1 there was an air of earnestness and efficiency1 which was decidedly encouraging and hopeful4 ,it seemed to speak of a new era in politics when things were to be done in the open instead of at secret meetings and scandalous dinners1 as ,dorgan did them at ,gastron's4 ,maps of the city were hanging on the walls1 some stuck full of various coloured pins1 denoting the condition of the canvass4 ,other maps of the city in colours1 divided into all sorts of districts1 told how fared the battle in the various strongholds of ,boss ,dorgan and ,sub-boss ,murtha4 ,huge systems of card indexes1 loose leaf devices1 labour-saving appliances for getting out a vast amount of campaign literature in a hurry2 in short1 a perfect system1 such as a great1 well-managed business might have been proud of1 were in evidence everywhere one looked4 ,work was going ahead in every department under high pressure1 for the campaign1 which had been more than usually heated1 was now drawing to a close4 ,indeed1 it would have taken no great astuteness1 even without one's being told1 to deduce merely from the surroundings that the people here were engaged in the annual struggle of seeking the votes of their fellow-citizens for reform and were nearly worn out by the arduous endeavour4 ,it had been1 as ,i have said1 the bitterest campaign in years4 ,formerly the reformers had been of the silk-stocking type1 but now a new and younger generation was coming upon the stage1 a generation which had been trained to achieve results1 ambitious to attain what in former years had been considered impossible4 ,the ,reform ,league was making a stiff campaign and the ,system was1 by the same token1 more frightened than ever before4 ,carton was fortunate in having shaken off the thralldom of the old bosses even before the popular uprising against them had assumed such proportions as to warrant anyone in taking his political life in his hands by defying the powers that ruled behind the scenes4 ,in fact1 the ,reform ,league itself owed its existence to a fortunate conjunction of both moral and economic conditions which demanded progress4 ,of course1 the ,league did not have such a big barrel as their opponents under ,dorgan4 ,but1 at least they did have many willing workers1 men and women1 who were ready to sacrifice something for the advancement of the principles for which they stood4 ,in one part of the suite of offices which had been leased by the ,league1 ,carton had had assigned to him an office of his own1 and it was to this office that he led us1 after a word with the boy who guarded the approach to the door1 and an exchange of greetings with various workers and visitors in the outside office4 ,we seated ourselves while ,carton ran his eye through some letters that had been left on his desk for his attention4 ,a moment later the door of his office opened and a young lady in a very stunning street dress1 with a pretty little rakish hat and a tantalizing veil1 stood a moment1 hesitated1 and then was about to turn back with an apology for intruding on what looked like a conference4 ,good-morning1 ,miss ,ashton1 greeted ,carton1 laying down the letters instantly4 ,you're just the person ,i want to see4 ,the girl1 with a portfolio of papers in her hand1 smiled and he quickly crossed the room and held the door open1 as he whispered a word or two to her4 ,she was a handsome girl1 something more than even pretty4 ,the lithe gracefulness of her figure spoke of familiarity with both tennis and tango1 and her face with its well-chiselled profile denoted intellectuality from which no touch of really feminine charm had been removed by the fearsome process of the creation of the modern woman4 ,sincerity as well as humour looked out from the liquid depths of her blue eyes beneath the wavy masses of blonde hair4 ,she was good to look at and we looked1 irresistibly4 ,let me introduce ,professor ,kennedy and ,mr4 ,jameson1 ,miss ,ashton1 began ,carton1 adding3 ,of course you have heard of ,miss ,margaret ,ashton1 the suffragist leader8 ,she is the head of our press bureau1 you know4 ,she's making a great fight for us here--a winning fight4 ,it seemed from the heightened look of determination which set ,carton's face in deeper lines that ,miss ,ashton had that indispensable political quality of inspiring both confidence and enthusiasm in those who worked with her4 ,it is indeed a great pleasure to meet you1 remarked ,kennedy4 ,both ,mr4 ,jameson and myself have heard and read a great deal about your work1 though we seem never before to have had the pleasure of meeting you4 ,miss ,ashton1 ,i recalled1 was a very clever girl1 a graduate of a famous woman's college1 and had had several years of newspaper experience before she became a leader in the cause of equal suffrage4 ,the ,ashtons were well known in society and it was a sore trial to some of her conservative friends that she should reject what they considered the proper sphere for women and choose to go out into life and devote herself to doing something that was worth while1 rather than to fritter her time and energy away on the gaiety and inconsequentiality of social life4 ,among those friends1 ,i had understood1 was ,hartley ,langhorne himself4 ,he was older than ,miss ,ashton1 but had belonged to the same social circle and had always held her in high regard4 ,in fact the attentions he paid her had long been noticeable1 the more so as she seemed politely unaffected by them4 ,carton had scarcely more than introduced us1 yet already ,i felt sure that ,i scented a romance behind the ordinarily prosaic conduct of a campaign press bureau4 ,it is far from my intention even to hint that the ability or success of the head of the press bureau were not all her own or were in any degree overrated4 ,but it struck me1 both then and often later1 that the candidate for ,district ,attorney had an extraordinary interest in the newspaper campaign1 much more1 for instance1 than in the speakers' bureau4 ,i am sure that it was not wholly accounted for by the fact that publicity is playing a more and more important part in political campaigning4 ,nevertheless1 as we came to know afterwards such innovations as her card index system by election districts all over the city1 showing the attitude of the various newspaper editors1 local leaders1 and other influential citizens1 recording changes of sentiment and possible openings for future work1 all were very full and valuable4 ,kennedy1 who had a regular pigeon-hole mind for facts himself1 was visibly impressed by the huge mechanical memory built up by ,miss ,ashton4 ,though he said nothing to me1 ,i knew that ,craig also had observed the state of affairs between the reform candidate and the suffrage leader4 ,you see1 ,miss ,ashton1 explained ,carton1 someone has placed a detectaphone in the private dining-room of ,dorgan at ,gastron's4 ,i heard of it first through ,mrs4 ,ogleby1 who attended one of the dinners and was terribly afraid her name would be connected with them if the record should ever be published4 ,mrs4 ,ogleby8 cried ,miss ,ashton quickly4 ,she--at a dinner--with ,mr4 ,murtha8 ,i--,i can't believe it4 ,carton said nothing4 ,whether he knew more about ,mrs4 ,ogleby than he cared to tell1 ,i could not even guess4 ,as he went on briefly summarizing the story1 ,miss ,ashton shot a quick glance or two at him4 ,carton noticed it1 but appeared not to do so4 ,i suppose1 he concluded1 that she thought ,i was the only person capable of eavesdropping4 ,as a matter of fact1 ,i think the instrument was put in by ,hartley ,langhorne as part of the fight that is going on fiercely under the surface in the organization4 ,it was ,carton's turn now1 ,i fancied1 to observe ,miss ,ashton more closely4 ,as far as ,i could see1 the information was a matter of perfect indifference to her4 ,carton did not say it in so many words1 but one could not help gathering that rather than seem to be pursuing a possible rival and using his official position in order to do it1 he was not considering ,langhorne in any other light than as a mere actor in the drama between himself and ,dorgan and ,murtha4 ,now1 he concluded1 the point of the whole thing is this1 ,miss ,ashton4 ,we have learned that ,betty ,blackwell--you know the case--who took the notes over the detectaphone for the ,black ,book1 has suddenly and mysteriously disappeared4 ,if she is gone1 it may be difficult to prove anything1 even if we get the book4 ,miss ,blackwell happens to be a stenographer in the office of ,langhorne ,westlake4 ,for the first time1 ,miss ,ashton seemed to show a sign of embarrassment4 ,evidently she would just as well have had ,miss ,blackwell in some other connection4 ,perhaps you would rather have nothing to do with it1 suggested ,carton1 but ,i know that you were always interested in things of the sort that happen to girls in the city and thought perhaps you could advise us1 even if you don't feel like personally taking up the case4 ,oh1 it doesn't--matter1 she murmured4 ,of course1 the first thing for us to do is1 as you say1 to find what has become of ,betty ,blackwell4 ,carton turned suddenly at the word us1 but ,miss ,ashton was still studying the pattern of the rug4 ,do you know any more about her8 she asked at length4 ,as fully as possible the ,district ,attorney repeated what he had already told us4 ,miss ,ashton seemed to be more than interested in the story of the disappearance of ,langhorne's stenographer4 ,as ,carton unfolded the meagre details of what we knew so far1 ,miss ,ashton appeared to be torn by conflicting opinions4 ,the more she thought of what might possibly have happened to the unfortunate girl1 the more aroused about the case she seemed to become4 ,carton had evidently calculated on enlisting her sympathies1 knowing how she felt toward many of the social and economic injustices toward women1 and particularly girls4 ,if ,mr4 ,murtha or ,mr4 ,dorgan is responsible in any way for any harm to her1 she said finally1 her earnest eyes now ablaze with indignation1 ,i shall not rest until someone is punished4 ,kennedy had been watching her emotions keenly1 ,i suspect1 to see whether she connected ,langhorne in any way with the disappearance4 ,i could see it interested him that she did not seem even to consider that ,langhorne might be responsible4 ,whether her intuition was correct or not1 it was at least better at present than any guess that we three might have made4 ,they control so many forces for evil1 she went on1 that there is no telling what they might command against a defenceless girl like her when it is a question of their political power4 ,then1 pursued ,kennedy1 pacing the floor thoughtfully1 the next question is1 ,how are we to proceed8 ,the first step naturally will be the investigation of this ,little ,montmartre4 ,how is it to be done8 ,i presume you don't want to go up there and look the place over yourself1 do you1 ,carton8 ,most certainly not1 said ,carton emphatically4 ,not if you want this case to go any further4 ,why1 ,i can't walk around a corner now without a general scurry for the cyclone cellars4 ,they all know me1 and those who don't are watching for me4 ,on the contrary1 if you are going to start there ,i had better execute a flank movement in ,queens or ,jersey to divert attention4 ,really1 ,i mean it4 ,i had better keep in the background4 ,but ,i'll tell you what ,i would like to do4 ,carton hesitated and came to a full stop4 ,what's the matter8 asked ,kennedy quickly1 noticing the hesitation4 ,why--,i--er--didn't know just how you'd take a suggestion--that's all4 ,thankfully4 ,what is it8 ,you know young ,haxworth8 ,you mean the son of the millionaire who is investigating vice and whom the newspapers are poking fun at8 ,yes4 ,those papers make me tired4 ,he has been working1 you know1 with me in this matter4 ,he is really serious about it1 too4 ,he has a corps of investigators of his own already4 ,well1 there is one of them1 a woman detective named ,clare ,kendall1 who is the brains of the whole ,haxworth outfit4 ,if you would be willing to have them--er--to have her co-operate with you1 ,i think ,i could persuade ,haxworth--- ,oh1 broke in ,kennedy with a laugh4 ,i see4 ,you think perhaps there might be some professional jealousy8 ,on the contrary1 it solves a problem ,i was already considering4 ,of course we shall need a woman in this case1 one with a rare amount of discretion and ability4 ,yes1 by all means let us call in ,miss ,kendall1 and let us take every advantage we can of what she has already accomplished4 ,carton seized the telephone4 ,tell her to meet us at my laboratory in half an hour1 interposed ,kennedy4 ,you will come along8 ,i can't4 ,court opens in twenty minutes and there is a motion ,i must argue myself4 ,miss ,ashton appeared to be greatly gratified at ,craig's reception of the suggestion1 and ,carton noticed it4 ,oh1 yes1 recollected ,carton1 by the way1 as ,i was on my way down here1 my office called up and told me that they had succeeded in locating and arresting ,dopey ,jack4 ,that ought to please you1--it will mean cutting down the number of those ,east ,side 'rackets' considerably if we succeed with him4 ,good6 she exclaimed4 ,yes1 ,i don't think there were any worse affairs than the dances of that ,jack ,rubano ,association4 ,they have got hold of more young girls and caused more tragedies than any other gang4 ,if you need any help in getting together evidence1 ,mr4 ,carton1 ,i shall be only too glad to help you4 ,i have several old scores myself to settle with that young tough4 ,thank you1 said ,carton4 ,i shall need your help1 if we are to do anything4 ,of course1 we can hold him only for primary frauds just now1 but ,i may be able to do something about that dance that he broke up as a shooting affray4 ,miss ,ashton nodded encouragingly4 ,and1 he went on1 it's barely possible that he may know something1 or some of his followers may1 about the robbery of ,mr4 ,langhorne's safe1--if not about the complete and mysterious disappearance of ,betty ,blackwell4 ,they'd stop at nothing to save their precious skins1 commented ,miss ,ashton4 ,perhaps that is a good lead4 ,at any rate ,i can suggest that to the various societies and other agencies which ,i intend to set in motion trying to trace what has happened to her4 ,you can have him held until they have time to report8 ,i shall make it a point to do so at any cost1 he returned1 and ,i can say only this1 that we are all deeply indebted to you for the interest you have shown in the case4 ,not at all1 she replied enthusiastically1 evidently having overcome the first hesitation which had existed because ,miss ,blackwell had been ,langhorne's stenographer4 ,miss ,ashton had quickly jotted down in her notebook the best description we could give of the missing girl1 her address1 and other facts about her1 and a list of those whom she meant to start at work on the case4 ,for a moment she hesitated over one name1 then with a sudden resolution wrote it down4 ,i intend to see ,hartley ,langhorne about it1 too1 she added frankly4 ,perhaps he may tell something of importance1 after all4 ,i am sure that this final resolution cost her more than all the rest4 ,carton would never have asked it of her1 yet was gratified that she saw it to be her duty to leave nothing undone in tracing the girl1 not even considering the possibility of offending ,langhorne4 ,decent people don't seem to realize1 she remarked as she shut her little notebook and slipped it back into her chatelaine1 how the ,system and the underworld really do affect them4 ,they think it is all something apart from the rest of us1 and never consider how closely we are all bound together and how easy it is for the lowest and most vicious stratum in the social order to pass over and affect the highest4 ,that's exactly the point1 agreed ,carton4 ,take this very case4 ,it goes from ,wall ,street to gangland1 from ,gastron's down to the underworld gambling joints of ,dopey ,jack and the rest4 ,society--gambling1 mused ,miss ,ashton1 taking out her notebook again4 ,that reminds me of ,martin ,ogleby4 ,i must see ,mary and try to warn her against some of those sporty friends of her husband's4 ,please1 ,miss ,ashton1 put in ,carton quickly1 don't mention that ,i have told you of the detectaphone record4 ,it might do more harm than good1 just at present4 ,for a time at least1 ,i think we should try to keep under cover4 ,whether or not that was his real reason1 he turned now to ,kennedy for support4 ,we had been1 for the most part1 silent spectators of what had been happening4 ,i think so--for the present--at least as far as our knowledge of the ,black ,book goes1 acquiesced ,craig4 ,he had turned to ,miss ,ashton and made no effort to conceal the admiration which he felt for her1 after even so brief an acquaintance4 ,i think ,miss ,ashton can be depended upon to play her part in the game perfectly4 ,i1 for one1 want to thank her most heartily for the way in which she has joined us4 ,thank you1 she smiled1 as she rose to go to her own office4 ,oh1 you can always depend on me1 she assured us as she gathered up her portfolio of papers1 where there are the interests of a girl like ,betty ,blackwell involved6 ,,vi ,,the ,,woman ,,detective ,half an hour later1 a tall1 striking1 self-reliant young woman with an engaging smile opened the laboratory door and asked for ,professor ,kennedy4 ,miss ,kendall8 ,craig inquired1 coming forward to meet her4 ,she was dark-haired1 with regular features and an expression which showed a high degree of intelligence4 ,her clear grey eyes seemed to penetrate and tear the mask off you4 ,it was not only her features and eyes that showed intelligence1 but her gown showed that without sacrificing neatness she had deliberately toned down the existing fashions which so admirably fitted in with her figure in order that she might not appear noticeable4 ,it was clever1 for if there is anything a good detective must do it is to prevent people from looking twice4 ,i knew something of her history already4 ,she had begun on a rather difficult case for one of the large agencies and after a few years of experience had decided that there was a field for an independent woman detective who would appeal particularly to women themselves4 ,unaided she had fought her way to a position of keen rivalry now with the best men in the profession4 ,narrowly ,i watched ,kennedy4 ,here1 ,i felt instinctively1 were the new woman and the new man1 if there are such things4 ,i wondered just how they would hit it off together4 ,for the moment1 at least1 ,clare ,kendall was an absorbing study1 as she greeted us with a frank1 jerky straight-arm handshake4 ,mr4 ,carton1 she said directly1 has told me that he received an anonymous letter this morning4 ,may ,i see it8 ,there are times when the so-called new woman's assumed masculine brusqueness is a trifle jarring1 as well as often missing the point4 ,but with ,clare ,kendall one did not feel that she was eternally trying to assert that she was the equal or the superior of someone else1 although she was1 as far as the majority of detectives ,i have met are concerned4 ,it was rather that she was different2 in fact1 almost from the start ,i felt that she was indispensable4 ,she seemed to have that ability to go straight to the point at issue1 a sort of faculty of intuition which is often more valuable than anything else1 the ability to feel or sense things for which at first there was no actual proof4 ,no good detective ever lacks that sort of instinct1 and ,clare ,kendall1 being a woman1 had it in large degree4 ,but she had more4 ,she had the ability to go further and get the facts and actual proof2 for1 as she often said during the course of a case1 ,woman's intuition may not be good evidence in a court of law1 but it is one of the best means to get good evidence that will convince a court of law4 ,my investigators have been watching that place for some time1 she remarked as she finished the letter4 ,of course1 having been closely in touch with this sort of thing for several months in my work1 ,i have had all the opportunity in the world to observe and collect information4 ,the letter does not surprise me4 ,then you think it is a good tip8 asked ,kennedy4 ,decidedly1 although without the letter ,i should not have started there1 ,i think4 ,still1 as nearly as ,i can gather1 there is a rather nondescript crowd connected in one way or another with the ,montmartre4 ,for instance1 there is a pretty tough character who seems to be connected with the people there1 my investigators tell me4 ,it is a fellow named ',ike the ,dropper1' one of those strong-arm men who have migrated up from the ,east ,side to the ,white ,light ,district4 ,at least my investigators have told me they have seen him there1 for ,i have never bothered with the place myself4 ,there has been plenty of work elsewhere which promised immediate results4 ,i'm glad to have a chance to tackle this place1 though1 with your help4 ,what do you think of the rest of the letter8 asked ,craig4 ,i think ,i could make a pretty shrewd guess from what ,i have heard1 as to the identity of some of those hinted at4 ,i'm not sure1 but ,i think the lawyer may be a ,mr4 ,kahn1 a clever enough attorney who has a large theatrical clientele and none too savoury a reputation as a local politician4 ,the banker may be ,mr4 ,langhorne1 although he is not exactly a young man4 ,still1 ,i know he has been associated with the place4 ,as for the club-man ,i should guess that that was ,martin ,ogleby4 ,kennedy and ,i exchanged glances of surprise4 ,as a first step1 said ,kennedy1 at length1 ,i am going to write a letter to ,betty ,blackwell1 care of the ,little ,montmartre--or perhaps you had better do the actual writing of it1 ,miss ,kendall4 ,a woman's hand will look less suspicious4 ,what shall ,i write8 she asked4 ,just a few lines4 ,tell her that you are one of the girls in the office1 that you have heard she was at the ,montmartre--anything4 ,the actual writing doesn't make any difference4 ,i merely want to see what happens4 ,miss ,kendall quickly wrote a little note and handed it to him4 ,then direct this envelope1 he said1 reaching into a drawer of his desk and bringing out a plain white one4 ,and let me seal it4 ,carefully he sealed and stamped the letter and handed it to me to post4 ,you will dine with us1 ,miss ,kendall8 he asked4 ,then we will plan the next step in our campaign4 ,i shall be glad to do so1 she replied4 ,fifteen minutes later ,i had dropped the letter in the drop of a branch of the general post-office to ensure its more prompt delivery1 and it was on its way through the mails to accomplish the purpose ,kennedy may have contemplated4 ,just now it is more important for us to become acquainted with this ,little ,montmartre1 he remarked4 ,i suppose1 ,miss ,kendall1 we may depend on you to join us8 ,indeed you may1 she replied energetically4 ,there is nothing that we would welcome more than evidence that would lead to the closing of that place4 ,kennedy seemed to be impressed by the frankness and energy of the young woman4 ,perhaps if we three should go there1 hire a private dining-room1 and look about without making any move against the place that would excite suspicion1 we might at least find out what it is that we are fighting4 ,of course we must dine somewhere1 and up there at the same time we can plan our campaign4 ,i think that would be ripping1 she laughed1 as the humour of the situation dawned on her4 ,why1 we shall be laying our plans right in the heart of the enemy's country and they will never realize it4 ,perhaps1 too1 we may get a glimpse of some of those people mentioned in the anonymous letter4 ,to ,clare ,kendall it was simply another phase of the game which she had been playing against the forces of evil in the city4 ,the ,little ,montmartre was1 as ,i already knew1 one of the smaller hotels in a side street just off ,broadway1 eight or ten stories in height1 of modern construction1 and for all the world exactly like a score of other of the smaller hostelries of the famous city of hotels4 ,clare1 ,craig1 and myself pulled up before the entrance in a taxicab1 that seeming to be the accepted method of entering with eclat4 ,a boy opened the door4 ,i jumped out and settled with the driver without a demur at the usual overcharge1 while ,craig assisted ,clare4 ,laughing and chatting1 we entered the bronze plate-glass doors and walked slowly down a richly carpeted corridor4 ,it was elegantly furnished and decorated with large palms set at intervals1 quite the equal in luxuriousness1 though on a smaller scale1 of any of the larger and well-known hotels4 ,beautifully marked marbles and expensive hangings greeted the eye at every turn4 ,faultlessly liveried servants solicitously waited about for tips4 ,craig and ,clare1 who were slightly ahead of me1 turned quickly into a little alcove1 or reception room and ,craig placed a chair for her4 ,farther down the corridor ,i could see the office1 and beyond a large main dining-room from which strains of music came and now and then the buzz of conversation and laughter from gay parties at the immaculately white tables4 ,boy1 called ,kennedy quietly1 catching the eye of a passing bell hop and unostentatiously slipping a quarter into his hand1 which closed over the coin almost automatically1 the head waiter1 please4 ,oh--er--by the way--what is his name8 ,julius1 returned the boy1 to whom the proceeding seemed to present nothing novel1 although the whole atmosphere of the place was beyond his years4 ,i'll get him in a minute1 sir4 ,he's in the main dining-room4 ,he's having some trouble with the cabaret singers4 ,one of them is late--as usual4 ,we sat in the easy chairs watching the people passing and repassing in the corridor4 ,there was no effort at concealment here4 ,a few minutes later ,julius appeared1 a young man1 tall and rather good-looking1 suave and easy4 ,a word or two with ,kennedy followed1 during which a greenback changed hands--in fact that seemed to be the open sesame to everything here--and we were in the elevator decorously escorted by the polished ,julius4 ,the door of the elevator shut noiselessly and it shot up to the next floor4 ,julius preceded us down the thickly carpeted corridor leading the way to a large apartment1 or rather a suite of rooms1 as handsomely furnished as any in other hotels4 ,he switched on the lights and left us1 with the remark1 ,when you want the waiter or anything1 just press the button4 ,in the largest of the rooms was a dining-table and several chairs of ,jacobean oak4 ,a heavy sideboard and serving-table stood against opposite walls4 ,another1 smaller room was furnished very attractively as a sitting-room4 ,deep1 easy chairs stood in the corners and a wide1 capacious davenport stretched across one wall4 ,in another nook was a little divan or cosy corner4 ,electric bulbs burned pinkly in the chandeliers and on silver candelabra on the table1 giving a half light that was very romantic and fascinating4 ,from a curtained window that opened upon an interior court we could catch strains from the cabaret singers below in the main dining-room4 ,everything was new and bright4 ,kennedy pressed the button and a waiter brought a menu1 imposing in length and breath-taking in rates4 ,the cost of vice seems to have gone up with the cost of living1 remarked ,miss ,kendall1 as the waiter disappeared as silently as he had responded to the bell4 ,it was a phrase that stuck in my head1 so apt was it in describing the anomalous state of things we found as the case unrolled4 ,craig ordered1 now and then consulting ,clare about some detail4 ,the care and attention devoted to us could not have been more punctilious if it had been an elaborate dinner party4 ,well1 he remarked1 as the waiter at last closed the door of the private dining-room to give the order in downstairs in the kitchen1 the ,little ,montmartre makes a brave showing4 ,i suppose it will be some time before the dinner arrives1 though4 ,there is certainly some piquancy to this1 he added1 looking about at the furnishings4 ,yes1 remarked ,miss ,kendall1 risque from the moment you enter the door4 ,she said it with an impersonal tone as if there were complete detachment between herself as an observer and as a guest of the ,montmartre4 ,miss ,kendall1 asked ,kennedy1 did you notice anything particularly downstairs8 ,i'd like to check up my own impressions by yours4 ,i noticed that ,titian beauty in the hotel office as we left the reception room and entered the elevator4 ,craig smiled4 ,so did ,i4 ,i thought you would be both woman enough and detective enough to notice her4 ,well1 ,i suppose if a man likes that sort of girl that's the sort of girl he likes4 ,that's point number one4 ,but did you notice anything else--as we came in1 for instance8 ,no--except that everything seems to be a matter of scientific management here to get the most out of the suckers4 ,this is no place for a piker4 ,it all seems to run so smoothly1 too4 ,still1 ,i'm sure that our investigators might get something on the place if they kept right after it1 although on the surface it doesn't look as if any law was being openly violated here4 ,what do you mean8 ,what is your point number two8 ,in the front window1 resumed ,craig1 just as you enter1 ,i noticed one of those little oblong signs printed neatly in black on white--',dr4 ,vernon ,harris1 ,m4 ,d4' ,you recall that the letter said something about a doctor who was very friendly with that clique the writer mentioned8 ,it's even money that this ,harris is the one the writer meant4 ,i suppose he is the 'house physician' of this gilded palace4 ,clare nodded appreciatively4 ,quite right1 she agreed4 ,just how do you think he might be involved8 ,of course ,i can't say4 ,but ,i think1 without going any further1 that a man like that in a place like this will bear watching anyway1 without our needing more than the fact that he is here4 ,naturally we don't know anything about him as a doctor1 but he must have some training2 and in an environment like this--well1 a little training may be a dangerous thing4 ,the letter said something about drugs1 mused ,clare4 ,yes1 added ,kennedy4 ,as you know1 alcohol is absolutely necessary to a thing like this4 ,girls must keep gay and attractive2 they must meet men with a bright1 unfaltering look1 and alcohol just dulls the edge of conscience4 ,besides1 look over that wine list--it fills the till of the ,montmartre1 judging by the prices4 ,but then1 alcohol palls when the pace is as swift as it seems to be here4 ,even more essential are drugs4 ,you know1 after all1 it is no wonder so many drug fiends and drunkards are created by this life4 ,now1 a doctor who is not over-scrupulous1 and he would have to be not over-scrupulous to be here at all1 would find a gold mine in the dispensing of drugs and the toning up of drug fiends and others who have been going the pace too rapidly4 ,yes1 she said4 ,we have found that some of these doctors are a great factor in the life of various sections of the city where they hang out4 ,i know one who is deeply in the local politics and boasts that any resort that patronizes him is immune4 ,yes1 that's a good point about ,dr4 ,harris4 ,i suppose your investigators have had more or less to do with watching the progress of drug habits8 ventured ,craig4 ,very much1 she replied1 catching the drift of his remarks4 ,we have found1 for instance1 that there are a great many cases where it seems that drugs have been used in luring young and innocent girls4 ,not the old knockout drops--chloral1 you know--but modern drugs1 not so powerful1 perhaps1 but more insidious1 and in that respect1 ,i suppose1 more dangerous4 ,there are cocaine fiends1 opium smokers2 oh1 lots of them4 ,but those we find in the slums mostly4 ,still1 ,i suppose there are all kinds of drugs up here in the ,white ,light ,district--belladonna to keep the eyes bright1 arsenic to whiten the complexion1 and so on4 ,yes1 asserted ,craig4 ,this section of the city may not be so brutal in its drug taking as others1 but it is here--yes1 and it is over on ,fifth ,avenue1 too1 right in society4 ,before we get through ,i'm sure we'll both learn much more than we even dream of now4 ,the door opened after a discreet tap from the waiter and the lavish dinner which ,craig had ordered appeared4 ,the door stayed open for a moment as the bus boy carried in the dishes4 ,a rustle of skirts and low musical laughter was wafted in to us and we caught a glimpse of another gay party passing down the hall4 ,how many private dining-rooms are there8 asked ,craig of the waiter4 ,just this one1 sir1 and the next one1 which is smaller1 replied the model waiter1 with the air of one who could be blind and deaf and dumb if he chose4 ,oh1 then we were lucky to get this4 ,yes1 sir4 ,it is really best to telephone first to ,julius to make sure and have one of the rooms reserved1 sir4 ,craig made a mental note of the information4 ,the party in the next room were hilariously ordering1 mostly from the wine list4 ,none of us had recognized any of them1 nor had they paid much attention to us4 ,craig had eaten little1 although the food was very good4 ,it's a shame to come here and not see the whole place1 he remarked4 ,i wonder if you would excuse me while ,i drop downstairs to look over things there--perhaps ingratiate myself with that ,titian8 ,tell ,miss ,kendall about our visit to ,langhorne's office while ,i am gone1 ,walter4 ,there was not much that ,i could tell except the bare facts1 but ,i thought that ,miss ,kendall seemed especially interested in the broker's reticence about his stenographer4 ,i had scarcely finished when ,craig returned4 ,a glance at his face told me that even in this brief time something had happened4 ,did you meet the ,titian8 ,i asked4 ,yes4 ,she is the stenographer and sometimes works the switchboard of the telephone4 ,i happened to strike the office while the clerk was at dinner and she was alone4 ,while ,i was talking to her ,i was looking about and my eye happened to fall on one of the letter boxes back of the desk1 marked ',dr4 ,harris4' ,well1 at once ,i had an overwhelming desire to get a note which ,i saw sticking in it4 ,so ,i called up a telephone number1 just as a blind1 and while she was at the switchboard ,i slipped the note into my pocket4 ,here it is4 ,he had laid an envelope down before us4 ,it was in a woman's hand1 written hastily4 ,i'd like to know what was in it without ,dr4 ,harris knowing it1 he remarked4 ,now1 the secret service agents abroad have raised letter-opening to a fine art4 ,some kinds of paper can be steamed open without leaving a trace1 and then they follow that simple operation by reburnishing the flap with a bone instrument4 ,but that won't do4 ,it might make this ink run4 ,among the ornaments were several with flat wooden bases4 ,kennedy took one and placed it on the edge of the table1 which was perfectly square4 ,then he placed the envelope between the table and the base4 ,when other methods fail1 he went on1 they place the envelope between two pieces of wood with the edges projecting about a thirty-second of an inch4 ,he had first flattened the edge of the envelope1 then roughened it1 and finally slit it open4 ,scientific letter-opening1 he remarked1 as he pulled out a little note written on the hotel paper4 ,it read3 ,,dear ,,harry3 ,called you up twice and then dropped into the hotel1 but you seem to be out all the time4 ,have something ,,very ,,important to tell you4 ,shall be busy to-night and in the morning1 but will be at the dansant at the ,futurist ,tea ,room to-morrow afternoon about four4 ,be sure to be there4 ,,marie4 ,i shall1 commented ,kennedy4 ,now the question is1 how to seal up this letter so that he won't know it has been opened4 ,i saw some of this very strong mucilage in the office4 ,ring the bell1 ,walter4 ,i'll get that impervious waiter to borrow it for a moment4 ,five minutes later he had applied a hair line of the strong1 colourless gum to the inside of the envelope and had united the edges under pressure between the two pieces of wood4 ,as soon as it was dry he excused himself again and went back to the office1 where he managed to secure an opportunity to stick the letter back in the box and chat for a few minutes longer with the ,titian4 ,there's a wild cabaret down in the main dining-room1 he reported on his return4 ,i think we might just as well have a glimpse of it before we go4 ,kennedy paid the cheque1 which by this time had mounted like a taximeter running wild1 and we drifted into the dining-room1 a rather attractive hall1 panelled in ,flemish oak with artificial flowers and leaves about1 and here and there a little bird concealed in a cage in the paper foliage4 ,as cabarets go1 it was not bad1 although ,i could imagine how wild it might become in the evening or on special occasion4 ,that ,dr4 ,harris interests me1 remarked ,kennedy across the table at us4 ,we must get something in writing from him in some way4 ,and then there's that girl in the office1 too4 ,she seems to be right in with all these people here4 ,evidently the cabaret had little of interest to ,miss ,kendall1 who1 after a glance that took in the whole dining-room and disclosed none there in the gay crowd who1 as far as we could see1 had any relation to the case1 seemed bored4 ,craig noticed it and at once rose to go4 ,as we passed out and into the corridor1 ,miss ,kendall turned and whispered1 ,look over at the desk--,dr4 ,harris4 ,sure enough1 chatting with the stenographer was a man with one of those black bags which doctors carry4 ,he was a young man in appearance1 one of those whom one sees in the ,white ,light ,district1 with unnaturally bright eyes which speak of late hours and a fast pace4 ,he wore a flower in his buttonhole--a very fetching touch with some women4 ,debonair1 dapper1 dashing1 his face was not one readily forgotten4 ,as we passed hurriedly ,i observed that he had torn open the note and had thrown the envelope1 unsuspectingly1 into the basket4 ,,vii ,,the ,,gang ,,leader ,with the arrest of ,dopey ,jack1 it seemed as if all the forces of the gang world were solidified for the final battle4 ,carton had been engaged in a struggle with the ,system so long that he knew just how to get action1 the magistrates he could depend on1 the various pitfalls that surrounded the snaring of one high in gangland1 the judges who would fix bail that was prohibitively high4 ,as he had anticipated and prepared for1 every wire was pulled to secure the release of ,rubano4 ,but ,carton was fortunate in having under him a group of young and alert assistants4 ,it took the combined energies of his office1 however1 to carry the thing through and ,kennedy and ,i did not see ,carton again for some time4 ,meanwhile we were busy gathering as much information as we could about those who were likely to figure in the case4 ,it was remarkable1 but we found that the influence of ,dorgan and ,murtha was felt in the most unexpected quarters4 ,people who would have talked to us on almost any other subject1 absolutely refused to become mixed up in this affair4 ,it was as though the ,system practised terrorism on a large scale4 ,late in the afternoon we met in ,carton's office1 to compare notes on the progress made during the day4 ,the ,district ,attorney greeted us enthusiastically4 ,well1 he exclaimed as he dropped into his big office chair1 this has been a hard day for me--but ,i've succeeded4 ,how8 queried ,kennedy4 ,of course the newspapers haven't got it yet1 pursued ,carton1 but it happened that there was a ,grand ,jury sitting and considering election cases4 ,it went hard1 but ,i made them consider this case of ,dopey ,jack4 ,i don't know how it happened1 but ,i seem to have succeeded in forcing action in record time4 ,they have found an indictment on the election charges1 and if that falls through1 we shall have time to set up other charges against him4 ,in fact we are 'going to the mat1' so to speak1 with this case4 ,the office telephone rang and after a few sentences of congratulation1 ,carton turned to us1 his spirits even higher than before4 ,that was one of my assistants1 he explained1 one of the cleverest4 ,the trial will be before ,judge ,pomeroy in ,general ,sessions and it will be an early trial4 ,pomeroy is one of the best of them1 too--about to retire1 and wants to leave a good record on the bench behind him4 ,things are shaping up as well as we could wish for4 ,the door opened and one of ,carton's clerks started to announce the name of a visitor4 ,mr4 ,carton1 ,mr4-- ,murtha1 drawled a deep voice1 as the owner of the name strode in1 impatiently brushing aside the clerk4 ,hello1 ,carton1 greeted the ,sub-boss aggressively4 ,hello1 ,murtha1 returned ,carton1 retaining his good temper and seeing the humour of the situation1 where the practice of years was reversed and the mountain was coming to ,mahomet4 ,this is a little--er--informal--but ,i'm glad to see you1 nevertheless1 he added quietly4 ,won't you sit down8 ,by the way1 meet ,mr4 ,kennedy and ,mr4 ,jameson4 ,is there anything ,i can do for you8 ,murtha shook hands with us suspiciously1 but did not sit down4 ,he continued to stand1 his hat tilted back over his head and his huge hands jammed down into his trousers pockets4 ,what's this ,i hear about ,jack ,rubano1 ,carton8 he opened fire4 ,they tell me you have arrested him and secured an indictment4 ,they tell the truth1 returned ,carton shortly4 ,the ,grand ,jury indicted ,dopey ,jack this afternoon4 ,the trial--- ,dopey ,jack1 quoted ,murtha in disgusted tones4 ,that's the way it is nowadays4 ,give a dog a bad name--why1--,i suppose this bad name's going to stick to him all his life1 now4 ,it ain't right4 ,you know1 ,carton1 as well as ,i do that if they charged him with just plain fighting and got him before a jury1 all you would have to say would be1 ',gentlemen1 the defendant at the bar is the notorious gangster1 ,dopey ,jack4' ,and the jurors wouldn't wait to hear any more1 but'd say1 ',guilty6' just like that4 ,and he'd go up the river for the top term4 ,that's what a boy like that gets once the papers give him such an awful reputation4 ,it's fierce6 ,carton shook his head4 ,oh1 ,murtha1 he remonstrated with just a twinkle in his eye1 you don't think ,i believe that sort of soft stuff1 do you8 ,i've had my eye on this 'boy'--he's twenty-eight1 by the way--too long4 ,you needn't tell me anything about his respectable old father and his sorrowing mother and weeping sister4 ,murtha1 ,i've been in this business too long for that heart throb stuff4 ,leave that to the lawyers the ,system will hire for him4 ,let's cut that out1 between ourselves1 and get down to brass tacks4 ,it was a new and awkward role for ,murtha as suppliant1 and he evidently did not relish it4 ,aside from his own interest in ,dopey ,jack1 who was one of his indispensables1 it was apparent that he came as an emissary from ,dorgan himself to spy out the land and perhaps reach some kind of understanding4 ,he glanced about at us1 with a look that broadly hinted that he would prefer to see ,carton alone4 ,carton made no move to ask us to leave and ,kennedy met the boss's look calmly4 ,murtha smothered his rage1 although ,i knew he would with pleasure have had us stuck up or blackjacked4 ,see here1 ,carton4 he blurted out at length1 approaching the desk of the ,district ,attorney and lowering his big voice as much as he was capable1 can't we reach some kind of agreement between ourselves8 ,you let up on ,rubano--and--well1 ,i might be able to get some of my friends to let up on ,carton4 ,see8 ,he was conveying as guardedly as he could a proposal that if the ,district ,attorney would consent to turn his back while the law stumbled in one of the numerous pitfalls that beset a criminal prosecution1 the organization would deliver the goods1 quietly pass the word along to knife its own man and allow ,carton to be re-elected4 ,i studied ,carton's face intently4 ,to a man of another stripe1 the proposal might have been alluring4 ,it meant that although the organization ticket won1 he would1 in the public eye at least1 have the credit of beating the ,system1 of going into office unhampered1 of having assured beyond doubt what was at best only problematical with the ,reform ,league4 ,carton did not hesitate a moment4 ,i thought ,i saw in his face the same hardening of the lines of his features in grim determination that ,i had seen when he had been talking to ,miss ,ashton4 ,i knew that1 among other things1 he was thinking how impossible it would be for him ever to face her again in the old way1 if he sold out1 even in a negative way1 to the ,system4 ,murtha had shot his huge face forward and was peering keenly at the man before him4 ,you'll--think it over8 he asked4 ,i will not--,i most certainly will not1 returned ,carton1 for the first time showing exasperation1 at the very assumption of ,murtha4 ,mr4 ,murtha1 he went on1 rising and leaning forward over the desk1 we are going to have a fair election1 if ,i can make it4 ,i may be beaten--,i may win4 ,but ,i will be beaten1 if at all1 by the old methods4 ,if ,i win--it will be that ,i win--honestly4 ,a half sneer crossed ,murtha's face4 ,he neither understood nor cared to understand the kind of game ,carton played4 ,you'll never get anything on that boy1 blustered ,murtha4 ,do you suppose ,i'm fool enough to come here and make a dishonest proposition--here--right in front of your own friends8 he added1 turning to us4 --,i ain't asking any favours1 or anything dishonest4 ,his lawyers know what they can do and what you can do4 ,it ain't because ,i care a hang about you1 ,carton1 that ,i'm here4 ,if you want to know the truth1 it's because you can make trouble1 ,carton1--that's all4 ,you can't convict him1 in the end1 because--you can't4 ,there's nothing 'on' him4 ,but you can make trouble4 ,we'll win out in the end1 of course4 ,in other words1 you think the ,reform ,league has you beaten8 suggested ,carton quietly4 ,no1 ejaculated ,murtha with an oath4 ,we don't know--but maybe ,,you have us beaten4 ,but not the ,league4 ,we don't want you for ,district ,attorney1 ,carton4 ,you know it4 ,but here's a practical proposition4 ,all you have to do is just to let this ,rubano case take its natural course4 ,that's all ,i ask4 ,he dwelt on the word natural as if it were in itself convincing4 ,why1 he resumed1 what foolishness it is for you to throw away all your chances just for the sake of hounding one poor fellow from the ,east ,side4 ,it ain't right1 ,carton1--you1 powerful1 holding an important office1 and he a poor boy that never had a chance and has made the most of what little nature gave him4 ,why1 ,i've known that boy ever since he hardly came up to my waist4 ,i tell you1 there ain't a judge on the bench that wouldn't listen to what we can show about him--hounded by police1 hounded by the ,district ,attorney1 driven from pillar to post1 and--- ,you will have a chance to tell the story in court1 cut in ,carton4 ,pomeroy will try the case4 ,pomeroy8 repeated ,murtha in a tone that quite disguised the anger he felt that it should come up before the one judge the ,system feared and could not control4 ,now1 look here1 ,carton4 ,we're all practical men4 ,your friend--er--,kennedy1 here1 he's practical4 ,murtha had turned toward us4 ,he was now the ,murtha ,i had heard of before1 the kind that can use a handshake or a playful slap on the back1 as between man and man1 to work wonders in getting action or carrying a point4 ,far from despising such men as ,murtha1 ,i think we all rather admired his good qualities4 ,it was his point of view1 his method1 his aim that were wrong4 ,as for the man himself he was human--in fact1 ,i often thought far more human than some of the reformers4 ,i'll leave it to ,kennedy1 he resumed4 ,suppose you were running a race4 ,you knew you were going to win4 ,would you deliberately stop and stick your foot out1 in order to trip up the man who was coming in second8 ,i don't know that the cases are parallel1 returned ,kennedy with an amused smile4 ,murtha kept his good nature admirably4 ,then you would stick your foot out--and perhaps lose the race yourself8 persisted ,murtha4 ,i'll relieve ,kennedy of answering that1 interrupted ,carton1 not because ,i don't think he can do it better than ,i can1 perhaps1 but because this is my fight--my race4 ,well1 asked ,murtha persuasively1 you'll think it over1 first1 won't you8 ,carton was looking at his opponent keenly1 as if trying to take his measure4 ,he had some scheme in mind and ,kennedy was watching the faces of both men intently4 ,this race1 began ,carton slowly1 in a manner that showed he wanted to change the subject1 is different from any other in the politics of the city as either of us have ever known it1 ,murtha4 ,murtha made as though he would object to the proposition1 but ,carton hurried on1 giving him no chance to inject anything into the conversation4 ,it may be possible--it is possible1 shot out the young ,district ,attorney1 to make use of secret records--conversations--at conferences--dinners--records that have been taken by a new invention that seems to be revolutionizing politics all over the country4 ,the look that crossed ,murtha's face was positively apoplectic4 ,the veins in his forehead stood out like whipcords4 ,he started to speak1 but choked off the words before he had uttered them4 ,i could almost read his mind4 ,carton had said nothing directly about the ,black ,book1 and ,murtha had caught himself just in time not to betray anything about it4 ,so1 he shouted at last1 you are going to try some of those fine little scientific tricks on us1 are you8 ,he was pacing up and down the room1 storming and threatening by turns4 ,i want to tell you1 ,carton1 pursued ,murtha1 that you're up against a crowd who were playing this game before you were born4 ,you reformers think you are pretty smooth4 ,but we know a thing or two about you and what you are doing4 ,besides1 he leaned over the desk again1 ,carton1 there ain't many men that can afford to throw stones4 ,i admit my life hasn't been perfect--but1 then ,i ain't posing as any saint4 ,i don't mind telling you that the organization1 as you call it1 is looking into some of the things that you reformers have done4 ,it may be that some of your people--some of the ladies1 he insinuated1 don't look on life in the broad-minded way that some of the rest do4 ,mind you--,i ain't making any threats1 but when it comes to gossip and scandal and mud-slinging--look out for the little old organization--that's all6 ,carton had set his tenacious jaw4 ,you can go as far as you like1 ,murtha1 was all he said1 with a grim smile4 ,murtha looked at him a moment1 then his manner changed4 ,carton1 he said in a milder tone1 at length1 what's the use of all this bluffing8 ,you and ,i understand each other4 ,these men understand--life4 ,it's a game--that's what it is--a game4 ,sometimes one move is right1 sometimes another4 ,you know what you want to accomplish here in this city4 ,i show you a way to do it4 ,don't answer me1 persisted ,murtha1 raising a hand1 just--think it over4 ,carton had taken a step forward1 the tense look on his face unchanged4 ,no1 he exclaimed1 and we could almost hear his jaw snap as if it had been a trap4 ,no--,i'll not think it over4 ,i'll not yield an inch4 ,dopey ,jack goes to trial before election4 ,as ,carton bit off the words1 ,murtha became almost beside himself with rage and chagrin4 ,he was white and red by turns4 ,for a moment ,i feared that he might do ,carton personal violence4 ,carton1 he ground out1 as he reached the door1 you will regret this4 ,i hope not1 returned the other summoning with a mighty effort at least the appearance of suavity4 ,good-bye4 ,the only answer was the vicious slam which ,murtha gave the door4 ,as the echo died1 the ,district ,attorney turned to us4 ,apparently1 then1 ,dorgan did not secure the ,black ,book1 was all he said1 even supposing ,dopey ,jack planned and executed that robbery of ,langhorne4 ,,viii ,,the ,,shyster ,,lawyer ,that's a declaration of war1 remarked ,kennedy1 as ,carton resumed his seat at the desk unconcernedly after the stormy ending of the interview with ,murtha4 ,i suppose it is1 agreed the ,district ,attorney1 and ,i can't say that ,i am sorry4 ,nor ,i1 added ,craig4 ,but it settles one thing4 ,we are now out in what ,i call the 'open' investigation4 ,they have forced us from cover4 ,we shall have to be prepared to take quick action now1 whatever move they may make4 ,together we were speculating on the various moves that the ,system might make and how we might prepare in advance for them4 ,evidently1 however1 we were not yet through with these indirect dealings with the ,boss4 ,the ,system was thorough1 if nothing else1 and prompt4 ,we had about decided to continue our conference over the dinner table in some uptown restaurant1 when the officer stationed in the hall poked his head in the door and announced another visitor for the ,district ,attorney4 ,this time the entrance was exactly the opposite to the bluster of ,murtha4 ,the man who sidled deferentially into the room1 a moment after ,carton had said he would see him1 was a middle-sized fellow1 with a high1 slightly bald forehead1 a shifty expression in his sharp ferret eyes1 and a nervous1 self-confident manner that must have been very impressive before the ignorant4 ,my name is ,kahn1 he introduced himself4 ,i'm a lawyer4 ,carton nodded recognition4 ,although ,i had never seen the man before1 ,i recollected the name which ,miss ,kendall had mentioned4 ,he was one of the best known lawyers of the ,system4 ,he had begun his career as an ambulance chaser1 had risen later to the dignity of a police court lawyer1 and now was of the type that might be called1 for want of a better name1 a high class shyster--unscrupulous1 sharp1 cunning4 ,shyster1 ,i believe1 has been defined as a legal knave1 a lawyer who practises in an unprofessional or tricky manner4 ,kahn was all that--and still more4 ,if he had been less successful1 he would have been the black sheep of the overcrowded legal flock4 ,ideals he had none4 ,his claws reached out to grab the pittance of the poverty-stricken client as well as the fee of the wealthy4 ,he had risen from hospitals to police courts1 coroner's court1 and criminal courts1 at last attaining the dignity of offices opposite an entrance to the criminal courts building1 from which vantage point his underlings surveyed the scene of operations like vultures hovering over bewildered cattle4 ,carton knew him4 ,kahn was the leader among some score of men more or less well dressed1 of more or less evil appearance1 who are constantly prowling from one end to the other of the broad first floor of the criminal courts building during the hours of the day that justice is being administered there4 ,these are the shyster lawyers and their runners and agents who prey upon the men and women whom misfortune or crime have delivered into the hands of the law4 ,others of the same species are wandering about the galleries on other floors of the building1 each with a furtive eye for those who may be in trouble themselves or those who seem to be in need of legal assistance for a relative or friend in trouble4 ,perhaps the majority of lawyers practising in the courts are reputable to the highest degree1 and many of the rest merely to a safe degree4 ,many devote themselves to philanthropic work whenever a prisoner is penniless4 ,but the percentage of shysters is high4 ,kahn belonged in the latter class1 although his days of doing dirty work himself were passed4 ,he had a large force of incipient shysters for that purpose4 ,as for himself1 he handled only the big cases in which he veneered the dirty work by a sort of finesse4 ,kahn bowed and smiled ingratiatingly4 ,mr4 ,carton1 he began in a conciliatory tone1 ,i have intruded on your valuable time in the interest of my client1 ,mr4 ,jack ,rubano4 ,huh6 grunted ,carton4 ,so they've retained you1 have they1 ,ike8 he mused familiarly1 closely regarding the visitor4 ,kahn1 far from resenting the familiarity1 seemed rather to enjoy it and take it as his due measure of fame4 ,yes1 ,mr4 ,carton1 they have retained me4 ,i have just had a talk with the prisoner in the ,tombs and have gone over his case very carefully1 sir4 ,carton nodded1 but said nothing1 willing to let ,kahn do the talking for the present until he exposed his hand4 ,he has told me all about his case1 pursued ,kahn evenly4 ,it is not such a bad case4 ,i can tell you that1 ,mr4 ,carton1 because ,i didn't have to resort to the 'friend of the judge' gag in order to show him that he had a good chance4 ,kahn looked knowingly at ,carton4 ,at least he was frank about his own game before us2 in fact1 utterly shameless1 it seemed to me4 ,probably it was because he knew it was no use1 that ,carton had no illusions about him4 ,still1 there was an uncanny bravado about it all4 ,kahn was indeed very successful in making the worst appear the better reason4 ,he knew it and knew that ,carton knew it4 ,that was his stock in trade4 ,he had seated himself in a chair by the ,district ,attorney's desk and as he talked was hitching it closer and closer1 for men of ,kahn's stamp seem unable to talk without getting into almost personal contact with those with whom they are talking4 ,carton drew back and folded his hands back of his head as he listened1 still silent4 ,you know1 ,mr4 ,carton1 he insinuated1 it is a very different thing to be sure in your own mind that a man is guilty from being able to prove it in court4 ,there are all sorts of delays that may be granted1 witnesses are hard to hold together1 in fact there are many difficulties that arise in the best of cases4 ,you don't need to tell me that1 ,kahn1 replied ,carton quietly4 ,i know it1 ,mr4 ,carton1 rejoined the other apologetically4 ,i was just using that as a preface to what ,i have to say4 ,he took another hitch of the chair nearer ,carton and lowered his voice impressively4 ,the point1 sir1 at which ,i am driving is simply this4 ,there must be some way in which we can reach an agreement1 compromise this case1 satisfactorily to the people with a minimum of time and expense--some way in which the indictment or the pleadings can be amended so that it can be wound up and--you understand--both of us win--instead of dragging it out and perhaps you losing the case in the end4 ,carton shook his head4 ,no1 ,kahn1 he said in a low tone1 but firmly1 no compromise4 ,kahn bent his ferret eyes on ,carton's face as if to bore through into his very mind4 ,no1 added the ,district ,attorney1 ,murtha was just here1 and ,i may as well repeat what ,i said to him--although ,i might fairly assume that he went from this room directly across the street to your office and that you know it already4 ,this case has gone too far1 it has too many other ramifications for me to consent to relax on it one iota4 ,kahn was baffled1 but he was cleverer than ,murtha and did not show it4 ,surely1 he urged1 you must realize that it is not worth your while at such a critical time for yourself to waste energies on a case when there are so many more profitable things that you could do4 ,the fact is that ,i would be the last one to propose anything that was not open and above board and to our mutual advantage4 ,there must be some way in which we can reach an agreement which will be satisfactory to all parties in interest1 sir4 ,kahn1 repeated ,carton a little testily1 how often must ,i repeat to you and your people that ,i am ,,not going to compromise this case in any shape1 form1 or manner8 ,i am going to fight it out on the lines ,i have indicated if ,i have to disrupt this entire office to get men to do it4 ,i have plenty to do seeking re-election1 but my first duty is to act as public prosecutor in the office to which ,i have been already elected4 ,otherwise1 it would be a poor recommendation to the people to return me to the same position4 ,no1 you are merely wasting your time and ours talking compromise4 ,kahn had been surveying ,carton keenly1 now and then taking a shifty glance at ,kennedy and myself4 ,as ,carton rapped out the last words1 as if in the nature of an ultimatum1 ,kahn gazed at him in amazement4 ,here was a man whom he knew he could neither bribe1 bully1 or bulldoze4 ,you must consider this1 too1 he added pointedly4 ,there has been a good deal of mud-slinging in this campaign4 ,we may find it necessary to go back into the antecedents and motives of those who represent the people in this case4 ,it was a subtle threat4 ,just what it implied ,i could not even guess1 nor did ,carton betray anything by look or word4 ,carton had voluntarily placed himself in the open and in a position from which he could not retreat4 ,evidently1 now1 he was willing to force the fight1 if the other side would accept the issue4 ,it meant much to him but he did not balk at it4 ,no1 ,kahn1 he repeated firmly1 no compromise4 ,kahn drew back a bit and hastily scanned the face of the prosecutor4 ,evidently he saw nothing in it to encourage him4 ,yet he was too smooth to let his temper rise1 as ,murtha had4 ,by the same token ,i fancied him a more dangerous opponent4 ,there was something positively uncanny about his assurance4 ,kahn rose slowly4 ,then it is war--without quarter8 asked ,kahn shrewdly4 ,war--without quarter1 repeated ,carton positively4 ,he withdrew quietly1 with an almost feline tread1 quite in contrast with the bluster of ,murtha4 ,i felt for the first time a sort of sinking sensation1 as ,i began to realize the varied character of the assault that was preparing4 ,not so1 ,carton and ,kennedy4 ,it seemed that every event that more clearly defined our position and that of our opponents added zest to the fight for them4 ,and ,i had sufficient confidence in the combination to know that their feelings were justified4 ,carton silently pulled down and locked the top of his desk1 then for a moment we debated where we should dine4 ,we decided on a quiet hotel uptown and1 leaving word where we could be found1 hurried along for the first real relaxation and refreshment after a crowded day's work4 ,if1 however1 we thought we could escape even for a few minutes we were mightily mistaken4 ,we had not fairly done justice to the roast when a boy in buttons came down the line of tables4 ,mr4 ,carton--please4 ,the ,district ,attorney crooked his finger at the page4 ,you're wanted at the telephone1 sir4 ,carton rose and excused himself4 ,the message must have given him food of another kind1 for when he returned after a long absence1 he pushed aside the now cold roast and joined us in the coffee and cigars4 ,one of my men1 he announced1 has been doing some shadowing for me4 ,evidently1 both ,murtha and ,kahn having failed1 they are resorting to other tactics4 ,it looks as if they had in some way1 probably from some corrupt official of the court or employee in charge of the jury list1 obtained a copy of the panel which ,justice ,pomeroy has summoned for the case4 ,it ought to be a simple thing to empanel another set of talesmen and let these fellows serve in some other part of the court1 ,i suggested1 considering the matter hastily4 ,much better to let it rest as it is1 cut in ,craig quickly1 and try to catch ,kahn with the goods4 ,it would be great to catch one of these clever fellows trying to 'fix' the jury1 as well as intimidate witnesses1 as he already hinted himself4 ,just the thing1 exclaimed ,carton1 whose keen sense of proportion showed what a valuable political asset such a coup would make in addition to its effect on the case4 ,we'll get ,kahn right1 if we have a chance1 planned ,craig4 ,you are acquainted more or less with his habits1 ,i suppose4 ,where does ,kahn hang out8 ,most fellows like him have a sort of ,amen ,corner where they meet their henchmen1 issue orders1 receive reports and carry on business that wouldn't do for an office downtown4 ,why1 ,i believe he goes to ,farrell's--has an interest in the place1 ,i think4 ,farrell's1 we recognized1 as a rather well-known all-night cafe which managed to survive the excise vicissitudes by dint of having no cabaret or entertainment4 ,we finished the dinner in silence1 ,kennedy turning various schemes over in his mind1 and rejecting them one after another4 ,there's nothing we can do immediately1 ,i suppose1 he remarked at length4 ,but if you and ,carton care to come up to the laboratory with me1 ,i might in time of peace prepare for war4 ,i have a little apparatus up there which ,i think may fit in somehow and if it does1 ,mr4 ,kahn's days of jury fixing are numbered4 ,a few minutes later1 we found ourselves in ,kennedy's laboratory1 where he had gathered together an amazing collection of paraphernalia in the warfare of science against crime which he had been waging during the years that ,i had known him4 ,carton looked about in silent admiration4 ,as for myself1 although one might have thought it was an old story with me1 ,i had found that no sooner had ,i become familiar with one piece of apparatus to perform one duty1 than another situation1 entirely different and unprecedented in our cases arose which called for another1 entirely new4 ,i had learned to have implicit confidence in ,kennedy's ability to meet each new emergency with something fully capable of solving the problem4 ,from a cabinet1 ,kennedy took out what looked like the little black leather box of a camera1 with1 however1 a most peculiar looking lens4 ,,ix ,,the ,,jury ,,fixer ,let's visit ,farrell's1 remarked ,craig1 after looking over the apparatus and slinging it over his shoulder4 ,it was early yet1 and the theatres were not out1 so that there were comparatively few people in the famous all-night cafe4 ,we entered the bar cautiously and looked about4 ,kahn at least was not there4 ,in the back of this part of the cafe were several booths1 open to conform to the law1 yet sufficiently screened so that there was at least a little privacy4 ,above the booths was a line of transoms4 ,what's back there8 asked ,kennedy1 under his breath4 ,a back room1 returned ,carton4 ,perhaps ,kahn is there1 ,craig suggested4 ,walter1 you're the one whom he would least likely recognize4 ,suppose you just stick your head in the door and look about as quietly as you can4 ,i lounged back1 glanced at the records of sporting events posted on the wall at the end of the bar1 then1 casually1 as if looking for someone1 swung the double-hinged door that led from the bar into the back room4 ,the room was empty except for one man1 turned sidewise to the door1 reading a paper1 but in a position so that he could see anyone who entered4 ,i had not opened the door widely enough to be noticed1 but ,i now let it swing back hastily4 ,it was ,kahn1 pompously sipping something he had ordered4 ,he's back there1 ,i whispered to ,kennedy1 as ,i returned1 excitedly motioning toward one of the transoms over the booths back of which ,kahn was seated4 ,right there8 he queried4 ,just about1 ,i answered4 ,a moment later ,kennedy led the way over to the booth under the transom and we sat down4 ,a waiter hovered near us4 ,craig silenced him quickly with a substantial order and a good-sized tip4 ,from our position1 if we sat well within the booth1 we were effectually hidden unless someone purposely came down and looked in on us4 ,we watched ,kennedy curiously4 ,he had unslung the little black camera-like box and to it attached a pair of fine wires and a small pocket storage battery which he carried4 ,then he looked up at the transom4 ,it was far too high for us to hear through1 even if those in the back room talked fairly loud4 ,standing on the leather wall seats of the booth to listen or even to look over was out of the question1 for it would be sure to excite suspicion among the waiters1 or the customers who were continually passing in and out of the place4 ,kennedy was watching his chance1 and when the cafe emptied itself after being deluged between the acts from a neighbouring theatre1 he jumped up quickly in the seat1 stood on his toes and craned his neck through the diagonally opened transom4 ,before any of the waiters1 who were busy clearing up the results of the last theatre raid1 had a chance to notice him1 ,craig had slipped the little black box into the shadow of the corner4 ,from it dangled down the fine wires1 not noticeable4 ,he's sitting just back of us yet1 reported ,kennedy4 ,i don't know about that flaming arc light in the middle of the room1 but ,i think it will be all right4 ,anyhow1 we shall have to take a chance4 ,it looks to me as if he were waiting for someone--didn't it to you1 ,walter8 ,i nodded acquiescence4 ,he has wasted no time in getting down to work1 put in ,carton1 who had been a silent spectator of the preparations of ,kennedy4 ,what's that thing you put on the ledge up there--a detectaphone8 ,kennedy smiled4 ,no--they're too clever to do any talking1 at least in a place like this1 ,i'm afraid1 he said1 carefully hiding the wires and the battery beside him in the shadow of the corner of the booth4 ,it may be that nothing will happen1 anyhow1 but if it does we can at least have the satisfaction of having tried to get something4 ,carton1 you had better sit as far back in the booth as ,i am4 ,the longer we can stay here unnoticed the better4 ,let ,walter sit on the outside4 ,we changed places4 ,lawyers have been complaining to me lately1 remarked ,carton in a well modulated voice1 about jury fixing4 ,some of them say it has been going on on a large scale and ,i have had several of my county detectives working on it4 ,but they haven't landed anything yet1--except rumours1 like this one about the ,dopey ,jack jury4 ,i've had them out posing as jurymen who could be 'approached' and would arrange terms for other bribable jurymen4 ,and you mean to say that that's going on right here in this city8 ,i asked1 scenting a possible newspaper story4 ,this campaign ,i have started1 he replied1 is only the beginning of our work in breaking up the organized business of jury bribing4 ,i mean to put an end to the work of what ,i have reason to believe is a secret ring of jury fixers4 ,why1 ,i understand that the prices for 'hanging' a jury range all the way from five to five hundred dollars1 or even higher in an important case4 ,the size of the jury fixer's 'cut' depends upon the amount the client is willing to pay for having his case made either a disagreement or a dismissal4 ,usually a bonus is demanded for a dismissal in criminal cases4 ,but such things are very difficult to-- ,sh6 ,i cautioned1 for from my vantage point ,i saw two men approaching4 ,they saw me in the booth1 but not the rest of us1 and turned to enter the next one4 ,though they were talking in low tones1 we could catch words and phrases now and then1 which told us that we ourselves would have to be very careful about being overheard4 ,we've got to be careful1 one of them remarked in a scarcely audible undertone4 ,carton has detectives mingling with the talesmen in every court of importance in the city4 ,the reply of the other was not audible1 but ,carton leaned over to us and whispered1 ,one of ,kahn's runners1 ,i think4 ,apparently ,kahn was taking extreme precautions and wanted everything in readiness so that whatever was to be done would go off smoothly4 ,kennedy glanced up at the little black leather box perched high above on the sill of the partition4 ,the chief says that a thousand dollars is the highest price that he can afford for 'hanging' this jury--providing you get on it1 or any of your friends4 ,the other man1 whose voice was not of the vibrating1 penetrating quality of the runner1 seemed to hesitate and be inclined to argue4 ,we've had 'em as low as five dollars1 went on the runner1 at which ,carton exchanged a knowing glance with us4 ,but in a special case1 like this1 we realize that they come high4 ,the other man grumbled a bit and we could catch the word1 risky4 ,back and forth the argument went4 ,the runner1 however1 was a worthy representative of his chief1 for at last he succeeded in carrying both his point and his price4 ,all right1 we heard him say at last1 the chief is in the back room4 ,wait until ,i see whether he is alone4 ,the runner rose and went around to the swinging door4 ,from the other side of the transom we could1 as we had expected1 hear nothing4 ,a moment later the runner returned4 ,go in and see him1 he whispered4 ,the man rose and made his way through the swinging door into the back room4 ,none of us said a word1 but ,kennedy was literally on his toes with excitement4 ,he was holding the little battery in his hand and after waiting a few moments pressed what looked like a push button4 ,he could not restrain his impatience longer1 but had jumped up on the leather seat and for a moment looked at the black leather box1 then through the half open transom1 as best he could4 ,press it--press it6 he whispered to ,carton1 pointing at the push button1 as he turned a little handle on the box1 then quickly dropped down and resumed his seat4 ,craig--one of the waiters1 ,i cried hurriedly4 ,the outside bar had been filling up as the evening advanced and the sight of a man standing on one of the seats had attracted the attention of a patron4 ,a waiter had followed his curious gaze and saw ,kennedy4 ,with a quick pull on the wire1 ,kennedy jerked the black leather box from its high perch and deftly caught it as it fell4 ,say--what are youse guys doin'1 huh8 demanded the waiter pugnaciously4 ,carton and ,i had risen and stood between the man and ,craig4 ,the sound of voices in high pitch was enough to attract a crowd ever ready to watch a scrap4 ,mindful of the famous flying wedge of waiters at ,farrell's for the purpose of hustling objectionable and obstreperous customers with despatch to the sidewalk1 ,i was prepared for anything4 ,the runner who was sitting alone in the next booth1 leaned out and gazed around the corner into ours4 ,carton6 he shouted in a tone that could have been heard on the street4 ,the effect of the name of the ,district ,attorney was magical4 ,for the moment1 the crowd fell back4 ,before the tough waiters or anyone else could make up their minds just what to do1 ,kennedy1 who had tucked the box into his capacious side pocket1 took each of us by the arm and we shoved our way through the crowd4 ,the head waiter followed us to the door1 but offered no resistance4 ,in fact no one seemed to know just what to do and it was all over so quickly that even ,kahn himself had not time to get a glimpse of us through the swinging door4 ,a moment later we had piled into a taxicab at the curb and were speeding through the now deserted streets uptown to the laboratory4 ,kennedy was jubilant4 ,i may have almost precipitated a riot1 he chortled1 but ,i'm glad ,i stood up4 ,i think it must have been at the psychological moment4 ,at the laboratory he threw off his coat and prepared to plunge into work with various mysterious pans of chemicals1 baths1 jars1 and beakers4 ,what is it8 asked ,carton1 as ,kennedy carefully took out the dark leather box1 shielding it from the glare of a mercury vapour light4 ,a camera with a newly-invented electrically operated between-lens shutter of great illumination and efficiency1 he explained4 ,it has always been practically impossible to get such pictures as ,i wanted1 but this new shutter has so much greater speed than anything else ever invented before1 that it is possible to use it in this sort of detective work4 ,i've proved its speed up to one two-thousandth of a second4 ,it may or may not have worked1 but if it has we've caught someone1 right in the act4 ,kennedy had a studio of his own which was quite equal to the emergency of developing the two pictures which he had taken with the new camera4 ,late as it was1 we waited for him to finish1 just as we would have waited down in the ,star office if one of our staff photographers had come in with something important4 ,at last ,kennedy emerged from his workshop4 ,as he did so1 he slapped down two untoned prints4 ,both were necessarily indistinct owing to the conditions under which they had had to be taken4 ,but they were quite sufficient for the purpose4 ,as ,carton bent over the second one1 which showed ,kahn in the very act of handing over a roll of bills to the rather anemic man whom his runner had brought to him1 ,carton addressed the photograph as if it had been ,kahn himself4 ,i have you at last1 he cried4 ,this is the end of your secret ring of jury fixers4 ,i think that will about settle the case of ,kahn1 if not of ,dopey ,jack1 when we get ready to spring it4 ,kennedy1 make another set of prints and let me lock them in a safe deposit vault4 ,that's as precious to me as if it were the ,black ,book itself6 ,craig laughed4 ,not such a bad evening's work1 after all1 he remarked1 clearing things up4 ,do you realize what time it is8 ,carton glanced perfunctorily at his watch4 ,i had forgotten time1 he returned4 ,yes1 agreed ,craig1 but to-morrow is another day1 you know4 ,i don't object to staying up all night1 or even several nights1 but there doesn't seem to be anything more that we can do now1 and it may be that we shall need our strength later4 ,this is1 after all1 only a beginning in getting at the man higher up4 ,the man highest up1 corrected ,carton1 with elation as we parted on the campus1 ,kennedy and ,i to go to our apartment4 ,see you in the morning1 ,carton1 bade ,kennedy4 ,by that time1 no doubt1 there will be some news of the ,black ,book4 ,we arrived at our apartment a few minutes later4 ,on the floor was some mail which ,kennedy quickly ran over4 ,it did not appear to be of any importance--that is1 it had no bearing on the case which was now absorbing our attention4 ,well1 what do you think of that8 he exclaimed as he tore open one diminutive letter4 ,that was thoughtful1 anyhow4 ,she must have sent us that a few minutes after we left headquarters4 ,he handed me an engraved card4 ,it was from ,miss ,ashton1 inviting us to a non-partisan suffrage evening at her studio in her home1 to be followed by a dance4 ,underneath she had written a few words of special invitation1 ending1 ,i shall try to have some people there who may be able to help us in the ,betty ,blackwell matter4 ,x ,,the ,,afternoon ,,dance ,it was early the following morning that ,i missed ,kennedy from our apartment4 ,naturally ,i guessed from my previous experiences with that gentleman that he would most likely be found at his laboratory1 and ,i did not worry1 but put the finishing touches on a special article for the ,star which ,i had promised for that day and had already nearly completed4 ,consequently it was not until the forenoon that ,i sauntered around to the ,chemistry ,building4 ,precisely as ,i had expected1 ,i found ,kennedy there at work4 ,i had been there scarcely a quarter of an hour when the door opened and ,clare ,kendall entered with a cheery greeting4 ,it was evident that she had something to report4 ,the letter to ,betty ,blackwell which you sent to the ,montmartre has come back1 unopened1 she announced1 taking from her handbag a letter stamped with the post-office form indicating that the addressee could not be found and that the letter was returned to the sender4 ,the stamped hand of the post-office pointed to the upper left-hand corner where ,clare had written in a fictitious name and used an address to which she frequently had mail sent when she wanted it secret4 ,only on the back1 she pursued1 turning the letter over1 there are some queer smudges4 ,what are they8 ,they don't look like dirt4 ,kennedy glanced at it only casually1 as if he had fully expected the incident to turn out as it did4 ,not unopened1 ,miss ,kendall1 he commented4 ,we have already had a little scientific letter-opening4 ,this was a case of scientific letter-sealing4 ,that was a specially prepared envelope4 ,he reached down into his desk and pulled out another1 sealed it carefully1 dried it1 then held it over a steaming pan of water until the gum was softened and it could be opened again4 ,on the back were smudges just like those on the letter that had been returned4 ,on the thin line of gum on the flap of the envelope1 he explained1 ,i have placed first a coating of tannin1 over which is the gum4 ,then on the part of the envelope to which the flap adheres when it is sealed ,i placed some iron sulphate4 ,when ,i sealed the envelope so carefully ,i brought the two together separated only by the thin film of gum4 ,now when steam is applied to soften the gum1 the usual method of the letter-opener1 the tannin and the sulphate are brought together4 ,they run and leave these blots or dark smudges4 ,so1 you see1 someone has been found at the ,montmartre1 even if it is not ,betty ,blackwell herself1 who has interest enough in the case to open a letter to her before handing it back to the postman4 ,that shows us that we are on the right trail at least1 even if it does not tell us who is at the end of the trail4 ,here's another thing2 ,this ',marie' is a new one4 ,we must find out about her4 ,at the ,futurist ,tea ,room at four this afternoon1 when she meets our good friend1 young ,dr4 ,harris1 reminded ,clare4 ,between cabarets and tea rooms ,i don't know whether this is work or play4 ,it's work1 all right1 smiled ,kennedy1 adding1 at least it would be if it weren't lightened by your help4 ,it was the middle of the afternoon when ,craig and ,i left the laboratory to keep our appointment with ,miss ,kendall at the ,futurist ,tea ,room1 where we hoped to find ,dr4 ,harris's friend ,marie1 who seemed to want to see him so badly4 ,a long line of touring and town cars as well as taxicabs bore eloquent testimony not only to the popularity of this tea room and cabaret1 but to the growth of afternoon dancing4 ,one never realizes how large a leisure class there is in the city until after a visit to anything from a baseball game to a matinee--and a dance4 ,people seemed literally to be flocking to the ,futurist4 ,they seemed to like its congeniality1 its tone1 its atmosphere4 ,as we left our hats to the tender mercies of the boys who had the checking concession we could see that the place was rapidly filling up4 ,if we are to get a table that we want here1 we'd better get it now1 remarked ,kennedy1 slipping the inevitable piece of change to the head waiter4 ,if we sit over there in that sort of little bower we can see when ,miss ,kendall arrives and we shall not be so conspicuous ourselves1 either4 ,the ,futurist was not an especially ornate place1 although a great deal of money had evidently been expended in fitting it up to attract a recherche clientele4 ,our table1 which ,kennedy had indicated1 was1 as he had said1 in a sort of little recess1 where we could see without being much observed ourselves1 although that seemed almost an impossibility in such a place4 ,in fact1 ,i noticed before we had had time to seat ourselves that we had already attracted the attention of two show girls who sat down the aisle and were amusing themselves at watching us by means of a mirror4 ,it would not have been very difficult to persuade them to dispense with the mirror4 ,a moment later ,clare ,kendall entered and paused at the door an instant1 absorbing the gay scene as only a woman and a detective could4 ,craig rose and advanced to meet her1 and as she caught sight of us her face brightened4 ,the show girls eyed her narrowly and with but slight approval4 ,we feel more at ease with a lady in the party1 remarked ,craig1 as they reached the table and ,i rose to greet her4 ,two men alone here are quite as noticeable as two ladies4 ,walter1 ,i know1 was quite uncomfortable4 ,to say nothing of the fact which you omitted1 ,i retaliated1 that it is a pleasure to be with ,miss ,kendall--even if we must talk shop all the time4 ,clare smiled1 for her quick intuition had already taken in and dismissed as of no importance the two show girls4 ,we ordered as a matter of course1 then settled back for a long interval until the waiter out of the goodness of his heart might retrieve whatever was possible from the mob of servitors where refreshments were dispensed4 ,opposite us1 whispered ,clare1 resting her chin on her interlocked fingers and her elbows on the tip-edge of the table1 do you see that athletic-looking young lady1 who seems to be ready for anything from tea to tango8 ,well1 the man with her is ,martin ,ogleby4 ,ogleby was of the tall1 sloping-shouldered variety1 whom one can see on the ,avenue and in the clubs and hotels in such numbers that it almost seems that there must be an establishment for turning them out1 even down to a trademark concealed somewhere about them1 ,made in ,england4 ,only ,ogleby seemed a little different in the respect that one felt that if all the others were stamped by the same die1 he was the die1 at least4 ,compared to him many of the others took on the appearance of spurious counterfeits4 ,dr4 ,harris1 ,craig whispered1 indicating to us the direction with his eyes4 ,outside on a settee1 we could see in the corridor a man waiting1 restless and ill at ease4 ,now and then he looked covertly at his watch as if he expected someone who was late and he wondered if anything could be amiss4 ,just then a superbly gowned woman alighted from a cab4 ,the starter bowed as if she were familiar4 ,it was evident that this was the woman for whom ,harris waited1 the ,marie of the letter4 ,she was a carefully groomed woman1 as artificial as ,french heels4 ,yet indeed it was that studied artificiality which constituted her chief attraction4 ,as ,harris greeted her ,i noted that ,clare was amazed at the daring cut of her gown1 which excited comment even at the ,futurist4 ,her smooth1 full1 well-rounded face with its dark olive skin and just a faint trace of colour on either cheek1 her snappy hazel eyes whose fire was heightened by the penciling of the eyebrows1 all were a marvel of the dexterity of her artificial beautifier4 ,and yet in spite of all there was an air of unextinguishable coarseness about her which it was difficult to describe1 but easy to feel4 ,her lips are too thick and her mouth too large1 remarked ,clare1 and yet in some incomprehensible way she gives you the impression of daintiness4 ,what is it8 ,the woman is frankly deceptive from the tip of her aigrette to the toes of her shoes1 observed ,craig4 ,and yet1 smiled ,clare1 watching with interest the little stir her arrival had made among the revellers1 you can see that she is the envy of every woman here who has slaved and toiled for that same effect without approaching within miles of it or attracting one quarter the notice for her pains that this woman receives4 ,dr4 ,harris was evidently in his element at the attention which his companion attracted4 ,they seemed to be on very good terms indeed1 and one felt that ,bohemianism could go no further4 ,they paused1 fortunately1 at a just vacated table around an ,l from us and sat down4 ,for once waiters seemed to vie in serving rather than in neglecting4 ,by this time ,i had gained the impression that the ,futurist was all that its name implied--not up to the minute1 but decidedly ahead of it4 ,there was an exotic flavour to the place1 a peculiar fascination1 that was foreign rather than ,american1 at seeing demi-monde and decency rubbing elbows4 ,i felt sure that a large percentage of the women there were really young married women1 whose first step downward was truly nothing worse than saying they had been at their whist clubs when in reality it was tango and tea4 ,what the end might be to one who let the fascination blind her perspective ,i could imagine4 ,dr4 ,harris and ,marie were nearer the dancing floor than we were1 but seemed oblivious to it4 ,now and then as the music changed we could catch a word or two4 ,he was evidently making an effort to be gay1 to counteract the feeling which she had concealed as she came in1 but which had the upper hand now that they were seated4 ,won't you dance8 ,i heard him say4 ,no1 ,harry4 ,i came here to tell you about how things are going4 ,there was a harshness about her voice which ,i recognized as belonging exclusively to one class of women in the city4 ,she lowered it as she went on talking earnestly4 ,it looks as though someone has squealed1 but who-- ,i caught in the fragmentary lulls of the revelry4 ,i didn't know it was as bad as that1 ,dr4 ,harris remarked4 ,they talked almost in whispers for several moments while ,i strained my ears to catch a syllable1 but without success4 ,what were they talking about8 ,was it about ,dopey ,jack8 ,or did they know something about ,betty ,blackwell8 ,perhaps it was about the ,black ,book4 ,even when the music stopped they talked without dropping a word4 ,the music started again4 ,there was no mistaking the appeal that the rocking whirl of the rhythmic dance made4 ,from the side of the table where ,kennedy was seated he could catch an occasional glimpse of the face of ,marie4 ,i noticed that he had torn a blank page off the back of the menu and with a stub of a pencil was half idly writing4 ,at the top he had placed the word1 ,nose1 followed by straight1 with nostrils a trifle flaring1 and some other words ,i could not quite catch4 ,beneath that he had written ,ears1 which in turn was followed by some words which he was setting down carefully4 ,eyes1 chin1 and mouth followed1 until ,i began to realize that he was making a sort of scientific analysis of the woman's features4 ,i shall need some more-- ,i caught as the music softened unexpectedly4 ,a singer on the little platform was varying the programme now by a solo and ,i shifted my chair so as to get a better view and at the same time also a look at the table around the corner from us4 ,as ,i did so ,i saw ,dr4 ,harris reach into his breast pocket and take out a little package which he quickly handed to ,marie4 ,as their hands met1 their eyes met also4 ,i fancied that the doctor struggled to demagnetize1 so to speak1 the look which she gave him4 ,you'll come to see me--afterwards8 she asked1 dropping the little package into her handbag of gold mesh and rattling the various accoutrements of beautification which tinkled next to it4 ,harris nodded4 ,you're a life saver to some-- floated over to me from ,marie4 ,the solo had been completed and the applause was dying away4 444 tells me he needs 444 badly off 444 don't forget to see 444 ,the words came in intervals4 ,what they meant ,i did not know1 but ,i strove to remember them4 ,evidently ,marie and a host of others were depending on ,harris for something4 ,at any rate1 it seemed1 now that she had talked she felt easier in mind1 as one does after carrying a weight a long time in secret4 ,tanguez-vous8 he asked as the orchestra struck up again4 ,yes--thank you1 ,harry--just one4 ,we watched the couple attentively as they were alternately lost and found in the dizzy swaying mass4 ,the music became wilder and they threw themselves into the abandon of the dance4 ,they had been absorbed so much in each other and the unburdening of whatever it was she had wanted to tell him1 that neither had noticed the other couple on the other side of the floor whose presence had divided our own attention4 ,martin ,ogleby and his partner were not dancing4 ,it was warm and they were among the lucky ones who had succeeded in getting something besides a cheque from the waiters4 ,two tall glasses of ginger ale with a long curl of lemon peel sepentining through the cracked ice stood before them4 ,the dance had brought ,dr4 ,harris and ,marie squarely around to within a few feet of where ,ogleby was sitting4 ,as ,harris swung around she faced ,ogleby in such a way that he could not avoid her1 nor could she have possibly missed seeing him4 ,for a moment their eyes met4 ,not a muscle in either face moved4 ,it was as if they were perfect strangers4 ,she turned and murmured something to her partner4 ,ogleby leaned over1 without the least confusion1 and made a witty remark to his partner4 ,it was over in a minute4 ,the acting of both could not have been better if they had deliberately practised their parts4 ,what did it mean8 ,as the dance concluded ,i saw ,ogleby glance hastily over in the direction of ,marie4 ,he gave a quick smile of recognition1 as much as to say ,thank you4 ,it was evident now that both ,dr4 ,harris and ,marie1 whoever she was1 were getting ready to leave4 ,as they rose to move to the door1 ,kennedy quickly paid our own cheque1 leaving the change to the waiter1 and without seeming to do so we followed them4 ,harris was standing near the starter with his hat off1 apparently making his adieux4 ,deftly ,kennedy managed to slip in behind so as to be next in line for a cab4 ,walter and ,i will follow ,harris if they separate1 he whispered to ,clare ,kendall4 ,you follow the woman4 ,the afternoon was verging toward dinner and people were literally bribing the taxicab starter4 ,our own cab stood next in line behind that which ,harris had called4 ,i have certainly enjoyed this little glimpse of ,bohemia1 commented ,kennedy to ,miss ,kendall as we waited4 ,i shouldn't mind if detective work took me more often to afternoon dances4 ,there1 they are going down the steps4 ,here's the cab ,i called4 ,let me know how things turn out4 ,goodbye4 ,here--chauffeur1 around that way--where that other cab is going--the lady will tell you where to drive4 ,harris hesitated a moment as if considering whether to take a cab himself1 then slowly turned and strolled down the street4 ,we followed1 slowly also4 ,there was something unreal about the bright afternoon sunshine after the atmosphere of the ,futurist ,tea ,room1 where everything had been done to promote the illusion of night4 ,harris walked along meditatively1 crossing one street after another1 not as if debating where he was going1 but rather in no great hurry to get there4 ,instead of going down ,broadway he swerved into ,seventh ,avenue1 then after a few blocks turned into a side street1 quickened his pace1 and at last dived down into a basement under a saloon4 ,it was a wretched neighbourhood1 one of those which reminds one of the life of an animal undergoing a metamorphosis4 ,once it had evidently been a rather nice residential section4 ,the movement of population uptown had left it stranded to the real estate speculators1 less desirable to live in1 but more valuable for the future4 ,the moving in of anyone who could be got to live there had led to rapid deterioration and a mixed population of whites and negroes against the day when the upward sweep of business should bring the final transformation into office and loft buildings4 ,but for the present it was decaying1 out of repair1 a mass of cheap rooming-houses1 tenements1 and mixed races4 ,the joint into which ,harris had gone was the only evidence of anything like prosperity on the block1 and that evidence was confined to the two entrances on the street1 one leading into the ground floor and the other down a flight of steps to the basement4 ,do you want to go in8 asked ,kennedy in a tone that indicated that he himself was going4 ,just then a negro1 dazzling in the whiteness of his collar and the brilliancy of his checked suit1 came up the stairs accompanied by a light mulatto4 ,it's a black and tan joint1 ,craig went on1 at least downstairs--negro cabaret1 and all that sort of thing4 ,i'm game1 ,i replied4 ,we stumbled down the worn steps1 past a swinging door near which stood the proprietor with a careful eye on arrivals and departures4 ,the place was deceiving from the outside4 ,it really extended through two houses1 and even at this early hour it was fairly crowded4 ,there were negroes of all degrees of shading1 down to those who were almost white4 ,scattered about at the various tables were perhaps half a dozen white women1 tawdry imitations of the faster set at the ,futurist which we had just left1 the leftovers of a previous generation in the ,tenderloin4 ,there was also a fair sprinkling of white men1 equally degraded4 ,white men and coloured women1 white women and coloured men1 chatted here and there1 but for the most part the habitues were negroes4 ,at any rate the levelling down seemed to have produced something like an equality of races in viciousness4 ,as we sat down at a table1 ,kennedy remarked3 ,they used to drift down to ,chinatown1 a good many of these relics4 ,you used to see them in the old 'suicide halls' of the ,bowery1 too4 ,but that is all passing away now4 ,reform and agitation have closed up those old dives4 ,now they try to veneer it over with electric lights and bright varnish1 but ,i suppose it comes to the same thing4 ,after they are cast off ,broadway1 the next step lower is the black and tan joint4 ,after that it is suicide1 unless it is death4 ,i don't think this is any improvement over the--the bad old days1 ,i ventured4 ,kennedy shook his head in agreement4 ,there's ,harris1 down there in the back1 talking to someone1 a white man1 alone4 ,a waiter came over to us grinning1 for we had assumed the role of sightseers4 ,who is that1 'way back there1 with his chair tipped to the wall1 talking to the man with his back to us8 asked ,kennedy4 ,ike the ,dropper1 sah1 informed the waiter with obvious pride that such a celebrity should be harboured here4 ,i looked with a feeling akin to awe at the famous character who1 in common with many others of his type1 had migrated uptown from the proverbial haunts of the gunmen on the ,east ,side in search of pastures new and untroubled4 ,ike the ,dropper may have once been a strong-arm man1 but at present ,i knew that he was chiefly noted for the fact1 and he and his kind were reputed to be living on the earnings of women to whom they were supposed to afford protection4 ,i reflected on the passing glories of brutality which had sunk so low4 ,there were noise and life a plenty here4 ,at a discordant box of a piano a negro performer was playing with a keen appreciation of time if of nothing else1 and two others with voices that might not have been unpopular in a decent minstrel show were rendering a popular air4 ,they wore battered straw hats and a make-up which was intended to be grotesque4 ,from time to time1 as the pianist was moved1 he played snatches of the same music as that which we had heard at the ,futurist1 and between us and ,harris and ,ike the ,dropper several couples were one-stepping1 each in their own sweet way4 ,as the music became more lively their dancing came more and more to resemble some of the almost brutal ,apache dances of ,paris1 in that the man seemed to exert sheer force and the woman agility in avoiding him4 ,it was an entirely new phase of afternoon dancing1 an entirely new leisure class1 this strange combination of ,bohemia and ,senegambia4 ,at a table next to us1 so near that we could almost rub elbows with them1 sat a white man and a white woman4 ,they had been talking in low tones1 but ,i could catch whole sentences now and then1 for they seemed to be making no extraordinary effort at concealment4 ,he was framing a sucker to get away with a whole front1 ,i heard the man say1 or with a poke or a souper1 but instead he got dropped by a flatty and was canned for a sleep4 ,two dips--pickpockets1 whispered ,craig4 ,someone was trying to take everything a victim had1 or at least his pocketbook or watch1 but instead he was arrested by a detective and locked up over night4 ,good work1 ,i laughed4 ,you are 'some' translator4 ,i looked at our neighbours with a certain amount of respect4 ,were they framing up something themselves8 ,at any rate ,i felt that ,i would rather see them here and know what they were than to be jostled by them in a street car4 ,the sleek proprietor kept a careful eye on them and ,i knew that a sort of unwritten law would prevent them from trying on anything that would endanger their welcome in a joint none too savoury already4 ,nevertheless ,i was quite interested in the bits of pickpocket argot that floated across to us1 expressions like crossing the mit1 nipping a slang1 a mouthpiece1 making a holler and innumerable other choice bits as unintelligible to me as ,beowulf4 ,after a few minutes the woman got up and went out1 leaving the man still sitting at the table4 ,of course it was none of my business what they were doing1 ,i suppose1 but ,i could not help being interested4 ,that diversion being ended1 ,i joined ,kennedy in his scrutiny of ,harris and his choice friend4 ,of course at our distance it was absolutely impossible to gain any idea of what they were talking about1 and indeed our chief concern was not to attract any attention4 ,whatever it was1 they were very earnest about it and paid no attention to us4 ,the dancing had ceased and the two artists were entertaining the select audience with some choice bits of ragtime4 ,we could see ,ike the ,dropper and ,dr4 ,harris still talking4 ,suddenly ,kennedy nudged me4 ,i looked up in time to see ,dr4 ,harris reach into his inside breast pocket again and quietly slip out a package much like that which we had already seen him hand to ,marie at the ,futurist4 ,ike took it1 looked at it a moment with some satisfaction1 then stuffed it down carefully into the right-hand outside pocket of his coat4 ,i wonder what that is that ,harris seems to be passing out to them8 mused ,craig4 ,drugs1 perhaps1 ,i ventured offhand4 ,maybe4 ,i'd like to know for certain4 ,just then ,harris and ,ike rose and walked down on the other side of the place toward the door4 ,kennedy turned his head so that even if they should look in our direction they would not see his face4 ,i did the same4 ,fortunately neither seemed interested in the other occupants4 ,harris having evidently fulfilled his mission1 whether of delivering the package or receiving news which ,ike seemed to be pouring into his ear1 had but one thought1 to escape from a place which was evidently distasteful to him4 ,at the door they paused for a moment and spoke with the proprietor4 ,he nodded reassuringly once or twice to ,dr4 ,harris1 much to the relief1 ,i thought1 of that gentleman4 ,kennedy was chafing under the restraint which kept him in the background and prevented any of his wizardry of mechanical eavesdropping4 ,i fancied that his roving eye was considering various means of utilizing his seemingly inexhaustible ingenuity if occasion should arise4 ,at last ,harris managed to shake hands good-bye and disappeared up the steps to the sidewalk still followed by ,ike4 ,kennedy leaned over and looked the dip sitting alone back of us squarely in the face4 ,would you like to make twenty-five dollars--just like that8 he asked with a quick gesture that accorded very well with the slang4 ,the man looked at him very suspiciously1 as if considering what kind of new game this was4 ,that was your gun moll who just went out1 wasn't it8 pursued ,kennedy with assurance4 ,aw1 come off4 ,whatyer givin' us8 responded the man half angrily4 ,don't stall4 ,i know4 ,i'm not one of the bulls1 either4 ,it's just a plain proposition4 ,will you or won't you take twenty-five of easy money8 ,kennedy's manner seemed to mystify him4 ,for a moment he looked us over1 then seemed to decide that we were all right4 ,how8 he asked in a harsh but not wholly ungracious whisper4 ,i'll tip yer off if the boss is lookin'4 ,he don't like no frame-ups in here4 ,you saw ,ike the ,dropper go out with that man8 ,the guy with the glasses8 ,yes4 ,well8 ,the guy with the glasses gave ,ike a little package which ,ike put into the right-hand outside pocket of his coat4 ,now it's worth twenty-five beans to me to get that package--get me8 ,i gotyer4 ,slip me a five now and the other twenty if ,i get it4 ,kennedy appeared to consider4 ,i'm on the level1 pursued the dip4 ,me and the goil is in hard luck with a mouthpiece who wants fifty bucks to beat the case for one of the best tools we ever had in our mob that they got right to-day4 ,from that ,i take it that one of your pals needs fifty dollars for a lawyer to get him out of jail4 ,well1 ,i'll take a chance4 ,bring the package to me at--well1 the ,prince ,henry cafe4 ,i'll be there at seven o'clock4 ,the pickpocket nodded1 slid from his place and sidled out of the joint without attracting any attention4 ,what's the lay8 ,i asked4 ,oh1 ,i just want that package1 that's all4 ,come on1 ,walter4 ,we might as well go before any of these yellow girls speak to us and frame up something on us4 ,the proprietor bowed as much as to say1 ,come again and bring your friends4 ,,xi ,,the ,,typewriter ,,clue ,ike was nowhere to be seen when we reached the street1 but down the block we caught sight of ,dr4 ,harris on the next corner4 ,kennedy hastened our pace until we were safely in his wake1 then managed to keep just a few paces behind him4 ,instead of turning into the street where the ,futurist was1 ,harris kept on up ,broadway4 ,it was easy enough to follow him in the crowd now without being perceived4 ,he turned into the street where the ,little ,montmartre was preparing for a long evening of entertainment4 ,we turned1 and to cover ourselves got into a conversation with a hack driver who seemed suddenly to have sprung from nowhere with the cryptic whisper1 ,drive you to the ,ladies' ,club1 gents8 ,out of the tail of his eye ,kennedy watched ,harris4 ,instead of turning into the ,montmartre and his office1 he went past to a high-stooped brownstone house1 two doors away1 climbed the steps and entered4 ,we sauntered down the street and looked quickly at the house4 ,a brass sign on the wall beside the door read1 ,mme4 ,margot's ,beauty ,shop4 ,i see1 commented ,kennedy4 ,you know women of the type who frequent the ,futurist and the ,montmartre are always running to the hairdressing and manicure parlours4 ,they make themselves 'beautiful' under the expert care of the various specialists and beauty doctors4 ,then1 too1 they keep in touch that way with what is going on in the demi-monde4 ,that is their club1 so to speak4 ,it is part of the beauty shop's trade to impart such information--at least of a beauty shop in this neighbourhood4 ,i regarded the place curiously4 ,come1 ,walter1 don't stare1 nudged ,kennedy4 ,let's take a turn down to the ,prince ,henry and wait4 ,we can get a bite to eat1 too4 ,i had hardly expected that the pickpocket would play fair1 but evidently the lure of the remaining twenty dollars was too strong4 ,we had scarcely finished our dinner when he came in4 ,here it is1 he whispered4 ,the house man here at the ,prince ,henry knows me4 ,slip me the twenty4 ,kennedy leisurely tore the wrappings from the packet4 ,i suppose you have already looked at this first and found that it isn't worth anything to you compared to twenty dollars4 ,anyhow1 you kept your word4 ,hello--what is it8 ,he had disclosed several small packets4 ,inside each1 sealed1 was a peculiar glistening whitish powder4 ,h'm1 mused ,kennedy1 another job for the chemist4 ,here's the bankroll4 ,thanks1 grinned the dip as he disappeared through the revolving door4 ,we had returned to the laboratory that night where ,kennedy was preparing to experiment on the white powder which he had secured in the packet that came from ,dr4 ,harris4 ,the door opened and ,clare ,kendall entered4 ,i've been calling you up all over town1 she said1 and couldn't find you4 ,i have something that will interest you1 ,i think4 ,you said you wanted something written by ,dr4 ,harris4 ,well1 there it is4 ,she laid a sheet of typewriting on the laboratory table4 ,how did you get it8 asked ,kennedy in eager approbation4 ,when ,i left you at the ,futurist ,tea ,room to follow that woman ,marie in the cab1 ,i had a good deal of trouble4 ,i guess people thought ,i was crazy1 the way ,i was ordering that driver about1 but he was so stupid and he would get tangled up in the traffic on ,fifth ,avenue4 ,still1 ,i managed to hang on1 principally because ,i had a notion already that she was going to the ,montmartre4 ,sure enough1 she turned down that block1 but she didn't go into the hotel after all4 ,she stopped and went into a place two doors down--,mme4 ,margot's ,beauty ,parlour4 ,just where we finally saw ,harris go1 exclaimed ,kennedy4 ,i beg your pardon for interrupting4 ,of course ,i couldn't go in right after her1 so ,i drove around the corner4 ,then it occurred to me that it would be a good time to stop in to see ,dr4 ,harris--when he was out4 ,you know my experience with the fakers has made me pretty good at faking up ailments4 ,then1 too1 ,i knew that it would be easy when he was not there4 ,i said ,i was an old patient and had an appointment and that ,i'd wait1 although ,i knew those were not his regular office hours4 ,he has an alleged trained nurse there all the time4 ,she let me into his waiting-room on the second floor in front--you remember the private dining-rooms are in back4 ,i waited in momentary fear that he ,,would come back4 ,you see1 ,i had a scheme of my own4 ,well1 ,i waited until at last the nurse had to leave the office for a short time4 ,that was my chance4 ,i tiptoed over to his desk in the next room4 ,on it were a lot of letters4 ,i looked over them but could find nothing that seemed to be of interest4 ,they were all letters from other people4 ,but they showed that he must have quite an extensive practice1 and that he is not over-scrupulous4 ,i didn't want to take anything that would excite suspicion unless ,i had to4 ,just then ,i heard someone coming down the corridor from the elevator4 ,i had just time to get back to a chair in the waiting-room when the door opened and there was that ,titian from the office1 you remember4 ,she saw me without recognizing me1 went in and laid some papers on his desk4 ,as soon as she was gone1 ,i went in again and looked them over4 ,here was one that she had copied for him4 ,kennedy had been carefully scrutinizing the sheet of paper as she told how she obtained it4 ,it couldn't be better as far as our purposes are concerned1 he congratulated4 ,it seems to consist of some notes he had made and wished to preserve about drugs4 ,i leaned over and read3 ,,veronal4--,diethylmalonyl or diethylbarbituric acid4 ,a hypnotic used extensively4 ,white1 crystalline1 odourless1 slightly bitter4 ,best in ten to fifteen grain cachets4 ,does not affect circulatory or respiratory systems or temperature4 ,toxicity low3 #ace gr4 taken with no serious result4 ,unreasonable use for insomnia1 however1 may lead to death4 ,,heroin4--,constant use of heroin has been known to lead to-- ,i looked inquiringly at ,kennedy4 ,just some fragmentary notes which he had evidently been making4 ,rather interesting in themselves as showing perhaps something of his practice1 but not necessarily incriminating4 ,while we were discussing the contents of the notes1 ,kennedy had laid over the typewritten sheet the rules and graduated strip of glass which he had used in examining the strange letter signed ,an ,outcast4 ,a moment later he pulled the letter itself from a drawer and laid the two pieces of writing side by side1 comparing them1 going from one to the other successively4 ,people generally1 who have not investigated the subject1 he remarked as he worked1 hold the opinion that the typewriter has no individuality4 ,fortunately that is not true4 ,the typewriting machine does not always afford an effective protection to the criminal4 ,on the contrary1 the typewriting may be a direct means of tracing a document to its source and showing it to be what it really is4 ,this is especially true of typewritten anonymous letters4 ,without careful investigation it is impossible to say what can be determined from the examination of any particular piece of typewriting1 but typewriting can often be positively identified as being the work of a certain particular typewriting machine and even the date of writing can sometimes be found out4 ,he had been carefully counting something under the lens of a pocket glass4 ,even the number of threads to the inch in the ribbon1 as shown in the type impression1 plainly seen and accurately measured by the microscope or in an enlarged photograph1 may show something about the identity of a disputed writing4 ,he was pointing to a letter r4 ,under the glass ,i noticed that there was a break in the little curl at the top4 ,now if you find such a break in the same letter in another piece of typewriting1 what would you think8 ,that they were from the same machine1 ,i replied4 ,not so fast1 he cautioned4 ,true1 it might raise a presumption that it was from the same machine4 ,but the laws of chance would be against your enthusiasm1 ,walter4 ,of course1 ,i admitted on second thought4 ,it's just like the finger-print theory4 ,there must be a sort of summation of individual characteristics4 ,now here's a broken 'l' and there is an 'a' that is twisted4 ,now1 if the same defects are found in another piece of writing1 that makes the presumption all the stronger1 and when you have massed together a number of such characteristics it raises the presumption to a mathematical certainty1 does it not8 ,i nodded and he went on4 ,the faces of many letters inevitably become broken1 worn1 or battered4 ,not only does that tend to identify a particular machine1 but it is sometimes possible1 if you have certain admitted standard specimens of writing covering a long period1 to tell just when a disputed writing was made4 ,there are two steps in such an inquiry1 the first the determination of the fact that a document was written on a certain particular kind of machine and the second that it was written on a certain individual machine of that make4 ,i have here specimens of the writing of all the leading machines4 ,it is easy to pick out the make used1 say in the ',outcast' letter4 ,moreover1 as ,i said when ,i first saw that letter1 it is in the regular pica type4 ,so are they all1 but as ninety-five per cent1 use the pica style that in itself proved nothing4 ,what is that bit of ruled glass8 asked ,clare1 bending over the letters in deep interest4 ,in ordinary typewriting1 replied ,craig1 each letter occupies an imaginary square1 ten to the inch horizontally and six to the inch vertically4 ,typewriting letters are in line both ways4 ,this ruled glass plate is an alinement test plate for detecting defects in alinement4 ,i have also here another glass plate in which the lines diverge each at a very slightly different angle--a typewriting protractor for measuring the slant of divergence of various letters that have become twisted1 so to speak4 ,when it is in perfect alinement the letter occupies the middle of each square and when out of alinement it may be in any of the four corners1 or either side of the middle position or at the top or bottom above or below the middle4 ,that1 you see1 makes nine positions in all--or eight possible divergences from normal in this particular alone4 ,clare had been using the protractor herself1 quickly familiarizing herself with it4 ,another possible divergence1 went on ,kennedy1 is the perpendicular position of the letter in relation to the line4 ,that is of great value in individualizing a machine4 ,it is very seldom that machines1 even when they are new1 are perfect in this particular4 ,it does not seem much until you magnify it4 ,then anyone can see it1 and it is a characteristic that is fixed1 continuous1 and not much changed by variations in speed or methods of writing4 ,here's another thing4 ,typewriter faces are not flat like printing type1 but are concaved to conform to the curve of the printing surface of the roller4 ,when they are properly adjusted all portions should print uniformly4 ,but when they are slightly out of position in any direction the two curved surfaces of type and roller are not exactly parallel and therefore don't come together with uniform pressure4 ,the result is a difference in intensity in different parts of the impression4 ,it was fascinating to see ,craig at work over such minute points which we had never suspected in so common a thing as ordinary typewriting4 ,then you can identify these letters positively8 asked ,clare4 ,positively1 answered ,craig4 ,if two machines of the same make were perfect to begin with and in perfect condition--which is never found to be the case when they are critically examined--the work from one would be theoretically indistinguishable from that of another until actual use had affected them differently4 ,the work of any number of machines begins inevitably to diverge as soon as they are used4 ,since there are thousands of possible particulars in which differences may develop1 it very soon becomes possible to identify positively the work of a particular typewriting machine4 ,how about the operator8 ,i asked curiously4 ,different habits of touch1 spacing1 speed1 arrangement1 and punctuation all may also tend to show that a particular piece of writing was or was not done by one operator4 ,in other words1 typewriting individuality in many cases is of the most positive and convincing character and reaches a degree of certainty which may almost be described as absolute proof4 ,the identification of a typewritten document in many cases is exactly parallel to the identification of an individual who precisely answers a general description as to features1 complexion1 size1 and in addition matches a long detailed list of scars1 birthmarks1 deformities1 and individual peculiarities4 ,together we three began an exhaustive examination of the letters1 and as ,kennedy called off the various characteristics of each type on the standard keyboard we checked them up4 ,it did not take long to convince us1 nor would it have failed to convince the most sceptical1 that both had come from the same source and the same writer4 ,you see1 concluded ,kennedy triumphantly1 we have advanced a long step nearer the solution of at least one of the problems of this case4 ,miss ,kendall had evidently been thinking quickly and turning the matter over in her mind4 ,but1 she spoke up quickly1 even that does not point to the same person as the author--not the writer1 but the author--of the three pieces of writing4 ,no indeed1 agreed ,craig4 ,there is much left to be done4 ,as a matter of fact1 there might have been one author1 or there might have been two1 although all the mechanical work was done by one person4 ,but we are at least sure that we have localized the source of the writing4 ,we know that it is from the ,montmartre that the letter came4 ,we know that it is in some way that that place and some of the people who frequent it are connected with the disappearance of ,betty ,blackwell4 ,in other words1 supplied ,clare1 we are going to get at the truth through that ,titian-haired stenographer4 ,exactly4 ,clare had risen to go4 ,it quite takes my breath away to think that we are really making such progress against the impregnable ,montmartre4 ,at various times my investigators have been piecing together little bits of information about that place4 ,i shall have the whole record put together to-night4 ,i shall let you know about it the first thing in the morning4 ,the door had scarcely closed when ,kennedy turned quickly to me and remarked1 ,that girl has something on her mind4 ,i wonder what it is8 ,,xii ,,the ,,portrait ,,parle ,what it was that ,clare ,kendall had on her mind1 appeared the following day4 ,there's something ,i want to try1 she volunteered1 evidently unable to repress it any longer4 ,i have a plan--or half a plan4 ,don't you think it would be just the thing1 under the circumstances1 to ring up ,district ,attorney ,carton1 tell him what we have accomplished and take him into our confidence8 ,perhaps he can suggest something4 ,at any rate we have all got to work together1 for there is going to be a great fight when they find out how far we have gone4 ,bully idea1 agreed ,craig4 ,twenty minutes later we were seated in the ,district ,attorney's office in the ,criminal ,courts ,building1 pouring into his sympathetic ear the story of our progress so far4 ,carton seemed to be delighted1 as ,kennedy proceeded to outline the case1 at the fact that he and ,miss ,kendall had found it possible to co-operate4 ,his own experience in trying to get others to work with the ,district ,attorney's office1 particularly the police1 had been quite the reverse4 ,i wish to heaven you could get the right kind of evidence against the ,montmartre gang1 he sighed4 ,it is a gang1 too--a high-class gang4 ,in fact--well1 it must be done4 ,that place is a blot on the city4 ,the police never have really tried to get anything on it4 ,miss ,kendall never could1 could you8 ,i admit ,i never have4 ,it seems to be understood that it is practically impossible to prove anything against it4 ,they openly defy us4 ,the thing can't go on4 ,it demoralizes all our other work4 ,just one good blow at the ,montmartre and we could drive every one of these vile crooks to cover4 ,he brought his fist down with a thud on the desk1 swung around in his chair1 and emphasized his words with his forefinger4 ,and yet1 ,i know as well as ,i know that you are all in this room that graft is being paid to the police and the politicians by that place and in fact by all those places along there4 ,if we are to do anything with them1 that must be proved4 ,that is the first step and ,i'm glad the whole thing hinges on the ,blackwell case4 ,people always sit up and take notice when there is something personal involved1 some human interest which even the newspapers can see4 ,that ,montmartre crowd1 whoever they are1 must be made to feel the strong arm of the law4 ,that's what ,i am in this office to do4 ,now1 ,kennedy1 there must be some way to catch those crooks with the goods4 ,they aren't ordinary crooks1 you know1 ruminated ,kennedy4 ,i know they are not4 ,but you and ,miss ,kendall and ,jameson ought to be able to think out a scheme4 ,but you see1 ,mr4 ,carton1 put in ,clare1 this is a brand new situation4 ,your gambling and vice and graft exposures have made all of them so wary that they won't pass a bill from their right to their left pockets for fear it is marked4 ,carton laughed4 ,well1 you are a brand new combination against them4 ,let me see2 you want suggestions4 ,why don't you use the detectaphone--get our own little ,black ,book8 ,kennedy shook his head4 ,the detectaphone is all right1 as ,dorgan knows4 ,it might work again4 ,but ,i don't think ,i'll take any chances4 ,no1 these grafters wouldn't say ',thank you' in an open boat in mid-ocean1 for fear of wireless1 now4 ,they've been educated up to a lot of things lately4 ,no1 it must be something new4 ,what do you know about graft up there8 ,the people who are running those places in the fifties are making barrels of money1 summarized ,carton quickly4 ,no one ever interferes with them1 either4 ,i know from reliable sources1 too1 that the police are 'getting theirs4' ,but although ,i know it ,i can't prove it2 ,i can't even tell who is getting it4 ,but once a week a collector for the police calls around in that district and shakes them all down4 ,by ,jove1 to-day is the day4 ,the trouble with it all is that they have made the thing so underground that no one but the principals know anything about it--not even the agents4 ,i guess you are right about the detectaphone4 ,to-day's the day1 is it8 mused ,craig4 ,so ,i understand4 ,i think ,i can get them with a new machine they never dreamed of1 exclaimed ,kennedy1 who had been turning something over in his mind4 ,he reached for the telephone and called the ,montmartre4 ,julius1 please1 he said when they answered2 then1 placing his hand over the transmitter1 he turned to ,clare4 ,that was your friend the ,titian1 ,miss ,kendall4 ,no friend of mine if she happens to remember seeing me in ,dr4 ,harris's office the other day4 ,still1 ,i doubt if she would4 ,hello--,julius8 ,good morning4 ,how about a private dining-room for three1 ,julius8 ,we could not hear the reply1 but ,craig added quickly1 ,i thought there were two8 ,evidently the answer was in the affirmative1 for ,craig asked next1 ,well1 can't we have the small one8 ,he hung up the receiver with a satisfied smile after closing with ,that's the way to talk4 ,thank you1 ,julius4 ,good-bye4 ,what was the difficulty8 ,i asked4 ,why1 ,i thought ,i'd take a chance--and it took4 ,now figure it out for yourself4 ,carton says it's dough day1 so to speak1 up there4 ,what is more natural than that the money for all those places leased to various people should be passed over in a place that is public and yet is not public8 ,for instance1 there is the ,montmartre itself4 ,now think it out4 ,where would that be done in the ,montmartre8 ,why1 in one of the private dining-rooms1 of course4 ,that seems reasonable1 agreed ,carton4 ,that was the way ,i doped it1 pursued ,craig4 ,i thought ,i'd confirm it if ,i could4 ,you remember they told us to call up always if ,i wanted a private dining-room and it would be reserved for me4 ,so it was the most natural thing in the world for me to call up4 ,if they had said yes1 ,i should have been disappointed4 ,but they said no1 and straightway ,i wanted one of those rooms the worst way4 ,one seems to be engaged--the large one4 ,he said nothing about the other1 so ,i asked him4 ,since ,i knew about it1 he could hardly say no4 ,well1 ,i have engaged it for lunch--an early luncheon1 too4 ,it sounds all right1 as though you were on the right trail1 remarked ,carton4 ,but1 remember1 only the best sort of evidence will go against those people4 ,they can afford to hire the best lawyers that money can retain4 ,and be careful not to let them get anything on you1 for they are fearful liars1 and they'll go the limit to discredit you4 ,trust us1 assured ,craig4 ,now1 ,miss ,kendall1 if you will give us the pleasure of lunching with you at the ,montmartre again1 ,i think we may be able to get the ,judge just the sort of open and shut evidence he is after4 ,i shall be glad to do it4 ,i'm ready now4 ,kennedy glanced at his watch4 ,it's a little early yet4 ,if we take a taxicab we shall have plenty of time to stop at the laboratory on our way4 ,arriving at the laboratory1 he went to a drawer1 from which he took a little box which contained a long tube1 and carefully placed it in the breast pocket of his coat4 ,then from a chest of tools he drew several steel sections that apparently fitted together1 and began stuffing the parts into various pockets4 ,here1 ,walter1 he said1 these make me bulge like a yeggman with his outfit under his coat4 ,can't you help me with some of these parts8 ,i jammed several into various pockets--heavy pieces of metal--and we were ready4 ,our previous visits to the ,montmartre seemed to have given us the entree and the precaution of telephoning made it even easier4 ,indeed1 it appeared that about all that was necessary there was to be known and to be thought right4 ,we carefully avoided the office1 where the stenographer might possibly have recognized ,clare1 and entered the elevator4 ,is ,dr4 ,harris in8 asked ,craig1 both by way of getting information and showing that he was no stranger4 ,the black elevator boy gave an ivory grin4 ,no1 sah4 ,he done gone on one o' them things4 ,another question developed the fact that whenever ,harris was away it was generally assumed that he was tinting the metropolis vermilion from the ,battery to the ,bronx4 ,we passed down the hall to the smaller of the two dining-rooms1 and as we went by the larger we could see the door open and that no one was there4 ,we had ordered and the waiter had scarcely shut the door before ,kennedy had divested himself of the heavy steel sections which he had hidden in his pockets4 ,i did the same4 ,with a quick glance he seemed to be observing just how the furniture was placed4 ,the smaller dining-room was quite as elaborately furnished as the larger1 though of course the furniture was more crowded4 ,he moved the settee and was on his knees in a corner4 ,let me see1 he considered4 ,there was nothing on this side of the larger room except the divan in the centre4 ,as nearly as he could judge he was measuring off just where the divan stood on the opposite side of the wall1 and its height4 ,then he began fitting together the pieces of steel4 ,as he added one to another1 ,i saw that they made a sectional brace and bit of his own design1 a long1 vicious-looking affair such as a burglar might have been glad to own4 ,carefully he started to bore through the plaster and lath back of the settee and to one side of where the divan must have been4 ,he was making just as small a hole as possible1 now and then stopping to listen4 ,there was no noise from the next room1 but a tap on the door announced the waiter with luncheon4 ,he shoved the settee back and joined us4 ,the discreet waiter placed the food on the table and departed without a word or look4 ,kennedy resumed his work and we left the luncheon still untasted4 ,the bit seemed to have gone through as ,kennedy1 turning it carefully1 withdrew it now and then to make sure4 ,at last he seemed to be satisfied with the opening he had made4 ,from the package in his breast pocket he drew a long brass tube which looked as if it might be a putty-blower4 ,slowly he inserted it into the hole he had bored4 ,what is it8 ,i asked1 unable to restrain my curiosity longer4 ,i felt sure that there would be no talking done in that room1 especially as we are in this one and anyone knows that even if you can't put a detectaphone in a room1 it will often work if merely placed against a wall or door1 on the other side1 in the next room4 ,so ,i thought ,i'd use this instead4 ,put your eye down here4 ,i did so and was amazed to find that through a hole less than a quarter of an inch in diameter the brass tube enabled me to see the entire room next to us4 ,i looked up at ,kennedy in surprise4 ,what do you think of this1 ,miss ,kendall8 ,i asked1 moving the settee out of her way4 ,what do you call it8 ,that is a detectascope1 he replied1 a little contrivance which makes use of the fish-eye lens4 ,yes4 ,the detectascope enables you to see what is going on in another room4 ,the focus may be altered in range so that the faces of those in the room may be recognized and the act of passing money or signing cheques1 for instance1 may be detected4 ,the instrument is fashioned somewhat after the cytoscope of the doctors1 with which the human interior may be seen4 ,very remarkable1 exclaimed ,clare4 ,but ,i can't understand how it is possible to see so much through such a little tube4 ,why1 ,i almost fancy ,i can see more in that room than ,i could with my own eyes if ,i were placed so that ,i could not move my head4 ,kennedy laughed4 ,that's the secret1 he went on4 ,for instance1 take a drop of water4 ,professor ,wood of ,johns ,hopkins has demonstrated recently the remarkable refracting power of a drop of water1 using the camera and the drop of water as a lens4 ,it is especially interesting to scientists because it illustrates the range of vision of some fishes4 ,they have eyes that see over half a circle4 ,hence the lens gets its name--'the fish-eye lens4' ,a globe refracts the light that reaches it from all directions1 and if it is placed as the lens is in the detectascope so that one half of it catches the light1 all this light will be refracted through it4 ,ordinary lenses1 because of their flatness1 have a range of only a few degrees1 the widest in use1 ,i believe1 taking in only ninety-six degrees1 or a little over a quarter of a circle4 ,so you see my detectascope has a range almost twice as wide as that of any other lens4 ,the little tube was fascinating1 and although there was no one in the next room yet1 ,i could not resist the desire to keep on looking through it4 ,since you are so interested1 ,walter1 laughed ,craig1 we'll appoint you to take the first shift at watching4 ,meanwhile we may as well eat since we shall certainly have to pay4 ,when you are tired or hungry ,i'll take a turn4 ,kennedy and ,i had been taking turns at watching through the detectascope while ,miss ,kendall told us more about how she had come to be associated with the organization to clean up ,new ,york4 ,we have struck some delicate situations before1 she was saying1 times when it meant either that we must surrender and compromise the work of the investigation or offend an interest that might turn out to be more powerful than we realized4 ,our rule from the start was1 ',no ,compromise4' ,you know the moment you compromise with one1 all the others hear it and it weakens your position4 ,we've made some powerful enemies1 but our idea is that as long as we keep perfectly straight and honest they will never be able to beat us4 ,we shall win in the end1 because so far it has never come to a show-down1 when we appealed to the public itself1 that the public had not risen and backed us strongly4 ,i had come to have the utmost confidence in ,clare ,kendall and her frank way of handling a ticklish yet most important subject without fear or prudishness4 ,there was a refreshing newness about her method4 ,it was neither the holier-than-thou attitude of many religionists1 nor the smug monopoly of all knowledge of the social worker1 nor the brutal wantonness of the man or woman of the world who excuses everything because it is human nature1 always has been and always will be4 ,we have no illusions on the subject1 she pursued4 ,we don't expect to change human nature until the individual standard changes4 ,but we are convinced of this--and it is as far as we go and is what we are out to accomplish--and that is that we can1 and are going to1 smash protected1 commercialized vice as one of the big businesses of ,new ,york4 ,sh-h1 cautioned ,kennedy1 whose turn it happened to be just then to watch4 ,someone has just entered the room4 ,who is it8 ,i whispered eagerly4 ,a man4 ,i can't see his face4 ,his back is toward me1 but there is something familiar about him4 ,there--he is turning around4 ,for ,heaven's sake--it's ,ike the ,dropper6 ,we had already recounted to ,miss ,kendall our experiences in following ,dr4 ,harris to the black and tan joint and the meeting with ,ike the ,dropper4 ,then ,ike the ,dropper is the collector for the police or the politicians higher up1 she exclaimed under her breath4 ,if we learned nothing more1 that would be enough4 ,it would tell us whom to watch4 ,hastily we took turns at getting a good look at ,ike through the wonderful little detectascope4 ,then ,kennedy resumed his watch1 whispering now and then what he saw4 ,apparently ,ike had proceeded to make himself comfortable in the luxurious surroundings of the private dining-room1 against the arrival of the graft payers4 ,i wonder who the man higher up is1 whispered ,miss ,kendall4 ,someone is coming in1 reported ,kennedy4 ,by ,george1 it is that stenographer from the office downstairs4 ,she is handing him an envelope4 ,good for her6 ,he tried to kiss her and she backed away in disgust4 ,the scoundrel6 ,isn't it clever1 though8 ,not a word is said by anyone4 ,i don't suppose she could swear to knowing anything about what is in the envelope4 ,there she goes out4 ,he is opening the envelope and counting out the money--ten one-hundred-dollar bills4 ,there they go into the fob pocket of his trousers4 ,i imagined he learned something from my pick-pocket4 ,that is the safest pocket a man has4 ,that little contribution1 ,i take it1 was from the ,montmartre itself4 ,then followed an interval in which ,ike puffed away on his cigar in silent state4 ,here's another now1 announced ,craig4 ,another woman4 ,i never saw her before4 ,both ,miss ,kendall and ,i looked and neither of us recognized her4 ,she was slim and would have been young-looking if she had not made such obvious efforts to imitate the healthy colour of the cheeks which she probably would have had if she had lived sensibly and left cosmetics alone4 ,kennedy was hastily jotting down some notes on the back of an envelope4 ,they are going through the same proceedings again4 ,i guess ,ike doesn't like her4 ,there she goes4 ,only two hundred this time4 ,another wait followed1 during which ,ike smoked down his cigar and lighted another from the stub4 ,then the door opened again4 ,kennedy motioned quickly to ,clare to look through the detectascope4 ,meanwhile he pulled from his pocket the piece of paper he had written on and torn from the back of the menu at the ,futurist4 ,marie6 exclaimed ,clare under her breath4 ,the same1 whispered ,kennedy4 ,miss ,kendall1 you have the true 'camera eye' of the born detective4 ,now--please--let me see if ,i can get what occurs4 ,she yielded her place to him4 ,three hundred more1 he murmured4 ,marie must be in the game1 though4 ,he didn't wait for her to leave before he tore open the envelope4 ,now they are burning the envelopes in the ash tray4 ,and still not a word4 ,this is clever1 clever4 ,think of it--fifteen hundred dollars of easy money like that6 ,i wonder how much of it sticks to ,ike's hands on the way up4 ,he must have a capacious fob pocket for that4 ,say1 he's a regular fellow with the ladies1 ,ike is4 ,only this one doesn't seem to resent it4 ,by ,george1 ,i wonder if this fellow ,ike isn't giving the police or the politicians the double-cross4 ,he couldn't be on such intimate terms with one who was paying graft to him as collector otherwise2 do you think so8 ,craig looked up without waiting for an answer4 ,you will excuse any levity1 but that was some kiss she just gave him4 ,kennedy resumed his position for looking through the detectascope1 occasionally glancing down at the notes he had made the day before and now and then making a slight alteration4 ,there4 ,she is going away now4 ,well1 ,i guess the collection is all over4 ,he has his hat on and a third cigar1 ready to go as soon as somebody signals that the coast is clear4 ,that was a good day's work for ,ike and the man higher up1 whoever he is4 ,ah--there he goes4 ,it was a signal from the waiter he was after4 ,now we may as well finish this luncheon4 ,it cost enough4 ,for several minutes we ate in silence4 ,i wish ,i could have followed ,ike1 observed ,craig4 ,but of course it would have been of no use4 ,to go out right after him would have given the whole thing away4 ,who is that dark-haired1 dark-skinned woman1 ,marie1 do you suppose8 asked ,clare4 ,sometimes ,i almost think she is part negro4 ,i don't know4 ,i wouldn't be surprised1 though1 if you were right4 ,if you have any investigators to spare1 they might try to find out who she is and something of her history4 ,i will give them a copy of these notes which ,i intend to turn over to the ,department of ,justice men who have been making the white slave investigation for the ,federal ,government4 ,kennedy had laid the notes which he had made on the menu before us and was copying them4 ,both ,clare and ,i leaned over to read them4 ,it was ,greek to me3 ,nose--straight1 base elevated1 nostrils thick1 slightly flaring4 ,ears--lobe descending oval1 traversed by a hollow1 antitragus concave2 lobe separated from cheek4 ,lips--large4 ,mouth--large4 ,chin--receding4 ,there was much more that he had jotted down and added to the description4 ,oh1 exclaimed ,clare1 as she ran through the writing1 that is this new portrait parle1 the spoken picture1 isn't it8 ,yes1 replied ,kennedy4 ,you may know that the ,government has been using it in its white slave inquiry and has several thousands of such descriptions4 ,under the circumstances1 ,i understand that the ,government agents find it superior to finger-prints4 ,finger-prints are all right for identification1 as we have found right here1 for instance1 in the ,night ,court4 ,but ,bertillon's new portrait parle is the thing for apprehension4 ,what is it8 ,i asked4 ,well1 take the case before us4 ,we have had no chance to finger-print that woman and what good would it do if we had8 ,no one could recognize her that way until she was arrested or some means had been taken to get the prints again4 ,but the portrait parle is scientific apprehension1 the step that comes before scientific identification by finger-prints4 ,it means giving the detective an actual portrait of the person he is sent after without burdening him with a photograph4 ,as descriptions are now given1 together with a photograph1 a person is described as of such a weight1 height1 general appearance1 and so on4 ,a clever crook knows that4 ,he knows how to change his appearance so that there are few even of the best detectives who can recognize him4 ,this new system describes the features so that a man can carry them in his mind systematically1 features that cannot be changed4 ,take the nose1 for example1 explained ,kennedy4 ,there are only three kinds1 as ,bertillon calls them--convex1 straight1 and concave4 ,a detective1 we will say1 is sent out after a man with a concave nose or1 as in this case a woman with a straight nose4 ,thus he is freed from the necessity of taking a second glance at two-thirds of the women1 roughly1 that he meets--that is1 theoretically4 ,he passes by all with convex and concave noses4 ,there are four classes of ears--triangular1 square1 oval1 and round1 as they may be called4 ,having narrowed his search to women with straight noses1 the detective needs to concern himself with only one-fourth of the women with straight noses4 ,having come down to women with straight noses and1 say1 oval ears1 he will eliminate all those that do not have the mouth1 lips1 chin1 eyes1 forehead1 and so on that have been given him4 ,besides that1 there are other striking differences in noses and ears that make his work much easier than you would imagine1 once he has been trained to observe such things quickly4 ,it sounds all right1 ,i agreed haltingly4 ,it is all right1 too1 he argued warmly4 ,the proof of it is its use in ,paris and other cities abroad and the fact that it has been imported here to ,new ,york in the ,police ,department and has been used by the ,government4 ,i could tell you many interesting stories about how it has succeeded where photographs would have failed4 ,i had been reading over the description again and trying to apply it4 ,for instance1 ,craig resumed thoughtfully4 ,i believe that this woman is a mulatto1 but that is a long way from proving it4 ,still1 ,i hope that by using the portrait parle and other things we may be able to draw the loose threads together into a net that will catch her--providing1 of course1 that she ought to be caught4 ,he had finished making copies of the portrait parle and had called for a cheque for the lunch4 ,so you see1 he concluded1 this is without any doubt the woman we saw at the ,futurist1 whom ,miss ,kendall followed to ,madame ,margot's ,beauty ,shop1 two doors down4 ,kennedy handed a copy to ,miss ,kendall4 ,using that and whatever other means you may have1 ,miss ,kendall1 he said1 ,i wish that you would try to find this woman and all you can about her4 ,walter1 take this other copy and see ,carton4 ,i think he has a county detective who knows the system4 ,i shall spend the rest of the day getting in touch with the ,federal authorities in this city and in ,washington trying to find out whether they know anything about her4 ,we left the ,montmartre with as much care as we had entered and seemingly without having yet aroused any suspicion4 ,the rest of the day was spent in setting to work those whom we felt we could trust to use the portrait parle to locate the mysterious dark-haired ,marie who seemed to cross our trail at every turn1 yet who proved so elusive4 ,,xiii ,,the ,,conviction ,meanwhile1 the organization was using every effort to get possession of the ,black ,book1 as ,kennedy had suspected4 ,miss ,ashton had been busy on the case of the missing ,betty ,blackwell1 but as yet there was no report from any of the agencies which she had set in motion to locate the girl4 ,she had seen ,langhorne1 and1 although she did not say much about the result of the interview1 ,i felt sure that it had resulted in a further estrangement between them1 perhaps a suspicion on the part of ,langhorne that ,carton had been responsible for it4 ,in as tactful a way as possible1 ,miss ,ashton had also warned ,mrs4 ,ogleby of the danger she ran1 but1 as ,i had already supposed1 the warning had been unnecessary4 ,the rumours about the detectaphone record of the dinner had been quite enough4 ,as for the dinner itself1 what happened1 and who were present1 it remained still a mystery1 perhaps only to be explained when at last we managed to locate the book4 ,since the visit of ,kahn1 we had had no direct or indirect communications with either ,dorgan or ,murtha4 ,they were1 however1 far from inactive1 and ,i felt that their very secrecy1 which had always been the strong card of the organization1 boded no good4 ,although both ,carton and ,kennedy were straining every nerve to make progress in the case1 there was indeed very little to report1 either the next day or for some time after the episode which had placed ,kahn in our power4 ,carton was careful not to say anything about the graphic record we had taken of ,kahn's attempt to throw the case4 ,it was better so1 he felt4 ,the jury fixing evidence would keep and it would prove all the stronger trump to play when the right occasion arose4 ,that time rapidly approached1 now1 with the day set for the trial of ,dopey ,jack4 ,the morning of the trial found both ,kennedy and myself in the part of ,general ,sessions to which the case had been assigned to be tried under ,justice ,pomeroy4 ,to one who would watch the sieve through which justice vigorously tries to separate the wheat from the chaff1 the innocent from the guilty1 a visit to ,general ,sessions is the best means4 ,for it is fed through the channels that lead through the police courts1 the ,grand ,jury chambers1 and the ,district ,attorney's office4 ,there one can study the largest assortment of criminals outside of a penal institution1 from the ,artful ,dodger and ,bill ,sykes1 ,fagin and ,jim the ,penman1 to the most modern of noted crooks of fact or fiction1 all done here in real flesh and blood4 ,it is the busiest of criminal courts4 ,more serious offenders against the law are sentenced here than in any other court in ,new ,york4 ,the final chapter in nearly every big crime is written there1 sooner or later4 ,as we crowded in1 thanks to the courtesy of ,carton1 we found a roomy chamber1 with high ceiling1 and grey1 impressive walls in the southeast corner of the second floor of the ,criminal ,courts ,building4 ,heavy carved oaken doors afforded entrance and exit for the hundreds of lawyers1 witnesses1 friends1 and relatives of defendants and complainants who flocked thither4 ,rows upon rows of dark-brown stained chairs filled the west half of the courtroom1 facing a three-foot railing that enclosed a jury box and space reserved for counsel tables1 the clerk and the ,district ,attorney representing the people4 ,at the extreme east rose in severe dignity the dais or bench above which ascended a draped canopy of rich brown plush4 ,here ,justice ,pomeroy presided1 in his robes of silk1 a striking1 white-haired figure of a man1 whose face was seamed and whose eyes were keen with thought and observation4 ,across the street1 reached by the famous ,bridge of ,sighs1 loomed the great grey hulk of stone and steel bars1 the city prison1 usually referred to as ,the ,tombs4 ,as if there had been some cunning design in the juxtaposition1 the massive jail reared itself outside the windows as an object lesson4 ,it was a perpetual warning to the lawbreaker4 ,its towers and projections jutted out as so many rocks on a dangerous shore where had been wrecked thousands of promising careers just embarked on the troublesome seas of life4 ,skirting the line of southern windows through which ,the ,tombs was visible1 ran a steel wire screen1 eight feet high1 marking off a narrow chute that hugged the walls to a door at the rear of the courtroom leading to the detention pen4 ,ordinarily prisoners were brought over the ,bridge of ,sighs in small droves and herded in the detention pens just outside the courtroom until their cases were called4 ,the line-up of prisoners at such times awaiting their turn at the bar of justice affords ample opportunity for study to the professional or the amateur criminalist4 ,almost daily in this court one might look upon murderers1 bank looters1 clever forgers1 taxicab robbers1 safe crackers1 highwaymen1 second-story men1 shoplifters1 pickpockets1 thieves1 big and little--all sorts and conditions of crooks come to pay the price4 ,the court was crowded1 for the gang leaders knew that this was a show-down for them4 ,carton himself1 not one of his assistants1 was to conduct the case4 ,if ,dopey ,jack1 who had violated almost every law in the revised statutes and had never suffered anything worse than a suspended sentence1 could not get off1 then no one could4 ,and it was unthinkable that ,dopey should not only be arrested and held in jail without bail1 but even be convicted on such a trivial matter as slight irregularities that swung the primaries in a large section of the city for his superior1 higher up4 ,rubano's father1 a decent1 sorrowing old man1 sat in the rear of the courtroom1 probably wondering how it had all happened1 for he came evidently of a clean1 law-abiding family4 ,but there was nothing in the appearance of the insolent criminal at the bar to show that he was of the same breed4 ,he was no longer the athlete1 whom prize fighting had inculcated with principles of manliness and fair play as well as a strong body4 ,all that1 as ,i had seen often before1 was a pitiful lie4 ,he was rat-eyed and soft-handed4 ,his skin had the pastiness that comes of more exposure to the glare of vile dance halls than the sunlight of day4 ,his black hair was slicked down2 he was faultlessly tailored and his shoes had those high1 bulging toes which are the extreme of ,fourteenth ,street fashion4 ,outside1 overflowing into the corridor1 were gangsters1 followers and friends of ,dopey ,jack4 ,only an overpowering show of force preserved the orderliness of the court from their boasting1 bragging1 and threats4 ,the work of selecting the jury began1 and we watched it carefully4 ,kahn1 cool and cunning1 had evidently no idea of what ,carton was holding out against him4 ,in the panel ,i could see the anemic-looking fellow whom we had caught with the goods up at ,farrell's4 ,carton's men had shadowed him and had learned of every man with whom he had spoken4 ,as each1 for some reason or other1 was objected to by ,carton1 ,kahn began to show exasperation4 ,at last the anemic fellow came up for examination4 ,kahn accepted him4 ,for a moment ,carton seemed to fumble among his papers1 without even looking at the prospective juror4 ,then he drew out the print which ,kennedy had made4 ,quietly1 without letting anyone else see it1 he deliberately walked to ,kahn's table and showed it to the lawyer1 without a word1 in fact without anyone else in the court knowing anything about it4 ,kahn's face was a study1 as he realized for the first time what it was that ,carton and ,kennedy had been doing that night at ,farrell's4 ,he paled4 ,his hand shook4 ,it was with the utmost effort that he could control his voice4 ,he had been cornered and the yellow streak in him showed through4 ,in a husky voice he withdrew the juror1 and ,carton1 in the same cold1 self-possessed manner resumed his former position1 not even a trace of a smile on his features4 ,it was all done so quickly that scarcely a soul in the court besides ourselves realized that anything had happened4 ,isn't he going to say anything about it8 ,i whispered to ,craig4 ,that will come later1 was all that ,kennedy replied1 his eyes riveted still on ,carton4 ,though no one besides ourselves realized it1 ,carton had thrown a bombshell that had demolished the defence4 ,others noticed it1 but as yet did not know the cause4 ,kahn1 the great ,kahn by whom all the forces of the underworld had conjured1 was completely unnerved4 ,carton had fixed it so that he could not retreat and leave the case to someone else4 ,he had knocked the props from under his defence by uncannily turning down every man whom he had any reason of suspecting of having been approached4 ,then he had given ,kahn just a glimpse of the evidence that hinted at what was in store for himself personally4 ,kahn was never the same after that4 ,judge ,pomeroy1 who had been following the progress of the case attentively1 threw another bombshell when he announced that he would direct that the names of the jurors be kept secret until it was absolutely necessary to disclose them1 a most unusual proceeding designed to protect them from reprisals of gangmen4 ,at last the real trial began4 ,carton had been careful to see that none of the witnesses for the people should be stiffened as the process was elegantly expressed by those of ,dopey ,jack's class--in other words1 intimidated1 bribed1 or otherwise rendered innocuous4 ,one after another1 ,carton rammed home the facts of the case1 the fraudulent registration and voting1 the use of the names of dead men to pad the polling lists1 the bribery of election officials at the primaries--the whole sordid1 debasing story of how ,dopey ,jack had intimidated and swung one entire district4 ,it was clever1 as he presented it1 with scarcely a reference to the name of ,murtha1 the beneficiary of such tactics--as though1 perhaps1 ,murtha's case was in his mind separate and would be attended to later when his turn came4 ,rapidly1 concisely1 convincingly1 ,carton presented the facts4 ,now and then ,kahn would rise to object to something as incompetent1 irrelevant1 and immaterial4 ,but there was lacking something in his method4 ,it was not the old ,kahn4 ,in fact1 one almost felt that ,carton was disappointed in his adversary1 that he would have preferred a stiff1 straight from the shoulder1 stand-up fight4 ,now and then we could hear a whisper circulating about among the spectators4 ,what was the matter with ,kahn8 ,was he ill8 ,gangdom was in a daze itself1 little knowing the smooth stone that ,carton had slung between the eyes of the great underworld ,goliath of the law4 ,at last ,carton's case was all in1 and ,kahn rose to present his own1 a forced smile on his face4 ,there was an attempt at a demonstration1 but ,judge ,pomeroy rapped sharply for order1 and alert court attendants were about to nip effectively any such outburst4 ,still1 it was enough to show the undercurrent of open defiance of the court1 of law1 of the people4 ,what it was no one but ourselves knew but ,kahn was not himself4 ,others saw it1 but did not understand4 ,they had waited patiently through the sledge-hammer pounding of ,carton1 waiting expectantly for ,kahn to explode a mine that would demolish the work of the ,district ,attorney as if it had been so much paper4 ,carton had figuratively dampened the fuse4 ,it sputtered1 but the mine did not explode4 ,once or twice there were flashes of the old ,kahn1 but for the most part he seemed to have crumpled up4 ,often ,i thought he was not the equal of even a police court lawyer4 ,the spectators seemed to know that something was wrong1 though they could not tell just what it was4 ,kahn's colleagues whispered among themselves4 ,he made his points1 but they lacked the fire and dash and audacity that once had caused the epigram that ,kahn's appearance in court indicated two things--the guilt of the accused and a verdict of acquittal4 ,even ,justice ,pomeroy seemed to notice it4 ,kahn had tried many a case before him and the old judge had a wholesome respect for the wiley lawyer4 ,but to-day the court found nothing so grave as the strange dilatoriness of the counsel4 ,once the judge had to interfere with the remark1 ,i may remind the learned counsel for the defence that the court intends to finish this case before adjournment for the day1 if possible2 if not1 then we shall sit to-night4 ,kahn seemed not to grasp the situation1 as he had of old4 ,he actually hurried up the presentation of the case1 oblivious to the now black looks that were directed at him by his own client4 ,if he had expected to recover his old-time equanimity as the case proceeded1 he failed4 ,for no one better than he knew what that little photograph of ,carton's meant--disgrace1 disbarment1 perhaps prison itself4 ,what was this ,dopey ,jack when ruin stared himself so relentlessly in the face in the person of ,carton1 calm and cool8 ,at last the summing up was concluded and both sides rested4 ,judge ,pomeroy charged the jury1 ,i thought with eminent fairness and impartiality1 even1 perhaps1 glossing over some points which ,kahn's weak presentation might have allowed him to make more of if ,kahn had been bolder and stronger in pressing them4 ,the jury filed out and the anxious waiting began4 ,on all sides was the buzz of conversation4 ,kahn himself sat silent1 gazing for the most part at the papers before him4 ,there must have been some wrangling of the jury1 for twice hope of the gangsters revived when they sent in for the record4 ,but it was not over an hour later when the jury finally filed back again into their box4 ,as ,judge ,pomeroy faced them and asked the usual question1 the spectators hung1 breathless1 on the words of the foreman as the jurors stood up silently in their places4 ,there was a tense hush in the courtroom1 as every eye was fastened on the face of the foreman4 ,the hush seemed to embarrass him4 ,but finally he found his voice4 ,nervously1 as if he were taking his own life in his hands he delivered the verdict4 ,we find the defendant guilty as charged in the indictment6 ,instantly1 before anyone could move1 the dignified judge faced the prisoner deliberately4 ,you have heard the verdict1 he said colourlessly4 ,i shall sentence you ,friday4 ,three court attendants were at ,dopey ,jack's side in a moment1 but none too soon4 ,the pent-up feeling of the man idolized by blackmailers1 and man-killers1 and batteners on street-women1 who held nothing as disgrace but a sign of respect for law or remorse for capture1 burst forth4 ,he cast one baleful look at ,kahn as they hurried him to the wire-screened passageway4 ,it's all a frame-up--a damned frame-up6 he shouted4 ,as he disappeared a murmer of amazement ran through the room4 ,the unthinkable had happened4 ,an ,east ,side idol had fallen4 ,,xiv ,,the ,,beauty ,,parlour ,it seems strange1 remarked ,kennedy the following morning when we had met in his laboratory for our daily conference to plan our campaign1 that although we seem to be on the right trail we have not a word yet about ,betty ,blackwell herself4 ,carton has just telephoned that her mother1 poor woman1 is worrying her heart out and is a mere shadow of her former self4 ,we must get some word1 asserted ,miss ,kendall4 ,this silence is almost like the silence of death4 ,i'm afraid ,i shall have to impose on you that task1 said ,kennedy thoughtfully to her4 ,there seems to be no course open to us but to transfer our watch from ,dr4 ,harris to this ,marie4 ,of course it is too early to hear from our search by means of the portrait parle4 ,but we have both seen ,dr4 ,harris and ,marie enter the beauty parlour of ,madame ,margot4 ,now1 ,i don't mean to cast aspersions on your own good looks1 ,miss ,kendall4 ,they are of the sort with which no beauty parlour except ,nature can compete4 ,a girl of another type than ,clare would probably have read a half dozen meanings into his sincere compliment4 ,but then1 ,i reflected that a man of another type than ,craig could not have made the remark without expecting her to do so4 ,there was a frankness between them which1 ,i must confess1 considerably relieved me4 ,i was not prepared to lose ,kennedy1 even to ,miss ,kendall4 ,she smiled4 ,you want me to try a course in artificial beautification1 don't you8 ,yes4 ,walter doesn't need it1 and as for me1 nothing could make me a modern ,adonis4 ,seriously1 though1 a man couldn't get in there1 ,i suppose4 ,at least that is one of the many things ,i want you to find out4 ,under the circumstances1 you are the only person in whom ,i have confidence enough to believe that she can get at the facts there4 ,find out all you can about the character of the place and the people who frequent it4 ,and if you can learn anything about that ,madame ,margot who runs the place1 so much the better4 ,i'll try1 she said simply4 ,kennedy resumed his tests of the powder in the packets which ,dr4 ,harris had been distributing1 and ,i endeavoured to make myself as little in the way as possible4 ,it was not until the close of the afternoon that a taxicab drove up and deposited ,miss ,kendall at the door4 ,what luck8 greeted ,kennedy eagerly1 as she entered4 ,do you feel thoroughly beautified8 ,don't make me smile1 she replied1 as she swept in with an air that would have done credit to the star in a comic opera4 ,i'd hate to crack or even crease the enamel on my face4 ,i've been steamed and frozen1 beaten and painted and--- ,i'm sorry to have been the cause of such cruel and unusual punishment1 apologized ,craig4 ,no1 indeed4 ,why1 ,i enjoyed it4 ,let me tell you about the place4 ,she leaned against the laboratory table1 certainly an incongruous picture in her new role as contrasted with the stained and dirty background of paraphernalia of medico-legal investigation4 ,i could not help feeling that if ,clare ,kendall ever had decided to go in for such things1 ,marie herself would have had to look sharp to her laurels4 ,as you enter the place1 she began1 you feel a delightful warmth and there is an odour of attar of roses in the air4 ,there are thick half-inch carpets that make walking a pleasure and dreamy ,sleepy ,hollow rockers that make it an impossibility4 ,it is all very fascinating4 ,there are dull-green lattices1 little gateways with roses1 white enamel with cute little diamond panes of glass for windows1 inviting bowers of artificial flowers and dim yellow lights4 ,it makes you feel like a sybarite just to see it4 ,it's a cosmetic ,arcadia for that fundamental feminine longing for beauty4 ,well1 first there are the little dressing-rooms1 each with a bed1 a dresser and mirror1 and everything in such good taste4 ,after you leave them you go to a white1 steamy room and there they bake you4 ,it's a long process of gentle showers1 hot and cold1 after that1 and massage4 ,i thought ,i was through4 ,but it seems that ,i had only just started4 ,there was a battery of white manicure tables1 and then the hairdressers and the artists who lay on these complexions--what do you think of mine8 ,i can't begin to tell all the secrets of the curls and puffs1 and reinforcements1 hygienic rolls1 transformations1 fluffy puffers1 and all that1 or of the complexions4 ,why1 you can choose a complexion1 like wall-paper or upholstery4 ,they can make you as pale as a sickly heroine or they can make you as yellow as a bathing girl4 ,there is nothing they can't do4 ,i asked just for fun4 ,i could have come out as dusky as a gipsy4 ,they tried electrolysis on my eyebrows1 and one attendant suggested a hypodermic injection of perfume4 ,ever hear of that8 ,she thought 'new mown hay' was the best to saturate the skin with4 ,then another suggested1 as long as ,i had chosen this moonbeam make-up1 that perhaps ,i'd like a couple of dimples4 ,they could make them permanent or lasting only a few hours4 ,i declined4 ,but there is nothing so wild that they haven't either thought of themselves or imported from ,paris or somewhere else4 ,i heard them discussing someone who wanted odd eyes--made by pouring in certain liquids4 ,they don't seem to care how they affect sight1 hearing1 skin1 or health4 ,it is decoration run mad4 ,how about the people there8 asked ,kennedy4 ,oh1 ,i must tell you about that4 ,there's so much to tell1 ,i hardly know where to begin--or stop4 ,i saw some flashy people4 ,you know one customer attracts her friends and so on4 ,there is every class there from the demi-monde up to actresses and really truly society4 ,and they have things for all prices from the comparatively cheap to the most extravagant4 ,they're very accommodating and1 in a way1 democratic4 ,did it seem--straight8 asked ,kennedy4 ,on the surface1 yes1 as far as ,i could judge4 ,but ,i'll have to go back again for that4 ,for instance1 there was one thing that seemed queer to me4 ,i had finished the steaming and freezing and was resting4 ,a maid brought a tray of cigarettes1 those dainty little thin ones with gilt tips4 ,there seemed to be several kinds4 ,i managed to try some of them4 ,one at least ,i know was doped1 although ,i only had a whiff of it4 ,i think after they got to know you they'd serve anything from a cocktail in a teacup to the latest fads4 ,i am sure that ,i saw one woman taking some veronal in her coffee4 ,veronal8 commented ,craig4 ,then that may be where ,dr4 ,harris comes in4 ,partly1 ,i think4 ,i've got to find out more about what is hidden there4 ,once ,i heard a man's voice and ,i know it was ,dr4 ,harris's4 ,harris6 ,why1 the elevator boy at the ,montmartre said he was painting the town1 ,i observed4 ,i don't believe it4 ,i think he has all he can do keeping up with the beauty shop4 ,you see1 it is more than a massage parlour4 ,they do real decorative surgery1 as it is called4 ,they'll engage to give you a new skin as soft and pink as a baby's4 ,or they will straighten a nose1 or turn an ear4 ,they have light treatment for complexions--the ruby ray1 the violet ray1 the phosphorescent ray4 ,you would laugh at the fake science that is being handed out to those gullible fools4 ,they can get rid of freckles and superfluous hair1 of course4 ,but they'll even tell you that they can change your mouth and chin1 your eyes1 your cheeks4 ,i should be positively afraid of some of their electrical appliances there4 ,they sweat down your figure or build it up--just as you please4 ,oh1 no one need be plain in these days1 not as long as ,madame ,margot's exists4 ,that is where ,i think ,dr4 ,harris comes in4 ,he can pose as a full-fledged1 blown-in-the-bottle cosmetic surgeon4 ,i'll bet there is no limit to the agonized beautification that they can put you through if they think they can play you for a sucker4 ,by the way1 did you see ,madame ,margot herself8 asked ,craig4 ,no4 ,i made all sorts of discreet inquiries after her1 but they seemed to know nothing4 ,the nearest ,i could get was a hint from one of the girls that she was away4 ,but ,i'll tell you whom ,i think ,i heard1 talking to the man whose voice sounded like ,dr4 ,harris's1 and that was ,marie4 ,of course ,i couldn't see1 but in the part of the shop that looks like a fake hospital ,i heard two voices and ,i would wager that ,marie is going through some of this beautification herself4 ,of course she is4 ,you remember how artificial she looked8 ,did you see anyone else8 ,oh1 yes4 ,you know the place is two doors from the ,montmartre4 ,well1 ,i think they have some connection with that place between them and the ,montmartre4 ,anyhow it looks as if they did1 for after ,i had been there a little while a girl came in1 apparently from nowhere4 ,she was the girl we saw paying money to ,ike the ,dropper1 you remember--the one none of us recognized8 ,there's something in that next house1 and she seems to have charge of it4 ,well1 you have done a good day's work1 complimented ,kennedy4 ,i feel that ,i have made a start1 anyhow1 she admitted4 ,there is a lot yet to be learned of ,margot's4 ,you remember it was early in the day that ,i was there4 ,i want to go back sometime in the afternoon or evening4 ,dr4 ,harris is apparently the oracle on beauty1 mused ,kennedy4 ,yes4 ,he must make a lot of money there4 ,they must have some graft1 though1 besides the beauty parlour1 went on ,kennedy4 ,they wouldn't be giving up money to ,ike the ,dropper if that was all there was4 ,no1 and that is where the doped cigarette comes in4 ,that is why ,i want to go again4 ,i imagine it's like the ,montmartre4 ,they have to know you and think you are all right before you get the real inside of the place4 ,i don't doubt it4 ,i can't go around looking like a chorus girl1 remarked ,miss ,kendall finally1 with a glance at a little mirror she carried in her bag4 ,i'm afraid you'll have to excuse me until ,i get rid of this beautification4 ,the telephone rang sharply4 ,as ,kennedy answered1 we gathered that it was ,carton4 ,a few minutes of conversation1 mostly on ,carton's part1 followed4 ,kennedy hung up the receiver with an exclamation of vexation4 ,i'm afraid ,i did wrong to start anything with the portrait parle yet1 he said4 ,why1 this thing we are investigating has so many queer turns that you hardly know whom to trust4 ,what do you mean8 ,i don't know who could have given the thing away1 but ,carton says it wasn't an hour after the inquiries began about ,marie that it became known in the underworld that she was being looked for in this way4 ,oh1 they are clever1 those grafters4 ,they have all sorts of ways of keeping in touch4 ,i suppose they remember they had one experience with the portrait parle and it has made them as wary as a burglar is over finger-prints4 ,carton tells me that ,marie has disappeared4 ,i could swear ,i heard her or someone at ,margot's1 said ,clare4 ,and ,harris has disappeared4 ,of course you thought you overheard him1 too4 ,but you may have been mistaken4 ,why8 ,as nearly as ,carton can find out1 said ,kennedy quickly1 ,marie is ,madame ,margot herself4 ,,xv ,,the ,,phantom ,,circuit ,i want to go to ,margot's again to-day1 volunteered ,miss ,kendall the following morning1 adding with a smile1 ,you see1 ,i've got the habit4 ,really1 though1 there is a mystery about that place that fascinates me4 ,i want to find out more about this ,marie1 or ,margot1 or whoever it was that ,i thought ,i heard there4 ,and then those doped cigarettes interest me4 ,you see1 ,i haven't forgotten what you said about dope the first time we talked about ,dr4 ,harris4 ,they will be more free with me1 too1 now that ,i am no longer a stranger4 ,that is a good idea1 agreed ,kennedy1 who was now chafing under the enforced inaction of the case4 ,i hope that this time they will let you into some of the secrets4 ,there is one thing1 though1 ,i wish you'd look out for especially4 ,what do you mean8 she asked4 ,i should like to know what ways there are of communicating with the outside4 ,you realize1 of course1 that it is very easy for them1 if they come to suspect you1 to frame up something in a place like that4 ,there are strong-arm women as well as men1 and ,i'm not at all sure that there may not be some men besides ,dr4 ,harris who are acquainted with that place4 ,at any rate ,dr4 ,harris is unscrupulous enough himself4 ,i shall make it a point to observe that1 she said as she left us4 ,i hope ,i'll have something to tell you when ,i come back4 ,walter1 remarked ,craig as the door closed1 that is one of the gamest girls ,i ever knew4 ,i looked across at him inquiringly4 ,don't worry1 my boy1 he added1 reading my expression4 ,she's not of the marrying kind1 any more than ,i am4 ,the morning passed and half of the afternoon without any word from ,miss ,kendall4 ,kennedy was plainly becoming uneasy1 when a hurried footstep in the hall was followed by a more hurried opening of the door4 ,let me sit down1 just a minute1 to collect myself1 panted ,miss ,kendall1 pressing her hands to her temples where the blue veins stood out and literally throbbed4 ,i'm all in4 ,why1 what is the matter8 asked ,kennedy1 placing a chair and switching on an electric fan1 while he quickly found a bottle of restorative salts which was always handy for emergencies in the laboratory4 ,oh--such a time as ,i've had6 ,wait--let me see whether ,i can recollect it in order4 ,a few minutes later she resumed4 ,i went in1 as before4 ,there seemed to be quite a change in the way they treated me4 ,i must have made a good impression the first time4 ,a second visit seemed to have opened the way for everything4 ,evidently they think ,i am all right4 ,well1 ,i went through much the same thing as ,i did before1 only ,i tried to make it not quite so elaborate1 down to the point where several of us were sitting in loose robes in the lounging-room4 ,that was the part1 you know1 that interested me before4 ,the maid came in with the cigarettes and ,i smoked one of the doped ones4 ,they watch everything that you do so closely there1 and the moment ,i smoked one they offered me another4 ,i don't know what was in them1 but ,i fancy there must be just a trace of opium4 ,they made me feel exhilarated1 then just a bit drowsy4 ,i managed to make away with the second without inhaling much of the smoke1 for my head was in a whirl by this time4 ,it wasn't so much that ,i was afraid ,i couldn't take care of myself as it was that ,i was afraid that it would blunt the keenness of my observation and ,i might miss something4 ,besides the cigarettes1 was there anything else8 asked ,craig4 ,yes1 indeed4 ,i didn't see anyone there ,i recognized1 but ,i heard some of them talk4 ,one was taking a little veronal2 another said something about heroin4 ,it was high-toned hitting the pipe1 if you call it that--a ,turkish bath1 followed by massage1 and then a safe complement of anything you wanted1 taken leisurely by these aristocratic dope fiends4 ,there was one woman there who ,i am sure was snuffing cocaine4 ,she had a little gold and enamelled box like a snuff box beside her from which she would take from time to time a pinch of some white crystals and inhale it vigorously1 now and then taking a little sip of a liqueur that was brought in to her4 ,that's the way1 observed ,kennedy4 ,there are always a considerable number of inhuman beings who are willing to make capital out of the weaknesses of others4 ,this illicit sale of cocaine is one example4 ,such conditions have existed with the opium products a long time4 ,now it seems to be the 'coke fiend4' ,i was glad ,i did just as ,i did1 resumed ,clare1 because it wasn't long before ,i saw that the thing to do was to feign drowsiness4 ,a maid came over to me and in a most plausible and insinuating way hinted that perhaps ,i might feel like resting and that if the noise in the beauty parlour annoyed me1 they had the entire next house--the one next to the ,montmartre1 you know--which had been fitted up as a dormitory4 ,you didn't go8 cut in ,craig immediately4 ,i did not4 ,i pleaded an engagement4 ,why1 the place is a regular dope joint4 ,exactly4 ,i suspected as much as you went along4 ,everything seems to have moved uptown lately1 to have been veneered over to meet the fastidious second decade of the twentieth century4 ,but underneath it all are the same old vices4 ,i'm glad you didn't attempt to go into the next house4 ,anyhow1 now we are certain about the character of the place4 ,did you notice anything about the means of communicating with the outside--the telephones1 for instance8 ,miss ,kendall was evidently feeling much better now4 ,oh1 yes1 she answered4 ,i took particular care to observe that4 ,they have a telephone1 but there is a girl who attends to it1 although they don't really need one4 ,she listens to everything4 ,then1 too1 in the other house--,you remember ,i spoke about the girl whom we saw paying ,ike the ,dropper8 ,it seems that she has a similar position at the telephone over there4 ,so they have two telephones1 repeated ,craig4 ,yes4 ,good4 ,there are always likely to be some desperate characters in places like that4 ,if we ever have anyone go into that dope joint we must have some way of keeping in touch and protecting the person4 ,miss ,kendall had gone home for a few hours of rest after her exciting experience4 ,craig was idly tapping with his fingers on the broad arm of his chair4 ,suddenly he jumped up4 ,i'm going up there to look that joint over from the outside1 he announced4 ,we walked past the front of it without seeing anything in particular1 then turned the corner and were on the ,avenue4 ,kennedy paused and looked at a cheap apartment house on which was a sign1 ,flats to ,let4 ,i think ,i'll get the janitor to show me one of them1 he said4 ,one was on the first floor in the rear4 ,kennedy did not seem to be very much interested in the rent4 ,a glance out of the window sufficed to show him that he could see the back of the ,montmartre and some of the houses4 ,it took only a minute to hire it1 at least conditionally1 and a bill to the janitor gave us a key4 ,what are you going to do8 ,we can't do anything just yet1 but it will be dark by the time ,i get over to the laboratory and back and then we can do something4 ,that night we started prowling over the back fences down the street4 ,fortunately it was a very black night and ,craig was careful not to use even the electric bull's-eye which he had brought over from the laboratory together with some wire and telephone instruments4 ,as we crouched in the shadow of one of the fences1 he remarked3 ,just as ,i expected2 the telephone wires run along the tops of the fences4 ,here's where they run into #gb--that's the beauty parlour4 ,these run into #gj--that's the dope joint4 ,then next comes the ,montmartre itself1 reaching all the way back as far as the lot extends4 ,we had come up close to the backs of the houses by this time4 ,the shades were all drawn and the blinds were closed in both of them1 so that we had really nothing to fear provided we kept quiet4 ,besides the back yards looked unkempt1 as if no one cared much about them4 ,kennedy flashed the electric bull's-eye momentarily on the wires4 ,they branched off from the back fence down the party fence to the houses1 both sets on one fence4 ,good6 he exclaimed4 ,it is better than ,i hoped4 ,the two sets go on up to the first floor together1 then separate4 ,one set goes into the beauty parlour2 the other into the dope joint4 ,craig had quietly climbed up on a shed over the basements of both the houses4 ,he was working quickly with all the dexterity of a lineman4 ,to two of the four wires he had attached one other4 ,then to two others he attached another1 all the connections being made at exactly corresponding points4 ,the next step was to lead these two newly connected wires to a window on the first floor of the house next to the ,montmartre4 ,he fastened them lightly to the closed shutter1 let himself down to the yard again and we beat a slow and careful retreat to our flat4 ,in one of the yards down near the corner1 however1 he paused4 ,here was an iron box fastened to one of the fences1 a switch box or something of the sort belonging to the telephone company4 ,to it were led all the wires from the various houses on the block and to each wire was fastened a little ticket on which was scrawled in indelible pencil the number of the house to which the wire ran4 ,kennedy found the two pairs that ran to #gj and #gb1 cut in on them in the same way that he had done before and fastened two other wires1 one to each pair4 ,this pair he led along and into the flat4 ,i've fixed it1 he explained1 so that anyone who can get into that room on the back of the first floor of the dope joint can communicate with the outside very easily over the telephone1 without being overheard1 either4 ,how8 ,i asked completely mystified by the apparent simplicity of the proceeding4 ,i have left two wires sticking on the outside shutter of that room1 he replied4 ,all that anyone who gets into that room has to do is to open the window softly1 reach out and secure them4 ,with them fastened to a transmitter which ,i have1 he can talk to me in the flat around the corner and no one will ever know it4 ,there was nothing more that we could do that night and we waited impatiently until ,clare ,kendall came to make her daily report in the morning4 ,the question is1 whom are we going to get whom we can trust to go to that dope joint and explore it8 remarked ,kennedy1 after we had finished telling ,miss ,kendall about our experiences of the night before4 ,carton must have someone who can take a course in beauty and dope1 ,i replied4 ,or perhaps ,miss ,kendall has one of her investigators whom she can trust4 ,if the thing gets too rough1 added ,craig1 whoever is in there can telephone to us1 if she will only be careful first to get that back room in the 'dormitory1' as they call it4 ,then all we'll have to do will be to jump in there and--- ,i'll do it1 interrupted ,clare4 ,no1 ,miss ,kendall1 denied ,kennedy firmly4 ,let me do it4 ,there is no one whom ,i can trust more than myself4 ,besides1 ,i know the places now4 ,she said it with an air of quiet determination1 as if she had been thinking it over ever since she returned from her visit of the day before4 ,kennedy and ,miss ,kendall faced each other for a moment4 ,it was evident that it was against just this that he had been trying to provide4 ,on her part it was equally evident that she had made up her mind4 ,miss ,kendall1 said ,kennedy1 meeting her calm eye1 you are the most nervy detective1 barring none1 that it has ever been my pleasure to meet4 ,i yield under protest4 ,i must say that it was with a great deal of misgiving that ,i saw ,clare enter ,margot's4 ,we had gone as far as the corner with her1 had watched her go in1 and then hurried into the unfurnished apartment which ,craig had rented on the ,avenue4 ,as we sat on the rickety chairs which we had borrowed from the janitor under pretence of wanting to reach something1 the minutes that passed seemed like hours4 ,i wondered what had happened to the plucky girl in her devotion to the cause in which she had enlisted1 and several times ,i could see from the expression of ,craig's face that he more and more regretted that he had given in to her and had allowed her to go1 instead of adhering to his original plan4 ,from what she had told us about the two places1 ,i tried to imagine what she was doing1 but each time ,i ended by having an increased feeling of apprehension4 ,kennedy sat grimly silent with the receiver of the telephone glued to his ear1 straining his hearing to catch even the faintest sound4 ,at last his face brightened4 ,she's there all right1 he exclaimed to me4 ,managed to make them think in the beauty parlour that she was a dope fiend and pretty far gone4 ,insisted that she must have the back room on the first floor because she was afraid of fire4 ,she kept the door open so that she would not miss anything1 but it was a long time before she got a chance to reach out of the window and get the wires and connect them with the instruments ,i gave her4 ,but it's all right now4 ,yes1 ,miss ,kendall1 right here1 listening to everything you get a chance to say4 ,only be careful4 ,there is no use spoiling the game by trying to talk to me until you have all that you think you can obtain in the way of evidence4 ,don't let them think you have any means of communication with the outside or they'll go to any length to silence you4 ,we'll be here all the time and the moment you think there is any danger1 call us4 ,kennedy seemed visibly relieved by the message4 ,she says that she has found out a great deal already1 but didn't dare take the time to tell it just yet1 he explained4 ,by the way1 ,walter1 while we are waiting1 ,i wish you would go out and see whether there is a policeman on fixed post anywhere around here4 ,five minutes later when ,i returned1 having located the nearest peg post a long block away on ,broadway1 ,kennedy raised a warning hand4 ,she was telephoning again4 ,she says that attendants come and go in her room so often that it's hard to get a chance to say anything1 but she is sure that there is someone hidden there1 perhaps ,marie or ,madame ,margot1 whoever she is1 or it may even be ,betty ,blackwell4 ,they watch very closely4 ,but1 ,i asked1 almost in a whisper1 as if someone over there might hear me1 isn't this a very dangerous proceeding1 ,craig8 ,it seems to me you are taking long chances4 ,suppose one of the telephone girls in either house1 whom she told us keep such sharp watch over the wires1 should happen to be calling up or answering a call4 ,she would hear someone else talking over the wire and it wouldn't be difficult for her to decide who it was4 ,then there'd be a row4 ,not a chance1 smiled ,kennedy4 ,no one except ourselves1 not even ,central1 can hear a word of what is said over these connections ,i have made4 ,this is what is called a phantom circuit4 ,a phantom circuit8 ,i repeated4 ,what kind of a weird thing is that8 ,it is possible to superimpose another circuit over the four telephone wires of two existing circuits1 making a so-called phantom line1 he explained1 as we waited for the next message4 ,it seems fantastic at first1 but it is really in accordance with the laws of electricity4 ,you use each pair of wires as if it were one wire and do not interfere in the least with them1 but are perfectly independent of both4 ,the current for the third circuit enters the two wires of one of the first circuits1 divides1 reunites1 so to speak1 at the other end1 then returns through the wires of the second circuit1 dividing and reuniting again1 thus just balancing the two divisions of the current and not causing any effect on either of the two original circuits4 ,rather wonderful1 isn't it8 ,i should say that it was1 ,i marvelled4 ,i am glad ,i see it actually working rather than have to believe it second hand4 ,it's all due to a special repeating coil of high efficiency absolutely balanced as to resistances1 number of turns of wire1 and so on which ,i have used--,yes--,miss ,kendall--we are here4 ,now please don't let things go on too far4 ,at the first sign of danger1 call4 ,we can get in all right4 ,you have the evidence now that will hold in any court as far as closing up that joint goes1 and ,i'll take a chance of breaking into--well1 ,hades1 to get to you4 ,good-bye4 ,i guess it is ,hades there1 he resumed to me4 ,she has just telephoned that one of the dope fiends upstairs--a man1 so that you see they admit both men and women there1 after all--had become violent and ,harris had to be called to quiet him before he ran amuck4 ,she said she was absolutely sure1 this time at least1 that it was ,harris4 ,as ,i was saying about this phantom circuit1 it is used a good deal now4 ,sometimes they superimpose a telephone conversation over the proper arrangement of telegraph messages and vice versa4 ,what's that8 cried ,craig1 suddenly breaking off4 ,they heard you talking that last time1 and you have locked the door against them8 ,they are battering it down8 ,move something heavy1 if you can1 up against it--the bureau1 anything to brace it4 ,we'll be there directly4 ,come on1 ,walter4 ,there isn't time to get around ,broadway for that fixed post cop4 ,we must do it ourselves4 ,hurry4 ,craig dashed breathlessly out on the street4 ,i followed closely4 ,hurry1 he panted4 ,those people haven't any use for anyone that they think will snitch on them4 ,as we turned the corner1 we ran squarely into a sergeant slowly going his rounds with eyes conveniently closed to what he was paid not to see4 ,kennedy stopped and grabbed his arm4 ,there's a girl up here in #gb who is being mistreated1 he cried4 ,come4 ,you must help us get her out4 ,aw1 g'wan4 ,whatyer givin' us8 #gb8 ,that's a residence4 ,say--look here4 ,i've got your number4 ,you'll be up on the most serious charges of your whole career if you don't act on the information ,i have4 ,all of ,ike the ,dropper's money'll go for attorney's fees and someone will land in ,sing ,sing4 ,now1 come6 ,we had gained the steps of the house4 ,outside all was dark1 blank1 and bare4 ,there was every evidence of the most excessive outward order and decency--not a sign of the conflict that was raging within4 ,before the policeman could pull the bell1 which would have been a first warning of trouble to the inmates1 ,kennedy had jumped from the high stoop to a narrow balcony running along the front windows of the first story1 had smashed the glass into splinters with a heavy object which he had carried concealed under his coat1 and was engaged in a herculean effort to wrench apart some iron bars which had been carefully concealed behind the discreetly drawn shades4 ,as one yielded1 he panted1 ,no use to try the door4 ,the grill work inside guards that too well4 ,there goes another4 ,inside now we could hear cries that told us that the whole house was roused1 that even the worst of the drug fiends had come at least partly to his senses and begun to realize his peril4 ,from ,margot's beauty parlour a couple of girls and a man staggered forth in a vain effort to seem to leave quietly4 ,close that place1 too1 officer1 cried ,kennedy to the now astounded policeman4 ,we'll attend to this house4 ,the sergeant slowly lumbered across in time to let two more couples escape4 ,it was evident that he hated the job2 indeed1 would have arrested ,kennedy in the old days before ,carton had thrown such a scare into the grafters4 ,but ,kennedy's assurance had flabbergasted him and he obeyed4 ,another bar yielded1 and another4 ,together we squeezed in and found ourselves in a dark front parlour4 ,there was nothing to distinguish it from any ordinary reception room in the blackness4 ,hurried footsteps were heard as if several people were retreating into the next house4 ,down the hall we hastened to the back room4 ,a second we listened4 ,all was silent4 ,was ,clare safe8 ,it looked ominous4 ,still the door1 partly battered in1 was closed4 ,miss ,kendall6 called ,craig1 bending down close to the door4 ,is it you1 ,professor ,kennedy8 came back a faint voice from the other side4 ,yes4 ,are you all right8 ,there was no answer1 but she was evidently tugging at something which appeared to be a heavy piece of furniture braced against the door4 ,at last the bolt was slipped back1 and there in the doorway she swayed1 half exhausted but safe4 ,yes1 all right1 murmured ,clare1 bracing herself against the chiffonier which she had moved away from the door1 just a little shaky from the drugs--but all right4 ,don't bother about me1 now4 ,i can take care of myself4 ,i'll feel better in a minute4 ,upstairs--that is where ,i think that woman is4 ,please1 please don't--,i'm all right--truly4 ,upstairs4 ,kennedy had taken her gently by the arm and she sank down in an easy chair4 ,please hurry1 she implored4 ,you may be too late4 ,she had risen again in spite of us and was out in the lower hall4 ,we could hear a footstep on the stairs4 ,there she goes1 the woman who has been hiding up there1 ,madame-- ,clare cut the words short4 ,a woman had hastily descended the steps1 evidently seeing her opportunity to escape while we were in the back of the house4 ,she had reached the street door1 which now was open1 and the flaming arc light in front of the house shone brightly on her4 ,i looked1 expecting to see our dark-haired1 olive-skinned ,marie4 ,i stared in amazement4 ,instead1 this woman was fair1 her hair was flaxen1 her figure more slim1 even her features were different4 ,she was a stranger4 ,i could not recollect ever having seen her4 ,again ,i strained my eyes1 thinking it might be ,betty ,blackwell at last1 but this woman bore no resemblance apparently to her4 ,she looked older1 more mature4 ,in my haste ,i noted that she had a bandage about her face1 as if she had been injured recently1 for there seemed to be blood on it where it had worked itself loose in her flight4 ,she gave one glance at us1 and quickened her pace at seeing us so close4 ,the bandage1 already loose1 slipped off her face and fell to the floor4 ,still she did not seem other than a stranger to me1 though ,i had a half-formed notion that ,i had seen that face somewhere before4 ,she did not stop to pick the bandage up4 ,she had gained the door and was down the front step on the sidewalk before we could stop her4 ,taxicabs in droves seemed to have collected1 like buzzards over a dead body4 ,they were doing a thriving business carrying away those who sought to escape4 ,into one by which a man was waiting in the shadow the woman hurried4 ,the man looked for all the world like ,dr4 ,harris4 ,an instant later the chauffeur was gone4 ,the policeman had the front door of ,madame ,margot's covered all right1 so efficiently that he was neglecting everything else4 ,from the basement now and then a scurrying figure catapulted itself out and was lost in the curious crowd that always collects at any time of day or night on a ,new ,york street when there is any excitement4 ,it is of no use to expect to capture anyone now1 exclaimed ,craig1 as we hurried back into the dope joint4 ,i hardly expected to do it4 ,all ,i panted was to protect ,miss ,kendall4 ,but we have the evidence against this joint that will close it for good4 ,he stooped and picked up the bandage4 ,i think ,i'll keep that1 he remarked thoughtfully4 ,i wonder what that blonde woman wore that for8 ,she ,,must be up there1 reiterated ,clare1 who had followed us4 ,i heard them talking1 it seemed to me only the moment before ,i heard you in the hall4 ,the excitement seemed now to have the effect of quieting her unstrung nerves and carrying her through4 ,let us go upstairs1 said ,kennedy4 ,from room to room we hurried in the darkness1 lighting the lights4 ,they were all empty1 yet each one gave its mute testimony to the character of its use and its former occupants4 ,there were opium lay-outs with pipes1 lamps1 yen haucks1 and other paraphernalia in some4 ,in others had been cocaine snuffers4 ,there seemed to be everything for drug users of every kind4 ,at last in a small room in front on the top floor we came upon a girl1 half insensible from a drug4 ,she was vainly trying to make herself presentable for the street1 ramblingly talking to herself in the meantime4 ,again my hopes rose that we had found either the mysterious ,marie ,margot or ,betty ,blackwell4 ,a second glance caused us all to pause in surprise and disappointment4 ,it was the ,titian-haired girl from the ,montmartre office4 ,miss ,kendall1 recovering from the effects of the drugs which she had been compelled to take in her heroic attempt to get at the dope joint1 was endeavouring to quiet the girl from the ,montmartre1 who1 now vaguely recollecting us1 seemed to realize that something had gone wrong and was trembling and crying pitifully4 ,what's the matter with her8 ,i asked4 ,chloral1 replied ,miss ,kendall in a low voice aside4 ,i suppose she has had a wild night which she has followed by chloral to quiet her nerves1 with little effect4 ,didn't you ever see them8 ,they will go into a drug store in this part of the city where such things are sold1 weak1 shaky1 nervous wrecks4 ,the clerk will sell them the stuff and they will retire for a moment into the telephone booth4 ,sometimes they will come out looking as though they had never felt a moment's effect from their wild debauches4 ,but there are other times when they are too weakened to get over it so quickly4 ,that is her case1 poor girl4 ,the soothing hand which she laid on the girl's throbbing head was quite in contrast with the manner in which ,i recalled her to have spoken of the girl when first we saw her at the ,montmartre4 ,she must have seen the look of surprise on my face4 ,i can't condemn these girls too strongly when ,i see them themselves1 she remarked4 ,it would be so easy for them to stop and lead a decent life1 if they only would forget the white lights and the gay life that allures them4 ,it is when they are so down and out that ,i long to give them a hand to help them up again and show them how foolish it is to make slaves of themselves4 ,call a cab1 ,walter1 said ,kennedy1 who had been observing the girl closely4 ,there is nothing more that we can expect to accomplish here4 ,everybody has escaped by this time4 ,but we must get this poor girl in a private hospital or sanitarium where she can recover4 ,clare had disappeared4 ,a moment later she returned from the room she had had downstairs with her hat on4 ,i'm going with her1 she announced simply4 ,what--you1 ,miss ,kendall8 ,yes4 ,if a girl ever needed a friend1 it is this girl now4 ,there is nothing ,i can do for the moment4 ,i will take care of her in my apartment until she is herself again4 ,the girl seemed to half understand1 and to be grateful to ,clare4 ,kennedy watched her hovering over the drug victim without attempting to express the admiration which he felt4 ,just as the cab was announced1 he drew ,miss ,kendall aside4 ,you're a trump1 he said frankly4 ,most people would pass by on the other side from such as she is4 ,they talked for a moment as to the best place to go1 then decided on a quiet little place uptown where convalescents were taken in4 ,i think you can still be working on the case1 if you care to do so1 suggested ,craig as ,miss ,kendall and her charge were leaving4 ,how8 she asked4 ,when you get her to this sanitarium1 try to be with her as much as you can4 ,i think if anyone can get anything out of her1 you can4 ,remember it is more than this girl's rescue that is at stake4 ,if she can be got to talk she may prove an important link toward piecing together the solution of the mystery of ,betty ,blackwell4 ,she must know many of the inside secrets of the ,montmartre1 he added significantly4 ,they had gone1 and ,craig and ,i had started to go also when we came across a negro caretaker who seemed to have stuck by the place during all the excitement4 ,do you know that girl who just went out8 asked ,craig4 ,no1 sah1 she replied glibly4 ,look here1 demanded ,craig1 facing her4 ,you know better than that4 ,she has been here before1 and you know it4 ,i've a good mind to have you held for being in charge of this place4 ,if ,i do1 all the ,marie ,margots and ,ike the ,droppers can't get you out again4 ,the negress seemed to understand that this was no ordinary raid4 ,who is she8 demanded ,craig4 ,i dunno1 sah4 ,she come from next door4 ,i know she did4 ,she's the girl in the office of the ,montmartre4 ,now1 you know her4 ,what is her name8 ,the negress seemed to consider a moment1 then quickly answered1 ,dey always calls her ,miss ,sybil here1 sah1 ,sybil ,seymour1 sah4 ,thank you4 ,i knew you had some name for her4 ,come1 ,walter4 ,this is over for the present4 ,a raid without arrests1 too6 ,it will be all over town in half an hour4 ,if we are going to do anything it must be done quickly4 ,we called on ,carton and lost no time in having the men he could spare placed in watching the railroads and steamship lines to prevent if we could any of the gang from getting out of the city that way4 ,it was a night of hard work with no results4 ,i began to wonder whether they might not have escaped finally after all4 ,there seemed to be no trace4 ,harris had disappeared1 there was no clue to ,marie ,margot1 no trace of the new blonde woman1 not a syllable yet about ,betty ,blackwell4 ,,xvi ,,the ,,sanitarium ,it seems as if the forces of ,dorgan are demoralized1 ,i remarked the afternoon after the raid on ,margot's4 ,we have them on the run--that's true1 agreed ,kennedy1 but there's plenty of fight in them1 yet4 ,we're not through1 by any means4 ,still1 the lightning swiftness of ,carton's attack had taken their breath away1 temporarily1 at least4 ,already he had started proceedings to disbar ,kahn1 as well as to prosecute him in the courts4 ,according to the reports that came to us ,murtha himself seemed dazed at the blow that had fallen4 ,some of our informants asserted that he was drinking heavily2 others denied it4 ,whatever it was1 however1 ,murtha was changed4 ,as for ,dorgan1 he was never much in the limelight anyhow and was less so now than ever4 ,he preferred to work through others1 while he himself kept in the background4 ,he had never held any but a minor office1 and that in the beginning of his career4 ,interviews and photographs he eschewed as if forbidden by his political religion4 ,since the discovery of the detectaphone in his suite at ,gastron's he had had his rooms thoroughly overhauled1 lest by any chance there might be another of the magic little instruments concealed in the very walls1 and having satisfied himself that there was not1 he instituted a watch of private detectives to prevent a repetition of the unfortunate incident4 ,whoever it was who had obtained the ,black ,book was keeping very quiet about it1 and ,i imagined that it was being held up as a sort of sword of ,damocles1 dangling over his head1 until such time as its possessor chose to strike the final blow4 ,of course1 we did not and could not know what was going on behind the scenes with the ,silent ,boss1 what drama was being enacted between ,dorgan and the ,wall ,street group1 headed by ,langhorne4 ,langhorne himself was inscrutable4 ,i had heard that ,dorgan had once in an unguarded moment expressed a derogatory opinion of the social leanings of ,langhorne4 ,but that was in the days before ,dorgan had acquired a country place on ,long ,island and a taste for golf and expensive motors4 ,now1 in his way1 ,dorgan was quite as fastidious as any of those he had once affected to despise4 ,it amused ,langhorne4 ,but it had not furthered his ambitions of being taken into the inner circle of ,dorgan's confidence4 ,hence1 ,i inferred1 this bitter internecine strife within the organization itself4 ,whatever was brewing inside the organization1 ,i felt that we should soon know1 for this was the day on which ,justice ,pomeroy had announced he would sentence ,dopey ,jack4 ,it was a very different sort of crowd that overflowed the courtroom that morning from that which had so boldly flocked to the trial as if it were to make a ,roman holiday of justice4 ,the very tone was different4 ,there was a tense look on many a face1 as if the owner were asking himself the question1 ,what are we coming to8 ,if this can happen to ,dopey ,jack1 what might not happen to me8 ,even the lawyers were changed4 ,kahn1 as a result of the proceedings that ,carton had instituted1 had yielded the case to another1 perhaps no better than himself1 but wiser1 after the fact4 ,instead of demanding anything1 as a sort of prescriptive right1 the new attorney actually adopted the unheard of measure of appealing to the clemency of the court4 ,the shades of all the previous bosses and gangsters must have turned in disgust at the unwonted sight4 ,but certain it was that no one could see the relaxation of a muscle on the face of ,justice ,pomeroy as the lawyer proceeded with his specious plea4 ,he heard ,carton1 also1 in the same impassive manner1 as in a few brief and pointed sentences he ripped apart the sophistries of his opponent4 ,the spectators fairly held their breath as the prisoner now stood before the tribune of justice4 ,jack ,rubano1 he began impressively1 you have been convicted by twelve of your peers--so the law looks on them1 although the fact is that any honest man is immeasurably your superior4 ,even before that1 ,rubano1 the ,district ,attorney having looked into all the facts surrounding this charge had come to the conclusion that the evidence was sufficiently strong to convict you4 ,you were convicted in his mind4 ,in my mind1 of course1 there could be no prejudgment4 ,but now that a jury has found you guilty1 ,i may say that you have a record that is more than enough to disgrace a man twice your age4 ,true1 you have never been punished4 ,but this is not the time or place for me to criticise my colleagues on the bench for letting you off4 ,others of your associates have served terms in prison for things no whit worse than you have done repeatedly4 ,i shall be glad to meet some of them at this bar in the near future4 ,the justice paused1 then extended a long1 lean accusatory finger out from the rostrum at the gangster4 ,rubano1 he concluded1 your crime is particularly heinous--debauching the very foundations of the state--the elections4 ,i sentence you to not less than three nor more than five years in ,state's prison1 at hard labour4 ,there was an audible gasp in the big courtroom1 as the judge snapped shut his square jaw1 bull-dog fashion4 ,it was as though he had snapped the backbone of the ,system4 ,the prisoner was hurried from the room before there was a chance for a demonstration4 ,it was unnecessary1 however4 ,it seemed as if all the jaunty bravado of the underworld was gone out of it4 ,slowly the crowd filed out1 whispering4 ,dopey ,jack1 ,murtha's right-hand man1 had been sentenced to ,state's prison6 ,outside the courtroom ,carton received an ovation4 ,as quickly as he could1 he escaped from the newspapermen1 and ,kennedy was the first to grasp his hand4 ,but the most pleasing congratulation came from ,miss ,ashton1 who had dropped in with two or three friends from the ,reform ,league4 ,i'm so glad1 ,mr4 ,carton--for your sake1 she added very prettily1 with just a trace of heightened colour in her cheeks and eyes that showed her sincere pleasure at the outcome of the case4 ,and then1 too1 she went on1 it may have some bearing on the case of that girl who has disappeared4 ,so far1 no one seems to have been able to find a trace of her4 ,she just seems to have dropped out as if she had been spirited away4 ,we must find her1 returned ,carton1 thanking her for her good wishes in a manner which he had done to none of the rest of us1 and in fact forgetful now that any of us were about4 ,i shall start right in on ,dopey ,jack to see if ,i can get anything out of him1 although ,i don't think he is one that will prove a squealer in any way4 ,i hope we can have something to report soon4 ,others were pressing around him and ,miss ,ashton moved away1 although ,i thought his handshakes were perhaps a little less cordial after she had gone4 ,i turned once to survey the crowd and down the gallery1 near a pillar ,i saw ,langhorne1 his eyes turned fixedly in our direction1 and a deep scowl on his face4 ,evidently he had no relish for the proceedings1 at least that part in which ,carton had just figured1 whatever his personal feelings may have been toward the culprit4 ,a moment later he saw me looking at him1 turned abruptly and walked toward the stone staircase that led down to the main floor4 ,but ,i could not get that scowl out of my mind as ,i watched his tall1 erect figure stalking away4 ,neither ,murtha1 nor1 of course1 ,dorgan1 were there1 though ,i knew that they had many emissaries present who would report to them every detail of what had happened1 down perhaps to the congratulations of ,miss ,ashton4 ,somehow1 ,i could not get out of my head a feeling that she would afford them1 in some way1 a point of attack on ,carton and that the unscrupulous organization would stop at nothing in order to save its own life and ruin his4 ,carton had not only his work at the ,district ,attorney's office to direct1 but some things to clear up at the ,reform ,league headquarters1 as well as a campaign speech to make4 ,i'm afraid ,i shan't be able to see much of you1 to-day1 he apologized to ,kennedy1 but you're going to ,miss ,ashton's suffrage evening and dance1 aren't you8 ,i should like to go1 temporized ,kennedy4 ,carton glanced about to see whether there was anyone in earshot4 ,i think you had better go1 he added4 ,she has secured a promise from ,langhorne to be there1 as well as several of the organization leaders4 ,it is a thoroughly non-partisan affair--and she can get them all together4 ,you know the organization is being educated4 ,when people of the prominence of the ,ashtons take up suffrage and make special requests to have certain persons come to a thing like that1 they can hardly refuse4 ,in fact1 no one commits himself to anything by being present1 whereas1 absence might mean hostility1 and there are lots of the women in the organization that believe in suffrage1 now4 ,yes1 we'd better go4 ,it will be a chance to observe some people we want to watch4 ,we'll go1 agreed ,kennedy4 ,can't we all go together8 ,surely1 replied ,carton1 gratified1 ,i could see1 by having succeeded in swelling the crowd that would be present and thus adding to the success of ,miss ,ashton's affair4 ,drop into the office here1 and ,i'll be ready4 ,good-bye--and thanks for your aid1 both of you4 ,we left the ,criminal ,courts ,building with the crowd that was slowly dispersing1 still talking over the unexpected and unprecedented end of the trial4 ,as we paused on the broad flight of steps that led down to the street on this side1 ,kennedy jogged my elbow1 and1 following his eyes1 ,i saw a woman1 apparently alone1 just stepping into a town car at the curb4 ,there was something familiar about her1 but her face was turned from me and ,i could not quite place her4 ,mrs4 ,ogleby1 ,kennedy remarked4 ,i didn't see her in the courtroom4 ,she must have been there1 though1 or perhaps outside in the corridor4 ,evidently she felt some interest in the outcome of the case4 ,he had caught just a glimpse of her face and now that he pronounced her name ,i recognized her1 though ,i should not have otherwise4 ,the car drove off with the rattle of the changing gears into high speed1 before we had a chance to determine whether it was otherwise empty or not4 ,why was she here8 ,i asked4 ,kennedy shook his head1 but did not venture a reply to the question that was in his own mind4 ,i felt that it must have something to do with her fears regarding the ,black ,book4 ,had she1 too1 surmised that ,murtha had employed his henchman1 ,dopey ,jack1 to recover the book from ,langhorne8 ,had she feared that ,dopey ,jack might in some moment of heat1 for revenge1 drop some hint of the robbery--whether it had been really successful or not8 ,it was my turn to call ,kennedy's attention to something1 now1 for standing sidewise as ,i was1 ,i could see the angles of the building back of him4 ,don't turn--yet1 ,i cautioned1 but just around the corner back of you1 ,langhorne is standing4 ,evidently he has been watching ,mrs4 ,ogleby1 too4 ,kennedy drew a cigarette from his case1 tried to light it1 let the match go out1 and then as if to shield himself from the wind1 stepped back and turned4 ,langhorne1 however1 had seen us1 and an instant later had disappeared4 ,without a word further ,kennedy led the way around the corner to the subway and we started uptown1 ,i knew this time1 for the laboratory4 ,he made no comment on the case1 but ,i knew he had in mind some plan or other for the next move and that it would probably involve something at the suffrage meeting at ,miss ,ashton's that evening4 ,during the rest of the day1 ,craig was busy testing and re-testing a peculiar piece of apparatus1 while now and then he would despatch me on various errands which ,i knew were more as an outlet for my excitement than of any practical importance4 ,the apparatus1 as far as ,i could make it out1 consisted of a simple little oaken box1 oblong in shape1 in the face of which were two square little holes with side walls of cedar1 converging pyramid-like in the interior of the box and ending in what looked to be little round black discs4 ,i had just returned with a hundred feet or so of the best silk-covered flexible wire1 when he had evidently completed his work4 ,two of the boxes were already wrapped up4 ,i started to show him the wire1 but after a glance he accepted it as exactly what he had wanted and made it into a smaller package1 which he handed to me4 ,i think we might be journeying down to ,carton's office1 he added1 looking impatiently at his watch4 ,it was still early and we did not hurry4 ,carton1 however1 was waiting for us anxiously4 ,i've called you at the laboratory and the apartment--all over1 he cried4 ,where have you been8 ,just on the way down1 returned ,kennedy4 ,why1 what has happened8 ,then you haven't heard it8 asked ,carton excitedly1 without waiting for ,craig's answer4 ,murtha has been committed to a sanitarium4 ,kennedy and ,i stared at him4 ,pat ,murtha1 ejaculated ,craig1 in a sanitarium8 ,exactly4 ,paresis--they say--absolutely irresponsible4 ,coming as it did as a climax to the quick and unexpected succession of events of the past few days1 it was no wonder that it seemed impossible4 ,what did it mean8 ,was it merely a sham8 ,or was it a result of his excesses8 ,or had ,carton's relentless pursuit1 the raid of ,margot's1 and the conviction of ,dopey ,jack1 driven the ,smiling ,boss really insane8 ,,xvii ,,the ,,society ,,scandal ,nothing else was talked about at the suffrage reception at ,miss ,ashton's that evening1 not even suffrage1 as much as the strange fate that seemed to have befallen ,murtha4 ,and1 as usual with an event like that1 stories of all sorts1 even the wildest improbabilities1 were current4 ,some even went so far as to insinuate that ,dorgan had purposely quickened the pace of life for ,murtha by the dinners at ,gastron's in order to get him out of the way1 fearing that with his power within the organization ,murtha might become a serious rival to himself4 ,whether there was any truth in the rumour or not1 it was certain that ,dorgan was of the stamp that could brook no rivals4 ,in fact1 that had been at the bottom of the warfare between himself and ,langhorne4 ,certain also was it that the dinners and conferences at the now famous suite of the ,silent ,boss were reputed to have been often verging on1 if not actually crossing1 the line of the scandalous4 ,miss ,ashton's guests assembled in force1 coming from all classes of society1 all parties in politics1 and all religions4 ,her object had been to show that1 although she personally was working with the ,reform ,league1 suffrage itself was a broad general issue4 ,the two or three hundred guests of the evening surely demonstrated it and testified to the popularity of ,miss ,ashton personally1 as well4 ,she had planned to hold the meeting in the big drawing-room of the ,ashton mansion1 but the audience overflowed into the library and other rooms4 ,as the people assembled1 it was interesting to see how for the moment at least they threw off the bitterness of the political campaign and met each other on what might be called neutral ground4 ,dorgan himself had been invited1 but1 in accordance with his custom of never appearing in public if he could help it1 did not come4 ,langhorne was present1 however1 and ,i saw him once talking to a group of labour union leaders and later to ,justice ,pomeroy1 an evidence of how successful the meeting was in hiding1 if not burying1 the hatchet4 ,carton1 naturally1 was the lion of the evening1 though he tried hard to keep in the background4 ,i was amused to see his efforts4 ,in fleeing from the congratulations of some of his own and ,miss ,ashton's society friends1 he would run into a group of newspaper men and women who were lying in wait for him4 ,shaking himself loose from them would result in finding himself the centre of an enthusiastic crowd of ,reform ,leaguers4 ,mrs4 ,ogleby was there1 also1 and both ,kennedy and ,i watched her curiously4 ,i wondered whether she might not feel just a little relieved to think that ,murtha was seemingly out of the way for the present4 ,her knowledge of the ,black ,book which had first given the tip to ,carton had always been a mystery to ,kennedy and was one of the problems which ,i knew he would like to solve to-night4 ,she was keenly observant of ,carton1 which led us to suppose that she had not yet got out of her mind the idea that somehow it was he who had been responsible for the detectaphone record which so many of those present were struggling to obtain4 ,though ,langhorne studiously avoided her1 ,i noticed that each kept an eye on the other1 and ,i felt that there was something common to both of them4 ,it was with an unexpressed air of relief to several members of the party that ,miss ,ashton at last rapped for order and after a short1 pithy1 pointed speech of introduction presented the several speakers of the evening4 ,it was1 like the audience1 a well-balanced programme1 which showed the tactfulness and political acumen of ,miss ,ashton4 ,i shall pass over the speeches1 however1 as they had no direct bearing on the mystery which ,kennedy and ,i found so engrossing4 ,the meeting had been cleverly planned so that in spite of its accomplishing much for the propaganda work of the cause1 it did not become tiresome and the speaking was followed by the entrance of one of the best little orchestras for dance music in the city4 ,instantly1 the scene transformed itself from a suffrage meeting to a social function that was unique4 ,leaders of the smart set rubbed elbows1 and seemed to enjoy it1 with working girls and agitators4 ,conservative and radical1 millionaire and muckraker succumbed to the spell of the ,ashton hospitality and the lure of the new dances4 ,it was a novel experience for all1 a levelling-up of society1 as contrasted to some of the levelling-down that we had recently seen4 ,kennedy and ,i1 having no mood as things stood for the festivities1 drew aside and watched the kaleidoscopic whirl of the dancers4 ,across from us was a wide doorway that opened into a spacious conservatory1 a nook of tropical and temperate beauty4 ,several couples had wandered in there to rest and1 as the orchestra struck up something new that seemed to have the punch to its timeful measures1 they gradually rejoined the dancers4 ,it had evidently suggested an idea to ,kennedy1 for a moment later he led me toward the coat room and uncovered the package which he had brought consisting of the two oaken boxes ,i had seen him adjusting in the laboratory4 ,we managed to reach the conservatory and found in a corner a veritable bower with a wide rustic seat under some palms4 ,quickly ,kennedy deposited in the shadow of one of them an oaken box1 sticking into it the plugs on the ends of the wires that ,i had brought4 ,it was an easy matter here in the dim half light to conceal the wire behind the plants and a moment later he tossed the end through a swinging window in the glass and closed the window4 ,casually we edged our way out among the dancers and around to the room into which he had thrown the wire4 ,it was a breakfast room1 ,i think1 but at any rate we could not remain there for it was quite easy to see into it through the crystal walls of the conservatory4 ,there was1 however1 what seemed to be a little pantry at the other end1 and to this ,kennedy deftly led the wires and then plugged them in on the other oaken box4 ,he turned a lever4 ,instantly from the wizard-like little box issued forth the strains of the dance music of the orchestra and the rhythmic shuffle of feet4 ,now and then a merry laugh or a snatch of gay conversation floated in to us4 ,though we were effectually cut off from both sight and hearing in the pantry1 it was as though we had been sitting on the rustic bench in the conservatory4 ,what is it8 ,i asked in amazement1 gazing at the wonderful little instrument before us4 ,a vocaphone1 he explained1 moving the switch and cutting off the sound instantly1 an improved detectaphone--something that can be used both in practical business1 professional1 and home affairs as a loud speaking telephone1 and1 as ,i expect to use it here1 for special cases of detective work4 ,you remember the detectaphone instruments which we have used8 ,indeed ,i did4 ,it had helped us out of several very tight situations--and seemed now to have been used to get the organization into a very tight political place4 ,well1 the vocaphone1 went on ,kennedy1 does even more than the detectaphone4 ,you see1 it talks right out4 ,those little apertures in the face act like megaphone horns increasing the volume of sound4 ,he indicated the switch with his finger and then another point to which it could be moved4 ,besides1 he went on enthusiastically1 this machine talks both ways4 ,i have only to turn the switch to that point and a voice will speak out in the conservatory just as if we were there instead of talking here4 ,he turned the switch so that it carried the sounds only in our direction4 ,the last strains of the dance music were being followed by the hearty applause of the dancers4 ,as the encore struck up again1 a voice1 almost as if it were in the little room alongside us1 said1 ,why1 hello1 ,maty1 why aren't you dancing8 ,there was an unmistakable air of familiarity about it and about the reply1 ,why aren't you1 ,hartley8 ,because ,i've been looking for a chance to have a quiet word with you1 the man rejoined4 ,langhorne and ,mrs4 ,ogleby1 cried ,craig excitedly4 ,sh6 ,i cautioned1 they might hear us4 ,he laughed4 ,not unless ,i turn the switch further4 ,i saw you down at the ,criminal ,courts ,building this morning1 went on the man1 but you didn't see me4 ,what did you think of ,carton8 ,i fancied there was a trace of sarcasm or jealousy in his tone4 ,at any rate1 woman-like1 she did not answer that question1 but went on to the one which it implied4 ,i didn't go to see ,carton4 ,he is nothing to me1 has not been for months4 ,i was only amusing myself when ,i knew him--leading him on1 playing with him1 then4 ,she paused1 then turned the attack on him4 ,what did you think of ,miss ,ashton8 ,you thought ,i didn't see you1 but you hardly took your eyes off her while ,i was in the hallway waiting to hear the verdict4 ,it was ,langhorne's turn to defend himself4 ,it wasn't so much ,margaret ,ashton as that fellow ,carton ,i was watching1 he answered hastily4 ,then you--you haven't forgotten poor little me8 she inquired with a sincere plaintiveness in her voice4 ,mary1 he said1 lowering his voice1 ,i have tried to forget you--tried1 because ,i had no right to remember you in the old way--not while you and ,martin remained together4 ,margaret and ,i had always been friends--but ,i think ,carton and this sort of thing1--he waved his hand ,i imagined at the suffrage dancers--have brought us to the parting of the ways4 ,perhaps it is better4 ,i'm not so sure that it isn't best4 ,and yet1 she said slowly1 you are piqued--piqued that another should have won where you failed--even if the prize isn't just what you might wish4 ,langhorne assented by silence4 ,hartley1 she went on at length1 you said a moment ago you had tried to forget me-- ,but can't1 he cut in with almost passionate fierceness4 ,that was what hurt me when ,i--er--heard that you had gone with ,murtha to that dinner of ,dorgan's4 ,i couldn't help trying to warn you of it4 ,i know ,martin neglects you4 ,but ,i was mad--mad clean through when ,i saw you playing with ,carton a few months ago4 ,i don't know anything about it--don't want to4 ,maybe he was innocent and you were tempting him4 ,i don't care4 ,it angered me--angered me worse than ever when ,i saw later that he was winning with ,margaret ,ashton4 ,everywhere1 he seemed to be crossing my trail1 to be my nemesis4 ,i--,i wish ,i was ,dorgan--,i wish ,i could fight4 ,langhorne checked himself before he said too much4 ,as it was ,i saw that it had been he who had told ,mrs4 ,ogleby that the ,black ,book existed4 ,he had not told her that he had made it1 if in fact he had1 and she had let the thing out1 never thinking ,langhorne had been the eavesdropper1 but supposing it must be ,carton4 ,why--why did you go to that dinner with ,murtha8 he asked finally1 with a trace of reproach in his tone4 ,why8 ,why not8 she answered defiantly4 ,what do ,i care about ,martin8 ,why should ,i not have my--my freedom1 too8 ,i went because it was wild1 unconventional1 perhaps wrong4 ,i felt that way4 ,if--if ,i had felt that you cared--perhaps--,i could have been--more discreet4 ,i do care1 he blurted out4 ,i--,i only wish ,i had known you as well as ,i do now--before you married--that's all4 ,is there no way to correct the mistake8 she asked softly4 ,must marriage end all--all happiness8 ,langhorne said nothing1 but ,i could almost hear his breathing over the vocaphone1 which picked up and magnified even whispers4 ,mary1 he said in a deep1 passionate voice1 ,i--,i will defend you--from this ,murtha thing--if it ever gets out4 ,i know it is always on your mind--that you couldn't keep away from that trial for fear that ,carton1 or ,murtha1 or ,,somebody might say something by chance or drop some hint about it4 ,trust me4 ,then we can be--friends8 ,lovers6 he cried fiercely4 ,there was a half-smothered exclamation over the faithful little vocaphone1 a little flurried rustle of silk and a long1 passionate sigh4 ,hartley1 she whispered4 ,what is it1 ,mary8 he asked tensely4 ,we must be careful4 ,carton ,,must be defeated4 ,he must not have the power--to use that--record4 ,no1 ground out ,langhorne4 ,wait--he shall not4 ,by the way1 aren't those orchids gorgeous8 ,the encore had ceased and over the vocaphone we could hear gaily chatting couples wandering into the conservatory4 ,the two conspirators rose and parted silently1 without exciting suspicion4 ,for several minutes we listened to snatches of the usual vapid chatter that dancing seems to induce4 ,then the orchestra blared forth with another of the seductive popular pieces4 ,kennedy and ,i looked at each other1 amazed4 ,from the underworld up to the smart set1 the trail of graft was the same1 debauching and blunting all that it touched4 ,here we saw the making of a full-fledged scandal in one of the highest circles4 ,we had scarcely recovered from our surprise at the startling disclosures of the vocaphone1 when we heard two voices again above the music1 two men this time4 ,what--you here8 inquired a voice which we recognized immediately as that of ,langhorne4 ,yes1 replied the other voice1 evidently of a young man4 ,i came in with the swells to keep my eye peeled on what was going on4 ,the voice itself was unfamiliar1 yet it had a tough accent which denoted infallibly the section of the city where it was acquired4 ,it was one of the gangsters4 ,what's up1 ,ike8 demanded ,langhorne suspiciously4 ,craig looked at me significantly4 ,it was ,ike the ,dropper6 ,the other lowered his voice4 ,i don't mind telling you1 ,mr4 ,langhorne4 ,you're in the organization and we ain't got no grudge against you4 ,it's ,carton4 ,carton8 repeated ,langhorne1 and one could feel the expectant catch in his breath1 as he added quickly3 ,you mean you fellows are going to try to get him right8 ,bet your life1 swaggered ,ike1 believing himself safe4 ,how8 ,the gangster hesitated1 then reassured by ,langhorne1 said3 ,he's ordered a taxicab4 ,we got it for him--a driver who is a right guy and'll drive him down where there's a bunch of the fellows4 ,they ain't goner do nothing serious--but--well1 he won't campaign much from a hospital cot1 he added sagely4 ,say--here he comes now with that girl4 ,i better beat it4 ,langhorne also managed to get away apparently1 or else ,carton and ,miss ,ashton were too engrossed in one another to notice him1 for we heard no word of greeting4 ,a moment later ,carton's and ,miss ,ashton's voices were audible4 ,must you go8 she was saying4 ,i'm afraid so1 he apologized4 ,i've a speech to prepare for to-morrow and ,i've had several hard days4 ,it's been a splendid evening1 ,miss ,ashton--splendid4 ,i've enjoyed it ever so much and ,i think it has accomplished more than a hundred meetings--besides the publicity it will get for the cause4 ,shall ,i see you to-morrow at headquarters8 ,i shall make it a point to drop in1 she answered in a tone as unmistakable4 ,mr4 ,carton--your cab is waiting1 sir1 announced a servant with an apology for intruding4 ,at the side entrance1 sir1 so that you can get away quietly1 sir4 ,carton thanked him4 ,i looked at ,kennedy anxiously4 ,if ,carton slipped away in this fashion before we could warn him1 what might not happen8 ,we could hardly expect to get around and through the press of the dancers in time4 ,i hate to go1 ,miss ,ashton1 he was adding4 ,i'd stay--if ,i saw any prospect of the others going4 ,but--you see--this is the first time to-night--that ,i've had a word with you--alone4 ,it was not only an emergency1 but there were limits to ,kennedy's eavesdropping propensities1 and spying on ,carton's love affairs was quite another thing from ,langhorne's4 ,quickly ,craig turned the lever all the way over4 ,carton--,miss ,ashton--this is ,kennedy1 he called4 ,back of the big palm you'll find a vocaphone4 ,don't take that cab6 ,they are going to stick you up4 ,wait--,i'll explain all in a moment6 ,,xviii ,,the ,,wall ,,street ,,wolf ,it was a startled couple that we found when we reached the conservatory4 ,as we made our hasty explanation1 ,carton overwhelmed us with thanks for the prompt and effective manner in which ,kennedy had saved him from the machinations of the defeated gangsters4 ,miss ,ashton1 who would have kept her nerves under control throughout any emergency1 actually turned pale as she learned of the danger that had been so narrowly averted4 ,i am sure that her feelings1 which she made no effort to conceal1 must have been such as to reassure ,carton if he had still any doubt on that score4 ,the delay in his coming out1 however1 had been just enough to arouse suspicion1 and by the time that we reached the side entrance to the house both ,ike and the night-hawk taxicab which had evidently been drafted into service had disappeared1 leaving no clue4 ,the result of the discovery over the vocaphone was that none of us left ,miss ,ashton's until much later than we had expected4 ,langhorne1 apparently1 had gone shortly after he left the conservatory the last time1 and ,mrs4 ,ogleby had preceded him4 ,when at last we managed to convince ,miss ,ashton that it was perfectly safe for ,carton to go1 nothing would suffice except that we should accompany him as a sort of bodyguard to his home4 ,we did so1 without encountering any adventure more thrilling than seeing an argument between a policeman and a late reveller4 ,i can't thank you fellows too much1 complimented ,carton as we left him4 ,i was hunting around for you1 but ,i thought you had found a suffrage meeting too slow and had gone4 ,on the contrary1 returned ,kennedy1 equivocally1 we found it far from slow4 ,carton did not appreciate the tenor of the remark and ,craig was not disposed to enlighten him4 ,what do you suppose ,mrs4 ,ogleby meant in her references to ,carton8 mused ,kennedy when we reached our own apartment4 ,i can't say1 ,i replied1 unless before he came to really know ,miss ,ashton1 they were intimate4 ,kennedy shook his head4 ,why will men in a public capacity get mixed up with women of the adventuress type like that1 even innocently8 he ruminated4 ,mark my words1 she or someone else will make trouble for him before we get through4 ,it was a thought that had lately been in my own mind1 for we had had several hints of that nature4 ,kennedy said no more1 but he had started my mind on a train of speculative thought4 ,i could not imagine that a woman of ,mrs4 ,ogleby's type could ever have really appealed to ,carton1 but that did not preclude the possibility that some unscrupulous person might make use of the intimacy for base purposes4 ,then1 too1 there was the threat that ,i had heard agreed on by both ,langhorne and herself over the vocaphone4 ,what would be the next step of the organization now in its sworn warfare on ,carton1 ,i could not imagine4 ,but we did not have long to wait4 ,early the following forenoon an urgent message came to ,kennedy from ,carton to meet him at his office4 ,kennedy1 he said1 ,i don't know how to thank you for the many times you have pulled me through1 and ,i'm almost ashamed to keep on calling on you4 ,it's a big fight1 hastened ,craig4 ,you have opponents who know the game in its every crooked turn4 ,if ,i can be only a small cog on a wheel that crushes them1 ,i shall be only too glad4 ,your face tells me that something particularly unpleasant has happened4 ,it has1 admitted ,carton1 smoothing out some of the wrinkles at the mere sight of ,craig4 ,he paused a moment1 as if he were himself in doubt as to just what the trouble was4 ,someone has been impersonating me over the telephone1 he began4 ,all day long there have been reports coming into my office asking me whether it was true that ,i had agreed to accept the offer of ,dorgan that ,murtha made1 you know1--that is1 practically to let up on the organization if they would let up on me4 ,yes1 prompted ,kennedy1 but1 impersonation--what do you mean by that8 ,why1 early to-day someone called me up1 said he was ,dorgan1 and asked if ,i would have any objection to meeting him4 ,i said ,i would meet him--only it would do no good4 ,then1 apparently1 the same person called up ,dorgan and said he was myself1 asking if he had any objection to meeting me4 ,dorgan said he'd see4 ,whoever it was1 he almost succeeded in bringing about the fool thing--would have done it1 if ,i hadn't got wise to the fact that there was something funny about it4 ,i called up ,dorgan4 ,he said he'd meet me1 as long as ,i had approached him first4 ,i said ,i hadn't4 ,we swore a little and called the fake meeting off4 ,but it was too late4 ,it got into the papers4 ,now1 you'd think it wouldn't make any difference to either of us4 ,it doesn't to him4 ,people will think he tried to slip one over on ,,me4 ,but it does make a difference to me4 ,people will think ,i'm trying to sell out4 ,carton showed plainly his vexation at the affair4 ,the old scheme6 exclaimed ,kennedy4 ,that's the plan that has been used by a man down in ,wall ,street that they call1 'the ,wolf4' ,he is a star impersonator--will call up two sworn enemies and put over something on them that double-crosses both4 ,wall ,street1 mused ,carton4 ,that reminds me of another batch of rumours that have been flying around4 ,they were that ,i had made a deal with ,langhorne by which ,i agreed to support him in his fight to get something in the contracts of the new city planning scheme in return for his support of the part of the organization he could swing to me in the election1--another lie4 ,it might have been ,langhorne himself1 playing the wolf1 ,i suggested4 ,kennedy had reached for the telephone book4 ,also1 it might have been ,kahn1 he added4 ,i see he has an office in ,wall ,street1 too4 ,he has been the legal beneficiary of several shady transactions down there4 ,oh1 put in ,carton1 it might have been any of them--they're all capable of it from ,dorgan down4 ,if ,murtha was only out1 ,i'd be inclined to suspect him4 ,he tossed over a typewritten sheet of paper4 ,that's the statement ,i gave out to the press1 he explained4 ,it read3 ,my attention has been called to the alleged activities of some person or persons who through telephone calls and underground methods are seeking to undermine confidence in my integrity4 ,a more despicable method of attempting to arouse distrust ,i cannot imagine4 ,it is criminal and if anyone can assist me in placing the responsibility where it belongs ,i shall be glad to prosecute to the limit4 ,that's all right1 assented ,kennedy1 but ,i don't think it will have any effect4 ,you see1 this sort of thing is too easy for anyone to be scared off from4 ,all he has to do is to go to a pay station and call up there4 ,you couldn't very well trace that4 ,he stopped abruptly and his face puckered with thought4 ,there ought to be some way1 though1 ,i murmured1 without knowing just what the way might be1 to tell whether it is ,dorgan and the organization crowd1 or ,langhorne and his pool1 or ,kahn and the other shysters4 ,there ,,is a way1 cried ,kennedy at last4 ,you fellows wait here while ,i make a flying trip up to the laboratory4 ,if anyone calls us1 just put him off--tell him to call up later4 ,carton continued to direct the work of his office1 of which there had been no interruptions even during the stress of the campaign4 ,now and then the telephone rang and each time ,carton would motion to me1 and say1 ,you take it1 ,jameson4 ,if it seems perfectly regular then pass it over to me4 ,several routine calls came in1 this way1 followed by one from ,miss ,ashton1 which ,carton prolonged much beyond the mere time needed to discuss a phase of the ,reform ,league campaign4 ,he had scarcely hung up the receiver1 when the bell tinkled insistently1 as though central had had an urgent call which the last conversation had held up4 ,i took down the receiver1 and almost before ,i could answer the inquiry1 a voice began1 ,this is the editor of the ,wall ,street ,record1 ,mr4 ,carton4 ,have you heard anything of the rumours about ,hartley ,langhorne and his pool being insolvent8 ,the ,street has been flooded with stories-- ,one moment1 ,i managed to interrupt4 ,this is not ,mr4 ,carton1 although this is his office4 ,no--he's out4 ,yes1 he'll certainly be back in half an hour4 ,ring up then4 ,i repeated the scrap of gossip that had filtered through to me1 which ,carton received in quite as much perplexity as ,i had4 ,seems as if everybody was getting knocked1 he commented4 ,that may be a blind1 though1 ,i suggested4 ,he nodded4 ,i think we both realized how helpless we were when ,kennedy was away4 ,in fact we made even our guesses with a sort of lack of confidence4 ,it was therefore with a sense of relief that we welcomed him a few minutes later as he hurried into the office1 almost breathless from his trip uptown and back4 ,has anyone called up8 he inquired unceremoniously1 unwrapping a small parcel which he carried4 ,i told him as briefly as ,i could what had happened4 ,he nodded1 without making any audible comment1 but in a manner that seemed to show no surprise4 ,i want to get this thing installed before anyone else calls1 he explained1 setting to work immediately4 ,what is it8 ,i asked1 regarding the affair1 which included something that looked like a phonograph cylinder4 ,an invention that has just been perfected1 he replied without delaying his preparations1 by which it is possible for messages to be sent over the telephone and automatically registered1 even in the absence of anyone at the receiving end4 ,up to the present it has been practicable to take phonograph records only by the direct action of the human voice upon the diaphragm of the instrument4 ,not long ago there was submitted to the ,french ,academy of ,sciences an apparatus by which the receiver of the telephone can be put into communication with a phonograph and a perfect record obtained of the voice of the speaker at the other end of the wire1 his message being reproduced at will by merely pressing a button4 ,wouldn't the telegraphone do8 ,i asked1 remembering our use of that instrument in other cases4 ,it would record1 he replied1 but ,i want a phonograph record4 ,nothing else will do in this case4 ,you'll see why1 before ,i get through4 ,besides1 this apparatus isn't complicated4 ,between the diaphragm of the telephone receiver and that of the phonographic microphone is fitted an air chamber of adjustable size1 open to the outer atmosphere by a small hole to prevent compression4 ,i think1 he added with a smile1 it will afford a pretty good means of collecting souvenirs of friends by preserving the sound of their voices through the telephone4 ,for several minutes we waited4 ,i don't think ,i ever heard of such effrontery1 such open1 bare-faced chicanery1 fumed ,carton impatiently4 ,we'll catch the fellow yet1 replied ,kennedy confidently4 ,and ,i think we'll find him a bad lot4 ,,xix ,,the ,,escape ,at last the telephone rang and ,carton answered it eagerly4 ,as he did so1 he quickly motioned to us to go to the outside office where we1 too1 could listen on extensions4 ,yes1 this is ,mr4 ,carton1 we heard him say4 ,this is the editor of the ,wall ,street ,record1 came back the reply in a tone that showed no hesitation or compunction if it was lying4 ,i suppose you have heard the rumours that are current downtown that ,hartley ,langhorne and the people associated with him have gone broke in the pool they formed to get control of the public utilities that would put them in a position to capture the city betterment contracts8 ,no--,i hadn't heard it1 answered ,carton1 with difficulty restraining himself from quizzing the informant about himself4 ,kennedy was motioning to him that that was enough4 ,i'm sure ,i can't express any opinion at all for publication on the subject1 he concluded brusquely1 jamming down the receiver on the hook before his interlocutor had a chance to ask another question4 ,the bell continued to ring1 but ,craig seized the receiver off its hook again and called back1 ,mr4 ,carton has gone for the day1 hanging it up again with a bang4 ,call up the ,record now1 advised ,craig1 disconnecting the recording instrument he had brought4 ,see what the editor has to say4 ,this is the ,district ,attorney's office1 said ,carton a moment later when he got the number4 ,you just called me4 ,i called you8 asked the editor1 non-plussed4 ,about a rumour current in ,wall ,street4 ,rumour8 ,no1 sir4 ,it must be some mistake4 ,i guess so4 ,sorry to have troubled you4 ,good-bye4 ,carton looked from one to the other of us4 ,you see1 he said in disgust1 there it is again4 ,that's the sort of thing that has been going on all day4 ,how do ,i know what that fellow is doing now--perhaps using my name8 ,i had no answer to his implied query as to who was the wolf and what he might be up to4 ,as for ,kennedy1 while he showed plainly that he had his suspicions which he expected to confirm absolutely1 he did not care to say anything about them yet4 ,two can play at 'wolf1' he said quietly1 calling up the headquarters of ,dorgan's organization4 ,i wondered what he would say1 but was disappointed to find that it was a merely trivial conversation about some inconsequential thing1 as though ,kennedy had merely wished to get in touch with the ,silent ,boss4 ,next he called up the sanitarium to which ,murtha had been committed1 and after posing as ,murtha's personal physician managed to have the rules relaxed to the extent of exchanging a few sentences with him4 ,how did he seem--irrational8 asked ,carton with interest1 for ,i don't think the ,district ,attorney had complete confidence in the commonly announced cause of ,murtha's enforced retirement4 ,kennedy shook his head doubtfully4 ,sounded pretty far gone1 was all he said1 turning over the pages of the telephone book as he looked for another number4 ,this time it was ,kahn whom he called up1 and he had some difficulty locating him1 for ,kahn had two offices and was busily engaged in preparing a defence to the charges preferred against him for the jury fixing episode4 ,among others whom he called up was ,langhorne1 and the conversation with him was as perfunctory as possible1 consisting merely in repeating his name1 followed by an apology from ,kennedy for calling the wrong number4 ,in each case1 ,craig was careful to have his little recording instrument working1 taking down every word that was uttered and when he had finished he detached it1 looking at the cylinder with unconcealed satisfaction4 ,i'm going up to the laboratory again1 he announced1 as ,carton looked at him inquiringly4 ,the investigation that ,i have in mind will take time1 but ,i shall hurry it along as fast as ,i possibly can4 ,i don't want any question about the accuracy of my conclusions4 ,we left ,carton1 who promised to meet us late in the afternoon at the laboratory1 and started uptown4 ,instead1 however1 of going up directly1 ,craig telephoned first to ,clare ,kendall to shadow ,mrs4 ,ogleby4 ,the rest of the day he spent in making microphotographs of the phonograph cylinder and studying them very attentively under his high-powered lens4 ,toward the close of the afternoon the first report of ,miss ,kendall1 who had been trailing ,mrs4 ,ogleby1 came in4 ,we were not surprised to learn that she had met ,langhorne in the ,futurist ,tea ,room in the middle of the afternoon and that they had talked long and earnestly4 ,what did surprise us1 though1 was her suspicion that she had crossed the trail of someone else who was shadowing ,mrs4 ,ogleby4 ,kennedy made no comment1 though ,i could see that he was vitally interested4 ,what was the significance of the added mystery8 ,someone else had an interest in watching her movements4 ,at once ,i thought of ,dorgan4 ,could he have known of the intimacy of his guest at the ,gastron dinner with ,langhorne1 rather than with ,murtha1 with whom she had gone8 ,suddenly another explanation occurred to me4 ,what was more likely than that ,martin ,ogleby should have heard of his wife's escapade8 ,he would certainly learn now to his surprise of her meeting with ,langhorne4 ,what would happen then8 ,kennedy had about finished with his microphotographic work and was checking it over to satisfy himself of the results1 when ,carton1 as he had promised1 dropped in on us4 ,what are you doing now8 he asked curiously1 looking at the prints and paraphernalia scattered about4 ,by the way1 ,i've been inquiring into the commitment of ,murtha to that sanitarium for the insane4 ,on the surface it all seems perfectly regular4 ,it appears that1 unknown even to many of his most intimate friends1 he has been suffering from a complication of diseases1 the result of his high life1 and they have at last affected his brain1 as they were bound to do in time4 ,still1 ,i don't like his 'next friends' in the case4 ,one is his personal physician--,i don't know much about him4 ,but ,dorgan is one of the others4 ,we'll have to look into it1 agreed ,kennedy4 ,meanwhile1 would you like to know who your 'wolf' is that has been spreading rumours about broadcast8 ,i would indeed1 exclaimed ,carton eagerly4 ,you were right about the statement ,i issued4 ,it had no more effect than so many unspoken words4 ,the fellow has kept right on4 ,he even had the nerve to call up ,miss ,ashton in my name and try to find out whether she had any trace of the missing ,betty ,blackwell4 ,how do you suppose they found out that she was interested8 ,not a very difficult thing1 replied ,kennedy4 ,miss ,ashton must have told several organizations1 and the grafters always watch such societies pretty closely4 ,what did she say8 ,nothing1 answered ,carton4 ,i had thought that they might try something of the sort and fortunately ,i warned her to disregard any telephone messages unless they came certainly from me4 ,we agreed on a little secret formula1 a sort of password1 to be used1 and ,i flatter myself that the 'wolf' won't be able to accomplish much in that direction4 ,you say you have discovered a clue8 ,how did you get it8 ,kennedy picked up one of the microphotographs which showed an enlargement of the marks on the phonograph cylinder4 ,he showed it to us and we gazed curiously at the enigmatic markings1 greatly magnified4 ,to me1 it looked like a collection of series of lines4 ,by close scrutiny ,i was able to make out that the lines were wavy and more or less continuous1 being made up of collections of finer lines1--lines within lines1 as it were4 ,an analysis of their composition showed that the centre of larger lines was composed of three continuous series of markings which looked1 under the lens1 for all the world like the impressions of an endless straight series of molar teeth4 ,flanking these three tooth-like impressions were other lines--varying in width and in number--,i should say1 about four1 both above and below the tooth-like impressions4 ,when highly magnified one could distinguish roughly parallel parts of what at even a low magnification looked like a single line4 ,i have been studying voice analysis lately1 explained ,kennedy1 particularly with reference to the singing voice4 ,mr4 ,edison has made thousands and thousands of studies of voices to determine which are scientifically perfect for singing4 ,that side of it did not interest me particularly4 ,i have been seeking to use the discovery rather for detective purposes4 ,he paused and with a fine needle traced out some of the lines on the photographs before us4 ,that1 he went on1 is a highly magnified photograph of a minute section of the phonographic record of the voice that called you up1 ,carton1 as editor of the ,wall ,street ,record4 ,the upper and lower lines1 with long regular waves1 are formed by a voice with no overtones4 ,those three broader lines in the middle1 with rhythmic ripples1 show the overtones4 ,carton and ,i followed1 fascinated by the minuteness of his investigation and knowledge4 ,you see1 he explained1 when a voice or a passage of music sounds or is sung before a phonograph1 its modulations received upon the diaphragm are written by the needle point upon the surface of the cylinder or disc in a series of fine waving or zig-zag lines of infinitely varying depth and breadth4 ,close familiarity with such records for about forty years has taught ,mr4 ,edison the precise meaning of each slightest variation in the lines4 ,i have taken up and elaborated his idea4 ,by examining them under the microscope one can analyze each tone with mathematical accuracy and can almost hear it--just as a musician reading the score of a song can almost hear the notes4 ,wonderful1 ejaculated ,carton4 ,and you mean to say that in that way you can actually identify a voice8 ,kennedy nodded4 ,by examining the records in the laboratory1 looking them over under a microscope--yes4 ,i can count the overtones1 say1 in a singing voice1 and it is on the overtones that the richness depends4 ,i can recognize a voice--mathematically4 ,in short1 ,craig concluded enthusiastically1 it is what you might call the ,bertillon measurement1 the finger-print1 the portrait parle of the human voice6 ,incredible as it seemed1 we were forced to believe1 for there on the table lay the graphic evidence which he had just so painstakingly interpreted4 ,who was it8 asked ,carton breathlessly4 ,kennedy picked up another microphotograph4 ,that is the record ,i took of one of the calls ,i made--merely for the purpose of obtaining samples of voices to compare with this of the impersonator4 ,the two agree in every essential detail and none of the others could be confounded by an expert who studied them4 ,your 'wolf' was your old friend ,kahn6 ,fighting back at me by his usual underhand methods1 exclaimed ,carton in profound disgust4 ,or else trying himself to get control of the ,black ,book1 added ,kennedy4 ,if you will stop to think a moment1 his shafts have been levelled quite as much at discrediting ,langhorne as yourself4 ,he might hope to kill two birds with one stone--and incidentally save himself4 ,you mean that he wants to lay a foundation now for questioning the accuracy of the ,black ,book if it ever comes to light8 ,perhaps1 assented ,kennedy carefully4 ,surely we should take some steps to protect ourselves from his impostures1 hastened ,carton4 ,i have no objections to your calling him up and telling him that we know what he is up to and can trace it to him--provided you don't tell him how we did it--yet4 ,carton had seized the telephone and was hastily calling every place in which ,kahn was likely to be4 ,he was not at either of his offices1 nor at ,farrell's1 but at each place successively ,carton left a message which told the story and which he could hardly fail to receive soon4 ,as ,carton finished1 ,kennedy seemed to be emerging from a brown study4 ,he rose slowly and put on his hat4 ,your story about ,murtha's commitment interests me1 he remarked1 particularly since you mentioned ,dorgan's name in connection with it4 ,i've been thinking about ,murtha myself a good deal since ,i heard about his condition4 ,i want to see him myself4 ,carton hesitated a minute4 ,i can break an engagement ,i had to speak to-night1 he said4 ,yes1 ,i'll go with you4 ,it's more important to look to the foundations than to the building just now4 ,a few minutes later we were all on our way in a touring car to the private sanitarium up in ,westchester1 where it had been announced that ,murtha had been taken4 ,i had apprehended that we would have a great deal of difficulty either in getting admitted at all or in seeing ,murtha himself4 ,we arrived at the sanitarium1 a large building enclosed by a high brick wall1 and evidently once a fine country estate1 at just about dusk4 ,to my surprise1 as we stopped at the entrance1 we had no difficulty in being admitted4 ,for a moment1 as we waited in the richly furnished reception room1 ,i listened to the sounds that issued from other parts of the building4 ,something was clearly afoot1 for things were in a state of disorder4 ,i had not an extensive acquaintance with asylums for the care and treatment of the insane1 but the atmosphere of excitement which palpably pervaded the air was not what one would have expected4 ,i began to think of ,poe's ,dr4 ,tarr and ,professor ,fether1 and wonder whether there might not have been a revolution in the place and the patients have taken charge of their keepers4 ,at last one of the attendants passed the door4 ,no one had paid any attention to us since our admission and this man1 too1 was going to pass us without notice4 ,i beg your pardon1 interrupted ,kennedy1 who had heard his footsteps approaching and had placed himself in the hallway so that the attendant could not pass1 but we have called to see ,mr4 ,murtha4 ,the attendant eyed us curiously4 ,i expected him to say that it was against the rules1 or to question our right to see the patient4 ,i'm afraid you're too late1 he said briefly1 instead4 ,too late8 queried ,kennedy sharply4 ,what do you mean8 ,the man answered promptly as if that were the quickest way to get back to his own errand4 ,mr4 ,murtha escaped from his keepers this evening1 just after dinner1 and there is no trace of him4 ,,xx ,,the ,,metric ,,photograph ,murtha's escape from the sanitarium had again thrown our calculations into chaos4 ,we rode back to the city in silence1 and even ,kennedy had no explanation to offer4 ,even at a late hour that night1 although a widespread alarm had been sent out for him1 no trace of the missing man could be found4 ,the next morning's papers1 of course1 were full of the strange disappearance1 but gave no hint of his discovery4 ,in fact1 all day the search was continued by the authorities1 but without result4 ,on the face of it1 it seemed incredible that a man who was so well known1 especially to the thousands of police and others in the official and political life of the city1 could remain at large unrecognized4 ,still1 ,i recalled other cases where prominent men had disappeared4 ,the facts in ,murtha's case spoke for themselves4 ,comparatively little occurred during the day1 although the political campaign which had begun with the primaries many weeks before was now drawing nearer its close and the campaigners were getting ready for the final spurt to the finish4 ,with ,kennedy's unmasking of the unprincipled activities of ,kahn1 that worthy changed his tactics1 or at least dropped out of our sight4 ,mrs4 ,ogleby lunched with ,langhorne and ,i began to suspect that the shadow that had been placed on her could not have been engaged by ,martin ,ogleby1 for he was not the kind who would take reports of the sort complaisantly4 ,someone else must be interested4 ,as for the ,black ,book itself1 ,i wondered more as time went on that no one made use of it4 ,even though we gained no hint from ,langhorne after the peculiar robbery of his safe1 it was impossible to tell whether or not he still retained the detectaphone record4 ,on the other hand1 if ,dorgan had obtained it by using the services of someone in the criminal hierarchy that ,murtha had built up1 it would not have been likely that we would have heard anything about it4 ,we were in the position of men fighting several adversaries in the dark without knowing exactly whom we fought4 ,we had just finished dinner1 that night1 ,kennedy and ,i1 and1 as had been the case in most of the waking hours of the previous twenty-four1 had been speculating on the possible solution of the mysterious dropping out of sight of ,murtha4 ,the evening papers had contained nothing that the morning papers had not already published and ,kennedy had tossed the last of an armful into the scrap basket when the buzzer on the door of our apartment sounded4 ,a young man stood there as ,i opened the door1 and handed me a note1 as he touched his hat4 ,a message for ,professor ,kennedy from ,mr4 ,carton1 sir1 he announced4 ,i recognized him as ,carton's valet as he stood impatiently waiting for ,craig to read the letter4 ,it's all right--there's no answer--,i'll see him immediately1 nodded ,kennedy1 tossing the hasty scrawl over to me as the valet disappeared4 ,my study at home has been robbed1 probably by sneak thieves1 read the note4 ,would you like to look it over8 ,i can't find anything missing except a bundle of old and valueless photographs4 ,carton4 ,looks as if someone thought ,carton might have got that ,black ,book from ,langhorne1 ,i commented1 following the line on which ,i had been thinking at the time4 ,and the taking of the photographs was merely a blind1 after not finding it8 ,kennedy queried1 ,i cannot say much impressed by my theory4 ,perhaps1 ,i acquiesced weakly1 as we went out4 ,instead of turning in the direction of ,carton's immediately1 ,kennedy walked across the campus toward the ,chemistry ,building4 ,at the laboratory we loaded ourselves with a large and heavy oblong case containing a camera and a tripod4 ,the ,cartons lived in an old section of the city which still retained something of its aristocratic air1 having been passed by1 as it were1 like an eddy in the stream of business that swirled uptown1 engulfing everything4 ,it was an old four-story brownstone house which had been occupied by his father and grandfather before him1 and now was the home of ,carton1 his mother1 and his sister4 ,i'm glad to see you1 ,carton met us at the door4 ,this isn't quite as classy a robbery as ,langhorne's--but it's just as mysterious4 ,must have happened while the family were at dinner4 ,that's why ,i said it was a robbery by a sneak thief4 ,he was leading the way to his study1 which was in an extension of the house1 in the rear4 ,i hope you've left things as they were1 ventured ,craig4 ,i did1 assured ,carton4 ,i know your penchant for such things and almost the first thought ,i had was that you'd prefer it that way4 ,so ,i shut the door and sent ,william after you4 ,by the way1 what have you done with him8 ,nothing1 returned ,craig4 ,isn't he back yet8 ,no--oh1 well ,i don't need him right away4 ,and nothing was taken except some old photographs8 asked ,craig1 looking intently at ,carton's face4 ,that is all ,i can find missing1 he returned frankly4 ,kennedy's examination of the looted study was minute1 taking in the window through which the thief had apparently entered1 the cabinet he had forced1 and the situation in general4 ,finally he set up his camera with most particular care and took several flashlight pictures of the window1 the cabinet1 the doors--including the study--from every angle4 ,outside he examined the extension and back of the house carefully1 noting possible ways of getting from the side street across the fences into the ,carton yard4 ,with ,carton we returned to ,craig's splendidly equipped photographic studio and while ,carton and ,i made the best of our time by discussing various phases of the case1 ,kennedy employed the interval in developing his plates4 ,he had ten or a dozen prints1 all of exactly the same size1 mounted on stiff cardboard in a space with scales and figures on all four margins4 ,carton and ,i puzzled over them4 ,those are metric photographs1 such as ,bertillon of ,paris used to take1 ,craig explained4 ,by means of the scales and tables and other methods that have been worked out1 we can determine from those pictures distances and many other things almost as well as if we were on the spot ourselves4 ,bertillon cleared up many crimes with this help1 such as the mystery of the shooting in the ,hotel ,quai d',orsay and other cases4 ,the metric photograph1 ,i believe1 will in time rank with other devices in the study of crime4 ,he was going over the photographs carefully4 ,for instance1 he continued1 in order to solve the riddle of a crime1 the detective's first task is to study the scene topographically4 ,plans and elevations of a room or house are made4 ,the position of each object is painstakingly noted4 ,in addition1 the all-seeing eye of the camera is called into requisition4 ,the plundered room is photographed1 as in this case4 ,i might have done it by placing a foot rule on a table and taking that in the picture4 ,but a more scientific and accurate method has been devised by ,bertillon4 ,his camera lens is always used at a fixed height from the ground and forms its image on the plate at an exact focus4 ,the print made from the negative is mounted on a card in a space of definite size1 along the edges of which a metric scale is printed4 ,in the way he has worked it out1 the distance between any two points in the picture can be determined4 ,with a topographical plan and a metric photograph one can study a crime1 as a general studies the map of a strange country4 ,there were several peculiar things that ,i observed at your house1 ,carton1 and ,i have here an indelible record of the scene of the crime4 ,preserved in this way1 it cannot be questioned4 ,you are sure that the only thing missing is the photographs8 ,carton nodded1 ,i never keep anything valuable lying around4 ,well1 resumed ,kennedy1 the photographs were in this cabinet4 ,there are other cabinets1 but none of them seems to have been disturbed4 ,therefore the thief must have known just what he was after4 ,the marks made in breaking the lock were not those of a jimmy1 but of a screwdriver4 ,no amazing command of the resources of science is needed so far4 ,all that is necessary is a little scientific common sense4 ,carton glanced at me1 and ,i smiled1 for it always did seem so easy1 when ,craig did it1 and so impossible when we tried to go it alone4 ,now1 how did the robber get in8 he continued1 thoroughly engrossed in his study4 ,all the windows were supposedly locked4 ,i saw that a pane had been partly cut from this window at the side--and the pieces were there to show it4 ,but consider the outside1 a moment4 ,to reach that window even a tall man must have stood on a ladder or something4 ,there were no marks of a ladder or even of any person in the soft soil of the garden under the window4 ,what is more1 that window was cut from the inside4 ,the marks of the diamond which cut it plainly show that4 ,scientific common sense again4 ,then it must have been someone in the house or at least familiar with it8 ,i exclaimed4 ,kennedy shook his head affirmatively4 ,i had been wondering who it could be4 ,certainly this was not the work of ,dopey ,jack1 even if the far cleverer attempt on ,langhorne's safe had been4 ,but it might have been one of his gang4 ,i had not got as far as trying to reason out the why of the crime4 ,call up your house1 ,carton1 asked ,craig4 ,see if ,william1 your valet1 has returned4 ,carton did so1 and a moment later turned to us with a look of perplexity on his face4 ,no1 he reported1 he hasn't come back yet4 ,i can't imagine where he is4 ,he won't come back1 asserted ,kennedy positively4 ,it was an inside job--and he did it4 ,carton gasped astonishment4 ,at any rate1 pursued ,kennedy1 one thing we have which the police greatly neglect--a record4 ,we have made some progress in reconstructing the crime1 as ,bertillon used to call it4 ,strange that he should take only photographs1 ,i mused4 ,what were they8 asked ,kennedy1 and again ,i saw that he was looking intently at ,carton's face4 ,nothing much1 returned ,carton unhesitatingly1 just some personal photographs--of no real value except to me4 ,most of them were amateur photographs1 too1 pictures of myself in various groups at different times and places that ,i kept for the associations4 ,nothing that might be used by an enemy for any purpose8 suggested ,kennedy4 ,carton laughed4 ,more likely to be used by friends1 he replied frankly4 ,still1 ,i felt that there must have been some sinister purpose back of the robbery4 ,in that respect it was like the scientific cracking of ,langhorne's safe4 ,langhorne1 too1 though he had been robbed1 had been careful to disclaim the loss of anything of value4 ,i frankly had not believed ,langhorne1 yet ,carton was not of the same type and ,i felt that his open face would surely have disclosed to us any real loss that he suffered or apprehension that he felt over the robbery4 ,i was forced to give it up1 and ,i think ,kennedy1 too1 had decided not to worry over the crossing of any bridges until at least we knew that there were bridges to be crossed4 ,carton was worried more by the discovery that one he had trusted even as a valet had proved unfaithful4 ,he knew1 however1 as well as we did that one of the commonest methods of the underworld when they wished to pull off a robbery was to corrupt one of the servants of a house4 ,still1 it looked strange1 for the laying of such an elaborate plan usually preceded only big robberies1 such as jewelery or silver4 ,for myself1 ,i was forced back on my first theory that someone had concluded that ,carton had the ,black ,book1 had concocted this elaborate scheme to get what was really of more value than much jewelry1 and had found out that ,carton did not have the precious detectaphone record1 after all4 ,i knew that there were those who would have gone to any length to get it4 ,a general alarm was given1 through the police1 for the apprehension of ,william1 but we had small hope that anything would result from it1 for at that time ,carton's enemies controlled the police and ,i am not sure but that they would have been just a little more dilatory in apprehending one who had done ,carton an injury than if it had been someone else4 ,it was too soon1 that night1 of course1 to expect to learn anything1 anyhow4 ,it was quite late1 but it had been a confining day for ,kennedy who had spent the hours while not working on ,carton's case in some of the ceaseless and recondite investigations of his own to which he was always turning his restless mind4 ,suppose we walk a little way downtown with ,carton8 he suggested4 ,i was not averse1 and by the time we arrived in the white light belt of ,broadway the theatres were letting out4 ,above the gaiety of the crowds one could hear the shrill cry of some belated newsboys1 calling an ,extra ,special--the only superlative left to one of the more enterprising papers whose every issue was an ,extra4 ,kennedy bought one1 with the laughing remark1 ,perhaps it's about your robbery1 ,carton4 ,it was only a second before the smile on his face changed to a look of extreme gravity4 ,we crowded about him4 ,in red ink across the head of the paper were the words3 ,,body ,,of ,,murtha1 ,,missing1 ,,found ,,in ,,morgue ,down in a lower corner1 in a little box into which late news could be dropped1 also in red ink1 was the brief account3 ,this morning the body of an unknown man was found in ,the ,bronx near the ,westchester ,railroad tracks4 ,he had been run over and badly mutilated4 ,after lying all day in the local morgue1 it was transferred1 still unidentified1 to the city ,morgue downtown4 ,early this evening one of the night attendants recognized the unidentified body as that of ,murtha1 the ,smiling ,boss1 whose escape day before yesterday from an asylum in ,westchester has remained a mystery until now4 ,well--what do you--think of that6 ejaculated ,carton4 ,murtha--dead--and ,i thought the whole thing was a job they were putting up on me6 ,kennedy crooked his finger at a cabby who was alertly violating the new ordinance and soliciting fares away from a public cab stand4 ,the ,morgue--quick6 he ordered1 not even noticing the flabbergasted look on the jehu's face1 who was not accustomed to carrying people thither from the primrose path of ,broadway quite so rapidly4 ,,xxi ,,the ,,morgue ,there had come a lull in the activities which never entirely cease1 night or day1 in the dingy building at the foot of ,east ,twenty-sixth ,street4 ,across the street in the municipal lodging-house the city's homeless were housed for the night4 ,even ever wakeful ,bellevue ,hospital nearby was comparatively quiet4 ,the last dead boat which carries the city's unclaimed corpses away for burial had long ago left1 when we arrived4 ,the anxious callers who pass all day through the portals of the mortuary chamber seeking lost friends and relatives had disappeared4 ,except for the night keeper and one or two assistants1 the ,morgue was empty save of the overcrowded dead4 ,years before1 as a cub reporter on the ,star1 ,i had had the gruesome assignment once of the ,morgue4 ,it was the same old place after all these years and it gave me the same creepy sensations now as it did then4 ,even the taxicab driver seemed glad to set down his fares and speed away4 ,it was ghoulish4 ,i felt then and ,i did still that instead of contributing to the amelioration of conditions that could not be otherwise than harrowing1 everything about the old ,morgue lent itself to the increase of the horror of the surroundings4 ,as ,kennedy1 ,carton1 and ,i entered1 we found that the principal chamber in the place was circular4 ,its walls were lined with the ends of caskets1 which1 fitting close into drawer-like apertures were constantly enveloped in the refrigerated air4 ,it seemed1 even at that hour1 that if these receptacles were even adequate to contain all of the daily tenants of the ,morgue1 much of the anguish and distress inseparable from such a place might be spared those who of necessity must visit the place seeking their dead4 ,as it was1 even for those bound by no blood ties to the unfortunates who found their way to the city ,morgue1 the room was a veritable chamber of horror4 ,we stood in horrified amazement at what we saw4 ,on the floor1 which should be kept clear1 lay the overflow of the day's intake4 ,bodies for which there was no room in the cooling boxes1 others which were yet awaiting claimants1 and still more awaiting transfer to the public burying ground1 lay about in their rough coffins1 many of them brutally exposed4 ,it seemed1 too1 that if ever there was a time when conditions might have been expected to have halfway adjusted themselves to the pressure which by day brought out all too clearly the hopeless inadequacy of the facilities provided by the city to perform one of its most important and inevitable functions1 it was at that early morning hour of our visit4 ,presumably preparation had been completed for the busy day about to open by setting all into some semblance of respectful order4 ,but such was not the case4 ,it was impossible4 ,in one group1 ,i recall1 which an attendant said had been awaiting his removal for a couple of days1 the rough board coffins1 painted the uniform brown of the city's institutions1 lay open1 without so much as face coverings over the dead4 ,they lay as they had been sent in from various hospitals4 ,most of them were bereft of all the decencies usual with the dead1 in striking contrast1 however1 with the bodies from ,bellevue1 which were all closely swathed in bandages and shrouds4 ,one body1 that of a negro1 which had been sent in to the ,morgue from a ,harlem hospital1 lay just as it came1 utterly bare1 exposing to public view all the gruesome marks of the autopsy4 ,i wondered whether anything like that might be found to be the fate of the once jovial and popular ,murtha1 when we found him4 ,i almost forgot our mission in the horror of the place1 for1 nearby was an even more heartrending sight4 ,piled in several heaps much higher than a man's head and as carelessly as cordwood were the tiny coffins holding the babies which the authorities are called on by the poor of the city to bury in large numbers--far too poor to meet the cost of the cheapest decent burial4 ,atop the stack of regulation coffins were the nondescript receptacles made use of by the very poor--the most pathetic a tiny box from the corner grocery4 ,the bodies1 some dozens of them1 lay like so much merchandise1 awaiting shipment4 ,what a barbarity6 ,i heard ,craig mutter1 for even he1 though now and then forced to visit the place when one of his cases took him there1 especially when it was concerned with an autopsy1 had never become hardened to it4 ,often ,i had heard him denounce the primitive appointments1 especially in the autopsy rooms4 ,the archaic attempts to utilize the ,morgue for scientific investigation were the occasion for practices that shocked even the initiated4 ,for the lack of suitable depositories for the products of autopsies1 these objects were plainly visible in rude profusion when a door was opened to draw out a body for inspection4 ,about and around the slabs whereon the human bodies lay1 in bottles and in plates1 this material which had no place except in the cabinets of a laboratory was inhumanly displayed in profusion1 close to corpses for which a morgue is expected to provide some degree of reverential care4 ,you see1 apologized the keeper1 not averse to throwing the blame on someone else1 for it indeed was not his but the city's fault1 one reason why so many bodies have to remain uncared for is that ,i could show you cooling box after cooling box with some subject which figured during the past few months in the police records4 ,why victims of murders committed long ago should be held indefinitely1 and their growing numbers make it impossible to give proper places to each day's temporary bodies1 ,i can't say4 ,sometimes1 he added with a sly dig at ,carton1 the only explanation seems to be that the ,district ,attorney's office has requested the preservation of the grisly relics4 ,i could see that ,carton was making a mental note that the practice would be ended as far as his office was concerned4 ,so--you saw the story in the newspapers about ,mr4 ,murtha1 repeated the keeper1 not displeased to see us and at the publicity it gave him4 ,it was ,i that discovered him--and yet many's the times some of the boys that must have handled the body since it was picked up beside the tracks must have seen him4 ,it was too late to get anyone to take the body away to-night1 but the arrangements have all been made1 and it will be done early in the morning before anyone else sees ,pat ,murtha here1 as he shouldn't be4 ,we've done what we could for him ourselves--he was a fine gentleman and many's the boy that owes a boost up in life to him4 ,reverentially even the hardened keeper drew out one of the best of the drawer-like boxes4 ,on the slab before us lay the body4 ,carton drew back1 excitedly1 shocked4 ,it ,,is ,murtha6 he exclaimed4 ,i1 too1 looked at it quickly4 ,the name as ,carton pronounced it1 in such a place1 had1 to me at least1 an unpleasant likeness to murder4 ,kennedy had bent down and was examining the mutilated body minutely4 ,how do you suppose such a thing is possible--that he could lie about the city1 even here until the night keeper came on1--unknown8 asked ,carton1 aghast4 ,i don't know1 ,i said1 but ,i imagine that in connection with the actual inadequacy of the equipment one would find reflected the same makeshift character in the attitude and actions of those who handle the city's dead4 ,it used to be the case1 at least1 that the facilities for keeping records were often almost totally neglected1 and not through the fault of the ,morgue keepers1 entirely4 ,but1 ,i understand it is better now4 ,this is terrible1 repeated ,carton1 averting his face4 ,really1 ,jameson1 it makes me feel like a hound1 for ever thinking that ,murtha might have been putting up a game on me4 ,poor old ,murtha--,i should have preferred to remember him as the ',smiling ,boss' as everyone always called him6 ,i called to mind the last time we had seen ,murtha1 in ,carton's office as the bearer of an offer which had made ,carton almost beside himself with anger at the thought of the insult that he would compromise with the organization4 ,what a contrast1 this1 with the ,murtha who1 in turn1 had been trembling with passion at ,carton's refusal6 ,and yet ,i could not but reflect on the strangeness of it all--the fact that the organization1 of which ,murtha was a part1 had by its neglect and failure to care for the human side of government when there was graft to be collected1 brought about the very conditions which had made possible such neglect of the district leader's body1 as it had been bandied back and forth1 unwittingly by many who owed their very positions to the organization4 ,i could not help but think that if he had served humanity with one-half the zeal which he had served graft1 this could not have happened4 ,the more ,i contemplated the case1 the more tragic did it seem to me4 ,i longed for the assignment of writing the story for the ,star--the chance ,i would have had in the old days to bring in a story that would have got me a nod of approval from my superior4 ,i determined1 as soon as possible1 to get the ,star on the wire and try to express some of the thoughts that were surging through my brain in the face of this awful and unexpected occurrence4 ,there he lay1 alone1 uncared for except by such rude hands as those of the ,morgue attendants4 ,i could not help reflecting on the strange vicissitudes of human life1 and death1 which levelled all distinctions between men of high and low degree4 ,murtha had almost literally sprung from the streets4 ,his career had been one possible only in the social and political conditions of his times4 ,and now he had only by the narrowest chance escaped a burial in a pauper's grave at the hands of the city which he had helped ,dorgan to debauch4 ,carton1 too1 ,i could see was overwhelmed4 ,for the moment he did not even think of how this blow to the ,system might affect his own chances4 ,it was only the pitiful wreck of a human being before us that he saw4 ,i was not an expert on study of wounds1 such as was ,kennedy1 who was examining ,murtha's body with minute care1 now and then muttering under his breath at the rough and careless handling it had received in its various transfers about the city4 ,but there were some terrible wounds and disfigurements on the body1 which added even more to the horror of the case4 ,one thing1 ,i felt1 was fortunate4 ,murtha had had no family4 ,there had been plenty of scandal about him1 but as far as ,i knew there was no one except his old cronies in the organization to be shocked by his loss1 no living tragedy left in the wake of this4 ,how do you suppose it happened8 ,i asked the night keeper4 ,he shook his head doubtfully4 ,no one knows1 of course1 he replied slowly4 ,but ,i think the big fellow got worse up there in that asylum4 ,he wasn't used to anything but having his own way1 you know4 ,they say he must have waited his chance1 after the dinner hour1 when things were quiet1 and then slipped out while no one was looking4 ,he may have been crazy1 but you can bet your life ,pat ,murtha was the smartest crazy man they ever had up there4 ,,they couldn't hold him4 ,i see1 ,i said1 struck by the faith which the man had inspired even in those who held the lowest of city positions4 ,but ,i meant how do you suppose he was killed8 ,the attendant looked at me thoughtfully a while4 ,young man1 he answered1 ,i ain't saying nothing and it may have been an accident after all4 ,have you ever been up in that part of town8 ,i had not and said so4 ,well1 he continued1 those electric trains do sneak up on a fellow fast4 ,it may have been an accident1 all right4 ,the coroner up there said so1 and ,i guess he ought to know4 ,it must have been late at night--perhaps he was wandering away from the ordinary roads for fear of being recaptured4 ,no one knows--,i guess no one will know1 ever4 ,but it's a sad day for many of the boys4 ,he helped a lot of 'em4 ,and ,mr4 ,dorgan--he knows what a loss it is1 too4 ,i hear that it's hit the ,chief hard4 ,the attendant1 rough though he was and hardened by the daily succession of tragedies1 could not restrain an honest catch in his voice over the passing of the big fellow1 as some of them called the ,smiling ,boss4 ,it was a pretty good object lesson on the power of the system which the organization had built up1 how ,murtha1 and even the more distant ,dorgan himself1 had endeared himself to his followers and henchmen4 ,perhaps it was corrupt1 but it was at least human1 and that was a great deal in a world full of inhumanities4 ,in the face of what had happened1 one felt that much might be forgiven ,murtha for his shortcomings1 especially as the era of the ,murthas and ,dorgans was plainly passing4 ,here at least1 whispered ,carton1 as we withdrew to a corner to escape the palling atmosphere1 is one who won't worry about what happens to that ,black ,book any more4 ,i wonder what he really knew about it--what secrets he carried away with him8 ,i can't say1 ,i returned4 ,but1 one thing it does4 ,it must relieve ,mrs4 ,ogleby's fears a bit4 ,with ,murtha out of the way there is one less to gossip about what went on at ,gastron's that night of the dinner4 ,he said nothing and just then ,kennedy straightened up1 as though he had finished his examination4 ,we hurried over to him4 ,i thought the look on ,craig's face was peculiar4 ,what is it--what did you find8 both ,carton and ,i asked4 ,kennedy did not answer immediately4 ,i--,i can't say1 he answered slowly at length1 as we thanked the ,morgue keeper for his courtesy and left the place4 ,in fact ,i'd rather not say--until ,i know4 ,i knew from previous experiences that it was of no use to try to quiz ,kennedy4 ,he was a veritable ,gradgrind for facts1 facts1 facts4 ,as for myself1 ,i could not help wondering whether1 after all1 ,murtha might not have been the victim of foul play--and1 if so1 by whom8 ,,xxii ,,the ,,canard ,we did not have to wait long for the secret of the robbery of ,carton to come out4 ,it was not in any extras1 or in the morning papers the next day1 but it came through a secret source of information to the ,reform ,league4 ,a clerk in the employ of the organization who is really a detective employed by the ,reform ,league1 groaned ,carton1 as he told us the story himself the next morning at his office1 has just given us the information that they have prepared a long and circumstantial story about me--about my intimacy with ,mrs4 ,ogleby and ,murtha and some others4 ,the story of the robbery of my study is in the papers this morning4 ,to-morrow they plan to publish some photographs--alleged to have been stolen4 ,photographs--,mrs4 ,ogleby1 repeated ,kennedy4 ,real ones8 ,no1 exclaimed ,carton quickly1 of course not--fakes4 ,don't you see the scheme8 ,first they lay a foundation in the robbery1 knowing that the public is satisfied with sensations1 and that they will be sure to believe that the robbery was put up by some muckrakers to obtain material for an expose4 ,i wasn't worried last night4 ,i knew ,i had nothing to conceal4 ,then what of it8 ,i asked naively4 ,a good deal of it1 returned ,carton excitedly1 ,the story is to be1 as ,i understand it1 that the fake pictures were among those stolen from me and that in a roundabout way they came into the possession of someone in the organization1 without their knowing who the thief was4 ,of course they don't know who took them and the original plates or films are destroyed1 but they've concocted some means of putting a date on them early in the spring4 ,what are they that they should take such pains with them8 persisted ,kennedy1 looking fixedly at ,carton4 ,carton met his look without flinching4 ,they are supposed to be photographs of myself1 he repeated4 ,one purports to represent me in a group composed of ,mrs4 ,ogleby1 ,murtha1 another woman whom ,i do not even know1 and myself4 ,i am standing between ,murtha and ,mrs4 ,ogleby and we look very familiar4 ,another is a picture of the same four riding in a car1 owned by ,murtha4 ,oh1 there are several of them1 of that sort4 ,he paused as a dozen unspoken questions framed themselves in my mind4 ,i don't hesitate to admit1 he added1 that a few months ago ,i knew ,mrs4 ,ogleby--socially4 ,but there was nothing to it4 ,i never knew ,murtha well1 and the other woman ,i never saw4 ,at various times ,i have been present at affairs where she was1 but ,i know that no pictures were ever taken1 and even if there had been1 ,i would not care1 provided they told the truth about them4 ,what ,i do care about is the sworn allegation that1 ,i understand1 is to accompany these--these fakes4 ,his voice broke4 ,it's a lie from start to finish1 but just think of it1 ,kennedy1 he went on4 ,here is the story1 and here1 too1 are the pictures--at least they will be1 in print1 to-morrow4 ,now1 you know nothing could hurt the reform ticket worse than to have a scandal like this raised at this time4 ,there may be just enough people to believe that there is some basis for the suspicion to turn the tide against me4 ,if it were earlier in the campaign1 ,i might accept the issue1 fight it out to a finish1 and in the turn of events ,i should have really the best sort of campaign material4 ,but it is too late now to expose such a knavish trick on the ,saturday before election4 ,can't we buy them off8 ,i ventured1 perplexed beyond measure at this new and unexpected turn of events4 ,no1 ,i won't1 persisted ,carton1 shutting his square jaw doggedly4 ,i won't be held up--even if that is possible4 ,miss ,ashton on the wire1 announced a boy from the outer office4 ,the look on ,carton's face was a study4 ,i saw directly what was the trouble--far more important to him than a mere election4 ,tell her--,i'm out--will be back soon1 he muttered1 for the first time hesitating to speak to her4 ,you see1 he continued blackly1 ,i'll fight if it takes my last dollar1 but ,i won't allow myself to be blackmailed out of a cent--no1 not a cent1 he thundered1 a heightened look of determination fixing the lines on his face as he brought his fist down with a rattling bang on the desk4 ,kennedy was saying nothing4 ,he was letting ,carton ease his mind of the load which had been suddenly thrust upon it4 ,carton was now excitedly pacing the floor4 ,they believe plainly1 he continued1 growing more excited as he paced up and down1 that the pictures will of course be accepted by the public as among those stolen from me1 and in that1 ,i suppose1 they are right4 ,the public will swallow it4 ,if ,i say ,i'll prosecute1 they'll laugh and tell me to go ahead1 that they didn't steal the pictures4 ,our informant tells us that a hundred copies have been made of each and that they have them ready to drop into the mail to the leading hundred papers1 not only of this city but of the state1 in time for them to appear ,sunday4 ,they think that no amount of denying on our part can destroy the effect4 ,that's it1 ,i persisted4 ,the only way is to buy them off4 ,but1 ,jameson1 argued ,carton1 ,i repeat--they are false4 ,it is a plot of ,dorgan's1 the last fight of a boss1 driven into a corner1 for his life4 ,and it is meaner than if he had attempted to forge a letter4 ,pictures appeal to the eye much more than letters4 ,that's what makes the thing so dangerous4 ,dorgan knows how to make the best use of such a roorback on the eve of an election and even if ,i not only deny but prove that they are a fake1 ,i'm afraid the harm will be done4 ,i can't reach all the voters in time4 ,ten see such a charge to one who sees the denial4 ,he looked from one to the other of us helplessly4 ,if we had a week or two1 it might be all right4 ,but ,i can't make any move to-day without making a fool of myself1 nothing until they are published1 as the last big thing of the campaign4 ,monday and ,tuesday morning do not give me time to reply in the papers and hammer it in4 ,even if they were out now1 it would not give me time to make of it an asset instead of a liability4 ,and then1 too1 it means that ,i am diverted by this thing1 that ,i let up in the final efforts that we have so carefully planned to cap the campaign4 ,that in itself is as much as ,dorgan wants1 anyway4 ,kennedy had been1 so far1 little more than an interested listener1 but now he asked pointedly1 ,you have copies of the pictures8 ,no--but ,i've been promised them this morning4 ,h'm1 mused ,craig1 turning the crisis over in his mind4 ,we've had alleged stolen and forged letters before1 but alleged stolen and forged photographs are new4 ,i'm not surprised that you are alarmed1 ,carton1--nor that ,walter suggests buying them off4 ,but ,i agree with you1 ,carton--it's best to fight1 to admit nothing1 as you would imply by any other method4 ,then you think you can trace down the forger of those pictures before it is too late8 urged ,carton1 leaning forward almost like a prisoner in the dock to catch the words of the foreman of the jury4 ,i haven't said ,i can do that--yet1 measured ,craig with provoking slowness4 ,say1 ,kennedy1 you're not going to desert me8 reproached ,carton4 ,kennedy laughed as he put his hand on ,carton's shoulder4 ,i've been afraid of something like this1 he said1 ever since ,i began to realize that you had once been--er--foolish enough to become even slightly acquainted with that adventuress1 ,mrs4 ,ogleby4 ,my advice is to fight1 not to get in wrong by trying to dicker1 for that might amount to confession1 and suit ,dorgan's purpose just as well4 ,photographs1 he added sententiously1 are like statistics4 ,they don't lie unless the people who make them do4 ,but it's hard to tell what a liar can accomplish with either1 in an election4 ,i--,i don't know that ,i'd desert you--if the pictures were true4 ,i'd be sure there was some other explanation4 ,i knew it1 responded ,carton heartily4 ,your hand on that1 ,kennedy4 ,say1 ,i think ,i've shaken hands with half the male population of this city since ,i was nominated1 but this means more than any of them4 ,spare no reasonable expense and--get the goods1 no matter whom it hits higher up--,langhorne--anybody4 ,and1 for ,god's sake get it in time--there's more than an election that hangs on it6 ,carton looked ,kennedy squarely in the eye again1 and we all understood what it was he meant that was at stake4 ,it might be possible after all to gloss over almost anything and win the election1 but none of us dared to think what it might mean if ,miss ,ashton not only suspected that ,carton had been fraternizing with the bosses but also that there had been or by some possibility could be anything really in common between him and ,mrs4 ,ogleby4 ,that1 after all1 ,i saw was the real question4 ,how would ,miss ,ashton take it8 ,could she ever forgive him if it were possible for ,langhorne to turn the tables and point with scorn at the man who had once been his rival for her hand8 ,what might be the effect on her of any disillusionment1 of any ridicule that ,langhorne might artfully heap up8 ,as we left ,carton1 ,i shared with ,kennedy his eagerness to get at the truth1 now1 and win the fight--the two fights4 ,i want to see ,miss ,ashton1 first1 remarked ,kennedy when we were outside4 ,personally ,i thought that it was a risky business1 but felt that ,kennedy must know best4 ,when we arrived at the ,reform ,league headquarters1 the clerks and girls had already set to work1 and the office was a hive of industry in the rush of winding up the campaign4 ,typewriters were clicking1 clippings were being snipped out of a huge stack of newspapers and pasted into large scrapbooks1 circulars were being folded and made ready to mail for the final appeal4 ,carton's office there had been in the centre of the suite4 ,on one side were the cashier and bookkeeper1 the clerical force and the speakers' bureau1 where spellbinders of all degrees were getting instructions1 final tours were being laid out1 and reports received of meetings already held4 ,on the other side was the press bureau1 with its large and active force1 in charge of ,miss ,ashton4 ,as we entered we saw ,miss ,ashton very busy over something4 ,her back was toward us1 but the moment she turned at hearing us we could see that something was the matter4 ,kennedy wasted no time in coming to the point of his visit4 ,we had scarcely seated ourselves beside her desk when he leaned over and said in a low voice1 ,miss ,ashton1 ,i think ,i can trust you4 ,i have called to see you about a matter of vital importance to ,mr4 ,carton4 ,she did not betray even by a fleeting look on her proud face what the true state of her feelings was4 ,i don't know whether you know1 but an attempt is being made to slander ,mr4 ,carton1 went on ,kennedy4 ,still she said nothing1 though it was evident that she was thinking much4 ,i suppose in a large force like this that it is not impossible that your political enemies may have a spy or two1 observed ,kennedy1 glancing about at the score or more clerks busily engaged in getting out the literature4 ,i have sometimes thought that myself1 she murmured1 but of course ,i don't know4 ,there isn't anything for them to discover in ,,this office1 though4 ,kennedy looked up quickly at the significant stress on the word this4 ,she saw that ,kennedy was watching4 ,margaret ,ashton might have made a good actress1 that is1 in something in which her personal feelings were not involved1 as they were in this case4 ,she was now pale and agitated4 ,i--,i can't believe it1 she managed to say4 ,oh1 ,mr4 ,kennedy--,i would almost rather not have known it at all1--only ,i suppose ,i must have known it sooner or later4 ,believe me1 ,miss ,ashton1 soothed ,kennedy1 you ought to know4 ,it is on you that ,i depend for many things4 ,but1 tell me1 how do you know already8 ,i didn't think--it was known4 ,she was still pale1 and replied nervously1 ,our detective in the organization brought the pictures up here--one of the girls opened them by mistake--it got about the office--,i couldn't help but know4 ,miss ,ashton1 remonstrated ,kennedy soothingly1 ,i beg you to be calm4 ,i had no idea you would take it like this1 no idea4 ,please1 please4 ,remember pictures can lie--just like words4 ,i--,i hope you're right1 she managed to reply slowly4 ,i'm all broken up by it4 ,i'm ready to resign4 ,my faith in human nature is shaken4 ,no1 ,i won't say anything about ,mr4 ,carton to anyone4 ,but it cuts me to have to think that ,hartley ,langhorne may have been right4 ,he always used to say that every man had his price4 ,i am afraid this will do great harm to the cause of reform and through it to the woman suffrage cause which made me cast myself in with the ,league4 ,i--,i can hardly believe-- ,kennedy was still looking earnestly at her4 ,miss ,ashton1 he implored1 believe nothing4 ,remember one of the first rules of politics in the organization you are fighting is loyalty4 ,wait until-- ,wait8 she echoed4 ,how can ,i8 ,i hate ,mr4 ,carton for--for even knowing-- she paused just in time to substitute ,mr4 ,murtha for ,mrs4 ,ogleby--such men as ,mr4 ,murtha--secretly4 ,she bit her lip at thus betraying her feelings1 but what she had seen had evidently affected her deeply4 ,it was as though the feet of her idol had turned to clay4 ,just think it over1 urged ,kennedy4 ,don't be too harsh4 ,don't do anything rash4 ,suspend judgment4 ,you won't regret it4 ,kennedy was apparently doing some rapid thinking4 ,let me have the photographs1 he asked at length4 ,they are in ,mr4 ,carton's office1 she answered1 as if she would not soil her hands by touching the filthy things4 ,we excused ourselves and went into ,carton's office4 ,there they were wrapped up1 and across the package was written by one of the clerks1 ,opened by mistake4 ,kennedy opened the package again4 ,sure enough1 there were the photographs--as plain as they could be1 the group including ,carton1 ,mrs4 ,ogleby1 ,murtha1 and another woman1 standing on the porch of a gabled building in the sunshine1 again the four speeding in a touring car1 of which the number could be read faintly1 and other less interesting snapshots4 ,as ,i looked at them ,i said nothing1 but ,i must admit that the whole thing began to assume a suspicious look in my mind in connection with various hints ,i had heard dropped by organization men about probing into the past1 and other insinuations4 ,i felt that far from aiding ,carton1 things were now getting darker4 ,there was nothing but his unsupported word that he had not been in such groups to counterbalance the existence of the actual pictures themselves1 on the surface a graphic clincher to ,dorgan's story4 ,kennedy1 however1 after an examination of the photographs clung no less tenaciously to a purpose he already had in mind1 and instead of leaving them for ,carton1 took them himself1 leaving a note instead4 ,he stopped again to speak to ,margaret ,ashton4 ,i did not hear all of the conversation1 but one phrase struck me1 ,and the worst of it is that he called me up a little while ago and tried to act toward me in the same old way--and that after ,i know what ,i know4 ,i--,i could detect it in his voice4 ,he knew he was concealing something from me4 ,what ,kennedy said to her1 ,i do not know1 but ,i don't think it had much effect4 ,that's the most difficult and unfortunate part of the whole affair1 he sighed as we left4 ,she believes it4 ,i had no comment that was worth while4 ,what was to be done8 ,if people believed it generally1 ,carton was ruined4 ,,xxiii ,,the ,,confession ,dorgan was putting up a bold fight1 at any rate4 ,everyone1 and most of all his opponents who had once thought they had him on the run1 was forced to admit that4 ,moreover1 one could not help wondering at his audacity1 whatever might be the opinion of his dishonesty4 ,but ,i was quite as much struck by the nerve of ,carton4 ,in the face of gathering misfortunes many a man of less stern mettle might have gone to pieces4 ,not so with the fighting ,district ,attorney4 ,it seemed to spur him on to greater efforts4 ,it was a titanic struggle1 this between ,carton and ,dorgan1 and had reached the point where quarter was given or asked by neither4 ,kennedy had retired to his laboratory with the photographs and was studying them with an increasing interest4 ,it was toward the close of the afternoon when the telephone rang and ,kennedy motioned to me to answer it4 ,if it's ,carton1 he said quickly1 tell him ,i'm not here4 ,i'm not ready for him yet and ,i can't be interrupted4 ,i took down the receiver1 prepared to perjure my immortal soul4 ,it was indeed ,carton1 bursting with news and demanding to see ,kennedy immediately4 ,almost before ,i had finished with the carefully framed1 glib excuse that ,i was to make1 he shouted to me over the wire1 ,what do you think1 ,jameson8 ,tell him to come down right away4 ,the impossible has happened4 ,i have got under ,dopey ,jack's guard--he has confessed4 ,it's big4 ,tell ,kennedy ,i'll wait here at my office until he comes4 ,he had hung up the receiver before ,i could question him further4 ,i think it cured ,kennedy1 temporarily of asking me to fib for him over the telephone4 ,he was as anxious as ,i to see ,carton1 now1 and plunged into the remaining work on the photographs eagerly4 ,he finished much sooner than he would1 otherwise1 and only to preserve the decency of the excuse that ,i had made did not hasten down to the ,criminal ,courts ,building before a reasonable time had elapsed4 ,as we entered ,carton's office we could tell from the very atmosphere of the halls that something was happening4 ,the reporters in their little room outside were on the qui vive and ,i heard a whisper and a busy scratching of pencils as we passed in and the presence of someone else in the ,district ,attorney's office was noted4 ,carton met us in a little ante-room4 ,he was all excitement himself1 but ,i could see that it was a clouded triumph4 ,his mind was really elsewhere than on the confession that he was getting4 ,although he did not ask us1 ,i knew that he was thinking only of ,margaret ,ashton and how to regain the ground that he had apparently lost with her4 ,still1 he said nothing about the photographs4 ,i wondered whether it was because of his confidence that ,kennedy would pull him through4 ,you know1 he whispered1 ,i have been working with my assistants on ,dopey ,jack ever since the conviction1 hoping to get a confession from him1 holding out all sorts of promises if he would turn state's evidence and threats if he didn't4 ,it all had no effect4 ,but ,murtha's death seems to have changed all that4 ,i don't know why--whether he thinks it was due to foul play or not1 for he won't say anything about that and evidently doesn't know--but it seems to have changed him4 ,carton said it as though at last a ray of light had struck in on an otherwise black situation1 and that was indeed the case4 ,i suppose1 suggested ,craig1 that as long as ,murtha was alive he would rather have died than say anything that would incriminate him4 ,that's the law of the gang world4 ,but with ,murtha no longer to be shielded1 perhaps he feels released4 ,besides1 it must begin to look to him as though the organization had abandoned him and was letting him shift pretty much for himself4 ,that's it1 agreed ,carton4 ,he has never got it out of his head that ,kahn swung the case against him and ,i've been careful not to dwell on the truth of that ,kahn episode4 ,carton led us into his main office1 where ,rubano was seated with two of ,carton's assistants who were quizzing him industriously and obtaining an amazing amount of information about gang life and political corruption4 ,in fact1 like most criminals when they do confess1 ,dopey ,jack was in danger of confessing too much1 in sheer pride at his own prowess as a bad man4 ,outside1 ,i knew that it was being well noised abroad1 in fact ,i had nodded to an old friend on the ,star who had whispered to me that the editor had already called him up and offered to give ,rubano any sum for a series of articles for the ,sunday supplement on life in the underworld4 ,i knew1 then1 that the organization had heard of it1 by this time--too late4 ,most of the confession was completed by the time we arrived1 but as it had all been carefully taken down we knew we had missed nothing4 ,you see1 ,mr4 ,carton1 ,rubano was saying as we three entered and he turned from the assistant who was quizzing him1 it's like this4 ,i can't tell you all about the ,system4 ,no one can4 ,you understand that4 ,all any of us know is the men next to us--above and below4 ,we may have opinions1 hear gossip1 but that's no good as evidence4 ,i understand1 reassured ,carton4 ,i don't expect that4 ,you must tell me the gossip and rumours1 but all ,i am bartering a pardon for is what you really know1 and you've got to make good1 or the deal is off1 see8 ,he said it in a tone that ,dopey ,jack could understand and the gangster protested4 ,well1 ,mr4 ,carton1 haven't ,i made good8 ,you have so far1 grudgingly admitted ,carton who was greedy for everything down to the uttermost scrap that might lead to other things4 ,now1 who was the man above you1 to whom you reported8 ,mr4 ,murtha1 of course1 replied ,jack1 surprised that anyone should ask so simple a question4 ,that's all right1 explained ,carton4 ,i knew it1 but ,i wanted you on record as saying it4 ,and above ,murtha8 ,why1 you know it is ,dorgan1 replied ,dopey1 only1 as ,i say1 ,i can't prove that for you any better than you can4 ,he has already told about his associates and those he had working under him1 explained ,carton1 turning to us4 ,now ,langhorne--what do you know about him8 ,know about ,langhorne--the fellow that was--that ,i robbed8 repeated ,jack4 ,you robbed8 cut in ,kennedy4 ,so you knew about thermit1 then8 ,dopey smiled with a sort of pride in his work1 much as if he had received a splendid recommendation4 ,yes1 he replied4 ,i knew about it--got it from a peterman who has studied safes and all that sort of thing4 ,i heard he had some secret1 so one night ,i takes him up to ,farrell's and gets him stewed and he tells me4 ,then when ,i wants to use it1 bingo6 there ,i am with the goods4 ,and the girl--,betty ,blackwell--what did she have to do with it8 pursued ,craig4 ,did you get into the office1 learn ,langhorne's habits1 and so on1 from her8 ,dopey ,jack looked at us in disgust4 ,say1 he replied1 if ,i wanted a skirt to help me in such a job1 believe me ,i know plenty that could put it all over that girl4 ,naw1 ,i did it all myself4 ,i picked the lock1 burnt the safe with that powder the guy give me1 and took out something in soft leather1 a lot of typewriting4 ,we were all on our feet in unrestrained excitement4 ,it was the ,black ,book at last6 ,yes1 prompted ,carton1 and what then--what did you do with it8 ,gave it to ,mr4 ,murtha1 of course1 came back the matter-of-fact answer of the young tough4 ,what did he do with it8 demanded ,carton4 ,dopey ,jack shook his head dubiously4 ,it ain't no use trying to kid you1 ,mr4 ,carton4 ,if ,i told you a fake you'd find it out4 ,i'd tell you what he did1 if ,i knew1 but ,i don't--on the level4 ,he just took it4 ,maybe he burnt it--,i don't know4 ,i did my work4 ,unprincipled as the young man was1 ,i could not help the feeling that in this case he was telling only the truth as he knew it4 ,we looked at each other aghast4 ,what if ,murtha had got it and had destroyed it before his death8 ,that was an end of the dreams we had built on its capture4 ,on the other hand1 if he had hidden it there was small likelihood now of finding it4 ,the only chance1 as far as ,i could see1 was that he had passed it along to someone else4 ,and of that ,dopey ,jack obviously knew nothing4 ,still1 his information was quite valuable enough4 ,he had given us the first definite information we had received of it4 ,carton1 his assistants1 and ,kennedy now vigorously proceeded in a sort of kid glove third degree1 without getting any further than convincing themselves that ,rubano genuinely did not know4 ,but the stenographer1 reiterated ,carton1 returning to the line of attack which he had temporarily abandoned4 ,something became of her4 ,she disappeared and even her family haven't a trace of her1 nor any other institutions in the city4 ,we've got something on you1 there1 ,rubano4 ,jack laughed4 ,mr4 ,carton1 he answered easily1 the police put me through the mill on that without finding anything1 and ,i don't believe you have anything4 ,but just to show you that ,i'm on the square with you1 ,i don't mind telling you that ,i got her away4 ,it was dramatic1 the off-hand way in which the gangster told of this mystery that had perplexed us4 ,got her away--how--where8 demanded ,carton fiercely4 ,mr ,murtha gave me some money--a wad4 ,i don't know who gave it to him1 but it wasn't his money4 ,it was to pay her to stay away till this all blew over4 ,oh1 they made it worth her while4 ,so ,i dolled up and saw her--and she fell for it--a pretty good sized wad1 he repeated1 as though he wished some of it had stuck to his own hands4 ,we fairly gasped at the ease and simplicity with which the fellow bandied facts that had been beyond our discovery for days4 ,here was another link in our chain4 ,we could not prove it1 but in all probability it was ,dorgan who furnished the money4 ,even if the ,black ,book were lost1 it was possible that in the retentive memory of this girl there might be much that would take its place4 ,she had seen a chance for providing for the future of herself and her family4 ,all she had to do was to take it and keep quiet4 ,you know where she is1 then8 shot out ,kennedy suddenly4 ,no--not now1 returned ,dopey4 ,she was told to meet me at the ,little ,montmartre4 ,she did4 ,i don't think she knew what kind of place it was1 or she wouldn't have come4 ,he paused1 as though he had something on his mind4 ,go on1 urged ,kennedy4 ,tell all4 ,you must tell all4 ,i was just thinking1 he hesitated4 ,i remember ,i saw ,ike the ,dropper and ,marie ,margot there that day1 too1 with ,martin ,ogleby-- ,martin ,ogleby6 interrupted ,carton in surprise4 ,yes1 ,martin ,ogleby4 ,he hangs about the ,montmartre and the ,futurist1 all those joints4 ,say--,i've been thinking a heap since this case of mine came up4 ,i wonder whether it was all on the level--with me4 ,i gave the money4 ,but was that a stall8 ,perhaps they tried to get back4 ,perhaps she played into their hands--,i saw her watching the sports1 there1 and believe me1 there are some swell lookers4 ,oh well1 ,i don't know4 ,all ,i know is my part4 ,i don't know anything that happened after that4 ,i can't tell what ,i don't know1 can ,i1 ,mr4 ,carton8 ,not very well1 smiled the prosecutor4 ,but you can tell us anything you suspect4 ,i don't know what ,i suspect4 ,i was only a part of the machine4 ,only after ,i read that she disappeared1 ,i began to think there might have been some funny business--,i don't know4 ,eager as we were1 we could only accept this unsatisfactory explanation of the whereabouts of ,betty4 ,after all1 ,i was only a part1 reiterated ,jack4 ,you better ask ,ike--that's all4 ,just then the telephone buzzed4 ,carton was busy and ,kennedy1 who happened to be nearest1 answered it4 ,i fancied that there was a puzzled expression on his face1 as he placed his hand over the transmitter and said to ,carton1 ,here--it's for you4 ,take it4 ,by the way1 where's that thing ,i left down here for recording voices8 ,here in my desk4 ,but you took the cylinder with you4 ,haven't you got another8 ,don't you ever use them for dictating letters8 ,carton nodded and sent his stenographer to get a new one4 ,just a minute1 please1 cut in ,kennedy4 ,mr4 ,carton will be here in a few moments1 now4 ,carton took the telephone and placed his hand over it1 until1 with a nod from ,kennedy as he affixed the machine1 he answered4 ,yes--this is the ,district ,attorney1 we heard him answer4 ,what8 ,rubano8 ,why you can't talk to him4 ,he's a convicted man4 ,here8 ,how do you know he's here8 ,no--,i wouldn't let you talk to him if he was4 ,who are you1 anyway8 ,what's that--you threaten him--you threaten me8 ,you'll get us both1 will you8 ,well1 ,i want to tell you1 you can go plumb--the deuce6 ,the fellow's cut himself off6 ,as ,carton finished1 a peculiar smile played about ,rubano's features4 ,i expected that1 but not so soon1 he said quietly4 ,new ,york'll be no place for me1 ,mr4 ,carton1 after this4 ,you've got to keep your word and smuggle me out4 ,south ,africa1 you know--you promised4 ,i'll keep my word1 ,rubano1 too1 assured ,carton4 ,the nerve of that fellow4 ,where's ,kennedy8 ,we looked about4 ,craig had slipped out quietly during the telephone conversation4 ,before we could start a search for him1 he returned4 ,i thought there was something peculiar about the voice1 he explained4 ,that was why ,i wanted a record of it4 ,while you were talking ,i got your switchboard operator to connect me with central on another wire4 ,the call was from a pay station on the west side4 ,there wasn't a chance to get the fellow1 of course--but ,i have the voice record1 anyhow4 ,dopey ,jack's confession occupied most of the evening and it was late when we got away4 ,carton was overjoyed at the result of his pressure1 and eager to know1 on the other hand1 whether ,kennedy had made any progress yet with his study of the photographs4 ,i could have told him beforehand1 however1 that ,craig would say nothing and he did not4 ,besides1 he had the added mystery of the new phonograph cylinder to engross him1 with the result that we parted from ,carton1 a little piqued at being left out of ,craig's confidence1 but helpless4 ,as for me1 ,i knew it was useless to trail after ,kennedy and when he announced that he was going back to the laboratory1 ,i balked and1 in spite of my interest in the case1 went home to our apartment to bed1 while ,kennedy made a night of it4 ,what he discovered ,i knew no better in the morning than when ,i left him1 except that he seemed highly elated4 ,leisurely he dressed1 none the worse for his late work and after devouring the papers as if there were nothing else in the world so important1 he waited until the middle of the morning before doing anything further4 ,i merely wanted to give ,dorgan a chance to get to his office1 he surprised me with1 finally4 ,come1 ,walter1 ,i think he must be there now4 ,amazed at his temerity in bearding ,dorgan in his very den1 ,i could do nothing but accompany him1 though ,i much feared it was almost like inviting homicide4 ,the ,boss's office was full of politicians1 for it was now approaching dough day1 when the purse strings of the organization were loosed and a flood of potent argument poured forth to turn the tide of election by the force of the only thing that talks loud enough for some men to hear4 ,somehow1 ,kennedy managed to see the ,boss4 ,mr4 ,dorgan1 began ,kennedy quietly1 when we were seated alone in the little ,sanctum of the ,boss1 you will pardon me if ,i seem to be a little slow in coming to the business that has brought me here this morning4 ,first of all ,i may say that you probably share the idea that ever since the days of ,daguerre photography has been regarded as the one infallible means of portraying faithfully any object1 scene1 or action4 ,indeed1 a photograph is admitted in court as irrefutable evidence4 ,for1 when everything else fails1 a picture made through the photographic lens almost invariably turns the tide4 ,however1 such a picture upon which the fate of an important case may rest should be subjected to critical examination1 for it is an established fact that a photograph may be made as untruthful as it may be reliable4 ,he paused4 ,dorgan was regarding him keenly1 but saying nothing4 ,kennedy did not mind1 as he resumed4 ,combination photographs change entirely the character of the initial negative and have been made for the past fifty years4 ,the earliest1 simplest1 and most harmless photographic deception is the printing of clouds in a bare sky4 ,but the retoucher with his pencil and etching tool to-day is very skilful4 ,a workman of ordinary ability can introduce a person taken in a studio into an open-air scene well blended and in complete harmony without a visible trace of falsity4 ,dorgan was growing interested4 ,i need say nothing of how one head can be put on another body in a picture1 pursued ,craig1 nor need ,i say what a double exposure will do4 ,there is almost no limit to the changes that may be wrought in form and feature4 ,it is possible to represent a person crossing ,broadway or walking on ,riverside ,drive1 places he may never have visited4 ,thus a person charged with an offence may be able to prove an alibi by the aid of a skilfully prepared combination photograph4 ,where1 then1 asked ,kennedy1 can photography be considered as irrefutable evidence8 ,the realism may convince all1 except the expert and the initiated after careful study4 ,a shrewd judge will be careful to insist that in every case the negative be submitted and examined for possible alterations by a clever manipulator4 ,kennedy bent his gaze on ,dorgan4 ,now1 ,i do not accuse you1 sir1 of anything4 ,but a photograph has come into my possession in which ,mr4 ,carton is represented as standing in a group on a porch1 with ,mr4 ,murtha1 ,mrs4 ,ogleby1 and an unknown woman4 ,the first three are in poses that show the utmost friendliness4 ,i do not hesitate to say that was originally a photograph of yourself1 ,mr4 ,murtha1 ,mrs4 ,ogleby1 and a woman whom you know well4 ,it is a pretty raw deal1 a fake in which ,carton has been substituted by very excellent photographic forgery4 ,a fake--huh6 repeated ,dorgan1 contemptuously4 ,how about the story of them8 ,there's no negative4 ,you've got to show me that the original print stolen from ,carton1 we'll say1 is a fake4 ,you can't do it4 ,no1 sir1 those pictures were taken this summer4 ,kennedy quietly laid down the bundle of photographs copied from those alleged to have been stolen from ,carton4 ,he was pointing to a shadow of a gable on the house4 ,you see that shadow of the gable1 ,dorgan8 he asked4 ,perhaps you never heard of it1 but it is possible to tell the exact time at which a photograph was taken from a study of the shadows4 ,it is possible in theory and practice1 and it can be trusted absolutely4 ,almost any scientist1 ,dorgan1 may be called in to bear testimony in court nowadays1 but you probably think the astronomer is one of the least likely4 ,well1 the shadow in this picture can be made to prove an alibi for someone4 ,notice4 ,it is seen prominently to the right1 and its exact location on the house is an easy matter4 ,the identification of the gable casting the shadow ought to be easy4 ,to be exact1 ,i have figured it out as #ai4fb feet high4 ,the shadow is #ad4bc feet down1 #ac4aj feet east1 and #c4dc feet north4 ,you see1 ,i am exact4 ,i have to be4 ,in one minute it moves #j4jhj feet upward1 #j4jec feet to the right1 and #j4jif feet in its apparent path4 ,it passes the width of a weatherboard1 #j4cg foot1 in four minutes and thirty-seven seconds4 ,kennedy was talking rapidly of data which he had derived from the study of the photograph as from plumb line1 level1 compass1 and tape1 astronomical triangle1 vertices1 zenith1 pole1 and sun1 declination1 azimuth1 solar time1 parallactic angles1 refraction1 and a dozen other bewildering terms4 ,in spherical trigonometry1 he concluded1 to solve the problem three elements must be known4 ,i know four4 ,therefore1 ,i can take each of the known1 treat it as unknown1 and have four ways to check my result4 ,i find that the time might have been either three o'clock1 twenty-one minutes and twelve seconds in the afternoon1 or #c3ba3ca or #c3ba3bi1 or #c3ba3cc4 ,the average is #c3 #ba3bf and there can be no appreciable error except for a few seconds4 ,i tell you that to show you how close ,i can come4 ,the important thing1 however1 is that the date must have been one of two days1 either ,may #bb or ,july #bb4 ,between these two dates we must decide on evidence other than the shadow4 ,it must have been in ,may1 as the immature condition of the foliage shows4 ,but even if it had been in ,july1 that would be far from the date you allege4 ,why1 ,i could even tell you the year4 ,then1 too1 ,i could look up the weather records and tell something from them4 ,i can really answer1 with an assurance and accuracy superior to the photographer himself1 if you could produce him and he were honest1 as to the real date4 ,the original picture1 aside from being doctored1 was actually taken last ,may4 ,science is not fallible1 but exact in this matter4 ,kennedy felt that he had scored a palpable hit4 ,dorgan was speechless4 ,still1 ,craig hurried on4 ,but1 you may ask1 how about the automobile picture8 ,that also is an unblushing fake4 ,of course ,i must prove that4 ,in the first place you know that the general public has come to recognize the distortion of a photograph as denoting speed4 ,a picture of a car in a race that doesn't lean is rejected4 ,people demand to see speed1 speed1 more speed1 even in pictures4 ,distortion does indeed show speed1 but that1 too1 can be faked4 ,almost everyone knows that the image is projected upside down by the lens on the plate1 and that the bottom of the picture is taken before the top4 ,the camera mechanism admits light1 which makes the picture1 in the manner of a roller blind curtain4 ,the slit travels from the top to the bottom and1 the image on the plate being projected upside down1 the bottom of the object appears on the top of the plate4 ,for instance1 the wheels are taken before the head of the driver4 ,if the car is moving quickly1 the image moves on the plate and each successive part is taken a little in advance of the last4 ,the whole leans forward4 ,by widening the slit and slowing the speed of the shutter1 there is more distortion4 ,now1 that is just what has been done4 ,a picture has been taken of a car owned once by ,murtha1 probably at rest1 with perhaps yourself1 ,murtha1 ,mrs4 ,ogleby1 and your friend in it4 ,the matter of faking ,carton or anyone else is simple4 ,if1 with an enlarging lantern1 the image of this faked picture is thrown on the printing paper like a lantern slide1 and if the right-hand side is moved a little further away than the left1 the top further away than the bottom1 you can in that way print a fraudulent high-speed picture ahead4 ,true1 everything else in the picture1 even if motionless1 is distorted1 and the difference between this faking and the distortion of the shutter can be seen by an expert4 ,but it will pass with most people4 ,in this case1 however1 added ,kennedy suddenly1 the faker was so sure of it that he was careless4 ,instead of getting the plate further from the paper on the right1 he did so on the left4 ,it was further away on the bottom than on the top4 ,he got the distortion1 all right1 enough to satisfy anyone4 ,but it is distortion in the wrong direction6 ,the top of the wheel1 which goes fastest and ought to be most indistinct1 is1 in the fake1 as sharp as any other part4 ,it is a small mistake that was made1 but fatal4 ,your picture is not of a joy ride at all4 ,it is really high speed--backwards6 ,it is too raw1 too raw4 ,you don't think people are going to swallow all that stuff1 do you8 asked ,dorgan coolly1 in spite of the exposures4 ,what of it all8 he asked surlily4 ,i have nothing to do with it1 anyhow4 ,why do you come to me8 ,take it to the proper authorities4 ,shall ,i8 asked ,kennedy quietly1 leaning over and whispering a few words in ,dorgan's ear4 ,i could not hear what he said1 but ,dorgan appeared to be fairly staggered4 ,when ,kennedy passed out of the ,boss's office there was a look of quiet satisfaction on his face which ,i could not fathom4 ,not a word could ,i extract from him on the subject1 either4 ,i was still in the dark as to the result of his visit4 ,,xxiv ,,the ,,debacle ,,of ,,dorgan ,sunday morning came and with it the huge batch of papers which we always took4 ,i looked at them eagerly1 though ,kennedy did not seem to evince much interest1 to see whether the ,carton photographs had been used4 ,there were none4 ,kennedy employed the time in directing some work of his own and had disappeared1 ,i knew not where1 though ,i surmised it was on one of his periodic excursions into the underworld in which he often knocked about1 collecting all sorts of valuable and interesting bits of information to fit together in the mosaic of a case4 ,monday came1 also1 the last day before the election1 with its lull in the heart-breaking activities of the campaign4 ,there were still no pictures published1 but ,kennedy was working in the laboratory over a peculiar piece of apparatus4 ,i've been helping out my own shadows1 was all the explanation he vouchsafed of his disappearances1 as he continued to work4 ,watching ,mrs4 ,ogleby8 ,i hinted4 ,no1 ,i didn't interfere any more with ,miss ,kendall4 ,this was someone else--in another part of the city4 ,he said it with an air that seemed to imply that ,i would learn all about it shortly and ,i did not pursue the subject4 ,meanwhile1 he was arranging something on the top of a large1 flat table4 ,it seemed to be an instrument in two parts1 composed of many levers and discs and magnets1 each part with a roll of paper about five inches wide4 ,on one was a sort of stylus with two silk cords attached at right angles to each other near the point4 ,on the other was a capillary glass tube at the junction of two aluminum arms1 also at right angles to each other4 ,it was quite like old times to see ,kennedy at work in his laboratory again1 and ,i watched him curiously4 ,two sets of wires were attached to each of the instruments1 and they led out of the window to some other wires which had been strung by telephone linemen only a few hours before4 ,craig had scarcely completed his preparations when ,carton arrived4 ,things were going all right in the campaign again1 ,i knew1 at least as far as appeared on the surface4 ,but his face showed that ,carton was clearly dissatisfied with what ,craig had apparently accomplished1 for1 as yet1 he had not told ,carton about his discovery after studying the photographs1 and matters between ,carton and ,margaret ,ashton stood in the same strained condition that they had when last we saw her4 ,i must say that ,i1 too1 was keenly disappointed by the lack of developments in this phase of the case4 ,aside from the fact that the photographs had not actually been published1 the whole thing seemed to me to be a mess4 ,what had ,craig said to ,dorgan8 ,above all1 what was his game8 ,was he playing to spare the girl's feelings merely by allowing the election to go on without a scandal to ,carton8 ,i knew the result of the election was now the least of ,carton's worries4 ,carton did not say much1 but he showed that he thought it high time for ,kennedy to do something4 ,we were seated about the flat table1 wondering when ,kennedy would break his silence1 when suddenly1 as if by a spirit hand1 the stylus before us began to move across one of the rolls of paper4 ,we watched it uncomprehendingly4 ,at last ,i saw that it was actually writing the words4 ,how is it working8 ,quickly ,craig seized the stylus on the lower part of the instrument and wrote in his characteristic scrawl1 ,all right1 go ahead4 ,what is the thing8 asked ,carton1 momentarily forgetting his own worries at the new marvel before us4 ,an instrument that was invented many years ago1 but has only recently been perfected for practical1 every-day use1 the telautograph1 the long-distance writer1 replied ,kennedy1 as we waited4 ,you see1 with what amounts to an ordinary pencil ,i have written on the paper of the transmitter4 ,the silk cord attached to the pencil regulates the current which controls another capillary glass tube-pen at the other end of the line4 ,the receiving pen moves simultaneously with my stylus4 ,it is the same principle as the pantagraph1 cut in half as it were1 one half here1 the other half at the other end of the line1 two telephone wires in this case connecting the halves4 ,ah1--that's it4 ,the pencil of the receiving instrument is writing again4 ,just a moment4 ,let us see what it is4 ,i almost gasped in astonishment at the words that ,i saw4 ,i looked again1 for ,i could not believe my eyes4 ,still1 there it was4 ,my first glance had been correct1 impossible as it was4 ,i1 ,patrick ,murtha1 wrote the pen4 ,what is it8 asked ,carton1 awestruck4 ,a dead hand8 ,stop a minute1 wrote ,kennedy hastily4 ,we bent over him closely4 ,craig had drawn from a packet several letters1 which he had evidently secured in some way from the effects of ,murtha4 ,carefully1 minutely1 he compared the words before us with the signatures at the bottom of the letters4 ,it is genuine6 he cried excitedly4 ,genuine6 ,carton and ,i echoed4 ,what did he mean8 ,was this some kind of spiritism8 ,had ,kennedy turned medium and sought a message from the other world to solve the inexplicable problems of this8 ,it was weird1 uncanny1 unthinkable4 ,we turned to him blankly for an explanation of the mystery4 ,that wasn't ,murtha at all whose body we saw at the ,morgue1 he hurried to explain4 ,that was all a frame-up4 ,i thought as soon as ,i saw it that there was something queer4 ,i recalled now the peculiar look on his face which ,i had interpreted as indicating that he thought ,murtha had been the victim of foul play4 ,and the other night1 when we were in ,carton's office and someone called up threatening you1 ,carton1 and ,dopey ,jack1 ,i saw at once that the voice was concealed4 ,yet there was something about it that was familiar1 though ,i couldn't quite place it4 ,i had heard that voice before1 perhaps while we were getting the records to discover the 'wolf4' ,it occurred to me that if ,i had a record of it ,i might identify it by comparing it with those we had already taken4 ,i got the record4 ,i studied it4 ,i compared it with what ,i already had1 line1 and wave1 and overtone4 ,you can imagine how ,i felt when ,i found there was only one voice with which it corresponded1 and that man was supposed to be dead4 ,something more than intuition as ,i looked at the body that night had roused my suspicions4 ,now they were confirmed4 ,fancy how that information must have burned in my mind1 during these days while ,i knew that ,murtha was alive1 but could say nothing6 ,neither ,carton nor ,i could say a word as we thought of this voice from the dead1 as it almost seemed4 ,i hadn't found him1 continued ,craig1 but ,i knew he had used a pay station on the ,west ,side4 ,i began shadowing everyone who might have helped him1 ,dorgan1 ,kahn1 ,langhorne1 all4 ,i didn't find him4 ,they were too clever4 ,he was hiding somewhere in the city1 a changed personality1 waiting for the thing to blow over4 ,he knew that of all places a city is the best to hide in1 and of all cities ,new ,york is safest4 ,but1 though ,i didn't actually find his hiding place1 ,i had enough on some of his friends so that ,i could get word to him that his secret was known to me1 at least4 ,i made him an offer of safety4 ,he need not come out of his hiding place and ,i would agree to let him go where and when he pleased without further pursuit from me1 if he would let me install a telautograph in a neutral place which he could select and the other end in this laboratory4 ,i myself do not know where the other place is4 ,only a mechanic sworn to secrecy knows and neither ,murtha nor myself know him4 ,if ,murtha comes across1 ,i have given my word of honour that before the world he shall remain a dead man1 free to go where he pleases and enjoy such of his fortune as he was able to fix so that he could carry it with him into his new life4 ,carton and ,i were entranced by the romance of the thing4 ,murtha was alive6 ,the commitment to the asylum1 the escape1 the search1 the finding of a substitute body1 mutilated beyond ordinary recognition1 the mysterious transfers1 and finally the identification in the ,morgue--all had been part of an elaborately staged play6 ,we saw it all1 now4 ,carton had got too close to him in the conviction of ,dopey ,jack and the proceedings against ,kahn4 ,he had seen the handwriting on the wall for himself4 ,in ,carton's gradual climbing1 step by step1 for the man higher up1 he would have been the next to go4 ,murtha had decided that it was time to get out1 to save himself4 ,suddenly1 ,i saw another aspect of it4 ,by dropping out as though dead1 he destroyed a link in the chain that would reach ,dorgan4 ,there was no way of repairing that link if he were dead4 ,it was missing and missing for good4 ,dorgan had known it4 ,had it been a hint as to that which had finally clinched whatever it was that ,kennedy had whispered to the ,silent ,boss that morning when we had seen him in his office8 ,all these thoughts and more flashed through my head with lightning-like rapidity4 ,the telautograph was writing again1 obedient to ,kennedy's signal that he was satisfied with the signature4 444 in consideration of ,craig ,kennedy's agreement to destroy even this record1 agree to give him such information as he has asked for1 after which no further demands are to be made and the facts as already publicly recorded are to stand4 ,just witness it1 asked ,kennedy of us4 ,it is a gentleman's agreement among us all4 ,nervously we set our names to the thing1 only too eager to keep the secret if we could further the case on which we had been almost literally sweating blood so long4 ,prepared though we were for some startling disclosures1 it was1 nevertheless1 with a feeling almost of faintness that we saw the stylus above moving again4 ,the ,black ,book1 as you call it1 it wrote1 has been sent by messenger to be deposited in escrow with the ,gotham ,trust ,company to be delivered1 ,tuesday1 the third of ,november1 on the written order of ,craig ,kennedy and ,john ,carton4 ,an officer of the trust company will notify you of its receipt immediately1 which will close the entire transaction as far as ,i am concerned4 ,kennedy could not wait4 ,he had already seized his own telephone and was calling a number4 ,they have it1 he announced a moment later1 scrawling the information on the transmitter of the telautograph4 ,a moment it was still1 then it wrote again4 ,good-bye and good luck1 it traced4 ,murtha6 ,the ,smiling ,boss could not resist his little joke at the end1 even now4 ,can--we--get it8 asked ,carton1 almost stunned at the unexpected turn of events4 ,no1 cautioned ,kennedy1 not yet4 ,to-morrow4 ,i made the same promise to ,murtha that ,i made to ,dorgan1 when ,i went to him with ,walter1 although ,walter did not hear it4 ,this is to be a fair fight1 for the election1 now4 ,then1 said ,carton earnestly1 ,i may as well tell you that ,i shall not sleep to-night4 ,i can't1 even if ,i can use the book only after election in the clean-up of the city6 ,kennedy laughed4 ,perhaps ,i can entertain you with some other things1 he said gleefully1 adding1 ,about those photographs4 ,carton was as good as his word4 ,he did not sleep1 and the greater part of the night we spent in telling him about what ,craig had discovered by his scientific analysis of the faked pictures4 ,at last morning came4 ,though ,kennedy and ,i had slept soundly in our apartment1 ,carton had in reality only dozed in a chair1 after we closed the laboratory4 ,slowly the hours slipped away until the trust company opened4 ,we were the first to be admitted1 with our order ready signed and personally delivered4 ,as the officer handed over the package1 ,craig tore the wrapper off eagerly4 ,there1 at last1 was the ,black ,book6 ,carton almost seized it from ,kennedy1 turning the pages1 skimming over it1 gloating like a veritable miser4 ,it was the debacle of ,dorgan--the end of the man highest up6 ,,xxv ,,the ,,blood ,,crystals ,much as we had accomplished1 we had not found ,betty ,blackwell4 ,except for her shadowing of ,mrs4 ,ogleby1 ,clare ,kendall had devoted her time to winning the confidence of the poor girl1 ,sybil ,seymour1 whom we had rescued from ,margot's4 ,meanwhile1 the estrangement of ,carton and ,margaret ,ashton threw a cloud over even our success4 ,during the rest of the morning ,craig was at work again in the laboratory4 ,he was busily engaged in testing something through his powerful microscopes and had a large number of curious microphotographs spread out on the table4 ,as ,i watched him1 apparently there was nothing but the blood-stained gauze bandage which had been fastened to the face of the strange1 light-haired woman1 and on the stains on this bandage he was concentrating his attention4 ,i could not imagine what he expected to discover from it4 ,i waited for ,kennedy to speak1 but he was too busy more than to notice that ,i had come in4 ,i fell to thinking of that woman4 ,and the more ,i thought of the fair face1 the more ,i was puzzled by it4 ,i felt somehow or other that ,i had seen it somewhere before1 yet could not place it4 ,a second time ,i examined the unpublished photograph of ,betty ,blackwell as well as the pictures that had been published4 ,the only conclusion that ,i could come to was that it could not be she1 for although she was light-haired and of fair complexion1 the face as ,i remembered it was that of a mature woman who was much larger than the slight ,betty4 ,i was sure of that4 ,every time ,i reasoned it out ,i came to the same contradictory conclusion that ,i had seen her1 and ,i hadn't4 ,i gave it up1 and as ,kennedy seemed indisposed to enlighten me1 ,i went for a stroll about the campus1 returning as if drawn back to him by a lodestone4 ,about him was still the litter of test tubes1 the photographs1 the microscopes2 and he was more absorbed in his delicate work than ever4 ,he looked up from his examination of a little glass slide and ,i could see by the crow's feet in the corners of his eyes that he was not looking so much at me as through me at a very puzzling problem4 ,walter1 he remarked at length1 did you notice anything in particular about that blonde woman who dashed down the steps into the taxicab and escaped from the dope joint8 ,i should say that ,i did1 ,i returned1 glad to ease my mind of what had been perplexing me ever since4 ,i don't want to appear to be foolish1 but1 frankly1 ,i thought ,i had seen her before1 and then when ,i tried to place her ,i found that ,i could not recognize her at all4 ,she seemed to be familiar1 and yet when ,i tried to place her ,i could think of no one with just those features4 ,it was a foolish impression1 ,i suppose4 ,that's exactly it1 he exclaimed4 ,i thought at first it was just a foolish impression1 too1 an intuition which my later judgment rejected4 ,but often those first impressions put you on the track of the truth4 ,i reconsidered4 ,you remember she had dropped that bandage from her face with the blood-stain on it4 ,i picked it up and it occurred to me to try a little experiment with these blood-stains which might show something4 ,he paused a moment and fingered some of the microphotographs4 ,what would you say1 he went on1 if ,i should tell you that a pronounced blonde1 with a fair complexion and thin1 almost hooked1 nose1 was in reality a negress8 ,if it were anyone but you1 ,craig1 ,i replied frankly1 ,i'd be tempted to call him something4 ,but you--well1 what's the answer8 ,how do you know8 ,i wonder if you have ever heard of the ,reichert blood test8 ,well1 the ,carnegie ,institution has recently published an account of it4 ,professor ,edward ,reichert of the ,university of ,pennsylvania has discovered that the blood crystals of all animals and men show characteristic differences4 ,it has even been suggested that before the studies are over photographs of blood corpuscles may be used to identify criminals1 almost like fingerprints4 ,there is much that can be discovered already by the use of these hemoglobin clues4 ,that hemoglobin1 or red colouring matter of the blood1 forms crystals has been known for a long time4 ,these crystals vary in different animals1 as they are studied under the polarizing microscope1 both in form and molecular structure4 ,that is of immense importance for the scientific criminologist4 ,a man's blood is not like the blood of any other living creature1 either fish1 flesh1 or fowl4 ,further1 it is said that the blood of a woman or a man and of different individuals shows differences that will reveal themselves under certain tests4 ,you can take blood from any number of animals and the scientists to-day can tell that it is not human blood1 but the blood1 say1 of an animal4 ,the scientists now can go further4 ,they even hope soon to be able to tell the difference between individuals so closely that they can trace parentage by these tests4 ,already they can actually distinguish among the races of men1 whether a certain sample of blood1 by its crystals1 is from a ,chinaman1 a ,caucasian1 or a negro4 ,each gives its own characteristic crystal4 ,the ,caucasian shows that he is more closely related to one group of primates2 the negro to another4 ,it is scientific proof of evolution4 ,it is all the more wonderful1 ,walter1 when you consider that these crystals are only #a-bbejth of an inch in length and #a-ijjjth of an inch in width4 ,how do you study them8 ,i asked4 ,the method ,i employed was to take a little of the blood and add some oxalate of ammonium to it1 then shake it up thoroughly with ether to free the hemoglobin from the corpuscles4 ,i then separated the ether carefully from the rest of the blood mixture and put a few drops of it on a slide1 covered them with a cover slip and sealed the edges with balsam4 ,gradually the crystals appear and they can be studied and photographed in the usual way--not only the shapes of the crystals1 but also the relation that their angles bear to each other4 ,so it is impossible to mistake the blood of one animal for another or of one race1 like the white race1 for that of another1 like the black4 ,in fact the physical characteristics by which some physicians profess to detect the presence of negro blood are held by other authorities to be valueless4 ,but not so with this test4 ,and you have discovered in this case8 ,i asked4 ,that the blood on the bandage from the face of that woman who escaped was not the blood of a pure ,caucasian4 ,she shows traces of negro blood1 in fact exactly what would have been expected of a mulatto4 ,it dawned on me that the woman must have been ,marie1 after all2 at least that that was what he meant4 ,but1 ,i objected1 one look at her face was enough to show that she was not the dark-skinned ,marie with her straight nose1 her dark hair and other features4 ,this woman was fair1 had a nose that was almost hooked and hair that was almost flaxen4 ,remember the portrait parle4 ,just so--the portrait parle4 ,that is what ,i am remembering4 ,you recall ,carton discovered that in some way these people found out that we were using it8 ,what would they do8 ,why1 they have thought out the only possible way in which to beat it1 don't you see8 ,marie1 ,madame ,margot1 whatever you call her1 had a beauty parlour4 ,oh1 they are clever1 these people4 ,they reasoned it all out4 ,what was a beauty parlour1 a cosmetic surgery1 for1 if it could not be used to save them8 ,they knew we had her scientific description4 ,what was the thing to do1 then8 ,why1 change it1 of course1 change her6 ,kennedy was quite excited now4 ,you know what ,miss ,kendall said of decorative surgery1 there8 ,they change noses1 ears1 foreheads1 chins1 even eyes4 ,they put the thing up to ,dr4 ,harris with his knives and bandages and lotions4 ,he must work quickly4 ,it would take all his time4 ,so he disappeared into ,margot's and stayed there4 ,marie also stayed there until such time as she might be able to walk out1 another person entirely4 ,harris must have had charge of her features4 ,the attendants in ,margot's had charge of her complexion and hair--those were the things in which they specialized4 ,don't you see it all now8 ,she could retire a few days into the dope joint next door and she would emerge literally a new woman ready to face us1 even with ,bertillon's portrait parle against her4 ,it was amazing how quickly ,kennedy pieced the facts together into an explanation4 ,yes1 he concluded triumphantly1 that blonde woman was our dark-skinned mulatto made over--,marie4 ,but they can't escape the power of science1 even by using science themselves4 ,she might change her identity to our eyes1 but she could not before the ,reichert test and the microscope4 ,no1 the ,ethiopian could not change her skin before the eye of science4 ,it was late in the afternoon that ,kennedy received a hurried telephone call from ,miss ,kendall4 ,i could tell by the scraps of conversation which ,i overheard that it was most important4 ,that girl1 ,sybil ,seymour1 has broken down1 was all he said as he turned from the instrument4 ,she will be here to-day with ,miss ,kendall4 ,you must see ,carton immediately4 ,tell him not to fail to be here1 at the laboratory1 this afternoon at three1 sharp4 ,he was gone before ,i could question him further and there was nothing for me to do but to execute the commission he had laid on me4 ,i met ,carton at his club1 relating to him all that ,i could about the progress of the case4 ,he seemed interested but ,i could see that his mind was really not on it4 ,the estrangement between him and ,margaret ,ashton outweighed success in this case and even in the election4 ,half an hour before the appointed time1 however1 we arrived at the laboratory in ,carton's car1 to find ,kennedy already there1 putting the finishing touches on the preparations he was making to receive his guests4 ,dorgan will be here1 he answered1 evading ,carton's question as to what he had discovered4 ,dorgan8 we repeated in surprise4 ,yes4 ,i have made arrangements to have ,martin ,ogleby1 too4 ,they won't dare stay away4 ,ike the ,dropper1 ,dr4 ,harris1 and ,marie ,margot have not been found yet1 but ,miss ,kendall will bring ,sybil ,seymour4 ,then we shall see4 ,the door opened4 ,it was ,ogleby4 ,he bowed stiffly1 but before he could say anything1 a noise outside heralded the arrival of someone else4 ,it proved to be ,dorgan1 who had come from an opposite direction4 ,dorgan seemed to treat the whole affair with contempt1 which he took pleasure in showing4 ,he was cool and calm1 master of himself1 in any situation no matter how hostile4 ,as we waited1 the strained silence1 broken only by an occasional whisper between ,carton and ,kennedy1 was relieved even by the arrival of ,miss ,kendall and ,sybil ,seymour in a cab4 ,as they entered ,i fancied that a friendship had sprung up between the two1 that ,miss ,kendall had won her fight for the girl4 ,indeed1 ,i suspect that it was the first time in years that the girl had had a really disinterested friend of either sex4 ,i thought ,ogleby visibly winced as he caught sight of ,miss ,seymour4 ,he evidently had not expected her1 and ,i thought that perhaps he had no relish for the recollection of the ,montmartre which her presence suggested4 ,miss ,seymour1 now like herself as she had appeared first behind the desk at the hotel1 only subdued and serious1 seemed ill at ease4 ,dorgan1 on the other hand1 bowed to her brazenly and mockingly4 ,he was evidently preparing against any surprises which ,craig might have in store1 and maintained his usual surly silence4 ,perhaps1 hemmed ,ogleby1 clearing his throat and looking at his watch ostentatiously1 ,professor ,kennedy can inform us regarding the purpose of this extra-legal proceeding8 ,some of us1 ,i know1 have other engagements4 ,i would suggest that you begin1 ,professor4 ,he placed a sarcastic emphasis on the word professor1 as the two men faced each other--,craig tall1 clean-cut1 earnest2 ,ogleby polished1 smooth1 keen4 ,very well1 replied ,craig with that steel-trap snap of his jaws which ,i knew boded ill for someone4 ,it is not necessary for me to repeat what has happened at the ,montmartre and the beauty parlour adjoining it1 began ,kennedy deliberately4 ,one thing1 however1 ,i want to say4 ,twice1 now1 ,i have seen ,dr4 ,harris handing out packets of drugs--once to ,ike the ,dropper1 agent for the police and a corrupt politician1 and once to a mulatto woman1 almost white1 who conducted the beauty parlour and dope joint which ,i have mentioned1 a friend and associate of ,ike the ,dropper1 a constant go-between from ,ike to the corrupt person higher up4 ,this woman1 whom ,i have just mentioned1 we have been seeking by use of ,bertillon's new system of the portrait parle4 ,she has escaped1 for the time1 by a very clever ruse1 by changing her very face in the beauty parlour4 ,she is ,madame ,margot herself6 ,not a word was breathed by any of the little audience as they hung on ,kennedy's words4 ,why was it necessary to get ,betty ,blackwell out of the way8 he asked suddenly1 then without waiting for an answer1 ,you know and ,district ,attorney ,carton knows4 ,someone was afraid of ,carton and his crusade4 ,someone wanted to destroy the value of that ,black ,book1 which ,i now have4 ,the only safety lay in removing the person whose evidence would be required in court to establish it--,betty ,blackwell4 ,and the manner8 ,what more natural than to use the dope fiends and the degenerates of the ,montmartre gang8 ,that's silly1 interrupted ,ogleby contemptuously4 ,silly8 ,you can say that--you1 the tool of that--that monster8 ,it was a woman's voice that interrupted4 ,i turned4 ,sybil ,seymour1 her face blazing with resentment1 had risen and was facing ,ogleby squarely4 ,you lie6 exclaimed the ,silent ,boss1 forgetting both his silence and his superciliousness4 ,the situation was tense as the girl faced him4 ,go on1 ,sybil1 urged ,clare4 ,be careful1 woman1 cried ,dorgan roughly4 ,sybil ,seymour turned quickly to her new assailant4 ,you are the man for whom we were all coined into dollars1 she scorned1 ,dorgan--politician1 man higher up6 ,you reaped the profits through your dirty agent1 ,ike the ,dropper1 and those over him1 even the police you controlled4 ,dr4 ,harris1 ,marie ,margot1 all are your tools--and the worst of them all is this man ,martin ,ogleby6 ,dorgan's face was livid4 ,for once in his life he was speechless rather than silent1 as the girl poured out the inside gossip of the ,montmartre which ,kennedy had now stamped with the earmarks of legal proof4 ,she had turned from ,dorgan1 as if from an unclean animal and was now facing ,ogleby4 ,as for you1 ,martin ,ogleby1 they call you a club-man and society leader4 ,do you want to know what club ,i think you really belong to--you who have involved one girl after another in the meshes of this devilish ,system8 ,you belong to the ,abduction ,club--that is what ,i would call it--you--you libertine6 ,,xxvi ,,the ,,white ,,slave ,carton had sprung to his feet at the direct charge and was facing ,ogleby4 ,is that true--about the ,montmartre8 he demanded4 ,ogleby fairly sputtered4 ,she lies1 he almost hissed4 ,just a moment1 interrupted ,dorgan4 ,what has that to do with ,miss ,blackwell1 anyhow8 ,sybil ,seymour did not pause4 ,it is true1 she reiterated4 ,this is what it has to do with ,betty ,blackwell4 ,listen4 ,he is the man who led me on1 who would have done the same to ,betty ,blackwell4 ,i yielded1 but she fought4 ,they could not conquer her--neither by drugs nor drink1 nor by clothes1 nor a good time1 nor force4 ,i saw it all in the ,montmartre and the beauty parlour--all4 ,lies--all lies1 hissed ,ogleby1 beside himself with anger4 ,no1 no1 cried ,sybil4 ,i do not lie4 ,mr4 ,carton and this good woman1 ,miss ,kendall1 who is working for him1 are the first people ,i have seen since you1 ,martin ,ogleby1 brought me to the ,montmartre1 who have ever given me a chance to become again what ,i was before you and your friends got me4 ,have a care1 young woman1 interrupted ,dorgan1 recovering himself as she proceeded4 ,there are laws and-- ,i don't care a rap about laws such as yours4 ,as for gangs--that was what you were going to say--,i'd snap my fingers in the face of ,ike the ,dropper himself if he were here4 ,you could kill me1 but ,i would tell the truth4 ,let me tell you my case1 she continued1 turning in appeal to the rest of us1 the case of a poor girl in a small city near ,new ,york1 who liked a good time1 liked pretty clothes1 a ride in an automobile1 theatres1 excitement1 bright lights1 night life4 ,i liked them4 ,he knew that4 ,he led me on1 made me like him4 ,and when ,i began to show the strain of the pace--we all show it more than the men--he cast me aside1 like a squeezed-out lemon4 ,sybil ,seymour was talking rapidly1 but she was not hysterical4 ,already you know ,betty ,blackwell's story--part of it1 she hurried on4 ,miss ,kendall has told me--how she was bribed to disappear4 ,but beyond that--what8 ,for a moment she paused4 ,no one said a word4 ,here at last was the one person who held the key to the mystery4 ,she did disappear4 ,she kept her word4 ,at last she had money1 the one thing she had longed for4 ,at last she was able to gratify those desires to play the fashionable lady which her family had always felt4 ,what more natural1 then1 than while she must keep in hiding to make one visit to the beauty parlour to which so many society women went--,margot's8 ,it was there that she went on the day that she disappeared4 ,we were hanging breathlessly now on the words of the girl as she untangled the sordid story4 ,and then8 prompted ,kennedy4 ,then came into play another arm of the ,system1 she replied4 ,they tried to make sure that she would disappear4 ,they tried the same arts on her that they had on me--this man and the gang about him4 ,he played on her love of beauty and ,madame ,margot helped him4 ,he used the ,montmartre and the ,futurist to fascinate her1 but still she was not his4 ,she let herself drift along1 perhaps because she knew that her family was every bit the equal socially of his own4 ,madame ,margot tried drugs2 first the doped cigarette1 then drugs that had to be forced on her4 ,she kept her in that joint for days by force2 and there where ,i went for relief day after day from my own bitter thoughts ,i saw her1 in that hell which ,miss ,kendall now by her evidence will close forever4 ,still she would not yield4 ,i saw it all4 ,maybe you will say ,i was jealous because ,i had lost him4 ,i was not4 ,i hated him4 ,you do not know how close hate can be to love in the heart of a woman4 ,i could not help it4 ,i had to write a letter that might save her4 ,miss ,kendall has told me about the typewritten letters2 how you1 ,professor ,kennedy1 traced them to the ,montmartre4 ,i wrote them1 ,i admit1 for these people4 ,i wrote that stuff about drugs for ,dr4 ,harris4 ,and ,i wrote the first letter of all to the ,district ,attorney4 ,i wrote it for myself and signed it as ,i am--,god forgive me--',an ,outcast4' ,the poor girl1 overwrought by the strain of the confession that laid bare her very soul1 sank back in her chair and cried1 as ,miss ,kendall gently tried to soothe her4 ,dorgan and ,ogleby listened sullenly4 ,never in their lives had they dreamed of such a situation as this4 ,there was no air of triumph about ,kennedy now over the confession1 which with the aid of ,miss ,kendall1 he had staged so effectively4 ,rather it was a spirit of earnestness1 of retribution1 justice4 ,you know all this8 he inquired gently of the girl4 ,i saw it1 she said simply1 raising her bowed head4 ,dorgan had been doing some quick thinking4 ,he leaned over and whispered quickly to ,ogleby4 ,why was she not discovered then when these detectives broke into the private house--an act which they themselves will have to answer for when the time comes8 demanded ,ogleby4 ,it seemed as if the mere sound of his voice roused the girl4 ,because it was dangerous to keep her there any longer1 she replied4 ,i heard the talk about the hotel1 the rumour that someone was using this new ,french detective scheme4 ,i heard them blame the ,district ,attorney--who was clever enough to have others working on the case whom you did not know4 ,while you were watching his officers1 ,mr4 ,kennedy and ,miss ,kendall were gathering evidence almost under your very eyes4 ,but you were panic-stricken4 ,you and your agents wanted to remove the danger of discovery4 ,dr4 ,harris and ,marie ,margot had a plan which you grasped at eagerly4 ,there was ,ike the ,dropper1 that scoundrel who lives on women4 ,between them you would spirit her away4 ,you were glad to have them do it1 little realizing that1 with every step1 they had you involved deeper and worse4 ,you forgot everything1 all honour and manhood in your panic2 you were ready to consent1 to urge any course that would relieve you--and you have taken the course that involves you worse than any other4 ,who will believe a story like that8 demanded ,ogleby4 ,what are you--according to your own confession8 ,am ,i to be charged with everything this gang1 as you call it1 does8 ,you are their agent1 perhaps working for this blackmailing crew4 ,but ,i tell you1 ,i will fight1 ,i will not be blackened by-- ,sybil laughed1 half hysterically4 ,blackened8 she repeated4 ,you who would put this thing all off on others who worked for you1 who played on your vices and passions1 not because you were weak1 but because you thought you were above the law6 ,you did not care what became of that girl1 so long as she was where she could not accuse you4 ,you left her to that gang1 to ,ike1 to ,marie1 to ,harris4 ,she paused a moment1 and flashed a quick glance of scorn at him4 ,do you want to know what has become of her1 what you are responsible for8 ,i will tell you4 ,they had other ideas than just getting her out of the way of your selfish career4 ,they are in this life for money4 ,betty ,blackwell to them was a marketable article1 a piece of merchandise in the terrible traffic which they carry on4 ,if she had been yielding1 like the rest of us1 she might now be apparently free1 yet held by a bondage as powerful and unescapable as if it were of iron1 a life from which she could not escape4 ,but she was not yielding4 ,they would break her4 ,perhaps you have tried to ease your conscience1 if you have any1 by the thought that it is they1 not you1 who have her hidden away somewhere now4 ,you cannot escape that way2 it was you who made her1 who made others of us1 what we are4 ,let her rave1 ,ogleby1 sneered ,dorgan4 ,yes--raving1 that's it1 echoed ,ogleby4 ,but his expression belied him4 ,there it is1 she continued4 ,you have not even an opinion of your own4 ,you repeat even the remarks of others4 ,they have you in their power4 ,you have put yourself there4 ,all very pretty1 remarked ,dorgan with biting sarcasm4 ,all very cleverly thought out4 ,so nice here6 ,wait until you have to tell that story in court4 ,you know the first rule of equity8 ,do you go into court with clean hands8 ,there is a day of reckoning coming to you1 young woman1 and to these other meddlers here--whether they are playing politics or meddling just because they are old-maidish busy-bodies4 ,she was facing the politician with burning cheeks4 ,you1 she scorned1 belong to an age that is passing away4 ,you cannot understand these people like ,miss ,kendall1 like ,mr4 ,carton1 who cannot be bought and controlled like your other creatures4 ,you do not know how the underworld can turn on the upperworld4 ,you would not pull us up--you shoved us down deeper1 in your greed4 ,but if we go down1 we shall drag you1 too4 ,what have we to lose8 ,you and your creatures1 like ,martin ,ogleby1 have taken everything from us4 ,we-- ,come1 ,ogleby1 interposed ,dorgan1 deliberately turning his back on her and slowly placing his hat on his half-bald head4 ,we are indebted to ,professor ,kennedy for a pleasant entertainment4 ,when he has another show equally original we trust he will not forget the first-nighters who have enjoyed this farce4 ,dorgan had reached the door and had his hand on the knob4 ,i had expected ,kennedy to reply4 ,but he said nothing4 ,instead his hand stole along the edge of the table beside which he was standing4 ,good-night1 bowed ,dorgan with mock solemnity4 ,thank you for laying the cards on the table4 ,we shall know how to play-- ,dorgan cut the words short4 ,kennedy had touched the button of an electric attachment which was under the table by which he could lock every door and window of the laboratory instantly and silently4 ,well8 demanded ,dorgan fiercely1 though there was a tremble in his voice that had never been heard before4 ,where is ,betty ,blackwell8 demanded ,craig1 turning to ,sybil ,seymour4 ,where did they take her8 ,we hung breathlessly on the answer4 ,was she being held as a white slave in some obscure den8 ,i knew that that did not mean that she was necessarily imprisoned behind locked doors and barred windows1 although even that might be the case4 ,i knew that the restraint might be just as effective1 even though it was not actually or wholly physical4 ,an ordinary girl1 ,i reasoned1 with little knowledge of her rights or of the powers which she might call to her aid if she knew how to summon them1 might she not be so hemmed in by the forces into whose hands she had fallen as to be practically held in bonds which she could not break8 ,here was ,sybil herself6 ,once she had been like ,betty ,blackwell4 ,indeed1 when she seemed to have every chance to escape she did not4 ,she knew how she could be pursued1 hounded at every turn1 forced back1 and her only course was to sink deeper into the life4 ,the thought of what might be accomplished by drugs startled me4 ,clare bent over the poor girl reassuringly4 ,what was it that seemed to freeze her tongue now8 ,was it still some vestige of the old fear under which she had been held so long8 ,clare strove1 although we could not hear what she was saying1 to calm her4 ,at last ,sybil raised her head1 with a wild cry1 as if she were sealing her own doom4 ,it was ,ike4 ,he kept us all in terror4 ,oh1 if he hears he will kill me1 she blurted out4 ,where did he take her8 asked ,clare4 ,she had broken down the girl's last fear4 ,to that place on the ,west ,side--that black and tan joint1 where ,marie ,margot came from before the gang took her in4 ,carton1 called ,kennedy4 ,you and ,walter will take ,miss ,kendall and ,miss ,seymour4 ,let me see4 ,dorgan1 ,ogleby1 and myself will ride in the taxicab4 ,carton was toying ostentatiously with a police whistle as ,dorgan hesitated1 then entered the cab4 ,i think at the joint1 as we pulled up with a rush after our wild ride downtown1 they must have thought that a party of revellers had dropped in to see the sights4 ,it was perhaps just as well that they did1 for there was no alarm at first4 ,as we entered the black and tan joint1 ,i took another long look at its forbidding exterior4 ,below1 it was a saloon and dance hall2 above1 it was a hotel4 ,it was weatherbeaten1 dirty1 and unsightly1 without1 except for the entrance2 unsanitary1 ramshackle1 within1 except for the tawdry decorations4 ,at every window were awnings and all were down1 although it was on the shady side of the street in the daytime and it was now getting late4 ,that was the mute sign post to the initiated of the character of the place4 ,instead of turning downstairs where we had gone on our other visit1 ,kennedy led the way up through a door that read1 ,hotel ,entrance--,office4 ,a clerk at a desk in a little alcove on the second floor mechanically pushed out a register at us1 then seeming to sense trouble1 pulled it back quickly and with his foot gave a sharp kick at the door of a little safe1 locking the combination4 ,i'm looking for someone1 was all ,kennedy said4 ,this is the ,district ,attorney4 ,we'll go through-- ,yes1 you will6 ,it was ,ike the ,dropper4 ,he had heard the commotion1 and1 seeing ladies1 came to the conclusion that it was not a police plainclothes raid1 but some new game of the reformers4 ,he stopped short in amazement at the sight of ,dorgan and ,ogleby4 ,well--,i'll be-- ,carton6 ,walter6 shouted ,kennedy4 ,take care of him4 ,watch out for a knife or gun4 ,he's soft1 though4 ,carton--the whistle6 ,our struggle with the redoubtable ,ike was short and quickly over4 ,sullen1 and with torn clothes and bleeding face1 we held him until the policeman arrived1 and turned him over to the law4 ,at a room on the same floor ,craig knocked4 ,come in1 answered a woman's voice4 ,he pushed open the door4 ,there was the woman who had fled so precipitately from the dope joint4 ,evidently she did not recognize us4 ,you are under arrest1 announced ,kennedy4 ,the blonde woman laughed mockingly4 ,under arrest8 ,for what8 ,you are ,marie ,margot4 ,never mind about your alias4 ,all the arts of your employees and ,dr4 ,harris himself cannot change you so that ,i cannot recognize you4 ,you may feel safe from the portrait parle1 but there are other means of detection that you never dreamed of4 ,where is ,betty ,blackwell8 ,marie1 it's all off6 ,all the brazen assurance with which she had met us was gone4 ,she looked from one to the other and read that it was the end4 ,with a shriek1 she suddenly darted past us1 out of the door4 ,down the hall was ,ike the ,dropper with the policeman and ,carton4 ,beside her was a stairway leading to the upper floors4 ,she chose the stairs4 ,following ,kennedy we hurried through the hotel1 from one dirty room to another1 with their loose and creaking floors1 rotten and filthy1 sagging as we walked1 covered with matting that was rotting away4 ,damp and unventilated1 the air was heavy and filled with foul odours of tobacco1 perfumery1 and cheap disinfectants4 ,there seemed to have been no attempt to keep the place clean4 ,the rooms were small and separated by thin partitions through which conversations in even low tones could be heard4 ,the furniture was cheap and worn with constant use4 ,downstairs we could hear the uproar as the news spread that the ,district ,attorney was raiding the place4 ,as fast as they could the sordid crowd in the dance hall and cabaret was disappearing4 ,now and then we could hear a door bang1 a hasty conference1 and then silence as some of the inmates realized that upstairs all escape was cut off4 ,on the top floor we came to a door1 locked and bolted4 ,with all the force that he could gather in the narrow hall1 ,kennedy catapulted himself against it4 ,it yielded in its rottenness with a crash4 ,a woman1 in all her finery1 lay across the foot of a bed1 a formless heap4 ,kennedy turned her over4 ,it was ,marie1 motionless1 but still breathing faintly4 ,in an armchair1 with his hands hanging limply down almost to the floor1 his head sagging forward on his chest1 sprawled ,harris4 ,kennedy picked up a little silver receptacle on the floor where it lay near his right hand4 ,it was nearly empty1 but as he looked from it quickly to the two insensible figures before us he muttered3 ,morphine4 ,they have robbed the law of its punishment4 ,he bent over the suicides1 but it was too late to do anything for them4 ,they had paid the price4 ,my heavens6 he exclaimed suddenly1 as a thought flashed over his mind4 ,i hope they have not carried the secret of ,betty ,blackwell with them to the grave4 ,where is ,miss ,kendall8 ,down the hall1 cut off from the rest of the hotel into a sort of private suite1 ,clare had entered one of the rooms and was bending over a pale1 wan shadow of a girl1 tossing restlessly on a bed4 ,the room was scantily furnished with a dilapidated bureau in one corner and a rickety washstand equipped with a dirty washbowl and pitcher4 ,a few cheap chromos on the walls were the only decorations1 and a small badly soiled rug covered a floor innocent for many years of soap4 ,i looked sharply at the girl lying before us4 ,somehow it did not occur to me who she was4 ,she was so worn that anyone might safely have transported her through the streets and never have been questioned1 in spite of the fact that every paper in the country which prints pictures had published her photograph1 not once but many times4 ,it was ,betty ,blackwell at last1 struggling against the drugs that had been forced on her1 half conscious1 but with one firm and acute feeling left--resistance to the end4 ,kennedy had dropped on his knees before her and was examining her closely4 ,open the windows--more air1 he ordered4 ,walter1 see if you can find some ice water and a little stimulant4 ,while ,craig was taking such restorative measures as were possible on the spur of the moment1 ,miss ,kendall gently massaged her head and hands4 ,she seemed to understand that she was in the hands of friends1 and though she did not know us her mute look of thanks was touching4 ,don't get excited1 my dear1 breathed ,miss ,kendall into her ear4 ,you will be all right soon4 ,as the wronged girl relaxed from her constant tension of watching1 it seemed as if she fell into a stupor4 ,now and then she moaned feebly1 and words1 half-formed1 seemed to come to her lips only to die away4 ,suddenly she seemed to have a vision more vivid than the rest4 ,no--no--,mr4 ,ogleby--leave me4 ,where--my mother--oh1 where is mother8 she cried hysterically1 sitting bolt upright and staring at us without seeing us4 ,kennedy passed the broad palm of his hand over her forehead and murmured1 ,there1 there1 you are all right now4 ,then he added to us3 ,i did not send for her mother because ,i wasn't sure that we might find her even as well as this4 ,will someone find ,carton8 ,get the address and send a messenger for ,mrs4 ,blackwell4 ,sybil was on her knees by the bedside of the girl1 holding ,betty's hand in both of her own4 ,you poor1 poor girl1 she cried softly4 ,it is--dreadful4 ,she had sunk her head into the worn and dirty covers of the bed4 ,kennedy reached over and took hold of her arm4 ,she will be all right1 soon1 he said reassuringly4 ,miss ,kendall will take good care of her4 ,as we descended the stairs1 we could see ,carton at the foot4 ,a patrol wagon had been backed up to the curb in front and the inmates of the place were being taken out1 protesting violently at being detained4 ,further down the hall1 by the office1 ,dorgan and ,ogleby were storming1 protesting that influence would break everyone concerned1 from ,carton down to the innocent patrolmen4 ,kennedy listened a moment1 then turned to ,clare ,kendall4 ,i will leave ,miss ,blackwell in your care1 he said quietly4 ,it is on her we must rely to prove the contents of the ,black ,book4 ,clare nodded1 as1 with a clang1 ,carton drove off with his prisoners to see them safely entered on the blotter4 ,our work is over1 remarked ,kennedy1 turning again to ,miss ,kendall1 in a tone as if he might have said more1 but refrained4 ,looking ,craig frankly in the eye1 she extended her hand in that same cordial straight-arm shake with which she had first greeted us1 and added1 ,but not the memory of this fight we have won4 ,,xxvii ,,the ,,election ,,night ,it was election night4 ,kennedy and ,carton had arranged between them that we were all to receive the returns at the headquarters of the ,reform ,league1 where one of the papers which was particularly interested1 had installed several special wires4 ,the polls had scarcely closed when ,kennedy and ,i1 who had voted early1 if not often1 in spite of our strenuous day1 hastened up to the headquarters4 ,already it was a scene of activity4 ,the first election district had come in1 one on the lower ,east ,side1 which was a stronghold of ,dorgan1 where the count could be made quickly1 for there were no split tickets there4 ,dorgan had drawn first blood4 ,i hope it isn't an omen1 smiled ,carton1 like a good sport4 ,kennedy smiled quietly4 ,we looked about1 but ,miss ,ashton was not there4 ,i wondered why not and where she was4 ,the first returns had scarcely begun to filter in1 though1 when ,craig leaned over and whispered to me to go out and find her1 either at her home1 or if not there1 at a woman's club of which she was one of the leading members4 ,i found her at home and sent up my card4 ,she had apparently lost interest in the election and it was with difficulty that ,i could persuade her to accompany me to the ,league headquarters4 ,however1 ,i argued the case with what ability ,i had and finally she consented4 ,the other members of the ,ashton family had monopolized the cars and we were obliged to take a taxicab4 ,as our driver threaded his way slowly and carefully through the thronged streets it gave us a splendid chance to see some of the enthusiasm4 ,i think it did ,margaret ,ashton good1 too1 to get out1 instead of brooding over the events of the past few days1 as she had seen them4 ,her heightened colour made her more attractive than ever4 ,the excitement of any other night in the year paled to insignificance before this4 ,distracted crowds everywhere were cheering and blowing horns4 ,now a series of wild shouts broke forth from the dense mass of people before a newspaper bulletin board4 ,now came sullen groans1 hisses1 and catcalls1 or all together1 with cheers1 as the returns swung in another direction4 ,not even baseball could call out such a crowd as this4 ,enterprising newspapers had established places at which they flashed out the returns on huge sheets on every prominent corner4 ,some of them had bands1 and moving pictures1 and elaborate forms of entertainment for the crowds4 ,now and then1 where the crowd was more than usually dense1 we had to make a wide detour4 ,even the quieter streets seemed alive4 ,on some boys had built huge bonfires from barrels and boxes that had been saved religiously for weeks or surreptitiously purloined from the grocer or the patient house-holder4 ,about the fires1 they kept an ever watchful eye for the descent of their two sworn enemies--the policeman and the rival gang privateering in the name of a hostile candidate4 ,boys with armfuls of newspapers were everywhere1 selling news that in the rapid-fire change of the statistics seemed almost archeologically old4 ,lights blazed on every side4 ,automobiles honked and ground their gears4 ,the lobster palaces1 where for weeks1 ,francois1 ,carl1 and ,william had been taking small treasury notes for tables reserved against the occasion1 were thronged4 ,in theatres people squirmed uneasily until the ends of acts1 in order to listen to returns read from the stage before the curtain4 ,police were everywhere4 ,people with horns1 and bells1 and all manner of noise-making devices1 with confetti and ticklers pushed up on one side of ,broadway and down on the other4 ,at every square they congested foot and vehicle traffic1 as they paused ravenously to feed on the meagre bulletins of news4 ,yet back of all the noise and human energy1 as a newspaperman1 ,i could think only of the silent1 systematic gathering and editing of the news1 of the busy scenes that each journal's office presented1 the haste1 the excitement1 the thrill in the very smell of the printer's ink4 ,miss ,ashton1 ,i was glad to note1 as we proceeded downtown1 fell more and more into the spirit of the adventure4 ,high up in the ,league headquarters in the tower1 when we arrived1 it was almost like a newspaper office1 to me4 ,a corps of clerks was tabulating returns1 comparing official and semi-official reports4 ,as first the city swung one way1 then another1 our hopes rose and fell4 ,i could not help noticing1 however1 after a while that ,miss ,ashton seemed cold and ill at ease4 ,there was such a crowd there of ,leaguers and their friends that it was easily possible for her not to meet ,carton4 ,but as ,i circulated about in the throng1 ,i came upon him4 ,carton looked worried and was paying less attention to the returns than seemed natural4 ,it was evident that1 in spite of the crowd1 she had avoided him and he hesitated to seek her out4 ,there were so many things to think of thrusting themselves into one's attention that ,i could follow none consistently4 ,first ,i found myself wondering about ,carton and ,miss ,ashton4 ,before ,i knew it ,i was delivering a snap judgment on whether the uptown residence district returns would be large enough to overcome the hostile downtown vote4 ,i was frankly amazed1 now1 to see how strongly the city as a whole was turning to the ,reform ,league4 ,a boy1 pushing through the crowd1 came upon ,kennedy and myself1 talking to ,miss ,ashton4 ,he shoved a message quickly into ,craig's hand and disappeared4 ,for heaven's sake6 he exclaimed as he tore open the envelope and read4 ,what do you think of that8 ,my shadows report that ,martin ,ogleby has been arrested and his confession will be enough1 with the ,black ,book and ,betty ,blackwell1 to indict ,dorgan4 ,kahn has committed suicide6 ,hartley ,langhorne has sailed for ,paris on the ,french line1 with ,mrs4 ,ogleby6 ,mary ,ogleby--eloped8 repeated ,miss ,ashton1 aghast4 ,the very name seemed to call up unpleasant associations and her face plainly showed it4 ,kennedy had said nothing to her since the day when he had pleaded with her to suspend judgment4 ,by the way1 he said in a low voice1 leaning over toward her1 have you heard that those pictures of her were faked8 ,it was really ,dorgan1 and some crook photographer cut out his face and substituted ,carton's4 ,we got the ,black ,book1 this morning1 too1 and it tells the story of ,mrs4 ,ogleby's misadventures--as well as a lot of much more important things4 ,we got it from ,mr4 ,murtha and--- ,mr4 ,murtha8 she inquired1 in surprise4 ,it is a secret1 but ,i think ,i can violate it to a certain extent for ,mr4 ,carton is a party to it and-- ,kennedy paused4 ,he was speaking with the assurance of one who assumed that ,john ,carton and ,margaret ,ashton had no secrets4 ,she saw it1 and coloured deeply4 ,then he lowered his voice further to a whisper and when he finished1 her face was even a deeper scarlet4 ,but her eyes had a brightness they had lacked for days4 ,and ,i could see the emotion she felt as her slight form quivered with excitement4 ,kennedy excused himself and we worked our way through the press toward ,carton4 ,dorgan has lost his nerve6 ejaculated ,craig as we came up with him1 watching district after district which showed that the ,boss's usual pluralities were being seriously reduced4 ,lost his nerve8 repeated ,carton4 ,yes4 ,i told him ,i would publish the whole affair of the photographs just as ,i knew it1 not caring whom it hit4 ,i advised him to read his revised statutes again about money in elections and ,i added the threat1 ',there will be no dough day or it will be carried to the limit1 ,dorgan1 and ,i will resurrect ,murtha in an hour6' ,you should have seen his face6 ,there was no dough day4 ,that's what ,i meant when ,i said it was to be a fair fight4 ,you see the effect on the returns4 ,carton was absolutely speechless4 ,the tears stood in his eyes as he grasped ,kennedy's hand1 then swung around to me4 ,a terrific cheer broke out among the clerks in the outer office4 ,one of them rushed in with a still unblotted report4 ,kennedy seized it and read3 ,dorgan concedes the city by a safe plurality to ,carton1 fifty-two election districts estimated4 ,this clinches the ,reform ,league victory4 ,i turned to ,carton4 ,behind us1 through the crowd1 had followed a young lady and now ,carton had no ears for anything except the pretty apology of ,margaret ,ashton4 ,kennedy pulled me toward the door4 ,we might as well concede ,miss ,ashton to ,carton1 he beamed4 ,let's go out and watch the crowd4 ,,the ,,end