THE 
 
 SHERIDAN ROAD 
 MYSTERY 
 
 UNTV. OF CALIF. LIBRARY. LOS ANGELES
 
 THE 
 
 SHERIDAN ROAD 
 MYSTERY 
 
 BY 
 
 PAUL AND MABEL THORNE 
 
 NEW YORK 
 
 GROSSET & DUNLAP 
 
 PUBLISHERS 
 
 Made in the United State* of America
 
 COPTMCHI* 1921 
 BT DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY, INC. 
 
 THIED PJUNTIXG, MARCH, 1922 
 
 PRINTED IN U. S. A,
 
 CONTENTS 
 Chapter Page 
 
 I THE SHOT 1 
 
 II DETECTIVE SERGEANT MORGAN .... 15 
 
 III INVESTIGATION 23 
 
 IV THE APARTMENT ACROSS THE HALL 35 
 V PECULIAR FACTS 46 
 
 VI THE CABLE FROM LONDON 58 
 
 VII MR. MARSH 74 
 
 VIII A DEFINITE CLUE 85 
 
 IX THE LAST LETTER 101 
 
 X THE STOLEN SUITCASE 112 
 
 XI THE TRAIL GROWS CLEARER 123 
 
 XII MISSING 135 
 
 XIII STARTLING DISCLOSURES 148 
 
 XIV THE NIGHT CALL 161 
 
 XV ' ' DEAD MEN TELL No TALES " . . . . 175 
 
 XVI THE CLOSED COUNTRY HOUSB 191 
 
 XVII WHAT THE CARETAKER SAW 210 
 
 XVIII THE ENEMY SHOWS His HAND... 225 
 
 XIX KIDNAPPED 233 
 
 XX THE FALLEN PINE 243 
 
 XXI THE CHIMNEY THAT WOULDN'T 
 
 DRAW 256 
 
 XXII CORNERED 269 
 
 XXIII STTNSBT . 284 
 
 2133137
 
 THE 
 
 SHERIDAN ROAD 
 MYSTERY
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD 
 MYSTERY 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 THE SHOT 
 
 IT WAS a still, balmy night in late October. 
 The scent of burned autumn leaves hung in 
 the air, and a hazy moon, showing just over 
 the housetops, deepened the shadows on the 
 
 streets. 
 
 Policeman Murphy stopped for a moment, as 
 was his custom, at the corner of Lawrence Ave- 
 nue and Sheridan Eoad. He knew that it was 
 about two o'clock in the morning as that was the 
 hour at which he usually reached this point, 
 glanced sharply up and down Sheridan Eoad, 
 which at that moment seemed to be completely 
 deserted save for the distant red tail-light of a 
 belated taxi, the whir of whose engine came to 
 him quite distinctly on the quiet night air. 
 
 Just then Policeman Murphy heard a shot! 
 
 Instantly his body quickened with an awak- 
 ened alertness, and he glanced east and west 
 
 1
 
 THE SHEEIDAN EOAD MYSTERY 
 
 along the lonely stretch of Lawrence Avenue. 
 He saw nothing, and concluded that the sound 
 he had heard must have come from one of the 
 many apartment buildings which surrounded 
 him. 
 
 Murphy pondered for a moment. Was it a 
 burglary, a domestic row, or perhaps a murder? 
 The position of the shot was hard to locate, for 
 it had been but the sound of a moment on the 
 still night. Murphy, however, decided to take a 
 chance, and started stealthily north on Sheridan 
 Road, keeping within the shadow that clung to 
 the buildings. 
 
 He had moved only a short distance in this 
 way when a man in a bath robe dashed out of 
 the doorway of an apartment house just ahead 
 of him and ran north. Murphy instantly broke 
 into pursuit. At the sound of his heavily shod 
 feet on the pavement, the man in the bath robe 
 stopped and turned. Murphy slowed up and 
 the man advanced to meet him. 
 
 "I'm glad you're handy, Officer," panted the 
 man. "I think somebody has been murdered in 
 our building. Come and investigate." 
 
 "Sure," assented Murphy. "That's what 
 I'm here for," and as they mounted the steps of
 
 THE SHOT 
 
 the apartment house, he inquired, "What flat 
 was it?" 
 
 "The top floor on the north side," replied the 
 man, who then informed Murphy that his name 
 was Marsh, and that he lived on the second 
 floor, just below this apartment. "You see," 
 Marsh continued, "a little while ago my wife 
 and I were awakened by a noise in the apart- 
 ment over us. It sounded like a struggle of 
 some kind. As we listened we felt sure that 
 several people were taking part in it. Suddenly 
 there was a shot, and a sound followed as if a 
 body had fallen to the floor. After that there 
 was absolute silence. I hastily put on my bath 
 robe, and was hurrying out to find a policeman 
 when I met you. ' ' 
 
 By this time, Marsh, with Murphy at his heels, 
 had reached the door of the third floor apart- 
 ment. Murphy placed a thick forefinger on the 
 button of the electric bell and rang it sharply 
 several times. The men could distinctly hear 
 the clear notes of the bell, but no other sound 
 reached them. Again Murphy pressed the but- 
 ton without response. 
 
 "Murder, all right, I guess," muttered Mur- 
 phy, "and the guy's probably slipped down the
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 back stairs. "Who lives here, anyway?" he in- 
 quired, turning to Marsh. 
 
 " That's the peculiar part about it," was the 
 reply. "The people who rent this apartment 
 went to Europe this summer, and as I under- 
 stand it, they won't be back for another month. 
 The apartment has been closed all summer. 
 That is what amazed Mrs. Marsh and myself 
 when we heard this sound above us." 
 
 "It looks like we'll have to break in," said 
 Murphy. "Let me use your telephone." 
 
 1 1 Certainly, ' ' agreed Marsh, and led the way 
 to his apartment. 
 
 Murphy sat down at the telephone. His hand 
 was on the receiver when he suddenly paused 
 and turned to Marsh. "You know," he com- 
 mented, half meditatively, "it's funny we 
 haven't seen anybody else show up in the halls. 
 I heard that shot way down at Lawrence Avenue. 
 At least the people across the hall ought to have 
 been waked up by it. Are you sure it was in this 
 house?" 
 
 "Why certainly," retorted Marsh. "Didn't 
 I tell you that we heard the struggle and the shot 
 right over our heads 1 ' ' 
 
 "Well, it sure takes a lot to disturb some 
 4
 
 ,THE SHOT 
 
 people," said Murphy, as he placed the tele- 
 phone receiver to his ear and called for his con- 
 nection. After some words he got his precinct 
 station. 
 
 * ' Hello ! ' ' he called. ' ' Is that you, Sergeant ? 
 This is Murphy. I'm in the Hitter est apart- 
 ments on Sheridan Eoad. . . . Yes, that's right. 
 . . . Just north of Lawrence Avenue. I think 
 somebody's been murdered and we'll have to 
 break in. Send the wagon, will you? . . . Don't 
 know a damn thing yet," he added, evidently in 
 reply to a question. "Hurry up the wagon." 
 He replaced the receiver on its hook; then 
 turned to Marsh as he stood up. 
 
 "I think I'll hang around the door up there 
 until the boys come. Much obliged for your 
 help. You'd better get back to bed now." 
 
 ' ' Oh, no, ' ' objected Marsh. ' ' I couldn't sleep 
 with all this excitement going on. And then 
 Mr. Ames is a friend of mine. He would want 
 me to look after things for him. " 
 
 Murphy looked Marsh over in evident specu- 
 lation. The man was tall and broad shouldered. 
 His face was clean shaven. The features were 
 strong, with a regularity that many people 
 would consider handsome. He was what one 
 
 5
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 would call a big man, but this appearance of 
 bigness arose more from a heavy frame, and 
 exceptional muscular development, than fleshi- 
 ness. Murphy took in these details quickly, and 
 the pause was slight before he spoke. 
 
 "Who's Ames?" he said. 
 
 ' ' The man who rents the apartment upstairs. ' ' 
 Then apparently taking the matter as settled, 
 Marsh added, * 'I'll go along with you. ' ' 
 
 Murphy grunted, whether in assent or 'dis- 
 approval was hard to tell, but as he climbed the 
 stairs again, Marsh was close beside him. 
 
 Murphy placed his hand on the doorknob and 
 shook the door as he violently turned the knob. 
 The door was securely locked. Then he threw 
 his two hundred and some odd pounds against 
 the door itself. The stout oak resisted his in- 
 dividual efforts. 
 
 "No use," he grumbled. "I'll have to wait 
 'till the boys come." 
 
 The two men then sat down on the top step to 
 wait for the coming of the police. They chatted, 
 speculating upon the possible causes of the dis- 
 turbance. Marsh, however, seemed more inter- 
 ested in getting Murphy's ideas than in express- 
 ing opinions of his own. At length they heard 
 
 6
 
 THE SHOT 
 
 the clang of the gong on the police patrol as it 
 crossed Lawrence Avenue. They stood up ex- 
 pectantly. An instant later there was a clatter 
 in the lower hall as the police entered. They 
 mounted the stairs rapidly two officers in uni- 
 form and another in civilian clothes. 
 
 "Where's the trouble?" cried the latter, as 
 the party climbed the last flight. 
 
 "In here, as far as I know/' returned Mur- 
 phy, as he jerked a thumb over his shoulder 
 toward the door of the apartment. "I can't get 
 a rise out of anybody. We'll have to break in." 
 
 Marsh stood aside while the four men took 
 turns, two-and-two, in throwing themselves 
 against the door. It creaked and groaned, and 
 from time to time there was a sharp crack as the 
 strong oak began to give. 
 
 In the meantime, the murmur of voices came 
 up from the lower floors. Presently faces ap- 
 peared on the landing just below where the police 
 were working. Marsh leaned over the rail and 
 in a few words, outlined to the excited tenants 
 what was going on. 
 
 Intent on their work of breaking in the door, 
 the policemen paid little attention to their audi- 
 ence, and apparently did not notice that the door 
 
 7
 
 THE SHEKEDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 across the hall was still closed and silent. Mur- 
 phy, however, recalled this fact later on. 
 
 At last, with a crash and a splintering of 
 wood, the lock gave way and the door flew open. 
 All was darkness and silence before them. 
 
 The five men stood grouped in the doorway, 
 listening intently. The black silence remained 
 unbroken save for the labored breathing of the 
 men who had just broken in the door. The plain- 
 clothes man then brought forth an electric pocket 
 lamp and flashed its rays into the entrance hall, 
 while the others drew their revolvers and held 
 them in readiness. Then all stepped into the 
 hallway. This was a large, square entrance way 
 with four doorways opening from it. Two 
 closed doors faced them. As they discovered 
 later, these led to a bedroom, and the bathroom. 
 The others, one opening toward the front of the 
 apartment, and one toward the rear, were wide 
 archways covered with heavy velvet portieres. 
 
 The plain-clothes man found the wall switch 
 and turned on the electric light. Instructing one 
 of his companions to watch the hall door, he led 
 the others in a search of the apartment. Seek- 
 ing for the electric light buttons aa they moved 
 about the apartment, the men soon flooded the 
 
 8
 
 THE SHOT 
 
 rooms with light. Each man with revolver 
 ready, and intent on searching every corner, 
 none of them gave much attention to the fact 
 that Marsh was dogging every move, appar- 
 ently as keenly on the lookout as any one of the 
 party. 
 
 Their inspection revealed nothing more than 
 that the apartment was apparently in the same 
 condition as its tenant had left it. The door to 
 the outside stairway at the back was locked and 
 the key was missing. In addition to the regular 
 lock a stout bolt was in place. The catches on all 
 the windows were properly locked, and all the 
 shades remained drawn down close to the sills. 
 It was an empty, locked apartment, with no out- 
 standing evidence of having been used for a long 
 time. 
 
 The police, now joined by the man lately on 
 watch at the door, stood nonplussed in the 
 kitchen. The plain-clothes man uttered an oath. 
 Then he addressed his companions. 
 
 "I've seen some mighty fishy situations, but 
 this trims anything I ever ran up against. Ain J t 
 been just hearing things, have you, Murphy? A 
 swig of this home-made hootch does upset a man 
 dreadful, sometimes." 
 
 9
 
 Murphy glared. 
 
 * ' I ain 't never touched the stuff, ' ' he bellowed. 
 Then added, aggressively, "You know damned 
 well I wasn 't the only one to hear that shot. The 
 tenant downstairs heard it, too. It was him that 
 brought me in." 
 
 "Well, you only got his word for it that this is 
 where the shot was fired. Maybe he 's trying to 
 cover something up." 
 
 Murphy started, then glanced around. 
 
 "Hell!" he exclaimed. "Where's that guy 
 gone to, anyway?" 
 
 Marsh, who had recently been close at their 
 heels, was not now in the group. Murphy moved 
 on tiptoe to the kitchen door and listened. On 
 the other side of the dining room was the door- 
 way to the entrance hall, and through the now 
 drawn curtains this space was visible. Murphy 
 could see that both these rooms were deserted, 
 but an occasional swishing sound came to his 
 ears. Turning to the waiting group, he silently 
 and significantly jerked his head toward the 
 front of the apartment. Following his example, 
 they moved cautiously across the dining room 
 and the hall and stopped at the door of the liv- 
 ing room. 
 
 10
 
 THE SHOT 
 
 Marsh, with his back toward them, was just 
 in the act of pulling a heavy, upholstered chair 
 back into position. His moving of similar arti- 
 cles of furniture had made the sounds heard by 
 Murphy. 
 
 Stepping suddenly into the room, Murphy in- 
 quired, with a note of sarcasm in his voice, 
 "Kind of busy, ain't you?" 
 
 Marsh turned abruptly. If they expected to 
 see any signs of confusion on his face they were 
 disappointed, for he simply smiled cheerfully. 
 
 "Just following out a line of thought," he 
 answered. 
 
 "What's the big idea?" asked the plain- 
 clothes man, suspiciously, as he also stepped 
 into the room and carefully looked over the man 
 before him. 
 
 "Well, detectives in novels always search 
 minutely for things which may not be apparent 
 to the eye. When confronted with so deep a 
 mystery as this one, I thought the application of 
 a little of the story book stuff might do no harm. ' ' 
 
 "Huh!" snorted the plain-clothes man, as 
 Marsh finished giving this information. 
 "You're more than commonly interested in this 
 affair, ain't you?" 
 
 11
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 " Naturally/ ' agreed Marsh. "Remember, I 
 live just below, and wouldn't like to be mur- 
 dered in my bed some night. To hear a murder 
 over your head is a bit disconcerting." 
 
 "How the devil do we know there's been a 
 murder?" shot back the plain-clothes man. 
 ".We've only got your word for it." 
 
 "But this officer also heard the shot," and 
 Marsh turned toward Murphy. "He was look- 
 ing for the trouble when I met him." 
 
 " Yes, " Murphy admitted. ' ' I heard the shot, 
 but I only got your word for it that it was here. 
 If there was a murder, what became of the 
 body?" 
 
 "That is for you gentlemen to find out," 
 Marsh snapped back, now evidently alive to the 
 fact that these men were regarding him with 
 something approaching suspicion. "I have al- 
 ready done more than my share of the work. I 
 have discovered visible proof that there was a 
 murderf" 
 
 This information startled the group of police- 
 men. Hasty glances swept the room for a 
 moment. Then the plain-clothes man remarked, 
 with a meaning smile, "Well, I'm from 
 Missouri." 
 
 12
 
 THE SHOT 
 
 Marsh walked over to where the policemen 
 stood. 
 
 1 ' Take a look around, ' ' he began. ' * There are 
 certain accepted ways of placing the furniture 
 in a room. When there is a radical departure 
 from such placing, an inquiring mind is led to 
 wonder. Notice the chair I was just moving. It 
 is located almost in the center of the room 
 obviously not its regular position. So why was 
 it there!" 
 
 "Say, you'd make some detective!" came in 
 an admiring tone from Murphy. The others 
 nodded approval of the remark. 
 
 "I began to examine that chair and its sur- 
 roundings carefully," continued Marsh, ignor- 
 ing the interruption. He then moved over to 
 the chair, and added, as he pulled it to one side, 
 "I moved it away like this. Now, look at the 
 floor!" 
 
 The policemen crowded forward. What 
 Marsh had found was apparent at once. On the 
 light background of the -rug was a large, dark 
 spot which the chair had covered. The plain- 
 clothes man stooped and placed his hand on the 
 spot. It felt damp to the touch, and as he stood 
 erect again, holding his hand under the light, 
 
 13
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 they all saw that the fingers were covered with 
 a thin film of red. 
 
 1 ' Blood ! ' ' cried Murphy. 
 
 "Yep," affirmed the plain-clothes man. 
 "Fresh blood!" 
 
 Excited exclamations from the others showed 
 their appreciation of the discovery. 
 
 Marsh smiled. 
 
 <f l guess that looks like a possible murder," 
 he said. 
 
 "The chair was placed there to cover the spot^ 
 all right," now admitted the plain-clothes man. 
 
 "But what became of the body?" again 
 questioned Murphy. 
 
 "As I said before," Marsh answered him, 
 "that is for you to find out. It is not my busi- 
 ness." 
 
 " Some mystery!" exclaimed the plain-clothes 
 man. "This is a job for Dave Morgan," 
 
 14
 
 CHAPTEB n 
 
 DETECTIVE SERGEANT MORGAN 
 
 ON SHEFFIELD AVENUE, just across 
 from the ball park, where the "Cubs," 
 Chicago's famous baseball team, has its 
 headquarters, is a row of apartment houses. One 
 realizes, of course, that these are not homes of 
 wealth, but they have a comfortable, substantial 
 look, which somehow conveys the idea that those 
 who live there are good citizens, typical of the 
 hard-working, progressive class that has made 
 Chicago one of the greatest commercial cities 
 of the world. 
 
 In one of these apartments lived Detective 
 Sergeant Dave Morgan and his mother. He 
 had located here in the days when, as a patrol- 
 man, he had walked beat out of the Town Hall 
 Police Station, a short distance away. After 
 his promotion to the detective force, he re- 
 mained here because of the convenient location. 
 The elevated railroad had its right of way 
 
 15
 
 THE SHEEIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 directly back of his home, and the Addis on 
 Street station was only around the corner. He 
 could quickly get to the Detective Bureau or 
 almost any part of the widespreading city. 
 
 Morgan's home was unpretentious but com- 
 fortable. The hand of a careful and thoughtful 
 housekeeper was in evidence everywhere. In 
 the big living room, at the front, were several 
 lounging chairs, and along one wall, between the 
 front windows and the entrance door, stood two 
 roomy bookcases. A glance at the titles showed 
 the owner's inquiring and investigative turn of 
 mind. His interest in his profession was also 
 indicated by several volumes on criminology, 
 and even popular detective stories of the day. 
 In the center of the room was a commodious 
 table with a large reading lamp. Beside the 
 table was the big easy chair in which Morgan 
 always sat, and where many of the solutions of 
 difficult criminal problems Had been worked out 
 by bim. Just across from this easy chair, and 
 within reach of an outstretched hand, stood a 
 tabouret, holding the telephone. 
 
 On the morning following the peculiar occur- 
 rence on Sheridan Road, Morgan was sitting in 
 his favorite chair. His slippered feet were 
 
 16
 
 DETECTIVE SERGEANT MORGAN, 
 
 stretched before him and clouds of smoke hung 
 about as he puffed at his favorite pipe, selected 
 from a row of about ten that were hanging on a 
 nearby home-made pipe holder. This might be 
 said to be an eventful day for Dave Morgan. 
 Only the day before, he and his partner, Detec- 
 tive Sergeant Tierney, had completed the solv- 
 ing of a baffling case and placed the criminal 
 behind the bars. Now he had a well-earned and 
 long-awaited "day off," and he was going to 
 devote it to the restful pursuit of his favorite 
 amusement reading. 
 
 His mother, a white-haired, pleasant faced 
 little woman, entered the room. 
 
 "Dave," she reminded him, "here's the 
 morning paper. You forgot to look it over at 
 breakfast." 
 
 "I know, Mother," he returned, "but I 
 wanted to forget all about the world this morn- 
 ing. That Brock case has tired me out. ' ' 
 
 "But," she protested, "I notice from the 
 headlines that there was a big murder on Sheri- 
 dan Road last night. I didn't think you'd want 
 to miss the details of that." 
 
 Professional instinct was too strong. Morgan 
 reached for the paper and glanced quickly over 
 
 17
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 the glaring headlines and the few words below, 
 while the mother proudly watched him. 
 
 Morgan made a good figure for a detective. 
 Not so tall as to be conspicuous, his breadth of 
 shoulder and depth of chest clearly showed that 
 he possessed the strength to meet most of the 
 emergencies into which his work might lead him. 
 His face had none of the hardened sharpness 
 that usually marks the detective. In fact, al- 
 though he was nearly thirty, his face still had a 
 boyish look that made him appear younger, and 
 taken with his sleek dark hair and mild brown 
 eyes one would have presumed him to be just an 
 average young business man rather than a 
 hunter of criminals. 
 
 "No details here," he said, a moment later, 
 laying the paper on the table. * ' They evidently 
 received the notice just before going to press. 
 Anyway, there is seldom much mystery about 
 a murder. The men in that precinct proba- 
 bly have a line on who did it by this 
 time." 
 
 ''' Yes, I know they use my boy only for the big 
 cases," asserted the mother, and giving him an 
 affectionate pat on the head, she went to her 
 housework, while Morgan took a book from one 
 
 is
 
 DETECTIVE SEEGEANT MOEGAN 
 
 of the cases, refilled his pipe, and settled down 
 to spend a quiet morning in the big chair. 
 
 At eleven o'clock the telephone bell rang. 
 Only a few words passed between Morgan and 
 his caller, but the detective's face lighted up 
 with interest. The instant he replaced the re- 
 ceiver he sprang to his feet, went to his bedroom, 
 and hurriedly changed his clothes. 
 
 "Mother," he called. "The Chief has just 
 'phoned me that they have the biggest case for 
 me that I ever handled. I must go down at 
 once." 
 
 His mother came to the door of the room. 
 "Can't you even wait for a bite of lunch?" she 
 questioned. 
 
 "No," he explained, "it is a hurry call. The 
 Chief says we cannot lose a minute in getting 
 started. I'll have to stop in somewhere after I 
 see the Chief." 
 
 Kissing his mother good-bye, Morgan hurried 
 around to the elevated station. Fifteen minutes 
 later he opened the Chief's office door. 
 
 "Sit down, Morgan," said the Chief, waving 
 his hand toward a chair. "I've got a case here 
 that'll make even you go some." 
 
 As Morgan sat down the Chief gathered up 
 19
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 some typewritten sheets from his desk, and con- 
 tinued; "I didn't like to break up the first day 
 you've had off in a long time, Morgan, but there 
 was a murder on Sheridan Road last night or 
 early this morning, to be exact that has put a 
 real mystery up to the Department. It '11 need a 
 man like you to solve it if it can be solved. 
 The newspapers had big headlines this morning, 
 and the public will be watching us on account of 
 the peculiar nature of the crime.'* 
 
 "I saw something about it in my paper this 
 morning," said Morgan. "There were no de- 
 tails, however. The notice probably caught the 
 last edition with little more than the fact that a 
 murder had been committed. ' * 
 
 "Well," exclaimed the Chief, "it's one of the 
 biggest mysteries we've ever had handed to us. 
 The shot was heard by both the man on the beat 
 and a tenant in the building, but outside of the 
 stories of these two men, and the discovery of a 
 blood stain on a rug in a supposedly empty flat, 
 not another thing has been found. The body is 
 missing, and there is no trace of how it got out of 
 the flat or where it is now. Here is a report of 
 all that we know so far. By the way, your 
 partner Tierney made this report. He hap- 
 
 20
 
 DETECTIVE SEBGEANT MORGAN 
 
 pened to be on the job last night, so I told him to 
 stick to it. " 
 
 The Chief handed the typewritten sheets to 
 Morgan. 
 
 "You will note," he went on, "that the man 
 on beat heard a shot at about 2 A. M. ; that he met 
 a tenant from the house who said that he had 
 heard sounds of a struggle, a shot, and some- 
 thing like the falling of a body. The police 
 found the flat locked, and after they broke in 
 could find no one on the premises. Nothing was 
 upset, and there were no signs of the struggle, 
 said to have taken place. Another peculiar 
 thing is that the police even overlooked the 
 bloodstain until the tenant who had heard the 
 shot called their attention to it. Tierney tried 
 to get some more details this morning, but you 
 will find from his report that none of the other 
 tenants admit hearing the shot ; that the tenant 
 in the flat across the hall was apparently not at 
 home, and that the janitor says the people who 
 rent the flat in which the trouble occurred, have 
 been away all summer. The only really definite 
 information of any kind comes from this one 
 tenant, Marsh. 
 
 "You'll probably find Tierney at the flat, as 
 21
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 I sent him back after he had turned in this 
 report. He may have found out something more 
 by now than he could put in that quick report. ' ' 
 
 "Chief," said Morgan, as he thumbed over 
 the typewritten sheets in his hands, "you say 
 there has been a murder committed here. With 
 this tenant, Marsh, and a patrolman, getting 
 into action so soon after the shot, a body couldn't 
 possibly be moved out of the house certainly, 
 not without leaving some trace. ' ' 
 
 "Well!" 
 
 "How do we know there was a murder?" 
 
 "We don't know positively," returned the 
 Chief. "But we're not going to take any 
 chances. Even if there wasn't an actual mur- 
 der, something of a criminal nature was pulled 
 off in that -flat last night. What it was, we're 
 putting up to you to find out. Go to it, Morgan ! 
 So long!" 
 
 22
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 ZNTESTIGATIOST 
 
 LEAVING the Detective Bureau, Morgan 
 stopped in a restaurant on Randolph 
 Street for a quick lunch. From there he 
 walked over to State Street and took the motor 
 bus for the scene of the singular event which it 
 was now his duty to investigate. A half -hour 
 later he dropped off the bus at Lawrence Avenue 
 and Sheridan Road. A few steps brought him 
 to the Hillcrest apartments, where he found 
 Tierney waiting on the front steps for him. 
 
 "The Chief telephoned me that you would 
 probably be here about this time, ' ' said Tierney, 
 after acknowledging Morgan's greeting. "I 
 was on the job last night, and did a little investi- 
 gating this morning, so the Chief thought you 
 might want to talk things over with me.'* 
 
 Morgan nodded. ' * All right, let 's go up. Can 
 we get into the flat?" 
 
 "Sure," answered Tierney. "We put a 
 temporary padlock on this morning, and I have 
 the key." 
 
 23
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 "Without further words the two men climbed 
 the stairs to the apartment on the third floor. 
 Tierney unlocked the padlock and they went in. 
 Inside the entrance hall of the apartment, 
 Tierney turned to Morgan. 
 
 "I suppose the Chief has put the case entirely 
 in your hands, so it's up to you what you want to 
 do first." 
 
 "We had better go into the front room here," 
 answered Morgan, "and let me get a line on 
 things. About all I know so far is that some- 
 body thinks a murder has been committed." 
 
 "You can't make much out of things as they 
 are, that's a fact," assented Tierney, as they 
 moved into the front room. He dropped into an 
 easy chair close at hand, and pushed his cap 
 back on his head, while Morgan went to one of 
 the front windows and ran the shade to the top. 
 Seating himself where he could get the full 
 benefit of the light from the window, he drew out 
 the typewritten report and read it over care- 
 fully. 
 
 "This is your report, isn't it, Tierney?" he 
 inquired, folding up the sheets again and re- 
 placing them in his pocket. 
 
 "You bet; and I put into it every damned 
 24
 
 INVESTIGATION 
 
 thing I know," asserted Tierney. "And that's 
 mighty little," he added. "This is the most 
 mysterious case I ever saw." 
 
 There was a pause while Morgan drew a pipe 
 from his pocket and filled and lighted it. Then 
 settling back in his chair, he looked at Tierney. 
 
 "Got any theories?" he asked. 
 
 "No," replied Tierney. "I haven't any 
 theories but I've got a couple of suspicions." 
 
 "Well?" 
 
 "One," continued Tierney, "is this flat across 
 the hall. Murphy that's the man on the beat 
 who heard the shot and investigated Murphy 
 noticed that in spite of all the racket we made 
 breaking down the door last night, no one in 
 that flat showed any interest. I tried to get in 
 touch with them this morning. Nothing doing. 
 Either they weren't home, or wouldn't answer 
 the bell." 
 
 "That looks bad," commented Morgan. "You 
 mentioned in your report that you talked with 
 the janitor. Did he drop anything about them 
 that yon didn't think worth while putting in the 
 report?" 
 
 "The janitor simply told me that a man and 
 his daughter lived in the flat, and that he thought 
 
 25
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 the man was away a good deal ; so he supposed 
 he must be a traveling man. They have always 
 seemed to be quiet people. He has never even 
 seen them have any company." 
 
 "That's suspicious, too," declared Morgan. 
 "Normal people usually have some company. 
 Is that all?" 
 
 Tierney nodded. 
 
 "Now," prompted Morgan, "you said you 
 had another suspicion." 
 
 "You bet!" exclaimed Tierney, straightening 
 up in his chair. ' ' That guy, Marsh underneath 
 here." 
 
 " 'Great minds'," laughed Morgan. "I sort 
 of focused on that man myself after reading 
 your report just now. ' ' 
 
 ""Well, here's the way I look at it," explained 
 Tierney. "When ordinary folks hear fighting 
 and shooting in the middle of the night, they 
 generally stick their heads under the covers and 
 lie close. They don't put on bath robes and run 
 out on the street to be the first to give a report. 
 Then the janitor tells me that he's seen this 
 man around a lot in the daytime 'no visible 
 means of support,' you might say. Both Mur- 
 phy and I remember that Marsh referred to his 
 
 26
 
 INVESTIGATION 
 
 wife. The janitor says he's pretty sure that he 
 never saw any woman around the flat. And 
 when I asked Marsh this morning to let me talk 
 to his wife, he said she was not in. 
 
 ''You probably noticed in my report that it 
 was this Marsh who showed us the bloodstain 
 under the chair. You know, we came out of the 
 kitchen and caught that guy in the act of pulling 
 a chair over the spot. He said he was replacing 
 the chair where he found it. I've been wonder- 
 ing whether he wasn't actually covering upi 
 the spot himself. "When we caught him in 
 the act, maybe he just decided to bluff 
 it out." 
 
 "The Department didn't make any mistake 
 when they shifted you into the Detective Bureau, 
 Tierney," said Morgan, laughing. "Has the 
 Chief assigned you to any other case for my day 
 off?" 
 
 "No," replied Tierney. "When the Chief 
 told me to come back and meet you here I figured 
 he wanted me to stick to this case with 
 you." 
 
 "So I thought," agreed Morgan. "But I 
 want to be left alone here for awhile. You scout 
 around and see if you can find out something 
 
 27
 
 ( 
 
 THE SHERIDAN EOAD MYSTERY 
 
 more about this tenant across the hall. Do you 
 know his name ? ' ' 
 
 ' ' Clark Atwood, it says on the mail box down- 
 stairs." 
 
 "All right, Tierney. See what you can look 
 up in this neighborhood. I'll get in touch with 
 you later. By the way, you had better leave 
 that key with me." 
 
 Tierney handed over the key to the padlock, 
 and with a cheery "So long," started off. 
 
 Morgan, left to himself, began a careful in- 
 spection of the apartment. Although assured 
 that the apartment had been unoccupied, his first 
 act was to discover, if possible, any signs of 
 recent habitation. Convinced by the blood spot 
 that the principal part of whatever had hap- 
 pened had taken place in the front room, he 
 decided to leave that room until the last. Run- 
 ning all the shades to the top of the windows as 
 he passed from the front to the rear of the 
 apartment, Morgan made the place as light as 
 possible. He began his examination with the 
 kitchen. The fastenings on the windows were 
 closed, and the undisturbed condition of the 
 dust indicated that they had not been touched 
 for a long period. A careful inspection of the 
 
 28
 
 INVESTIGATION 
 
 glass and [woodwork showed no finger marks or 
 any attempt to open the catches. The bolt on 
 the back door was unfastened, but as the report 
 stated that the police had found this bolt in place, 
 it was obvious that it had simply been left open 
 by the police. Morgan carefully scrutinized the 
 condition of the bolt. After pushing it back into 
 place the difference in brightness of the pro- 
 jected and unprotected parts convinced him that 
 the bolt had been closed for some time. 
 
 He also noted that the key was missing from 
 the lock. However, this fact had been referred 
 to in the report, and it could make little differ- 
 ence if the bolt itself had been fastened. As a 
 matter of fact, during his search of the pantry, 
 he discovered the key on top of the ice box. A 
 layer of dust indicated that the key had not been 
 touched for a long time. His thorough investi- 
 gation of the pantry revealed no evidence of 
 recent use. The ice box was dry as a bone, with 
 the musty smell of long disuse. A touch of the 
 finger on various dishes and pieces of glass- 
 ware showed that these also were covered with 
 a film of dust. 
 
 Before leaving the kitchen, Morgan glanced 
 into the sink, to ascertain if, as often happens, 
 
 29
 
 the murderer had washed his hands there. 
 There was a reddish stain about the ontlet, but 
 as Morgan found this covered with dust he sur- 
 mised that a long time had elapsed since any 
 water had been run in the sink. This stain was 
 presumably the rust which usually gathers in a 
 long unused sink or basin. 
 
 The small maid's room off the kitchen had 
 certainly not been in use. Only the bare mat- 
 tress was on the bed, and Morgan noticed that 
 as his own feet left imprints in the dust on the 
 floor, it was not likely that anyone else could 
 have been in the room without leaving similar 
 traces. 
 
 Next he thoroughly searched the dining room. 
 As this room usually seems to be the favorite 
 gathering point, both for the occupants of a 
 house and unbidden prowlers, Morgan's keen 
 eyes examined every detail of the floor and fur- 
 nishings, including the drawers of the side- 
 board. He immediately noticed that two of the 
 chairs were standing close to the table, while 
 two others were moved slightly back from the 
 table as if people had been sitting in them. On 
 the floor under one of these chairs he found a 
 few spots of cigarette ashes. To Morgan's 
 
 30
 
 INVESTIGATION 
 
 quick mind this carried a mental picture. Of 
 course, the police who had been in the apartment 
 the night before might have accidentally or in- 
 tentionally moved the chairs, but he was quite 
 sure that under the circumstances not one of 
 them would have sat down to smoke a cigarette. 
 At some time quite recently, therefore, some- 
 body, probably two persons, had sat at this din- 
 ing room table while conversing, or waiting for 
 something. 
 
 This was further confirmed when Morgan, 
 bending his knees and lowering his body so as to 
 bring his eyes on a level with the table, studied 
 the top in the reflected light. He saw that the 
 dust on the table top had been disturbed in front 
 of the two chairs. Furthermore, he discovered 
 that the person who had not been smoking had 
 evidently rested a pair of clasped and sweaty 
 hands on the table top, as two parallel, greasy 
 marks, made by the sides of the hands, showed 
 quite plainly. To Morgan, clasped and sweaty 
 hands indicated a possible state of nervousness. 
 Either this had been the victim or the ' chief 
 plotter. 
 
 The dining room revealed nothing further to 
 Morgan, but he felt that he had made some 
 
 31
 
 THE SHEBIDAN EOAD MYSTERY 
 
 progress in establishing the fact that at least 
 two people had quite recently been in this sup- 
 posedly unoccupied apartment. 
 
 Passing through the entrance hall, Morgan 
 then examined the main bedroom, which opened 
 off of it. The bed had been dismantled, as in the 
 maid's room. An examination of the clothes 
 closet, and the drawers of the dresser and a 
 chiffonier, showed that the room was commonly 
 occupied by a man and a woman. Everything 
 quite obviously belonged to the regular tenant. 
 Morgan could find nothing of a suspicious 
 nature, although he had particularly looked for 
 correspondence which might in some indefinite 
 way connect this tenant with the happenings of 
 the night before. 
 
 The bathroom was visited next. Outside of 
 the usual toilet articles and harmless medical 
 "first aids " in the cabinet, the room was bare. 
 
 The final step was a close examination of the 
 front room. Here the blood spot stood out dark 
 and forbidding in the light of the afternoon sun. 
 Beyond the fact that the shot had taken effect, 
 it told nothing. Morgan stood in thought with 
 his eyes resting upon the brick fireplace. Sud- 
 denly the descending sun threw its rays farther 
 
 32
 
 INVESTIGATION 
 
 into the room and rested on a bright spot at the 
 side of the fireplace. It looked odd to Morgan 
 and he approached it. What he found was a 
 flattened bullet, which had been held in place by; 
 slightly embedding itself in the rough surface 
 of the brick. As evidence it had small value 
 outside of confirming the fact that a shot had 
 been actually fired in this apartment. 
 
 Finding nothing else with a bearing on the 
 case, Morgan started to leave. At the doorway 
 to the entrance hall, he stopped and turned to 
 take one last look around the room in the hope 
 that something might suggest itself. As he 
 stood making this last survey, his eye caught a 
 faint point of light under a cabinet in a corner. 
 Instantly he returned to the room, and stooping 
 down, ran his hand under the cabinet. His 
 fingers seized on a small object, which proved to 
 be a gold cuff button. As he turned it over in 
 his hand he found the initial "M" deeply en- 
 graved in the heavy gold. 
 
 Eemembering that he had learned from the 
 report in his pocket that the name of the tenant 
 of this apartment was Ames, this discovery im- 
 mediately assumed great importance, so Morgan 
 carefully placed the cuff button in a vest pocket. 
 
 33
 
 THE SHERIDAN BOAD MYSTEEY 
 
 Encouraged by his find, Morgan made another 
 careful examination of the room. The flattened 
 bullet and the cuff button, revealed by friendly 
 rays of sunlight, seemed to be all that he could 
 find.
 
 CHAPTER IV 
 
 THE APARTMENT ACROSS THE HALL 
 
 AFTER replacing the padlock and snap- 
 ping it closed, Morgan pressed the elec- 
 tric button of the apartment across the 
 hall. Footsteps sounded in immediate response, 
 and the next moment the door was furtively 
 opened. Morgan, who by that time was leaning 
 carelessly against the jamb, quietly moved one 
 foot forward into the opening. 
 
 Although the light in the hallway was dim he 
 could see that the woman who stood there was 
 young and remarkably pretty. Removing his 
 hat, he asked politely, "Are you the tenant 
 here?" 
 
 "Yes," came in a soft but nervous voice. 
 
 "May I come in and talk with you a few 
 minutes ? ' ' inquired Morgan. 
 
 "What is it you want?" the girl inquired. 
 
 Morgan threw back his coat and disclosed his 
 badge. "I am a city detective, and I would 
 
 35
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 like a few words with you about this affair 
 across the hall." 
 
 "What affair is that?" asked the girl. 
 
 Morgan smiled. ' * Didn 't you know there wa 
 some trouble across the hall last night?" 
 
 "No," she returned. "I retired early and 
 have heard nothing about it." 
 
 Morgan was at a loss for a moment. The girl 
 was not of the type that one would associate 
 with persons of a criminal sort. Her replies 
 had been given in a tone of voice so candid and 
 wondering that it hardly seemed possible she 
 could be acting. Whatever the situation, how- 
 ever, Morgan wanted to get inside this apart- 
 ment and study the girl more closely. 
 
 "Well, I'll tell you all about it," he said, 
 gently, "if you'll let me come in for a moment 
 or two." 
 
 "I know nothing about it," she maintained, 
 with a touch of irritation in her voice, and Mor- 
 gan's foot signaled to him that she was attempt- 
 ing to close the door. 
 
 Morgan never liked to be rough in his 
 methods. He hesitated over forcing himself 
 into the presence of this young woman, and yet 
 he now had an impression that an interview with 
 
 36
 
 THE APARTMENT ACROSS THE HALL 
 
 Her was imperative. There was a slight pause, 
 as he ran over in his mind some way to gain his 
 entrance without force. 
 
 "Do you know Mr. Marsh downstairs?" he 
 inquired, suddenly, his eyes keeping a keen 
 watch on her face. 
 
 ' 'I do not know any of the tenants in the build- 
 ing." 
 
 "That's strange," said Morgan, thoughtfully. 
 "I was just talking with Mr. Marsh, and he told 
 me that you knew all about the trouble last night. 
 He suggested that if I would come and see you I 
 could get just the information I wanted." 
 
 "I don't know this Mr. Marsh, and I can't 
 understand why he should make such a state- 
 ment. ' ' Surprise was apparent in her voice. 
 
 Morgan was quite sure that her surprise was 
 genuine. At the same time his remarks had just 
 the effect he had hoped they would. It brought 
 a new element into the matter and added to the 
 girl's natural curiosity. She opened the door 
 wider, and nodding toward the front room, said, 
 "Step in and tell me what you wish to know." 
 
 The room into which Morgan entered was a 
 counterpart of the one across the hall, though as 
 he rapidly observed the furnishings, he was im- 
 
 37
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 pressed with the greater taste displayed and the 
 homelike atmosphere. A piece of embroidery, 
 on which she had evidently been working, lay on 
 the arm of a chair near the window. 
 
 Conjecturing that she would resume her seat 
 in this chair, Morgan seated himself where he 
 could keep his back to the window, while the 
 girl whom he was about to question would direct- 
 ly face the full light. Morgan's guess was 
 correct. The girl went directly to the chair she 
 had left to answer his ring, and taking up her 
 embroidery, picked nervously at its edges, mean- 
 while watching Morgan expectantly. 
 
 Surmising that a direct attempt to question 
 her at once might defeat his purpose, Morgan 
 immediately broke into an account of the pre- 
 vious night's occurrence. As he brought out 
 the various details of what was reported to have 
 taken place, he slyly watched her face. At the 
 end of his recital, he felt convinced that what he 
 told the girl had previously been unknown to 
 her. Moreover, Morgan became sensible of a 
 growing feeling of interest and confidence in the 
 girl. Her sweetness seemed so genuine, her 
 dark blue eyes so frank and honest in the 
 straightforward way they met his. 
 
 38
 
 THE APARTMENT ACROSS THE HALL 
 
 "It seems very strange that I heard none of the 
 excitement," remarked the girl, when Morgan 
 had finished his story. ' ' I had a rather busy day 
 yesterday with my studies and retired early." 
 
 Morgan had decided upon his line of question- 
 ing while relating the incidents of the night be- 
 fore. 
 
 1 ' May I ask your name ? ' ' 
 
 "Certainly," she replied. "My name is At- 
 wood." 
 
 Morgan, having noticed the absence of a wed- 
 ding ring, assumed that she was unmarried. 
 Therefore, he said, "Is your mother at home, 
 Miss Atwood?" 
 
 A shade of sadness passed over her face. * l My 
 mother died some months ago," she replied. 
 
 ' ' I am sorry. I know what it is to have a good 
 mother," sympathized Morgan. Then he in- 
 quired, "Perhaps your father heard the dis- 
 turbance ? ' ' 
 
 * ' Oh no, ' ' she replied. ' * My father is away. ' ' 
 
 "He travels?" 
 
 "Yes; my father is a salesman." 
 
 "For some Chicago house, I suppose." 
 
 "No; for a business house in St. Louis. We 
 formerly lived there." 
 
 39
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 "St. Louis is a pleasant city," commented 
 Morgan. * ' Still, many people prefer Chicago. ' ' 
 
 "Oh, I think I should prefer to live in St. 
 Louis, because I have a few friends there," she 
 said. "But I am studying music, and when my 
 mother died, father suggested that I live in 
 Chicago where I could attend a better musical 
 college. Then, too, father could get home more 
 often as he travels in this vicinity." 
 
 "I suppose your father travels for some well 
 known St. Louis house?" suggested Morgan. 
 
 "Well, really, I don't know the name of his 
 firm," returned the girl. "Business has never 
 held any interest for me." 
 
 It struck Morgan as strange that even a girl 
 who did not take an interest in business should 
 be ignorant of the name of the firm by whom her 
 father was employed, yet he seemed to find 
 many things that were contradictory in this 
 girl. The chatty line of conversation he had 
 taken was bringing out information in a manner 
 highly satisfactory to Morgan. He was about 
 to make another comment, that might elicit 
 further facts, when he was interrupted by a 
 question which he had been expecting. 
 
 "Tell me," inquired Miss Atwood, a slight 
 40
 
 color coining to her cheeks, "what this man 
 Marsh said about me." 
 
 Morgan was pleased. This gave him an open- 
 ing for some questioning which he had hesitated 
 to take up before. He wanted to know just how 
 much this girl knew about Marsh. "Don't you 
 really know Mr. Marsh?" he began. 
 
 ' ' No, ' ' she replied. ' ' I didn 't even know there 
 was such a person in the house." 
 
 "Well, that is certainly strange. I'm sure 
 that he told me to talk to the young lady on the 
 top floor. Perhaps he meant some young lady 
 who lived across the hall. Still, there doesn't 
 seem to have been anyone there since the 
 trouble." 
 
 Miss Atwood smiled. "He could not have 
 meant anyone in that apartment, for I under- 
 stand it is occupied only by an elderly couple, a 
 Mr. Ames and his wife. I understood father to 
 say that he had heard they were traveling in 
 Europe. I am sure no one has lived there since 
 we have been in this apartment." 
 
 "How long have you been here?" asked Mor- 
 gan. 
 
 "Let me see," said Miss Atwood, thought- 
 fully. "This is almost the end of October, and 
 
 41
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 we have been here since the middle of July. 
 That is a little over three months, isn't it?" 
 
 "July," repeated Morgan. "That isn't a 
 renting season. You must rent this apartment 
 furnished." 
 
 "We do," she replied, promptly. "Father 
 was too busy to spend any time on moving, so we 
 stored our things in St. Louis and took this 
 apartment." 
 
 "Real estate agents have been making lots of 
 money these days. I hear a great many people 
 have to pay them a bonus for finding apart- 
 ments. I suppose they stuck you that way, too. ' ' 
 
 * ' No, ' ' returned the girl. 1 1 1 understand that 
 father rented direct from the tenant. I believe 
 the tenant was a friend of his, or someone he 
 knew in a business way." 
 
 The embroidery which had been lying in Miss 
 Atwood's lap had gradually slipped forward 
 and at this moment dropped to the floor. As 
 she reached down to pick it up, Morgan's alert 
 eyes noted a purplish mark on her forearm. 
 
 "You seem to have bruised your arm, Miss 
 Atwood, ' ' he said, in a tone that was intended to 
 express sympathy. 
 
 "Oh, did you notice that mark?" she ex- 
 42
 
 THE APAETMENT ACROSS THE HALL 
 
 claimed. "That lias been puzzling me all day. 
 I awoke suddenly last night with a feeling as if 
 something had bitten me, but almost immedi- 
 ately went to sleep again. During the morning 
 I noticed this mark and the swelling. I can't 
 imagine what could have done it." 
 
 "May Hook at it?" asked Morgan, as he rose 
 and approached her. "Perhaps I can suggest 
 something." 
 
 She extended her arm, and Morgan, taking 
 her hand, drew the arm close to him. He care- 
 fully studied the spot. The only time he had 
 ever seen such marks before was on the arms 
 of drug addicts who had not been particularly 
 careful in the application of the hypodermic 
 needle. 
 
 "So you think it is a bite of some kind?" 
 asked Morgan, looking keenly at her. 
 
 "I can't imagine what else it could be," she 
 replied. 
 
 Morgan dropped her hand and looked out of 
 the window for a moment. There was no doubt 
 in his mind that the mark had been made by a 
 hypodermic needle, yet it was the only mark of 
 the kind that he could see on her arm, and there- 
 fore would hardly seem to indicate that the girl 
 
 43
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 was a drug fiend. Moreover, there had been no 
 indication of embarrassment or nervousness in 
 her reference to the mark, as would undoubtedly 
 have been the case had she been addicted to the 
 use of a drug. Morgan realized, too, that the 
 fresh pink and white skin of this girl, and the 
 bright eyes, could not be maintained if drugs 
 were taken. The case was growing more puz- 
 zling every minute. Had the use of a hypoder- 
 mic needle on this girl anything to do with the 
 supposed tragedy across the hall ? 
 
 After this discovery, Morgan hesitated to ask 
 further questions at this time, so he turned to 
 the girl again and remarked, simply, "It is 
 possible that some kind of spider bit you in the 
 night. If you have any peroxide in the house, 
 I would suggest that you bathe the spot with it. 
 And now I must be going. If I have your per- 
 mission, Miss Atwood, I would like to drop in 
 again sometime to let you know about any fur- 
 ther discoveries I may make on this case." 
 
 "Thank you," she returned. "I shall be 
 interested." 
 
 As he turned to say good-bye at the door, she 
 added, apologetically, "I am sorry I had no 
 information to give you." 
 
 44
 
 THE APABTMENT ACE-OSS THE HALL 
 
 "Oh, that's all right," Morgan assured her, 
 "I appreciate your courtesy in letting me have 
 this little chat with you." But as he drew the 
 door to after him, Morgan smiled and said to 
 himself, "Poor little girl; you don't realize 
 what a lot of information you have given me."
 
 CHAPTER V 
 
 PECUUAB FACTS 
 
 WHEN Morgan reached the second floor 
 on his way down, he paused a moment 
 before Marsh's door. So far as he had 
 gone in this case, Morgan was confronted with 
 two factors ; the connection of this man with the 
 case, and the bearing which Miss Atwood and 
 her father might have upon it. Without doubt, 
 some singular conditions surrounded the At- 
 woods, but his knowledge of these was still too 
 vague to give him even a basis for reasoning. On 
 the other hand, the questionable circumstances 
 surrounding the connection of this man Marsh 
 with the case, were very definite, indeed, and 
 though Morgan tried to avoid hasty conclusions, 
 he could not keep back his growing suspicions of 
 Marsh. As he hesitated before Marsh's door, 
 Morgan thought that it moved slightly. Step- 
 ping closer and pushing the door gently with an 
 outstretched hand, he found it tightly closed. 
 Yet, he had a feeling that the door had been 
 
 46
 
 PECULIAR FACTS 
 
 softly closed after he had stopped on the land- 
 ing. That decided Morgan. The time was not 
 opportune for an interview with this man. He 
 wanted to obtain some additional facts before 
 taking the step he was now convinced would 
 have to be taken, and so went on down the stairs 
 to carry his investigations further. 
 
 Leaving the house, Morgan turned the corner 
 of Lawrence Avenue and entered the alleyway in 
 the rear of the Eillcrest apartments. 
 
 Practically all Chicago apartment houses 
 have an outside rear stairway for the use of 
 tradespeople. Usually, this stairway is open 
 so that anything which takes place can be ob- 
 served from all nearby houses. In this instance 
 the stairway was enclosed, with a door leading 
 to the back porch of each apartment. A person 
 could pass from the alley up to the third floor 
 without being noticed, even by tenants in the 
 building itself. 
 
 Morgan instantly noted that an automobile 
 could stand in the alleyway close to the en- 
 trance; that a person could come down these 
 stairs unobserved, step into the car and be 
 quietly carried away, disappearing into the 
 general traffic of the streets in probably not 
 
 47
 
 THE SHEEIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 more than two minutes after leaving the apart- 
 ment. 
 
 Here, thought Morgan, was a possible solu- 
 tion of the sudden disappearance of the person 
 who had been either murdered or wounded. It 
 was a problem, of course, as to which door they 
 had been brought through, and the solution of 
 that problem would very likely bring him pretty 
 close to the person or persons who had par- 
 ticipated in the events of the night before. 
 
 Unquestionably, the rear door of the apart- 
 ment where the trouble had taken place had not 
 been used for this purpose, although it would 
 seem the logical and quickest way to make an 
 exit. On the other hand, for that very reason, 
 the persons back of the supposed crime had been 
 clever enough to avoid it, thus adding a mystify- 
 ing element to what had taken place. 
 
 In the light of present developments, two 
 possible exits suggested themselves to Morgan. 
 These were the Atwood and Marsh apartments. 
 The girl, however, claimed that she had slept 
 through the night, and it hardly seemed possible 
 that anyone could pass through her flat without 
 arousing her. This, of course, meant taking for 
 granted her story that she was alone in the 
 
 48
 
 PECULIAR FACTS 
 
 apartment and had been in bed and sleeping. 
 While Morgan felt attracted toward the girl, and 
 placed considerable confidence in her honesty, 
 he did not allow these emotions to entirely dull 
 his sense of suspicion. If things did not clear 
 themselves shortly he would carry his investiga^ 
 tions further along this line. 
 
 In the meantime, his distrust centered on the 
 Marsh apartment. This man admitted being 
 awake during the reported struggle, and there 
 was no question about his being partly dressed 
 and in action while some of the events were 
 taking place. Marsh could easily have passed a 
 person or a body to a confederate through hia 
 back door, locked the door and then hurried into 
 Sheridan Eoad to direct the attention of the 
 police, or any other persons who had been 
 aroused, to the front of the house, thus enabling 
 his confederate to get quietly, safely and quickly 
 away. This was only bare theory on Morgan's 
 part. He needed definite facts to either confirm 
 this theory, or to prove that his judgment was at 
 fault. The cuff button, with its initial "M," 
 looked curiously like one of these facts, and, 
 taken in connection with the other circum^ 
 stances, pointed strongly toward Marsh. 
 
 49
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 He wanted to know more about Marsh, and 
 the girl had given him some basic facts which 
 would enable him to enlarge his fund of infor- 
 mation. The owner, or the real estate agent 
 who managed the building, seemed to be the 
 logical starting point for securing this informa- 
 tion. To find out the names of these people must 
 be his next step. 
 
 Luckily, at this moment the janitor of the 
 apartment building appeared, rolling a barrel 
 of ashes up from the basement. "While it was 
 quite obvious that such was the case, Morgan 
 opened the conversation by inquiring, "Are you 
 the janitor of this flat house ?" 
 
 "Yes, sir," replied the man. 
 
 "Does the owner run this building, or has he 
 placed an agent in charge?" 
 
 "A real estate agent manages it," the janitor 
 informed him. "Parker & Cole over on 
 Broadway." 
 
 :t Thanks," said Morgan, and returned down 
 the alley to Lawrence Avenue where he turned 
 west and walked over to Broadway. A few 
 minutes later he stood at the counter in the real 
 estate office, and a man approached him. 
 
 "Is either Mr. Parker or Mr. Cole in?" 
 50
 
 PECULIAR FACTS 
 
 1 ' I am Mr. Cole, ' ' announced the man. ' ' What 
 can I do for you?" 
 
 Morgan opened his coat a minute to give Cole 
 a glimpse of his hadge ; then said, "I would like 
 to talk confidentially with you for a few. 
 minutes. ' ' 
 
 "Step into my private office," directed Cole, 
 opening a gate as he spoke, and indicating a 
 space partitioned off at the rear. 
 
 "What is the trouble?" he inquired, when 
 they were seated. 
 
 "I came to see you in connection with the 
 trouble in the Hillcrest last night." 
 
 ' 'A most unfortunate affair ! ' ' exclaimed Cole. 
 "It is the first time anything of the kind ever oc- 
 curred in any of the buildings under our manage- 
 ment. It is most unfortunate," he repeated. 
 
 "I have been assigned to the case," Morgan 
 informed him, "and I am gathering all the in- 
 formation possible. Then I can formulate some 
 theory upon which to work. Just at this time I 
 want a little information regarding your 
 tenants in the building." 
 
 "Very fine people very fine people, indeed," 
 protested Cole. "There couldn't be a breath of 
 suspicion against any of them." 
 
 51
 
 "I'll be the judge of that," said Morgan, 
 sharply. 
 
 "But really," cried Cole, "you must not 
 annoy our tenants. Surely it was only a quarrel 
 among burglars. One man probably wounded 
 his pal and then, alarmed at the disturbance he 
 had created, hurried him away. ' ' 
 
 Morgan smiled. This was a very ingenious 
 and plausible solution of the mystery at least 
 in the real estate agent's eyes. However, Mor- 
 gan now sought facts, not amateur theories, and 
 disregarding the real estate man's talk, he 
 pushed his quest for information. 
 
 "I have a report in my pocket which covers 
 all that I want to know about most of your 
 tenants ; at least for the present. There are two 
 families, however, about whom I want further 
 information. The first is the Atwood family, in 
 the third floor south." 
 
 " Atwood Atwood," repeated Cole, as if he 
 did not place the name. Then he called, " Joe r 
 bring me the rent book." 
 
 Morgan became alert. It was possible that a 
 man like Cole, with a large list of properties 
 under his management, might be somewhat 
 vague in his recollection of the names of a f CTT 
 
 52
 
 PECULIAE FACTS 
 
 of his tenants. This case was different. The 
 Atwoods, according to the girl's story, had sub- 
 leased their apartment quite recently, presum- 
 ably with the agent's sanction. The present 
 excitement should naturally have recalled this 
 matter to Cole's mind should even have con- 
 centrated his thoughts upon the names and 
 characteristics of every tenant in this particular 
 building. Cole 's unf amiliarity with the name of 
 Atwood, therefore, seemed peculiar. 
 
 At this moment a boy entered with a large 
 volume. Laying it on Cole's desk, the boy 
 passed quietly out of the office. Cole glanced at 
 the index and then turned over certain pages in 
 the book. 
 
 "We have no Atwood in that house," he de- 
 clared, finally, looking up at Morgan. "You 
 must have made a mistake. " 
 
 Before replying, Morgan pulled out a small 
 notebook and spread it open on his knee, ready 
 for use. He also extracted a pencil from his 
 vest pocket. Glancing at the point to see that it 
 was in working condition, he turned to Cole with 
 the question, "Who does occupy the third floor 
 south in that house?" 
 
 "A family named Crocker." 
 53
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 "Full name, please." 
 
 " Joseph Crocker. He rented that apartment 
 ime year ago the first of this month," stated 
 Cole, after further reference to the book. 
 
 Morgan jotted this down in his notebook. 
 
 "You haven't heard that Mr. Crocker sub- 
 leased his flat f ' ' inquired Morgan. 
 
 "No," replied Cole, positively. "I would be 
 sure to know about it, too. A transaction of 
 that kind must be put through and reported in 
 this office." 
 
 "Can you give me any further particulars 
 about Mr. Crocker?" 
 
 "Well, of course, I could look up his refer- 
 ences and the other papers, if you wish me to. 
 But as I recall it, he came from St. Louis and 
 had excellent references from that city." 
 
 "I won't bother you to look anything more up 
 on that just now," said Morgan. "I may be 
 interested in the information later. I'll see 
 what I can find out first. " 
 
 "How did you come to associate the name of 
 Atwood with that apartment ? ' ' inquired Cole. 
 
 "I thought that was the name mentioned in 
 the report I have. It was probably a mistake 
 of the man who first went through the building. 
 
 54
 
 PECULIAR FACTS 
 
 They often make mistakes in names," Morgan 
 added, reassuringly, as it was not Ms desire 
 to start Cole on any investigation of his 
 own at this time. "Now, what can you tell 
 me about the Marsh family, second floor 
 north?" 
 
 "Well, there's a party I can tell you more 
 about. It made an impression upon me at the 
 time we rented the apartment, because we had 
 to make special arrangements." 
 
 "Yes," said Morgan, encouragingly. 
 
 "You see," continued Cole, "owing to a death 
 in the family, the people who occupied that 
 apartment moved out in July, and I sublet the 
 apartment for them from the first of August, to 
 a Mr. Gordon Marsh. Mr. Marsh, I understand, 
 was driven off his ranch in Mexico by the revolu- 
 tionists. As he knew practically no one in the 
 United States to whom he could refer, we finally 
 compromised by his agreeing to pay his rent 
 quarterly in advance." 
 
 "How much of a family has he?" asked Mor- 
 gan. 
 
 "Only his wife," returned Cole. "That was 
 one reason we were willing to come to terms 
 with him. We like small families; like Mr. 
 
 55
 
 THE SHERIDAN EOAD MYSTERY 
 
 Ames, who rents the apartment where this 
 trouble occurred." 
 
 Morgan welcomed this mention of Ames. It 
 gave him an opening for further questions re- 
 garding this tenant. He was not overlooking 
 the fact that the Ames family might in some 
 way be connected with the affair. 
 
 "I suppose Mr. Ames and his wife are still 
 away?" he inquired. 
 
 "Yes," returned Cole. "We received his 
 October rent through his London bankers, 
 .White, Wyth & Harding; and only a few days 
 ago, a letter referring to some decorating to be 
 done when he returns next month. By the way, 
 why are yon particularly interested in these 
 families?" 
 
 "Just happen to be people we didn't get 
 reports on at the building, that is all. Our re- 
 ports on a case of this kind have to be com- 
 plete." 
 
 "Quite right quite right," approved Cole, 
 his curiosity evidently satisfied. 
 
 "Mr. Marsh and Mr. Ames are friends, are 
 they not?" queried Morgan, casually, as he 
 noted down in his book what Cole had recently 
 told him. 
 
 56
 
 
 PECULIAR FACTS 
 
 "Not so far as I know. In fact, it hardly 
 could be possible, inasmuch as Mr. Ames and his 
 wife went abroad before Mr. Marsh arrived in 
 Chicago."
 
 PHAPTEB vi 
 
 THE CABLE FROM LONDON 
 
 AFTER leaving the real estate office, Mor- 
 gan walked south on Broadway to Wil- 
 son Avenue and entered the Western 
 Union office. Here he sent a short cable to 
 London. Leaving his address so that the 
 reply could be forwarded to him, he went 
 across the street and took an elevated train for 
 home. 
 
 After dinner Morgan settled down in his 
 favorite chair to await Tierney, who had tele- 
 phoned that he would be there in a little while. 
 As he was filling his pipe for the second time, 
 the bell rang. Morgan opened the door and 
 Tierney bustled in. The cheerful smile, the 
 snappy step, and the careless motion with which 
 Tierney shot his hat into a nearby chair, told 
 Morgan as plainly as words, that his partner 
 brought worth while information. Tierney 
 pulled an easy chair up to the table, and Morgan 
 
 58
 
 THE CABLE FEOM LONDON 
 
 pushed the tobacco jar and an extra pipe over 
 to him. Tierney filled the pipe, lighted up, and 
 settling back, grinned at Morgan. 
 
 "I may have exceeded orders, but I've sure 
 got some dope on that guy, Marsh. You told me 
 to find out what I could about Atwood. . I visited 
 various stores in the neighborhood 'which a 
 family was likely to patronize. No one knew the 
 name. After I had stopped in a cigar store, and 
 found that his name was not in the telephone 
 directory, I figured that there was nothing more 
 I could do along that line until I'd talked things 
 over with you. So I decided to hang around in 
 sight of the house and watch developments. 
 
 "At a quarter to three a young woman came 
 but, walked down to Lawrence Avenue and stood 
 on the corner, apparently waiting for a motor 
 bus. As she did not look like anyone I had seen 
 in the house, I gave her the once-over." 
 
 "Was she about medium height, slender, with 
 blonde hair and dark blue eyes?" questioned 
 Morgan. 
 
 "Well, I didn't get close enough to gaze fond- 
 ly into her eyes," said Tierney, "but the rest of 
 your description fits all right. Do you know, 
 who she is ? " 
 
 59
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 "Probably Miss Atwood," Morgan explained, 
 "daughter of the tenant in the flat across the 
 hall. In the future it will do no harm to keep 
 one eye on her, Tierney. ' * 
 
 "I kept both eyes on her today, Morgan, and 
 that's the way I got the dope I did." 
 
 Morgan smiled appreciatively, and Tierney; 
 went on. 
 
 "As I was saying, I watched this girl as she 
 waited for the bus. Suddenly I glanced toward 
 the house, and there was this guy, Marsh, stand- 
 ing just inside the doorway. To me it looked as 
 if he was trying to keep an eye on this girl, with- 
 out her seeing him if she looked back. So I kept 
 out of sight as far as I could and watched the 
 two of them. Sure enough, in about one minute 
 along comes the bus and the girl gets in. "Would 
 you believe it, Morgan, that very minute Marsh 
 dashes across the street, nails an empty taxi and 
 starts after the bus. 
 
 "Now, I ain't as quick as you, Morgan, but I 
 sure figured that my cue was to join the proces- 
 sion. Luck was with me, for the minute I got 
 this idea I spotted a Checker taxi and rushed at 
 it so hard the driver nearly fainted. 'Follow 
 that Yellow ahead!' I yelled to the driver, and 
 
 60
 
 THE CABLE FEOM LONDON 
 
 before he came to a full stop I had jumped in 
 and we were off. 
 
 "We trailed down Sheridan Eoad, through 
 Lincoln Park, and on to Michigan Avenue the 
 girl in the bus, Marsh in the Yellow, and me in 
 the Checker. Just after we passed Adama 
 Street the Yellow stopped at the curb and Marsh 
 got out. I stopped my cab quick, and as I 
 saw that Marsh was paying off his driver, I 
 settled with mine and got ready for the next 
 move. 
 
 " Marsh started down Michigan Avenue, and I 
 could keep pretty close on account of the crowd. 
 Pretty soon I sighted this girl trotting along a 
 little way ahead of us. Now, there's a situation 
 for you, Morgan Marsh trailing the girl and 
 me trailing Marsh." 
 
 At this point Morgan's interest was shown by 
 the fact that he sat forward in his chair with his 
 elbows on his knees, and for the moment forgot 
 to pull at his pipe. 
 
 Tierney continued. "The girl turns into a 
 building at six hundred and something Michigan 
 Avenue I've got the exact number in my book. 
 Marsh strolls over to the curb, while I, taking 
 advantage of his back being turned for the 
 
 61
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 moment, shot into the building after her. She 
 entered an elevator, and I strolled in, too. 
 Luckily, she stood near the door, so I could get 
 into the back of the car and not be specially 
 noticed. She got off at a musical school. As we 
 had been the only two people in the elevator, I 
 took a chance, and said to the man running it, 
 'Some looker!* 
 
 " 'Yes,' he says, 'a fine looking girl. She 
 comes here twice a week. ' 
 
 " 'Well,' says I, 'that's a good thing for 
 women to learn music. How long do they 
 teach them?' 
 
 " 'You mean, how long does a lesson last?' he 
 asked me. 
 
 "'Yes,' I told him. 
 
 "'Oh, about a half -hour,' he says. 'Say! 
 .What floor do you want?' he shot at me as he 
 reached the top. 
 
 ' ' ' Good Lord ! ' I says, winking at him. ' That 
 dame sure upset me. I want to go back two 
 floors.' 
 
 "When he let me out I hustled over to the 
 stairway, went down to the ground floor, and 
 when Marsh had his eyes turned away for a 
 minute, I beat it out and up Michigan. 
 
 62
 
 THE CABLE FROM LONDON 
 
 "Now, Morgan, here's where I was clever. 
 That girl was good for a half -hour and so was 
 Marsh, if he was following her ; as I was pretty 
 snre he was. Now you or I haven't seen all of 
 the inside of Marsh's apartment, have we? 
 And yet we suspect this guy, and want to get 
 something on him if we can." 
 
 Morgan nodded, and began to smile as 
 he gathered what Tierney was about to tell 
 him. 
 
 ''Well, Morgan, I figured that a half -hour 
 would give me all the time I needed, so I ran 
 over to the elevated and went back to Lawrence 
 Avenue. I slipped up the alleyway, back of the 
 house, and climbed the rear stairs to Marsh's 
 flat. After thumping on the door several times 
 I made sure no one was home, especially as the 
 shades in the kitchen and the pantry were pulled 
 down. So I pulled out my bunch of keys and 
 had the luck to find one that opened the lock. I 
 closed the door softly, and tiptoed through the 
 kitchen and the dining room. Would you be- 
 lieve it, Morgan there wasn't a stick of furni- 
 ture in those rooms!" 
 
 "You mean the place was empty?" asked 
 Morgan, 
 
 63
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 "Up to the entrance to the hallway it was 
 absolutely bare, Morgan. The living room is 
 furnished, and so is the bedroom; and there 
 were a few toilet articles in the bathroom. He 
 has a pair of heavy drapes across the doorway 
 to the dining room, so that anyone coming in 
 would never gness the back part wasn't fur- 
 nished. I looked things over pretty carefully in 
 the few minutes I had, and I didn't find a single 
 article that belonged to a woman. I tell you, 
 Morgan, that fellow's living there alone and 
 only got half the flat furnished ! Take it from 
 me, he's got something on. That flat's just 
 a blind. If it was me, I'd lock him up to- 
 night." 
 
 "Well, it's coining pretty soon, Tierney," ac- 
 ceded Morgan. "What you've found out today 
 Sill help a lot." 
 
 .There was a few minutes pause as the two 
 men smoked their pipes, and Morgan analyzed 
 the facts which Tierney had given him. Sudden- 
 ly he leaned over and picked up the telephone 
 from the tabouret. 
 
 "What's doing!" exclaimed Tierney. 
 
 "We shouldn't leave that man Marsh un- 
 watched from now on," explained Morgan. 
 
 64
 
 THE CABLE FROM LONDON 
 
 "I know it, Morgan, and I've taken care of all 
 that." 
 
 "You mean the house is watched?" 
 
 "Sure," said Tierney. "The minute I go^ 
 out of the flat this afternoon I telephoned thei 
 Captain of the precinct and told him just enough' 
 to get his co-operation. There's a man on the 
 job now and he won't leave there, unless he fol- 
 lows Marsh, until I relieve him in the morning. ' ' 
 
 "There's one drawback to that," observed 
 Morgan, as he set the telephone back in place. 
 "No one knows Marsh except you." 
 
 "There's a man knows him better than I do 
 Murphy, the man on the beat. He spent quite a 
 spell with Marsh last night." 
 
 "That's right," agreed Morgan. "How did 
 you fix it!" 
 
 "The Captain put another man on Murphy 'a 
 beat, and put Murphy into plain-clothes for to- 
 night. It worked all right, because Murphy was 
 a night man anyway. ' ' 
 
 "You're all right, Tierney," Morgan compli- 
 mented him. 
 
 Tierney grinned his appreciation. 
 
 "Now then, Tierney," went on Morgan, "you; 
 relieve Murphy in the morning, and watch things 
 
 65
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 until I can get on the job. After I relieve you, 
 you get in touch with Headquarters and have 
 some fingerprint photos taken. ' ' 
 
 ' 'Did you find finger prints ? ' ' exclaimed Tier- 
 ney, sitting up with a start. 
 
 "No," explained Morgan, ''but I found the 
 marks of the sides of somebody's hands on the 
 dining room table in that flat. I want them pre- 
 pared and photographed just as if they were 
 fingerprints." 
 
 "But you can't identify anybody by marks of 
 that kind," remarked Tierney, with an inquiring 
 note in his voice. 
 
 "Probably not," Morgan returned. "I 
 haven't the slightest idea how I could make use 
 of such a photo now. But I want to provide 
 against anything that may turn up. The marks 
 are there, and we might as well have a record 
 of them." 
 
 Tierney opened his mouth to reply, but at that 
 instant Morgan held up a warning hand. 
 
 In many of the older and smaller apartments, 
 such as the one occupied by Morgan, the door 
 from the main hall opens directly into the liv- 
 ing room. Such was the arrangement here, and 
 Morgan slowly turned his head toward this doo 
 
 66
 
 THE CABLE FROM LONDON 
 
 and listened intently. Then he carefully arose 
 from his chair, moved softly around the corner 
 of the table, and slowly tiptoed toward the door. 
 Tierney had not heard a sound, yet he instantly 
 became as alert as Morgan. He stood ready for 
 a quick move, if necessary, while his right hand 
 rested on the butt of the revolver in his hip 
 pocket. 
 
 At that moment there was a quite audible 
 sound outside the door. Morgan leaped for- 
 ward and threw the door open. With the sound 
 of the opening door both men heard somebody 
 break into a hasty descent of the stairs. Morgan 
 dashed through the door and down the stairs. 
 Tierney followed close behind him. Before 
 they reached the front door they heard the roar 
 of an opened muffler and an accelerated engine, 
 and by the time they reached the front steps 
 there was nothing to be seen except the black 
 shadow of an automobile without lights rapidly 
 disappearing down Sheffield Avenue. 
 
 "Well, I'm damned!" growled Tierney, as 
 the car disappeared. 
 
 Morgan said nothing, but stood thoughtfully 
 gazing down the street. 
 
 "What do you make of it?" inquired Tierney. 
 67
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 * 'Let's go up again," suggested Morgan, 
 without replying to the question. 
 
 Back in the living room, the men resumed 
 their seats, and spoke in lowered voices. 
 
 "It's hard to tell what it means," Morgan at 
 last replied. "That's the first time anything of 
 the kind ever happened to me. ' ' 
 
 "How did you get wise?" asked Tierney. 
 
 "I heard the door move several times," 
 Morgan explained. "At first I thought it was 
 the wind, but the last time I heard it I was sure 
 it had a different sound. It seemed to me that 
 somebody had leaned against the door while try- 
 ing to listen." 
 
 "By God!" exclaimed Tierney. "This is 
 some case, Morgan. Are we spying on some- 
 body, or is somebody spying on us? Marsh 
 trails a girl; I chase up Marsh; and now I'm 
 damned if I don't think somebody's chasing me, 
 too." 
 
 "It begins to look like a bigger case than I 
 thought, Tierney. An ordinary murderer usu- 
 ally gets out of town or lays low. Quite likely 
 somebody is afraid we will unearth more than a 
 murder. You run along now. I want to be 
 alone to think things over. On your way home 
 
 68
 
 stop off and look up Murphy. Find out whether 
 or not Marsh has left the house tonight. Tele* 
 phone me what you find out." 
 
 "Sure thing," answered Tierney, and picking 
 fcp his hat, hurried away. 
 
 Morgan sat down in his chair and began to 
 refill his pipe. After lighting it, he settled back 
 into his chair and meditated on the case. Re- 
 viewing in his mind the various bits of fact, 
 information and incident which he now had at 
 hand, he endeavored to separate or combine 
 them according to their direct bearing upon the 
 case. 
 
 In his earlier days Morgan had learned that 
 a criminal case was something like a dusty road- 
 way. Many tracks crossed and re-crossed one 
 another, becoming just a bewildering mass to 
 the untrained eye. In the present instance, the 
 situation in "the Atwood apartment had queer; 
 aspects which seemed to connect it with the inci- 
 dent of the night before. The suspicious points 
 were not so glaringly apparent, perhaps, as the 
 circumstances which connected the man Marsh, 
 but they were there just the same. "While the 
 Atwood situation attracted Morgan, he was in- 
 clined to believe that he had actually uncovered 
 
 69
 
 THE SHERIDAN KOAD MYSTEEY 
 
 some other situation ; of a criminal nature, per- 
 haps, but not associated with his present investi- 
 gations. To one unfamiliar with crime, the 
 incident of Marsh following the girl might have 
 seemed to form a connection, but Morgan real- 
 ized that if there was anything between the 
 Atwoods and Marsh, the latter would hardly 
 have been secretly following Miss Atwood. 
 
 On the other hand, it was quite possible that a 
 clever criminal, of the type he now suspected 
 Marsh to be, having successfully accomplished 
 one job, might have another in mind, which he 
 thought he could execute before forced to make 
 his final getaway. Instead of attributing this 
 incident to a connection between the Atwoods 
 and Marsh, Morgan figured that it weighed 
 somewhat in the Atwoods' favor, while still 
 further incriminating the man Marsh. 
 
 At this point in his reflections the telephone 
 bell rang, and answering it, Morgan heard Tier- 
 ney's voice. 
 
 "I've just seen Murphy, " reported Tierney. 
 "He says that Marsh came home about seven- 
 thirty and has not been out since; unless he 
 slipped out the back door. This doesn't seem 
 likely as there is another man watching the rear. 
 
 70
 
 THE CABLE FEOM LONDON 
 
 He don't know Marsh, but he would find out 
 before he let anyone go. Murphy says he has 
 seen a shadow pass the windows several times 
 during the evening, and we are pretty sure that 
 Marsh is the only person in that flat." 
 
 "All right," replied Morgan. They ex- 
 changed good-byes, and Morgan replaced the 
 telephone on the tabouret. 
 
 Settling back into his chair once more, Morgan 
 came to the conclusion that one or more of 
 Marsh's confederates of the night before had 
 simply been endeavoring to get information so' 
 ias to warn Marsh whether or not he was sus- 
 pected. Morgan knew that, as usual, he and 
 ^Tierney had talked in guarded voices, so he felt 
 confident that little, if any, of their conversation 
 had been overheard. It was the anxiety of the 
 person on the other side of the door to try and 
 catch their words which had led him to lean 
 heavily against the door and so warn Morgan 
 of his presence. Morgan felt fairly certain that 
 he would find Marsh at home the next day, and 
 after that, if any reports could be conveyed to 
 him, they would be of little use. 
 
 Piecing together, one by one, the various bits 
 *>f evidence he had accumulated against Marsh, 
 
 71
 
 convinced Morgan that this was the man he 
 wanted. The flattened bullet, the cigarette 
 ashes, and the hand marks could not identify 
 anyone. The cuff button, however, with its 
 initial "M" was more direct in its accusation. 
 It might be the principal hold on the suspect. 
 Morgan admitted that the evidence was purely 
 circumstantial, and that there was really 
 nothing in it to convict a man in a court of law, 
 but there was enough evidence to take Marsh up 
 on suspicion, and past experience made him con- 
 fident that once he had this man at Head- 
 quarters, the usual grilling would extract 
 enough information from him to lead them to 
 sufficient evidence of a positive nature. 
 
 There was, of course, still a doubt as to 
 whether or not an actual crime had been com- 
 mitted. But something surely had happened, 
 and Morgan began to feel that the next day 
 would throw considerable light on what it was. 
 
 Having reached these conclusions, and a 
 determination to visit Marsh the next day and 
 take him into custody, Morgan went to bed. 
 
 At the first note from his alarm clock the next 
 morning, Morgan jumped promptly out of bed. 
 
 72
 
 THE CABLE FROM LONDON 
 
 After awakening his mother so that she could 
 get his breakfast, he hastily dressed. 
 
 Just as he was swallowing the last of his 
 coffee there came a prolonged ring at the bell. 
 His mother went to the door, and returned with 
 a Western Union envelope. "My final bit of 
 evidence ! ' ' exclaimed Morgan, as he hurriedly 
 tore off the end of the envelope and read the 
 cablegram within. It was brief and to the point, 
 and read just as Morgan had anticipated it 
 would. 
 
 Marsh unknown to me. 
 
 Ames. 
 
 73
 
 .CHAPTER VH 
 
 MR. MABSH 
 
 MORGAN had hardly expected Buch an 
 early reply when he sent his inquiry to 
 Mr. Ames regarding his acquaintance 
 yith Marsh. It was possible, however, that Mr. 
 Ames had made an early morning call on his 
 London bankers, and had immediately dis- 
 patched his reply. Morgan was glad that it had 
 arrived at this opportune moment. With Mur- 
 phy to testify that Marsh had claimed Ames as 
 a friend, and with this cablegram to prove the 
 falsity of the claim, he had at least one unan- 
 swerable piece of evidence of a suspicious nature 
 to warrant his proposed action against the man. 
 Bidding his mother good-bye, Morgan hurried 
 around to the elevated station. He purchased a 
 package of cigarettes at the news stand, and 
 climbed the steps two at a time to catch a train 
 he heard approaching. A few minutes later he 
 got off at the Wilson Avenue station, crossed 
 Wilson Avenue to Sheridan Road, and turning 
 
 74
 
 ME. MARSH 
 
 north soon spotted Tierney at the corner of 
 Lawrence Avenue. 
 
 ' * Hello, 9 ' Morgan greeted him. ' * Any news ? ' ' 
 "No," replied Tierney. "I relieved Murphy 
 at six o 'clock this morning, and another man has 
 taken up the watch in the alleyway. Murphy 
 saw nothing of Marsh, and he said the light went 
 out in his flat about 10:30. The man who 
 watched the alleyway didn't see a soul except 
 the milkman. Marsh came out a little while ago 
 and I followed him. He had a quick breakfast in 
 the waffle shop just below here, and I trailed him 
 back again." 
 
 "I guess I'll find my man in, all right," said 
 Morgan. " I'll go up now. You tell the man in 
 the alleyway to keep his eyes open while I'm 
 inside. In about ten minutes, if he doesn't hear 
 anything from me, he can come up and wait out- 
 side Marsh's door. We'll leave him there that 
 long in case Marsh should try to slip out the 
 back way when he hears me at the door. If he 
 doesn't hear from me in ten minutes he can be 
 sure that I got in. He will then probably be 
 more useful close at hand in the event that any- 
 thing should slip up. After yon tell him what 
 to do, you can go ahead with the photographs." 
 
 75
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 Tierney nodded in acknowledgment of these 
 instructions and started back to the alleyway. 
 Morgan entered the apartment house, climbed 
 the stairs to Marsh's door, and rang the bell. 
 Marsh immediately opened the door. It seemed 
 to Morgan as if Marsh must have been standing 
 there awaiting his ring, yet how could the man 
 have suspected Morgan's intention to call on 
 him at this time! It looked strangely like the 
 man had been on watch at the door. 
 
 "Good morning," said Marsh. 
 
 "Good morning," returned Morgan. "I 
 want to have a little talk with you. ' ' 
 
 Marsh invited him in with a pleasant ring in 
 his voice, and indicated the living room with a 
 motion of his hand. Morgan entered and sat 
 down on a chair close to the entrance, laying his 
 hat on the floor by the chair. Marsh watched 
 Morgan sit down in this strategical location, 
 and then, with a slight smile, strolled across and 
 seated himself in a big chair near the fireplace. 
 Resting his elbows on the arms of the chair, and 
 interlacing his fingers in front of him, he looked 
 at Morgan. 
 
 "Well?" he said. 
 
 Morgan unbuttoned his coat and exhibited his 
 76
 
 ME. MAESH 
 
 badge. "I am Detective Sergeant Morgan of 
 the Chicago Police Department." 
 
 "Oh, yes Dave Morgan." 
 
 Morgan looked 'at Marsh sharply. "YouVe 
 heard of me before, have yon?" he said. 
 
 "Not until early Tuesday morning," smiled 
 Marsh. "Then I heard one of the policemen 
 refer to the fact that this would be a job for 
 Dave Morgan. Evidently you have quite a 
 reputation here in Chicago, Mr. Morgan. ' ' 
 
 "Among crooks yes," snapped Morgan. 
 The easy attitude of the other man was just a 
 little puzzling. Morgan, however, was inclined 
 to attribute it to his confidence that they were 
 not in a position to actually fasten any guilt 
 upon him. He suspected that the man was play- 
 ing a game, and this not only nettled him, but 
 served to strengthen his suspicions. Morgan 
 went on. 
 
 "I have been assigned to this murder case 
 upstairs, Mr. Marsh. After considerable inves- 
 tigation I find it will be necessary to ask you a 
 few questions." 
 
 Marsh nodded but said nothing. 
 
 Morgan sat silent for a moment, as if consid- 
 ering how to begin. Then, without apparently 
 
 77
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 looking at Marsh, he suddenly said, "It's a long 
 jump from Mexico to Chicago. ' ' 
 
 Marsh unclasped his fingers for a moment and 
 looked hard at Morgan. Morgan caught what 
 he believed to be a start, but gave no 
 indication that it had made an impression upon 
 him. 
 
 "I was wondering," he continued, slowly, 
 "what had brought you such a long way." 
 
 "Obviously, Mr. Morgan, if you know that 
 much about me, you must also know that I came 
 here on business." 
 
 "When do you attend to your business, Mr. 
 Marsh?" asked Morgan, now looking him in the 
 eye. 
 
 "At various times of the day," replied Marsh. 
 "Whenever I can get appointments with the 
 people I am negotiating with. I don't quite 
 understand the trend of these questions, but I 
 might say that I was downtown on business the 
 greater part of yesterday afternoon." 
 
 "Does standing on a Michigan Avenue curb 
 constitute the principal part of your business, 
 Mr. Marsh?" 
 
 "Well, I sometimes fill in my time like that 
 until I am sure the people who are interested in 
 
 78
 
 ME. MAESH 
 
 my movements have gone on abont their own 
 business." 
 
 It was Morgan's tnrn to look disconcerted. 
 Evidently he had a clever man to deal with, and 
 he began to wonder if his present step had not 
 been too precipitate. He felt sure that it was 
 going to be difficult to fasten anything on this 
 man. He decided, however, that he had gone too 
 far to draw back now, and he went on with his 
 questions, 
 
 "In the preliminary report which was given 
 me," he said, "I noticed that you made a state- 
 ment to the patrolman you called in that the 
 noise in the flat above aroused both you and your 
 wife." 
 
 - "Yes," admitted Marsh, "I believe I did say 
 something like that." 
 
 "But," added Morgan, "we have not been 
 able to get an interview with your wife. ' ' 
 
 * * Such an interview would be quite useless. As 
 a matter of fact, she knows no more, and prob- 
 ably not so much as I do about what took place." 
 
 "You're probably right about that," smiled 
 Morgan, and there was a sarcastic ring in his 
 voice, "Just the same, I'd like to have a few 
 word* "with her."
 
 THE SHEEIDAN EOAD MYSTERY 
 
 "You know as well as I do, Mr. Morgan, that 
 that would be impossible. " 
 
 Morgan raised his eyebrows. "I don't get 
 you," he said. 
 
 "Well, to be more explicit, then, you know 
 that my wife does not live here." 
 
 "Here's a new game," thought Morgan. 
 There was no doubt that Marsh was openly 
 fencing with him. In fact, the man seemed to 
 know every move which had been made. At 
 last the super-criminal of literature seemed to 
 have stepped into actual life. Morgan was cer- 
 tain that some crime had been committed, and 
 the circumstantial evidence against this man 
 had been accumulating rapidly. Yet, as he 
 faced him and thought it over, he realized how 
 intangible was their hold upon Marsh. Of 
 course, when they got this man down to Head- 
 quarters they might force him to give more ex- 
 plicit details regarding his past and present 
 actions, but a man so clever as this had probably 
 left little behind him that would convict him of 
 anything; certainly not of his connection with 
 whatever had taken place in the apartment 
 above. The cuff button, even, seemed to be 
 growing doubtful in value. 
 
 80
 
 ME. MARSH 
 
 These reflections on Morgan's part flashed 
 through his mind so quickly that there was only 
 the slightest pause between Marsh's last state- 
 ment and the next question. 
 
 "What would give you that impression?" 
 asked Morgan. 
 
 "Your man went through my apartment 
 yesterday, and I'm sure he found no evidence of 
 a lady occupying it with me. ' ' 
 
 Morgan found it difficult to conceal his aston- 
 ishment, not only at the statement, but the 
 man's intimate knowledge of things of which he 
 was supposed to be in ignorance. Then he re- 
 membered the clandestine listener at his 
 door, and his doubts of a moment before took 
 flight. 
 
 "It is quite evident," declared Morgan, "that 
 you, or someone connected with you, have taken 
 an unusual interest in the movements of the 
 Chicago Police Department. Why?" 
 
 "I have taken no special interest in what you 
 have been doing," said Marsh. "It was not 
 difficult to note that almost from the time I called 
 the attention of your man on the beat to the 
 occurrence, your men have been regarding me 
 with suspicion. I cannot possibly understand 
 
 81
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 why this should be so, but you will admit that it 
 is a fact, won't you!" 
 
 Morgan remained silent. 
 
 "I could not help noticing," continued Marsh, 
 "that the man who had been conducting an 
 investigation in this house was keeping watch 
 across the street. Happening to glance back 
 after entering a taxicab yesterday, I observed 
 this man entering another taxi, which followed 
 mine downtown. It was obvious to the most 
 ordinary intelligence that he was following me. 
 After I reached the 'loop' district I was abso- 
 lutely sure of it. Then, when I returned and 
 found footmarks in my apartment, it was quite 
 evident that someone had been investigat- 
 ing." 
 
 Morgan was stunned. "Footmarks!" he 
 thought. "Had Tierney been so clumsy and 
 careless as to enter the flat with muddy shoes?" 
 Something had to be done to cover an awkward 
 pause, and give him a chance to gather his wits, 
 so Morgan took out the package of cigarettes. 
 After helping himself to one, he tossed the 
 package to Marsh. Morgan noted with satis- 
 faction that the man took one before handing the 
 package back. Marsh smoked cigarettes ! 
 
 82
 
 MR. MARSH 
 
 " Why did you follow Miss Atwood?" Morgan 
 suddenly shot at him. 
 
 Marsh's face expressed surprise. " Follow 
 Miss Atwood!" he exclaimed. 
 
 ' t That 's what it looked like, ' ' asserted Morgan. 
 
 "Well, that was a strange coincidence," 
 commented Marsh. 
 
 Morgan found it hard to determine whether 
 this was a reply or an evasion. He decided, 
 however, that matters had gone far enough, and 
 that Marsh must either prove himself innocent, 
 or stay in jail until they could definitely fasten 
 his guilt upon him. To bring matters to a head, 
 he reached into his pocket for the cablegram. 
 
 "You said that Mr. Ames, the man who rents 
 the flat upstairs, was a friend of yours." 
 
 "I believe I did," admitted Marsh. 
 
 "Well, I have a cablegram here from Mr. 
 Ames," stated Morgan, as he brought out the 
 paper. "Read it." 
 
 Marsh leaned forward, took the cablegram, 
 read it gravely, and returned it to Morgan. 
 
 "You have certainly got me tied up," he said. 
 
 "Tight as a drum!" agreed Morgan. "The 
 game's up, Marsh. You're coming with me to 
 Headquarters." 
 
 83
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 "I'm afraid you have sort of spilled the 
 beans, Morgan, ' ' laughed Marsh, rising. 
 
 Morgan, however, was used to the last minute 
 plays of cornered criminals. Leaning back in 
 his chair, and smiling encouragingly, his hands, 
 without seeming purpose, were slipped into the 
 side pockets of his coat. The right hand quickly 
 gripped a revolver in readiness. 
 
 "Yes," continued Marsh, "I had hoped to 
 work quietly, but this incident has upset my 
 plans. Yet, after all, perhaps we can work to- 
 gether with greater success." 
 
 "Now we come to the 'divvy' proposition," 
 thought Morgan. He remained expectantly 
 silent, however, and his face still wore its en- 
 couraging smile. 
 
 Marsh came closer and the end of the con- 
 cealed revolver barrel moved upward just a 
 trifle. The next moment the smile on Morgan's 
 face faded out and his eyes filled with an aston- 
 ished stare. 
 
 Marsh had thrown back his coat, revealing the 
 badge of the United States Secret Service ! 
 
 84
 
 CHAPTER VIII 
 
 A DEFINITE CLUE 
 
 6 4 "X 7* OU can take your hand off that gun 
 
 jf now," suggested Marsh, as he smiled 
 
 at Morgan and went back to his chair. 
 
 "I'll tell you my part of the story, and perhaps 
 
 we'll find in the end that two heads are better 
 
 than one. 
 
 "You have made a big but perhaps a natural 
 mistake. If you doubt my word in anything I 
 am about to tell you, it will only be necessary for 
 you to consult the Secret Service branch in the 
 Federal Building, to confirm my status in this 
 case. 
 
 "Without any intention of trying to kid you, 
 Morgan, I want to say this you've done some 
 quick and clever work in approximately twenty- 
 four hours. I realized from the first that things 
 had framed themselves in a peculiar way 
 against me. Yet, I will say frankly, that I did 
 not expect a local policeman to put the facts 
 together so quickly." 
 
 85
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 ''I am only human, Marsh/ J broke in Morgan, 
 * 'and your appreciation sounds good to me. But 
 let's get down to the story.'* 
 
 "Quite right/' agreed Marsh. "It begins 
 two years ago. At that time the Government 
 discovered that counterfeit five-dollar bills were 
 appearing in the East. They put me on the case 
 and I traced them from city to city. Suddenly 
 the output seemed to stop. For a time I was at 
 loose ends, and then I had word that they were 
 appearing again in St. Louis. I made a quick 
 jump to that city. Counterfeit five-dollar bills 
 are comparatively easy to pass. A larger bill 
 may attract attention, but five dollars is a com- 
 monly used unit. For that reason few people 
 could remember and describe the person who had 
 tendered the bill. But to make a long story short, 
 I finally brought their source close to a man 
 named Atwood, by finding out that his daughter 
 Jane occasionally paid for things with this par-- 
 ticular series of counterfeit five-dollar notes. 
 
 "I located this man's home, where he lived 
 with his wife and daughter. Neighbors believed 
 him to be a traveling man as he was away a 
 great deal. I never got a look at the man, be* 
 cause in some way he evidently got wind that we 
 
 86
 
 A DEFINITE CLUE 
 
 were watching him and stayed away from the 
 house. From neighbors, however, I learned 
 that he was tall, well built, dark haired and wore 
 a small mustache. Not exactly a definite 
 description, but one which might help in con- 
 nection with other things. Finally, I got a new 
 clue from Detroit, which seemed to indicate that 
 I would find the man there. It came to nothing, 
 however, and when I returned to St. Louis I 
 found that Atwood's wife had died in the meant 
 time that he had stored his furniture, and his 
 daughter was living in an hotel. I figured that 
 there was nothing to do but keep a close watch 
 on her from that time on, and eventually get in 
 touch with Atwood; then, through him, locate 
 the other members of the gang. While there 
 was no direct evidence that such was the case, 
 we know from experience that in a counterfeit- 
 ing case there are almost always two or more 
 persons engaged in the work. 
 
 "One night this girl gave me the slip, and it 
 took me nearly two weeks to trace her to 
 Chicago. Keeping watch on places where these 
 bills occasionally appeared, I recognized her 
 one day, and then located her in this apartment 
 building. Now experience had shown that this 
 
 87
 
 THE SHEEIDAN EOAD MYSTERY 
 
 case was really a game of patience. So far, little 
 had been accomplished by hanging around the 
 streets and watching the girl. A vacant apart- 
 ment in this very building gave me an unusual 
 opportunity. 
 
 "You know, Morgan, there are few crimes 
 that the Government looks on with such severity 
 as counterfeiting. To apprehend a counter- 
 feiter they will go to any lengths and spend any 
 amount of money. So I received permission to 
 rent this apartment. It gave me the advantage 
 of not only being right in the building constant- 
 ly, without attracting special attention, but as I 
 was on the floor below the suspects, I had an 
 excellent opportunity to keep an eye on all who 
 passed up and down the stairs. Another for- 
 tunate circumstance was the fact that the 
 apartment over me was unoccupied. There 
 could be no question as to where people passing 
 up and down the stairs were going. 
 
 "Government men, as you know, Morgan, 
 usually work with the utmost secrecy. Our own 
 local men were not even supposed to know I was 
 here unless the time came when I should need 
 help. It was not logical, therefore, for me to 
 disclose my identity or give any hint of it to the 
 
 88
 
 A DEFINITE CLUE 
 
 real estate firm that rented me the apartment. 
 That was why I posed as a ranch owner from 
 Mexico, here in Chicago for the purpose of inter- 
 esting certain financial interests in my property. 
 That left out the entangling subject of refer- 
 ences. Naturally, I did not want to waste money 
 on the complete furnishing of an apartment 
 which might be vacated at any* moment, so I 
 simply furnished up that part of it which might 
 come under the eye of a stranger. And certain- 
 ly these two rooms afforded me all the comfort 
 that I required. ' ' 
 
 "But Marsh," interrupted Morgan. "Why 
 did you make those breaks about your wife, and 
 knowing Ames upstairs?" 
 
 "A man in your line of work, Morgan, ought 
 to understand the wife idea, now that you know 
 some of the facts. A supposedly married man 
 passes quite unnoticed, but just give the ladies 
 a hint that a bachelor is in the house and imme- 
 diately everyone focuses attention upon him. 
 He is a poor, lonesome man, to be pitied, and 
 every woman in the house would have lain awake 
 nights figuring how she could introduce me to a 
 marriageable young woman. So I invented Mrs. 
 Marsh as a protection. 
 
 89
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 "I'll admit that my claim of friendship with 
 Ames didn't work out well in this instance. 
 However, it was an idea conceived in a hurry, 
 and in the ordinary course of events would have 
 really attracted little, if any, attention. You 
 realize that I was in this house to watch certain 
 people without disclosing my identity in any 
 way. I knew positively that the flat over me 
 was closed and empty. Then I was awakened 
 suddenly in the night hy a most suspicious dis- 
 turbance. Naturally, I connected it immediate- 
 ly with the people I was watching. If I took an 
 active interest in this trouble it might force my 
 hand, because a moment's consideration will 
 show you that the connection was only a guess 
 on my part, and might not be a fact. My first 
 thought, therefore, was to get the local police 
 on the job as quickly as possible and still keep 
 in touch with the incident myself. 
 
 "You may ask why I didn't telephone the 
 Police Department, instead of running into the 
 street. When I looked at my watch I saw that 
 it was two o'clock, and I knew from observation 
 that a patrolman was likely to be within a block 
 or two of the house at that hour. On the other 
 hand, if I telephoned, it might be twenty minutes 
 
 90
 
 A DEFINITE CLUE 
 
 before your men arrived, and you know, Morgan, 
 that a lot can happen in twenty minutes. 
 
 "After your man had telephoned for help he 
 was disinclined to have me butt into the matter 
 any further. Yet, you can see how imperative it 
 was for me to be on the job as well as your men. 
 The first thought, and the most logical excuse, 
 which came to my mind, was to tell the patrol- 
 man that the tenant of the flat was a personal 
 friend of mine. This made it seem perfectly 
 natural for me to follow up his interests in the 
 matter. As to keeping track of your move- 
 ments, it was only natural that I would want to 
 keep in touch with your progress in the case as 
 much as possible." 
 
 * ' One question, Marsh, ' ' said Morgan. * 'How 
 in thunder could you see my partner's footsteps, 
 as you said you did, in your apartment?" 
 
 Marsh laughed. 
 
 "Through a very simple precaution that I 
 have taken ever since I moved in here a little 
 talcum powder sprinkled over the dining room 
 floor. 
 
 "Now, Morgan, I have laid my cards on the 
 table. You can see the close connection that 
 probably exists between the Atwood counter- 
 
 91
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 f eiting case and whatever took place in the flat 
 over us. If you have found out anything, out- 
 side of what you supposed to be my connection 
 with the case, I would like to have the informa- 
 tion. 
 
 "So that you can see how close the connection 
 between the two cases really is, I will tell you 
 that after your men left Tuesday morning, I did 
 a little further investigating on my own account, 
 and found what I believed to be a definite clue 
 to the Atwoods' connection with the trouble." 
 
 "What was that?" asked Morgan. 
 
 "A small smear of blood on the doorknob of 
 the Atwood apartment!" 
 
 The fact that Marsh, who had been sur- 
 rounded by such suspicious circumstances that 
 Morgan had been enabled to build up one of his 
 quickest cases, had now turned out to be an 
 operative of the Federal Government, was one 
 of the most astounding things with which Mor- 
 gan had ever met. It was obvious that for once 
 in his life he had followed persistently on a blind 
 trail, and now found himself only a little better 
 off than when he started. Naturally, his profes- 
 sional pride was hurt, but the candid way in 
 which Marsh had, to use his own words, laid his 
 
 92
 
 A DEFINITE CLUE 
 
 cards on the table, appealed to Morgan. He felt 
 that this Government man was both broad- 
 minded and efficient. He realized that there was 
 surely more to gain by accepting Marsh's propo- 
 sition, and working with him, than there 
 would be if each worked alone, and very prob- 
 ably at cross purposes. The story which Marsh 
 had told him, the surprising clue he had just 
 offered, and the facts in his own possession, 
 showed conclusively the close connection be- 
 tween the affair of the empty apartment and the 
 Atwood counterfeiting case. Locating the 
 murderer would undoubtedly bring the counter- 
 feiters to light, and in the same way, locat- 
 ing the counterfeiters would probably disclose 
 the perpetrator of this now unquestioned 
 crime. 
 
 Morgan covered up these deliberations by get- 
 ting out his pipe and tobacco pouch and lighting 
 np. "Now I can talk," he said, as he leaned 
 back in his chair. 
 
 "I may have a few facts that you don't know, 
 Marsh, and now that I know the whole situation 
 I can see that they will probably be of some 
 value to you. Or in any event, of value to both 
 of us in the general working out of the case. 
 
 93
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 For I want to say that I am satisfied with 
 your suggestion about our working to- 
 gether. 
 
 "I called on this Miss Atwood yesterday, 
 While some of the information which she gave 
 me simply ties up with and confirms your own 
 story, there was one thing I discovered that 
 may help us. Of course, in lining up my evi- 
 dence, I separated the strong points against you 
 from certain suspicious circumstances con- 
 nected with the Atwoods. That girl impressed 
 me so favorably that I could not definitely con- 
 nect her with the trouble upstairs. Instead, I 
 was inclined to believe that I had uncovered 
 something else. 
 
 "During my talk with the girl I noticed a 
 peculiar mark on her arm. I brought the con- 
 versation around to that mark, and she told me 
 that some time during the night of tie crime she 
 had been awakened by a sharp sting in the arm, 
 but had almost immediately gone to sleep again. 
 Noticing the mark in the morning, she was 
 Tinder the impression, so she said, that it was a 
 bite from some kind of insect I suggested a 
 spider. But the truth was, Marsh, that mark 
 was made by a hypodermic needle ! 
 
 94
 
 'A DEFINITE CLUE 
 
 "In my experience I have come into contact 
 with lots of dope users. I know just how they 
 act, talk and look and that girl is not a dope 
 fiend. In my opinion there are only two solu- 
 tions to that mark on the girl's arm. Either she 
 has not slept well of late, and decided to use 
 something to help her, or else somebody jabbed 
 her without her knowledge. The first explana- 
 tion is hardly likely, because sleeplessness is 
 treated in other ways. Now that you tell me 
 this man Atwood is a criminal, and that you 
 found a bloodstain on the doorknob, I am con- 
 vinced that someone gave her an injection of 
 morphine so that this job could be pulled with- 
 out her knowledge. You probably know as well 
 as I do, that the small purple mark, accom- 
 panied by the swelling, which I noticed on her 
 arm, would result only from the hasty and care- 
 less use of the hypodermic needle." 
 
 "What you tell me, Morgan,'* said Marsh, 
 ' 'confirms what I have thought for some time. 
 That is, that Jane Atwood is only the innocent 
 tool of her father, and the gang behind him. 
 Perhaps not even that. She exhibits none of 
 the instincts or earmarks of the criminal woman, 
 and no woman with easy money at her command 
 
 95
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 would spend the hours and hard work which she 
 does in the study of music. Confidentially, Mor- 
 gan, I like the girl, and what I have just told you 
 is one of the reasons why I have never at- 
 tempted to arrest her and force a confession. 
 I felt that all I could really do was to keep her 
 under surveillance until such time as I could 
 catch one of the real criminals getting in touch 
 with her. The father and his gang have either 
 simply been using her to a limited extent to pass 
 their counterfeit notes, or else he has included a 
 few with money which he gave her. Possibly he 
 has maintained her in a home to have a back- 
 ground of respectability to which he could retire 
 in emergencies. Letting her use counterfeit 
 notes may have been just one of the slips of 
 which every criminal is guilty. A really clever 
 man is also clever enough to know that it doesn 't 
 pay to be a criminal. No matter how long the 
 rope, there is always an end to it." 
 
 "Well," said Morgan, " there's no question 
 that as matters now stand, that girl is our only 
 working point. I have already called on her, 
 and disclosed my identity as a detective, so as 
 far as I am concerned there is little that can be 
 done in that direction. You, as a tenant in this 
 
 96
 
 house, however, could cultivate her acquaint- 
 ance without arousing any real suspicions on 
 her part." 
 
 "I have been watching for an opportunity to 
 strike up an acquaintance for a long time," re- 
 plied Marsh, "but no such opportunity has as 
 yet presented itself. You can rest assured, how- 
 ever, that I am ready when it does." 
 
 Just then Marsh sat up and listened, as foot- 
 steps sounded over their heads. 
 
 "That's all right, Marsh," smiled Morgan. 
 "Those are my men taking fingerprint photo- 
 graphs. That was the next point I was going to 
 tell you about my discoveries in that apart- 
 ment." 
 
 "You found fingerprints?" cried Marsh. 
 
 "No, just the marks of the sides of two hands. 
 Apparently not of much use but then you 
 never can tell." 
 
 Morgan suddenly jumped to his feet. "Good 
 Lord!" he exclaimed, "that reminds me. I 
 forgot that I had a man sitting outside on the 
 stairs. He '11 be wondering what has happened. ' ' 
 With that Morgan went to the door and told the 
 plain-clothes man, who had been waiting out- 
 side, that everything was going smoothly and 
 
 97
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY, 
 
 he could go back to the station. Returning to 
 his chair, Morgan took up the subject of the 
 clues he had discovered in the apartment. After 
 recounting his discovery of the cuff button, he 
 added, "and that was one of the most damn- 
 ing pieces of evidence which I had against 
 you, Marsh the letter "M" on that cuff 
 button." 
 
 "That would not have gone very far," 
 laughed Marsh, "because I've never worn an 
 initialed cuff button in my life. In fact, Mor- 
 gan, it could have been only a clue not evidence 
 i for it would have been simple, when the loss 
 was discovered, to also lose the duplicate. That 
 cuff button may or may not be a clue. Of course, 
 the tenant's initials do not coincide with the 
 initial on that button, but it might have been 
 dropped by a servant or a friend. As a matter 
 of fact, that button might have been lying under 
 the cabinet for some time before Ames went to 
 Europe. However, it 's something worth having 
 and remembering, for one never can tell when 
 even a little thing like that may give some lead 
 that would prove worth while. ' ' 
 
 "How would you analyze that flattened 
 bullet?" asked Morgan. 
 
 98
 
 A DEFINITE CLUE 
 
 "The shot was fired at close range/' Marsh 
 replied. "It may have passed clear through the 
 person fired at. That bullet is worth remem- 
 bering, however, just like the cuff button. Some 
 day it may fit in with and explain other evi- 
 dence." 
 
 "There is one more point/' added Morgan, 
 "that may or may not have a bearing on this 
 case. Last night, while my partner Tierney and 
 myself were conferring on this case at my house, 
 somebody tried to listen outside my door. I 
 was pretty sure this was so from the sounds I 
 heard ; and when I went to the door, somebody 
 dashed down the stairs and escaped in a motor 
 car. I'm ashamed to say it, now, but at the 
 time I suspected it was one of your con- 
 federates." 
 
 " You Ve been mixed up in a good many cases, 
 Morgan, and probably have some half -finished 
 affairs in the back of your head right now. I 
 would say that such' an occurrence could be con- 
 nected with any one of these. On the other hand, 
 this case is very fresh, and you have been active 
 in working it up. Some person may be 'trying 
 to find out just how close you are getting to the 
 trail, so as to take precautions, if necessary." 
 
 99
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 At that moment there was a scream in the hall 
 outside Marsh's door. Both men sprang to 
 their feet and Marsh leaped to the door. 
 
 100
 
 CHAPTER IX 
 
 THE LA.ST LETTEB 
 
 AT THE same moment that Marsh opened 
 the door, Tierney and the man from 
 Headquarters, who had been taking the 
 photographs, came bounding down the stairs 
 from the third floor. 
 
 They all saw the body of a woman lying 
 motionless on the landing. 
 
 "Who is it?" cried Morgan, over Marsh's 
 shoulder. 
 
 "Jane Atwood!" was the sharp reply. 
 
 With that Marsh stooped and took the uncon- 
 scious girl up in his arms, the unusual tender- 
 ness and care of his movements being plainly 
 apparent. Carrying her into his apartment, 
 while the others followed, Marsh laid her gently 
 on a davenport in the living room. 
 
 "She must have had a shock of some kind and 
 fainted," exclaimed Morgan. 
 
 "No," returned Marsh, as he softly smoothed 
 back the hair from her forehead, disclosing a 
 
 101
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 bruise that was now rapidly discoloring and 
 swelling. "Somebody knocked her insensible." 
 Then added, "You sent your man away too 
 soon, Morgan." 
 
 "My God!" burst out Morgan. "What 
 nerve ! To think of pulling anything like this in 
 a house full of detectives." 
 
 "We have a tough customer this time," de- 
 clared Marsh. "Ordinary methods won't go. 
 Watch her while I get some water." 
 
 Marsh went to the bathroom for a towel and 
 some cold water. In the meantime Morgan 
 turned sharply to Tierney. 
 
 "From now on, while we work on this case, 
 your job is to stand outside of every door I 
 enter." 
 
 Tierney grinned. To some men it might have 
 seemed that they were being thrust into the 
 background. To Tierney, however, the work 
 immediately presented possibilities that stirred 
 his fighting Irish blood. Without a word he 
 went out into the public hall and closed the door 
 Jbehind him. 
 
 Marsh returned, and began to bathe the girl's 
 forehead and the bruise with the cold water. 
 While he worked over her, the photographer 
 
 102
 
 THE LAST LETTER 
 
 approached Morgan and held ont an en- 
 velope. 
 
 "After your friend here picked the girl up," 
 he explained, "I noticed this lying near her." 
 
 Morgan took the envelope. After a hasty 
 glance he extended it to Marsh. "A letter to 
 this girl with a St. Louis postmark ! " he gasped. 
 
 "Good!" exclaimed Marsh, without stopping 
 his work to revive the girl. "Just what I have 
 been watching for. Open it." 
 
 Morgan understood. Turning to the photog- 
 rapher, he handed back the envelope. "Slip 
 into the kitchen, steam this open and make a 
 quick copy." Then, noticing the case on the 
 floor beside the man, he added, "Finished your 
 work upstairs?" 
 
 The man nodded. 
 
 "Then make a photograph of this letter at the 
 same time. The handwriting may prove useful. ' ' 
 
 Taking the letter and picking up his case, the 
 man went back to the kitchen. Morgan turned 
 to Marsh. 
 
 "How is she coming on?" he inquired. 
 
 There was a slight flutter of the eyelids as he 
 spoke and Marsh called his attention to it, 
 "She Will be all right in a moment," he said. 
 
 103
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 Presently Jane Atwood's eyes opened slowly, 
 and she gazed in a bewildered and uncompre- 
 hending way at the two men bending anxiously 
 over her. Marsh continued to bathe her fore- 
 head and gradually she seemed to realize her 
 position. She struggled slowly into a sitting 
 position on the davenport while the two men 
 stood back, awaiting her first words. Contrary 
 to the usual idea of feminine return to conscious- 
 ness, she did not inquire where she was. Instead 
 she startled the two men by asking, ''Did you 
 get him? " 
 
 "Get who?" counter questioned Marsh, tak- 
 ing the lead. 
 
 ' ' The man who was outside the door, ' ' was the 
 reply. 
 
 Marsh and Morgan exchanged quick glances. 
 To them it was a confirmation that the listener 
 of the night before was still seeking information 
 about the case in hand. Moreover, here might 
 be a clue to his identity, or at least a description 
 that would prove helpful, so Marsh seated him- 
 Belf on the davenport at her side, while Morgan 
 went to a chair across the room. 
 
 Both men knew instinctively that this would 
 put the girl more at her ease than if they con- 
 
 104
 
 THE LAST LETTER 
 
 tinned to stand over her like inquisitors. Marsh 
 continued the conversation. "We know nothing 
 about what happened, " he said. "We heard a 
 scream. When we opened the door you were 
 lying there. No one was around except two 
 policemen who came down from the third floor 
 at that moment, having also heard your cry." 
 
 After this simple statement of the situation, 
 Marsh paused, waiting for the girl to go on. He 
 felt that in her dazed and weakened condition 
 questions would still further bewilder her, 
 might even cause a revulsion that would delay 
 or prevent their getting information that would 
 prove of inestimable value. 
 
 The girl paused, as if to collect her thoughts, 
 and passed her hand before her eyes with a 
 motion similar to sweeping aside a curtain. 
 Then she spoke. 
 
 "I went to the hairdresser's in the block be- 
 low. Returning, I stopped to take a letter out 
 of the mail box and then started up the stairs to 
 my apartment." At this point she passed her 
 hand over her hair and smiled as she realized Its 
 disheveled appearance now. "As I turned up 
 the flight to this floor, I saw a man crouched 
 down before the door of this apartment. He did 
 
 105
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 not hear me until I reached the top of the stairs* 
 Then he jumped up, and seeing me, tried to 
 push by. Remembering the burglary, or what- 
 ever it was, upstairs, I knew I should try to stop 
 him. So I seized his coat and we started to 
 etruggle. Instantly I saw him draw back his 
 arm, then I felt the blow. I remember nothing 
 of what happened from that moment until I 
 awoke just now on this davenport." 
 
 Marsh sat up and clenched his hands. "If I 
 knew what the fellow looked like I would thrash 
 him the next time I saw him," he threatened, 
 hoping thus to draw but the description he 
 wanted. 
 
 "Oh, I can describe him at least in a general 
 way. He was short, not much over five feet, and 
 quite thin. His face had a peaked look. While 
 we struggled his hat fell off and I saw that he 
 was almost bald. His nose was large, and taken 
 with his thin face and rather large bright eyes, 
 it seems to me now that he looked just like an 
 eagle." 
 
 "Had you ever seen him before!" Morgan 
 asked. 
 
 "Never," she answered, and the positive note 
 in her voice could not be mistaken. 
 106
 
 THE LAST LETTER 
 
 "I will send your description to all the sta- 
 tions/' said Morgan. "We will try to get that 
 fellow." 
 
 Morgan went to the telephone and called the 
 Detective Bureau. He gave the necessary direc- 
 ,tions, and as he returned to his chair, remarked, 
 "In an hour or two this won't be a safe town for 
 that fellow." 
 
 "You are the detective who came to see me I" 
 exclaimed the girl. "Perhaps this is the man 
 you are looking for. " 
 
 "Perhaps," agreed Morgan. "I can tell 
 better after I get my hands on him. ' ' 
 
 "Oh, my I" cried the girl, and began to search 
 about the davenport. 
 
 The two men suspected she was looking for the 
 letter, and they were relieved to see the photog- 
 rapher appear in the doorway at that moment. 
 
 "Have you lost something?" inquired Marsh. 
 
 "Yes, the letter I took out of the mail box." 
 
 "Here it is, Miss," said the photographer, 
 stepping forward and presenting the letter to 
 her. "I picked it up in the hall where yon 
 dropped it." 
 
 She took if and thanked him. "I'm so glad 
 you found it," she added. "It is from my 
 
 107
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 father, and I have not heard from him in a long 
 time. I feel better now and will go home." 
 
 She rose slowly with the words. Noting her 
 weakness, Marsh stepped to her side and 
 slipped his arm under hers. 
 
 "Let me help you up the stairs," he said, 
 gently. 
 
 "Thank you," she returned, simply, realizing 
 her need of help. 
 
 "I'll wait until you come back, Marsh," said 
 Morgan. 
 
 The girl started. "Are you Mr. Marsh ? ' ' she 
 exclaimed. Then, as Marsh nodded, she added, 
 "Why, you are the man who sent this detective 
 up to see me." 
 
 Marsh glanced quickly at Morgan* who, be- 
 hind the girl's back, dropped one eyelid slowly 
 and significantly. 
 
 "Well, you seemed the most likely person to 
 have information, being right on the same 
 floor," Marsh said, smiling. 
 
 There could be no question that this was a 
 natural explanation, and the girl seemed satis- 
 fied. With a nod and a smile to Morgan and the 
 photographer, she allowed Marsh to assist her 
 out of the door and up the stairs to her apart- 
 
 108
 
 THE LAST LETTER 
 
 ment. Tierney rose from the step where he 
 had been sitting, to let her pass, and she favored 
 him with one of her pretty smiles as he did so. 
 Tierney then climbed after them to the next 
 landing and stood watching. Marsh waited until 
 the door closed after her. Then, with a catch in 
 his breath that sounded suspiciously like a sigh, 
 he went back to his apartment. Tierney gave 
 him a peculiar look as he passed. 
 
 The photographer had gone, but Morgan held 
 out the copy which he had made of the letter as 
 soon as Marsh entered, with the remark, "Now, 
 what's the game?" 
 
 Marsh took it and read: 
 
 Mj dear Daughter: 
 
 I have returned from the last trip I shall ever make. I have 
 never told you, not wishing to cause you worry, but my health 
 has been gradually failing for many years. 
 
 I can no longer attend to my duties on the road and have 
 had to give up my position. The doctor gives me but a few 
 months to live, so rather than be a burden to you I have decided 
 to end the thing at once. When this letter reaches you, the 
 Mississippi will be carrying my body to the sea, where I hope 
 that it will be lost to the world forever. 
 
 Knowing that my time was approaching, I long ago arranged 
 for your future. If you will identify yourself to the National 
 Trust Company, Chicago, you will find that you have been amply 
 provided for. As we do not lease the apartment direct from the 
 
 109
 
 THE SHERIDAN EOAD MYSTERY 
 
 owner, you had better move out et once and go to an hotel. No 
 one can hold you responsible. 
 
 Good luck and success in your music. God bless you, and 
 good-bye. 
 
 Tour devoted father. 
 
 "What's the game?" repeated Morgan, when 
 he saw that Marsh had finished reading the 
 letter. 
 
 "A convenient disappearance, that is all," re- 
 turned Marsh. " Things were beginning to get 
 too hot for him. No doubt he thought you were 
 getting closer than you really were. Poor girl, ' ' 
 he added. ' l She will take it as gospel truth, and 
 we dare not tell her otherwise not now, any- 
 way." 
 
 "One thing is certain in my -mind now," 
 asserted Morgan. "There was a murder up- 
 stairs. They planned to put some person who 
 was becoming a menace, quietly out of the way. 
 But you spoiled it !" 
 
 "No, I did not spoil it," said Marsh. "The 
 shot did that. I have felt for some time that 
 that shot was a mistake a slipup somewhere." 
 
 "I've got to go; it is two o'clock," exclaimed 
 Morgan as he looked at his watch. "Where 
 shall we hold future conferences ? I do not want 
 
 110 

 
 THE LAST LETTER 
 
 to be seen coming here too often. It might lead 
 to suspicions of you, and I think we can accom- 
 plish more if your connection with the case is not 
 made clear." 
 
 "How about your house?" inquired Marsh. 
 "Knowing that you are now suspicious, and 
 ;with. Tierney on the doorstep, they will probably 
 keep away from there in the future." 
 
 "Well, let it stand at that for the present," 
 agreed Morgan. ' ' Telephone me when you want 
 ;to come. My number is in the telephone book." 
 
 With that the two men's hands met in a strong 
 grip as if to seal their future partnership. Mor- 
 gan opened the door and then started back with 
 a cry. 
 
 Tierney lay stretched out across the landing, 
 apparently asleep. 
 
 But Morgan knew the man better. 
 
 Ill
 
 CHAPTER X 
 
 THE STOLEN SUITCASE 
 
 THE placing of Tierney on guard in the hall 
 had been an impulsive act on Morgan's 
 part. It was more to put an idea into 
 immediate execution than to actually have a 
 protecting outpost at this time, for the very 
 nature of his experience would have told Mor- 
 gan that after the mysterious attack upon Jane 
 Atwood there would he little possibility of a 
 similar occurrence the same day. The instant he 
 saw Tierney lying in the hall, however, he 
 realized that the man had been the victim of a 
 somewhat similar attack, and the mere thought 
 that such a thing was possible stunned him into 
 inaction for a moment. The next minute both 
 he and Marsh were kneeling at Tierney 's side 
 and endeavoring to arouse him. 
 
 Morgan removed Tierney 's cap and passed 
 his hand around over the man's head until he 
 found a slight lump, a little back of the right ear. 
 
 112
 
 THE STOLEN SUITCASE 
 
 "Knocked out with a black-jack!" lie cried. 
 "How conld a man get that close to Tierney 
 withont being heard ! " 
 
 "The carpet in these halls and on the stairs 
 is well padded," explained Marsh. "I have 
 noticed on a number of occasions that people 
 passing up and down these stairs make very 
 little noise unless a foot happens to strike the 
 woodwork. And you can be sure of one thing, 
 Morgan, this man must have been pretty close 
 at hand. He got into action without having to 
 do much climbing." 
 
 "Or descending," added Morgan, suddenly, 
 looking at Marsh. 
 
 "If he came down the stairs, Morgan, then the 
 girl has certainly been pulling the wool over our 
 eyes." 
 
 Morgan shook his head doubtfully. "Well, 
 I'll acknowledge that it takes a pretty wise 
 detective to understand a woman. ' ' 
 
 At this moment, Tierney showed signs of 
 coming back to life. His eyes opened and looked 
 at them with a dazed stare. Almost instantly 
 this changed to a savage glare. His two arms 
 shot up, seized the men leaning over him and 
 pulled them down. Like most people who have 
 
 113
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 been knocked unconscious, Tierney had no 
 idea of the intervening lapse of time. Be- 
 fore becoming nnconscions he had probably 
 realized that he was attacked, and he was 
 now taking np the fight where he had left 
 off. 
 
 "Hold on, Tierney this is Morgan Morgan 
 do yon understand? And this is Marsh with 
 me!" 
 
 The two men held Tierney down until he 
 had a chance to collect his thoughts. Then 
 he smiled sheepishly as he looked from one to 
 the other. "What the I" he began; then 
 paused. 
 
 They jerked him to his feet and set him down 
 on the stair. There he sat for a moment, rub- 
 bing the sore spot on his head, of which he now 
 began to be conscious. 
 
 "Guess I'd better resign," he said, dolefully, 
 coming to a full realization of the situation. ' ' A 
 detective ain't much use after he begins to need 
 a bodyguard." 
 
 "Cut the nonsense, Tierney," admonished 
 Morgan. * ' Tell us what happened. ' ' 
 
 "That's what I'd like to know," growled 
 Tierney, 
 
 114
 
 THE STOLEN SUITCASE 
 
 "Well then," suggested Morgan, "tell us 
 what happened np to the point where you don't 
 know anything." 
 
 "Let's see," reflected Tierney. "When you 
 sent me out into the hall, the first thing I did was 
 to go part way up this flight of stairs and make 
 sure that all was clear above. Then I sat down 
 exactly where I am sitting now, but close to the 
 stair rail. I figured that if anybody came up the 
 stairs I could see him before he spotted me. I 
 heard a couple of people go out downstairs, but 
 everything was quiet up here. I kept my eye 
 on your friend here while he took the girl up- 
 stairs. After he went in I settled back in the 
 same place again. Finally I felt like a smoke. 
 There didn't seem much chance of anybody com- 
 ing back again, so I figured I might as well have 
 a smoke and I got out my pipe. While I was 
 lighting up, something hit me. iYou know the 
 rest better than I do. " 
 
 "But," expostulated Morgan, "you're no 
 green hand, Tierney. How could anybody sneak 
 up behind you without your hearing them?" 
 
 Tierney looked foolish for a moment, then 
 brightened up. "Morgan," he said, "I've got 
 the dope. That old pipe of mine was wheezing 
 
 115
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 like a sick horse when I began to pull on it. 
 T. hat's what gave the fellow his chance. I'll 
 admit it, Morgan I should have known better 
 than to light it in the first place. " 
 
 "All, right, Tierney, you've learned your 
 lesson. But I'm afraid you let something good 
 slip by you." 
 
 "It is my opinion," Marsh broke in, "that he 
 has let the most important actor in the drama 
 get away. The man must have been pretty 
 desperate to take such a chance, and I doubt if 
 anyone but the leading character would have 
 been so anxious to get away quickly and unseen. 
 Now then, let us go up to the Atwood apartment. 
 I will assume the role of protector to Miss At- 
 wood while you two, whom she knows to be 
 detectives, can search the flat." 
 
 At this, Tierney stood up on the stairs and 
 looked suspiciously at Marsh. Then, as Morgan 
 agreed to the idea, Tierney turned toward him 
 and exclaimed, "Say, you gone crazy?" 
 
 Morgan gazed at him in astonishment. 
 
 Marsh laughed. "Tierney is still suspicious," 
 he said. 
 
 Morgan's face lit up with understanding. 
 Going over to Tierney, he whispered in his ear. 
 
 116
 
 THE STOLEN SUITCASE 
 
 "Well, I'm damned!" Tierney mumbled. 
 
 The three men then climbed the stairs to the 
 Atwood apartment, and Morgan's hand was al- 
 ready on the push button of the electric bell 
 when there was an exclamation from Marsh. 
 
 "Stop!" he cried. "Look here." 
 
 They instantly saw what he meant. The At- 
 wood door was standing open about two inches, 
 and there was sufficient light in the entrance 
 hall of the apartment to show that at least no 
 one was looking out. 
 
 "Eemember, I'm in the background on this," 
 Marsh whispered to Morgan. "You two take 
 the lead but be cautious." 
 
 Morgan pulled out his revolver and Tierney 
 followed his example. Then Morgan gave the 
 door a quick push and stood back. It swung 
 back against the wall with a resounding thud, 
 but outside of that sound everything remained 
 silent. The three men then moved warily into 
 the doorway, with Tierney and Morgan in the 
 lead. While Marsh remained in the entrance 
 hall, Tierney stepped into the living room and 
 Morgan crept cautiously through the portieres 
 into the dining room. So silently did these two 
 men move that Marsh heard nothing until, a mo- 
 
 117
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 ment later, he saw Morgan step back through the 
 portieres. The doors of both the bedroom and 
 the bathroom stood open and Morgan, without 
 saying anything to Marsh, investigated these 
 two rooms. Then he returned to the entrance 
 hall and spoke to Marsh, who had already been 
 joined by Tierney. 
 
 "Not a soul in the flat but the girl," 
 whispered Morgan. "She's in a chair in the 
 dining room, and apparently unconscious again. 
 There's an odor of chloroform in the dining 
 room!" 
 
 Marsh sprang through the dining room por- 
 tieres, followed by the others. He found Jane 
 Atwood in a rocking chair near one of the win- 
 dows. She was apparently unconscious, but 
 there were convulsive movements of her body. 
 Marsh sniffed the aromatic odor and nodded. 
 "I don't think they gave her much," he said. 
 "She's just barely unconscious. I'll try to re- 
 vive her while you two look things over more 
 carefully." 
 
 Morgan turned to Tierney. "You take 
 another look at the front," he directed. "Look 
 through all the drawers and closets, but be care- 
 ful not to leave anything upset." 
 
 118
 
 THE STOLEN SUITCASE 
 
 Tierney promptly started on his work of 
 investigation. Morgan turned back into the 
 kitchen. He had previously noticed that the 
 maid's room was upset and he wanted to ex- 
 amine this room again. The bed was made up, 
 but as the linen was fresh and unwrinkled it 
 seemed certain that no one had occupied it re- 
 cently. The chief cause of the disorder seemed 
 to have been a hasty examination of the closet. 
 A roll of blankets and some other articles that 
 had evidently been on the shelf of the closet, had 
 been pulled down and scattered over the bed- 
 room floor. A couple of suits, and other articles 
 of men's attire, were hung on the hooks, appar- 
 ently undisturbed. Morgan saw that a speedy 
 search had been made for something. "Whether 
 or not the object had been found it was impos- 
 sible to say. 
 
 Going back into the kitchen, and trying the 
 rear door, he discovered that, though closed, it 
 was unlocked. He locked it, and returning to 
 the dining room, found that Marsh had suc- 
 ceeded in reviving the girl. Tierney was also 
 there, and the two men were chatting with her. 
 
 "You seem to be having a good deal of trouble 
 today, ' ' said Morgan, as he neared her. 
 
 119
 
 THE SHERIDAN EOAD MYSTERY 
 
 She smiled wanly at him. 
 
 "I can't understand it at all. Burglars must 
 be extremely bold in Chicago." 
 
 "Do you think it was a burglar!" asked Mor- 
 gan. 
 
 "What else could it be?" she returned. "I 
 am sure that I have no enemies anywhere, and 
 I haven't even any friends in Chicago." 
 
 "Are you keeping anything of special value 
 In the house ? ' ' inquired Morgan. 
 
 "Only what you can see about you," she re- 
 plied. "And these rings, which have not been 
 touched." 
 
 "You are sure you didn't have anything of 
 value concealed in the maid's room?" 
 
 "No, that's the room my father uses when he 
 comes home from his trips." 
 
 "Well, perhaps he had something of value 
 there." 
 
 "I'm quite sure he did not," she said, posi- 
 tively. 
 
 "How do you feel now, Miss Atwood!" asked 
 Marsh, catching the drift of the questioning. 
 
 "Just a little bewildered," she replied, "and 
 slightly nauseated, but I think I shall be all right 
 presently." 
 
 120
 
 THE STOLEN SUITCASE 
 
 "Do you feel equal to looking over that room 
 now?" Marsh inquired. 
 
 1 'I think so/' she said, and with Marsh's 
 assistance, she arose from her chair. 
 
 Morgan led the way and the girl, leaning on 
 Marsh's arm, followed. 
 
 "You see," said Morgan, when they had 
 reached the maid's room, "somebody has pulled 
 everything off the shelf. Is there anything miss- 
 ing as far as you know?" 
 
 Miss Atwood looked over the articles on the 
 floor, glanced at the empty shelf, and at the 
 bottom of the closet. Then she turned to Mor- 
 gan. "My father had a suitcase on that shelf,'* 
 
 she said. "I do not see it there now. ' ' 
 
 i 
 
 * ' Oh, ' ' murmured Morgan. f l Was it an empty; 
 suitcase?" 
 
 "I really couldn't tell you. I never examined 
 it, as it was always pretty well hidden under a 
 lot of other things." 
 
 "I see," said Morgan. "The burglar evi- 
 dently stole only the suitcase, thinking perhaps 
 there was something of value in it. We 'd better 
 go now," he added, turning to the others. "Miss 
 Atwood will want to lie down and rest after her 
 exciting day." 
 
 121
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 When they reached the front door, Morgan 
 turned to her. "Do you expect your father 
 home soon, Miss Atwood?" he inquired. 
 
 "Oh," she exclaimed, "I haven't read my 
 letter yet. You see, I had just reached the din- 
 ing room when that burglar attacked me." 
 
 "You need not worry about any further dis- 
 turbances or attacks, Miss Atwood," Morgan 
 assured her. * ' There will be a policeman at the 
 front and back of this house inside of an hour, 
 and they will stay here until we clear up this 
 case." 
 
 "And remember that I live close at hand, on 
 the floor below, Miss Atwood, ' ' reminded Marsh. 
 "If there is anything I can do to help you at any 
 time, don't fail to call upon me." 
 
 ' ' Thank you, ' ' she replied, and closed the door 
 as the men went down the stairs. 
 
 122
 
 CHAPTER XI 
 
 THE TRAIL GROWS CLEARER 
 
 Y" "WANT to use yonr telephone for a min- 
 ute," Morgan said to Marsh, as they 
 went down the stairs. "I want to have 
 men put on duty here as soon as possible, 
 and I think it would be 1 well to send out that 
 description you have of Atwood. We might 
 catch him at one of the railway stations, trying 
 to leave the city." 
 
 Marsh unlocked the door of his apartment 
 and Morgan immediately went to the telephone. 
 He gave the Detective Bureau a description of 
 Atwood, added that the man would probably be 
 carrying a suitcase, and suggested that all out- 
 going trains be watched. Then he got the cap- 
 tain of the precinct on the telephone, and after 
 explaining the attacks that had taken place, was 
 assured that two men would be placed on duty to 
 watch the house within a few minutes. 
 
 123
 
 THE SHERIDAN EOAD MYSTERY 
 
 "Good Lord, I'm starving to death!" cried 
 Tierney, as Morgan left the telephone. "What 
 time is it, anyway?" 
 
 Morgan glanced at his watch. 
 
 ' * Three-thirty, ' ' he replied. ' ' Now you speak 
 of it, Tierney, I feel kind of hungry myself. 
 How about you, Marsh ? ' ' 
 
 "It was on my mind to suggest a little 
 luncheon," returned Marsh. "Suppose we 
 run down to Sally's Waffle Shop. It's only 
 a block south, and it would be a quiet place 
 to talk things over while we are eating. It 
 is a good place to eat, too. I've had nearly 
 all of my meals there since I took this apart- 
 ment." 
 
 The others agreeing, the three men then 
 walked down to the little restaurant. As it was 
 an off hour they were able to get a table in a 
 secluded corner where their conversation could 
 not be overheard. 
 
 "I think this lunch should be on me," said 
 Morgan, as he looked at Marsh with a twinkle 
 in his eye. 
 
 "No," objected Marsh, "I should hardly call 
 you a loser. Your work has really disclosed a 
 lot." 
 
 124
 
 THE TRAIL GEOWS CLEARER 
 
 "Anyway, Headquarters will think you're 
 doing something, Morgan," broke in Tierney. 
 "AH those descriptions you shot over the 'phone 
 today looked as if you were getting the dope on 
 somebody." 
 
 "I suggest," said Marsh, "that as you fellowa 
 have been my guests most of the day, you now 
 be my guests for luncheon. Order what you 
 like. You can get anything here from waffles to 
 a full meal." 
 
 "A big, fat, juicy steak for mine!" cried 
 Tierney. 
 
 "Yes, you're an invalid, aren't you?" scoffed 
 Morgan. 
 
 Tierney rubbed the bump on his head and 
 grinned. 
 
 They gave their orders to the waitress, and 
 while waiting, Morgan explained Marsh's par- 
 ticipation in the work in reply to an anxious 
 reminder from Tierney. The startling shatter- 
 ing of the net, which they believed they had 
 drawn around Marsh, for once stunned Tierney 
 into silence. When their hunger had been partly 
 satisfied, Morgan reminded Marsh that they had 
 not yet analyzed the peculiar situation dis- 
 covered in the Atwood apartment. 
 
 125
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY] 
 
 "I hurried you fellows out so we could talk 
 over that suitcase," Morgan explained. "Of 
 course, IVe got some ideas of my own, but I'd 
 like to know what you think, Marsh." 
 
 "Well," replied Marsh, "if you and Tierney 
 will tell me exactly what you discovered, I'll tell 
 you what I think." 
 
 "My part's easy to tell," said Tierney. "I 
 didn't find anything suspicious. I spent most of 
 the time turning over a lot of pink silk and laca 
 things that almost made me blush. There were 
 fco letters or photographs, and as far as I could 
 see, none of the things had been disturbed until 
 I turned them over myself." 
 
 "And I," said Morgan, "found the mess that 
 you saw in the maid's room. I also discovered 
 that the back door was unlocked. ' ' 
 
 "I had a theory," explained Marsh, "and 
 what you say about the back door clinches it. 
 Kow, suppose you were a crook, and had com- 
 mitted a crime that, through careless manage- 
 ment, had brought the police right next door to 
 your headquarters ; the place you had hoped to 
 reserve for emergencies, as a matter of fact. 
 Suppose you had reason to believe that they 
 would begin to suspect you. You have long had 
 
 126
 
 THE TEAIL GROWS CLEARER 
 
 a plan ready to throw the police off the scent, if 
 anything should ever happen, by pretending to 
 make away with yourself. You put the first step 
 of this plan into execution by sending a letter 
 stating that you are now as good as dead. Then 
 you suddenly remember that at your refuge you 
 have left some important evidence; something 
 that, if discovered, might offset your well-laid 
 plans. "What would you do? You'd try to get 
 that evidence, wouldn't you? 
 
 "That is precisely what happened. Atwoo'd, 
 accompanied by one of his men, who was to 
 stand guard, returned to his apartment to 
 secure that almost forgotten evidence. Now, 
 the man he left on guard heard some familiar 
 voices, or perhaps a name he recognized. He 
 overlooked his duty for the moment and tried to 
 listen. He was discovered. Naturally, his first 
 thought was of himself, and he made his escape. 
 Up in his apartment, Atwood, who had secured 
 what he sought, is ready to go, but is delayed by 
 this disturbance in the hall. He doesn't know 
 exactly what it is, so he sticks close. Then he 
 thinks of making his escape down the back 
 stairs, but unfortunately some of his feminine 
 neighbors are gossiping on the stairs below. He 
 
 127
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 could not go down that way without attracting 
 attention that might prove awkward later. Sud- 
 denly he hears the door of his apartment open, 
 and some person enter. He watches, and dis- 
 covers that his daughter has come home, alone. 
 Now, if she should see him, his well-laid plan is 
 ruined. Its greatest success lies in her honest 
 conviction that he is really dead. He is trapped ; 
 front, rear and on the premises. He is desper- 
 ate. Something must be done quickly. In a 
 favorable moment he springs upon the girl from 
 behind and renders her unconscious with chloro- 
 form. He finds the back stairs still closed to 
 Mm, and in his haste forgets to lock the door as 
 he closes it. He finds a man keeping guard on 
 the front stairs. He decides quickly that he can 
 deal better with this man than the women at the 
 back. He watches and waits, leaving the door 
 open for a quick retreat. His opportunity 
 comes when this man's attention is directed to 
 the lighting of a pipe. In a flash he is down the 
 stairs, knocks the man unconscious, and goes 
 out the front door. The next minute he is lost 
 in the crowds on the street and is free. 
 
 "That, gentlemen, is my explanation of what 
 happened in the house today. Of course, it is 
 
 128
 
 THE TRAIL GROWS CLEARER 
 
 largely theory, but I believe it fits the case un- 
 commonly well." 
 
 "I'll say you're there!" cried Tierney. 
 
 "Yes," Morgan agreed. "You talk as if you 
 had been a spectator of the whole occurrence. I 
 doubt if a clearer explanation could be made, 
 and I think you came pretty near the truth when 
 you said a little while ago that we actually had 
 uncovered something today. There is still a 
 mystery of some kind, but thanks to you, we are 
 now in a position to take some definite steps 
 toward solving it. 
 
 "Still, there is one illogical point in your sur- 
 mise. The letter from St. Louis arrived some- 
 time this morning. If Atwood was in Chicago 
 Tuesday morning, how did he get that letter off 
 so quickly?" 
 
 "The trouble with an analysis based chiefly 
 on speculation, Morgan, is that many points 
 may seem illogical and unexplained. "We can 
 only rely definitely upon the outstanding fea- 
 tures. However, I never adopt any explanation 
 unless it has a basis in possibility. You remem- 
 ber that a while ago I told you I thought that 
 shot was a mistake that it was never intended 
 a shot should be fired. Whoever was engaged 
 
 129
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 in that occurrence knew that the shot would leaH 
 to a police investigation, and once the police 
 start, there is no telling where the matter may 
 end. To head them off quickly, is it not possible 
 that someone left immediately for St. Louis to 
 post that letter?" 
 
 Morgan nodded. "It's straining a point, but 
 it's quite possible, Marsh. At least, we have no 
 better explanation." 
 
 They had finished their meal, and after Marsh 
 settled the bill, parted on the sidewalk ; Marsh to 
 return to his apartment and await developments 
 there, while Morgan and Tierney undertook 
 some investigations which Morgan had in mind. 
 
 On his return to the house, Marsh noted with 
 satisfaction that a policeman in uniform was 
 already on duty. However, he wanted to make 
 sure that the girl was all right, so instead of 
 going directly to his apartment, he continued on 
 up the stairs to the Atwood apartment and rang 
 the bell. After a slight pause, Miss Atwood 
 opened the door. Her eyes were red with weep- 
 ing, and she held her handkerchief so as to part- 
 ly conceal her face. 
 
 "I called to see if everything was all right," 
 explained Marsh. * ' Why, what has happened ? ' * 
 
 136
 
 THE TKAJL GEOWS CLEAEEE 
 
 He knew perfectly well the cause of the girl^s 
 trouble, and he had to struggle hard to assume 
 an air of ignorance. It tore his heart to see thia 
 girl, for whom he felt a growing affection, in 
 such distress, knowing that all the time he pos- 
 sessed the knowledge to sweep away her grief. 
 And yet would it? Was it not probable that a 
 girl like her would feel even greater grief at the 
 knowledge that her father was a hunted criminal 
 instead of merely dead? She presented a most 
 pitiable figure standing there, absolutely alone 
 in the world. She had gone through experiences 
 that day which would have made the average 
 woman collapse, and to cap it all she had re- 
 ceived the final blow in the news of her father's 
 death. 
 
 Marsh's heart went out to her. He longed to 
 take her into his arms and ask her to allow him 
 to henceforward be her protector. It was hard 
 to hold himself in check, yet he knew that it was 
 no time for this disclosure of his own feelings. 
 Instead, he stepped quietly through the door 
 and sat down in the living room, where the girl 
 joined him. She wept silently for a few mo- 
 ments, while Marsh sat and waited. At last she 
 apoke. 
 
 131
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 "My father is dead, Mr. Marsh." 
 
 "^What a shock I" he exclaimed. "I am so 
 sorry. How did it happen?" 
 
 "You know I received a letter from him this 
 morning. It said that his health had failed, that 
 he could no longer work, and that by the time the 
 letter reached me he would have committed 
 suicide." 
 
 Marsh's life had been devoted to running 
 down criminals. He had had very little to do 
 with women except those of the criminal type. 
 He was at a loss, therefore, for words to com- 
 fort this delicate girl. He was further embar- 
 rassed by the knowledge of facts which he dared 
 not divulge. Everything he said sounded crude 
 and rough in his ears, but somehow his words 
 seemed to have a soothing effect on the girl and 
 eventually her weeping ceased. 
 
 "She's a wonder!" thought Marsh. "The 
 bravest little woman I ever knew." Then ad- 
 dressing her, he said, "Miss Atwood, after all 
 that has happened, it is not possible for you to 
 stay here alone tonight. You should go to an 
 hotel, where you will feel protected and secure, 
 and at least know that, even though they are 
 not your friends, you have people all about 
 
 132
 
 THE TKAIL GROWS CLEAKER 
 
 you." He hesitated a moment, then added, "I 
 hope you will receive my offer in the spirit in 
 which it is intended. If you are in any way 
 financially embarrassed at the moment, I would 
 be glad to take care of your hotel expenses until 
 you can straighten out your affairs." 
 
 "Thank you, Mr. Marsh," she returned. "I 
 appreciate both your offer and the spirit in 
 which you make it, but I am well provided with 
 funds. Father was always generous with me, 
 and even in his last letter he said that he had 
 left me well provided for." 
 
 "Then pack up a bag at once, Miss Atwood, 
 and let me escort you to some hotel. I suggest 
 the Monmouth. It is only a couple of blocks 
 away and I know it to be a nice, quiet family 
 hotel where the people would be congenial. In 
 this time of trouble you would find it a comfort 
 to have a few women friends. I think you have 
 made a mistake in devoting so much time to your 
 musical studies, while neglecting social oppor- 
 tunities." 
 
 The girl considered a moment, then, springing 
 up, said, "I will follow your suggestion. It 
 would be dreadful to stay here alone tonight. In 
 fact, now that I have no one to make a home for. 
 
 133
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 it would probably be better for me to stay pc- 
 manently at an hotel." 
 
 She went to her room and prepared to leavt 
 the house. She soon reappeared with a bag, 
 [which Marsh took from her. A few minutes 
 jlater they parted at the desk of the Monmouth 
 iHotel, and Marsh returned to his apartment. 
 
 It was strange how lonely the place seemed, 
 now that he knew the girl was no longer under 
 the same roof with him,
 
 CHAPTER XH 
 
 MISSING 
 
 TWO days had passed without any word 
 from Morgan, and Marsh himself had 
 made little progress on the case, for a large 
 part of those two days had been taken up in 
 assisting Jane Atwood to pack her personal 
 things and remove them to her new home in the 
 hotel. 
 
 They had been pleasant days for Marsh, be- 
 cause he had derived considerable happiness 
 from the little services he had been able to 
 render the girl, and also because it was the first 
 time in all the months he had been watching over, 
 her that he was actually in her company. 
 
 During this time Marsh had made one dis- 
 covery of a peculiar nature, but its working out 
 appeared to have no particular effect on the 
 developments of the case. The morning after 
 he escorted Jane Atwood to the hotel, she had 
 returned to the apartment to begin her packing. 
 "While assisting in this, Marsh had suggested 
 
 135
 
 THE SHERIDAN EOAD MYSTEEY 
 
 that she notify the man from whom her father 
 had rented the apartment, so that he could take 
 steps to secure another tenant. He was amazed 
 to learn that she knew nothing whatever about 
 the matter, not even the name of the man from 
 whom they rented. So during the morning, 
 Marsh called at the office of the agent of the 
 building and explained the situation. The agent 
 was surprised, saying that he had always sup- 
 posed a Mr. Crocker, whose name appeared on 
 the lease, occupied the apartment himself. The 
 man's name not appearing in the telephone 
 directory, the agent had suggested that he would 
 write to the man's former St. Louis address. 
 Marsh thought this a good idea, and owing to 
 the odd situation which had developed, left his 
 telephone number, suggesting that the agent let 
 him, know what he heard in the matter. 
 
 The next afternoon, the real estate agent tele- 
 phoned him that a telegram had just arrived 
 from the man in St. Louis, stating that he had 
 never rented any such apartment in Chicago, 
 had never signed any lease, and did not know 
 anything about the matter. To Marsh, the situ- 
 ation was obvious. In renting the apartment 
 Atwood had used the name of a well known St. 
 
 136
 
 MISSING 
 
 Louis man so as to have good references and 
 close the deal quietly without in any way bring- 
 ing his own name and personality into the 
 matter. There was nothing in this information 
 to help the case in any way, yet it created a 
 strange situation. Here was an apartment full 
 of furniture that rightfully belonged to the girl, 
 and yet he could in no way convince her of that 
 fact without also disclosing the other circum- 
 stances connected with the case. All that they 
 Could do was to walk out and close the doou 
 behind them, leaving the problem to the real 
 estate agent to solve. This they did on Friday 
 afternoon, and so far as Marsh was concerned, 
 the Atwood apartment was of no further inter- 
 est, for it was obvious, now that Atwood was 
 supposed to be dead, no one connected with him 
 would be likely to ever again visit the apart- 
 ment. He decided, however, to remain in his, 
 own apartment for the present. The lease he 
 had signed had still nearly a year to run. He 
 was comfortable, and free to come and go as he 
 pleased, without anyone noticing his movements. 
 Then there was no telling how long he would 
 have to remain in Chicago, for he felt that the 
 solution of this case still rested somewhere with- 
 
 137
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 in the city limits. At the present moment he 
 was facing a blank wall, but any day or hour 
 might furnish a new clue that would set things 
 moving again. In fact, he was inclined to feel 
 that when he again heard from Morgan, the de- 
 tective would probably have valuable informa- 
 tion for him. 
 
 It was Saturday morning, and Marsh, on his 
 way back from breakfast at the little waffle shop, 
 purchased a copy of the Tribune and went back 
 to his apartment to look over the day's news. 
 No sooner had he opened the paper than this 
 headline met his eyes : 
 
 PROMINENT BROKER MISSING 
 Marsh dropped the paper on his knees and 
 thought for a moment. Ever since Tuesday 
 morning, when the trouble had occurred, he had 
 carefully scanned the papers for reports of any 
 missing people who might in any way be con- 
 nected with this occurrence. Here at last was 
 an announcement that looked promising. He 
 began to read the article. 
 
 Richard Townsend Merton, the well known La Salle Street 
 broker, has been missing for ten days, it was learned yesterday. 
 Gilbert Hunt, the general manager of the Merton business, 
 notified the police that Mr. Merton had not appeared at hi 
 
 138
 
 MISSING 
 
 office, big clubs, or his hotel for some days. A telegraphed 
 inquiry to his wife, who resides with an invalid son in Arizona, 
 brought the reply that Mr. Merton had not been there. The 
 manager is inclined to believe that Mr. Merton has either 
 wandered away during a lapse of memory or may have met 
 with an accident. 
 
 The article then continued with the usual out- 
 line of what the police were doing, and a des- 
 cription of the broker's life and habits. Marsh 
 learned from this that Merton had closed his 
 country home in Hubbard Woods when his wife 
 moved to Arizona with their son. He had lived 
 for the past two years at a downtown hotel, and 
 spent most of his evenings at his clubs. 
 
 After reading the entire article carefully, 
 Marsh cut out the accompanying photographs 
 of Merton and the absent wife and son. Here 
 was something worth investigating, he thought, 
 for he remembered the cuff button with the 
 initial "M," which Morgan had discovered. 
 
 For upwards of an hour Marsh sat in deep 
 deliberation, figuring how he could get in close 
 touch with the situation without in any way 
 disclosing his official connection or real interest 
 in the matter. At last he decided to follow a 
 plan which he had used successfully in connec- 
 tion with two previous cases. He looked up the 
 
 139
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 address of the Merton offices, and putting on 
 his coat and hat, took the Sheridan Road motor 
 bus downtown. 
 
 Marsh located the Merton offices on the 
 fifteenth floor of the La Salle Trust Building, 
 and paused a moment inside the door to look 
 the place over. He found himself in a large 
 room which contained several stenographers 
 and clerks. To his left was a grill work with a 
 window marked, " Cashier," and beyond this, 
 several men who were evidently bookkeepers. 
 In front of him was a railing, behind which sat 
 a girl at a telephone switchboard. At the other 
 side of the room, doors opened into what 
 were evidently three private offices. On the 
 first door he saw the name, Mr. Merton; on the 
 second, Mr. Hunt. The third door was blank. 
 
 Approaching the girl, Marsh inquired if Mr. 
 Hunt was in. 
 
 " Yes, ' ' she replied, looking him over. ' ' Have 
 you a card?'* 
 
 Marsh handed her a card and she went into 
 Mr. Hunt's office. In a moment she returned 
 and said, "Please step in." 
 
 Marsh entered Hunt's office and closed the 
 'door behind him. It was the usual private office, 
 
 140
 
 MISSING 
 
 with a large flat top desk in the center. This 
 was so arranged that Hunt's back was to the 
 light, which fell full upon any visitor's face. 
 Some files, a bookcase, and a small table littered 
 with papers, stood against the wall. Hunt mo- 
 tioned to a chair and said, "Sit down, please." 
 Marsh's card lay before him on the desk. He 
 picked it up and read : 
 
 GORDON MAESH 
 Private Investigator 
 
 Then looking at Marsh as he laid the card 
 down, he said, "What can I do for you?" 
 
 "As you see by my card," replied Marsh, 
 "my business consists of conducting special 
 private investigations. I read in the morning 
 paper that Mr. Merton is missing, and I came in 
 to see if you would care to use my services." 
 
 "I have placed the entire matter in the hands 
 of the police," returned Hunt. 
 
 "You probably know, as well as I do, Mr. 
 Hunt, that that is the next thing to burying the 
 matter. They will be very busy for a couple of 
 days and then forget it." 
 
 "That is about what I thought, Mr. Marsh," 
 admitted Hunt. 
 
 141
 
 THE SHERIDAN EOAD MYSTERY 
 
 "But isn't it important, for business reasons, 
 that you ascertain definitely, and as quickly as 
 possible, just what has happened to Mr. Mer- 
 ton?" Marsh asked. 
 
 "To a certain extent, yes. But Mr. Merton 
 has left the business entirely in my hands for 
 some time, and things will continue satisfac- 
 torily in his absence." 
 
 "Then I presume you wouldn't care to have 
 me conduct a private investigation on your be- 
 half, Mr. Hunt?" 
 
 "Well, I'll tell you, Mr. Marsh," said Hunt. 
 "Until you presented your card to me this morn- 
 ing, the thought of doing anything beside notify- 
 ing the police had not occurred to me. Let me 
 think for a minute." 
 
 "With that, Hunt swung his chair around so 
 that his back was toward Marsh, and gazed 
 thoughtfully out of the window for a few 
 minutes. 
 
 "In your work," he said at length, swinging 
 around toward Marsh once more, "you prob- 
 ably come into more or less close contact with 
 the police. I mean by that, that you would work 
 with them more or less on a case of this 
 kind." 
 
 142
 
 MISSING 
 
 "Certainly," replied Marsh. "I follow up 
 every likely clue, including everything which 
 may be unearthed by the police." 
 
 "After thinking it over, it may be that we can 
 come to some arrangement, Mr. Marsh," said 
 Hunt. ' ' What are your terms ? ' ' 
 
 "My charges are $25.00 a day, and expenses," 
 said Marsh. 
 
 "Whew!" whistled Hunt, "that's pretty 
 steep. I could hire all the private detectives I 
 wanted for ten dollars a day." 
 
 "But I'm not a regular detective," protested 
 Marsh. "I'm an investigator." 
 
 "You make a distinction, do you?" smiled 
 Hunt. 
 
 "Absolutely," asserted Marsh. "I merely 
 dig up the facts and turn them over to you for 
 any action you see fit. My investigative work 
 could hardly be classed with the ordinary work 
 of the detective." 
 
 Hunt clasped his hands before him on the 
 desk. After a moment's thought, he said, "All 
 right, Marsh, I'm going to engage you. See 
 what you can discover, and report to me when- 
 ever you think you are making progress. In- 
 cidentally, keep your eye on the police and see 
 
 143
 
 JHE SHEEIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 what they are doing. As long as you are work- 
 ing on this job for me, it will be curious to see 
 just how effective our police really are. Now, I 
 suppose you want to ask some questions.'* 
 
 "Yes," said Marsh, "one or two; although 
 as a rule I prefer to start with my mind as free 
 as possible. Mr. Merton has been living at the 
 La Salle Hotel, I understand?" 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 "How long has he been living there!" 
 
 "Two years." 
 
 "I suppose I can find out something of his 
 habits there." 
 
 "I think I get your drift, Marsh," said Hunt, 
 with a smile. "I can assure you from my per- 
 sonal knowledge, that Mr. Merton has led a very 
 quiet and most exemplary life. Practically all 
 his evenings have been passed at the University 
 and Chicago Athletic Clubs, and I believe that 
 occasionally he dropped into the Hamilton Club, 
 of which he is a member. ' ' 
 
 "Why did his wife go to Arizona!" inquired 
 Marsh. 
 
 "The boy has weak lungs and the doctors 
 said his life could be saved only by several 
 years* residence in the Arizona climate. Mrs. 
 
 144
 
 MISSING 
 
 Merton worships the boy and insisted upon go- 
 ing with him. They have been there two years. ' ' 
 
 "When do you expect them back?" asked 
 Marsh. 
 
 "I understand the boy is not much better. It 
 might be years before they return, unless the 
 boy should die." 
 
 Marsh thought a moment, then said, "You 
 mentioned before that the business could go on 
 without Mr. Merton. I presume he has given 
 you power of attorney?" 
 
 "Yes," said Hunt. 
 
 "In case of his death, Mr. Hunt, who would be 
 his executors?" 
 
 "I cannot see that that has any bearing on the 
 case." 
 
 1 ' Perhaps not, ' ' said Marsh, "but I am follow-- 
 ing a line of thought." 
 
 "Well," returned Hunt, "if it's of any use to 
 you, I may say that I will be the sole executor." 
 
 "It was a very wise move on your part to 
 employ me in this matter, Mr. Hunt, in view of 
 that fact." 
 
 "How so?" inquired Hunt. 
 
 "Because to the outsider it might appear that 
 you had some personal interest in Mr. Merton 's 
 
 145
 
 THE SHERIDAN EOAD MYSTERY 
 
 disapp earance. You know, s ometime s the p olice 
 are stupidly suspicious." 
 
 Hunt sat up with a start. "You have given 
 me food for thought, Marsh," he said. "I 
 hadn't looked at the matter in that light be- 
 fore." 
 
 "Well," returned Marsh, "you can now see 
 that my investigations and reports will be of 
 the utmost value to you. Furthermore, as you 
 have already suggested, I can keep my ear to 
 the ground where the police are concerned, and 
 keep you advised of what is going on. ' ' 
 
 ' l Mr. Marsh, ' ' said Hunt, rising. ' * I am very 
 glad you came in to see me. You can count upon 
 my keeping you on this job until everything is 
 settled." 
 
 "One more question," said Marsh, also rising. 
 *'I noticed a mention of Mr. Melton's country 
 house. Has anyone looked to see if Mr. Merton 
 could by any chance have gone there because of 
 illness, or for some other reason?" 
 
 "I know positively he is not there," Hunt 
 replied. "I keep a caretaker on the premises, 
 and occasionally look over the place myself to 
 make sure that everything is all right. The 
 caretaker assures me that Mr. Merton has not 
 
 146
 
 MISSING 
 
 been near the place since lie closed the house two 
 years ago." 
 
 "One thing more, Mr. Hunt, before I go. 
 People sometimes question my right to investi- 
 gate. Will you give me a line stating that I am 
 authorized to represent you in this matter!" 
 
 " Certainly. " Hunt sat down at his desk and 
 hastily penned a few lines on a sheet of letter 
 paper, which he then handed to Marsh. 
 
 Marsh carefully folded the paper, placed it in 
 his pocket-book, and bidding Hunt good day, 
 went out. 
 
 147
 
 CHAPTER xrn 
 
 STARTLING DISCLOSURES 
 
 {{TTTTHY is it that business men, who 
 V V pride themselves on their astuteness, 
 almost invariably slip up some- 
 where ?" thought Marsh, as he left the La Salle 
 Trust Building and walked north on La Salle 
 Street. This thought was occasioned by the fact 
 that Hunt had neglected to ask Marsh for his 
 address and telephone number. It might be, of 
 course, that the man had taken it for granted 
 that his name and address would be readily 
 found in the telephone directory. Though this 
 explanation passed through his mind, he was 
 more inclined to believe that Hunt's intense 
 interest in the matter, or possibly a newly 
 aroused fear, created by Marsh's reference to 
 the peculiar attitude in which he was placed, 
 had driven the subject of details out of Hunt's 
 mind. 
 
 Marsh had come downtown with the intention 
 of giving his present address, but as the inter- 
 
 148
 
 STARTLING DISCLOSURES 
 
 view progressed, a feeling grew upon him that 
 it might be just as well, at this time, to give 
 some downtown business address. The fact 
 that no inquiry had been made on this point re- 
 lieved him of the necessity of giving a fictitious 
 address on the spur of the moment. His next 
 step, however, must be the securing of such an 
 address, for it was beyond question that during 
 his next interview with Hunt this information 
 would have to be given. 
 
 Marsh glanced over his shoulder at the great 
 clock in the Board of Trade Building, which 
 keeps guard over La Salle Street. It was just 
 twelve o 'clock, and he reasoned that the people 
 he contemplated questioning would probably be 
 going to lunch. He decided to spend the next 
 hour, therefore, in securing some sort of office 
 address. By this time he had reached Madison 
 Street, and turning east, looked over the build- 
 ings as he passed along, with the idea of select* 
 ing one in which a temporary office might be 
 secured. At the corner of Madison Street and 
 Wabash Avenue, he stopped and looked around 
 him. On one corner was the building of a great 
 department store. On the other three corners, 
 big office buildings towered above him. At this 
 
 149
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 corner also there was one of the Madison Street 
 stations of the elevated railroad system. Cer- 
 tainly, it was a most logical location for a man 
 in his supposed line of work, so he entered one 
 of the buildings, approached the starter in front 
 of the elevators, and inquired if he knew anyone 
 who would rent desk room. The starter fur- 
 nished him with the names and room numbers of 
 two places where he might inquire. The first of 
 these which he visited proved satisfactory. He 
 arranged with the young woman in charge to 
 receive all mail and telephone calls for him and 
 forward these to his regular address. Making 
 a note of the telephone number, he paid two 
 month's rent in advance so as to get the matter 
 off his mind, and returned to the street. The 
 details of this arrangement had taken but a 
 short time, so Marsh went up to the men's grill 
 maintained by a nearby department store, 
 intending to eat a leisurely luncheon in one of 
 the secluded booths. 
 
 As he sat studying the menu, a small finger 
 suddenly began to direct his attention to certain 
 items, while a soft voice whispered in his ear, 
 "How do you do, Mr. Marsh?" 
 
 In work such as his, startling things were apt 
 150
 
 STARTLING DISCLOSURES 
 
 to occur at any moment, so Marsh gave no out- 
 ward indication of his surprise. 
 
 "How do you do," he returned, without 
 looking up, but his mind was working rapidly to 
 place the voice. 
 
 "What are you doing here?" the voice 
 asked. 
 
 "You know better than to ask that question, 
 Miss Allen." Marsh now glanced up with a 
 smile. 
 
 The waitress stood up, and to anyone across 
 the room it would have appeared as if they were 
 merely discussing his order, which she was 
 writing on a pad. 
 
 "If you are still engaged in counterfeiting 
 work," she said, "I may be able to give you a 
 valuable tip." 
 
 "All right," said Marsh, "bring me one of 
 these oyster pies and a cup of coffee. We'll 
 have a chat when you come back." 
 
 In a few minutes she was back with his order 
 and talked rapidly in a guarded voice as she 
 placed the silver on the table and arranged his 
 dishes. 
 
 "About this time yesterday I had four men 
 at this table and caught snatches of their con- 
 
 151
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 r 
 
 versation. I put the facts together about like 
 this: There is a house in the suburbs, near 
 Chicago, where a counterfeiting plant has been 
 in operation. In some way the attention of the 
 police has been attracted, and the whole outfit is 
 to be cleaned out as soon as they think they can 
 get away safely. I have no idea regarding the 
 location, but if you are looking anything up this 
 may be a hint for you." 
 
 "Thanks, Miss Allen. It is a hint." 
 "Without further words, she hurried away to 
 attend to another table. 
 
 Marsh knew that the girl who had just given 
 him this information was a Government opera- 
 tive, like himself. He would have liked to learn 
 more, if possible, especially descriptions of the 
 men, but he did not know the nature of the work 
 she was engaged in, and feared that any further 
 contact between them might be unwise. For 
 a moment he thought of slipping her his tele- 
 phone number, but the cautiousness bred by 
 years of experience warned him that telephones, 
 like walls, sometimes have ears. However, he 
 realized that she had told him something worth 
 while. It was unlikely that there was more than 
 one counterfeiting band in Chicago at this time. 
 
 152
 
 STARTLING DISCLOSURES 
 
 She had given" him a clue, which, like the cuff 
 button, might tie up at any moment with some 
 other developments. Moreover, he now knew 
 that his men were planning to get away and that 
 something must be done in a hurry. After fin- 
 ishing his luncheon he wrote his newly acquired 
 downtown address on a slip of paper, wrapped 
 it in a bill, and then signaled to the girl that he 
 desired his check. He handed her the bill care- 
 lessly, and said in a low voice, without looking 
 up, ' l Something inside for you. ' * She returned 
 in a moment with his change, and as she laid it 
 on the table, said simply, "I understand." 
 Marsh then started out on his search for infor- 
 mation regarding Merton. 
 
 While Marsh was confident that he would get 
 the most important part of his information at 
 the hotel where Merton had lived, he decided to 
 work up to that point rather than start there. 
 One reason for this decision lay in the fact that 
 night employees of the hotel could probably 
 give him more valuable information regarding 
 Merton 's movements than those on duty during 
 the day. He was only a block from Michigan 
 Avenue, where the clubs at which Merton spent 
 most of his time were located. At these places 
 
 153
 
 THE SHEEIDAN EOAD MYSTERY 
 
 he secured little information that would further 
 his quest. Merton had impressed the employees 
 of the clubs simply as a quiet man who had 
 dropped in to read his newspaper or book, or 
 have quiet chats with other members with whom 
 he was acquainted. Occasionally he was known 
 to engage in a game of billiards or cards. It 
 was hardly the life of a man who could have such 
 close associations with a gang of counterfeiters 
 as to draw upon himself an act of revenge or the 
 necessity of removing him as a matter of pro- 
 tection. So far as Marsh could discover, Merton 
 had never presented a questionable bill to the 
 clubs. In fact, so far as anyone connected with 
 them could recollect, all payments of any 
 character had been made by check. Marsh had 
 pursued inquiries along this line, because, while 
 almost anyone is liable at one time or another, 
 to be in possession of counterfeit money, such a 
 happening in Merton 's case might have pos- 
 sessed unusual significance. It was Maneh's 
 desire to ascertain, so far as possible, if there 
 had been any connection of even a remote 
 character, between Merton and the counter- 
 feiters. Unless some such connection were 
 established, it would be hard to believe that 
 
 154
 
 STARTLING DISCLOSURES 
 
 Merton had been the Sheridan Road victim. 
 Yet the coincidences of this disappearance, the 
 evidences of a crime, and the cuff button 
 initialed "M," possessed too strong a signifi- 
 cance to be entirely disregarded. 
 
 At the third club Marsh secured practically 
 no information. Merton had been an infre- 
 quent visitor and had made little or no 
 impression upon the employees. 
 
 Walking north on Dearborn Street and across 
 Madison Street, on his way from this club to 
 Merton 's hotel, Marsh thought quickly. If he 
 could not at this time establish a connection, 
 then at least he would try to ascertain the 
 nature of the bait which had been held out to 
 take this man of quiet habits to the North Side 
 at two o 'clock in the morning. 
 
 On reaching the hotel he found that it was 
 still too early to interview the people he wished 
 to see, so he sat down in one of the big chairs 
 in the lobby to pass the time studying the 
 aspects of the case. 
 
 Even when his mind was busy, Marsh's eyes 
 were on the alert, and faces met under the most 
 trivial circumstances, photographed themselves 
 upon his memory. His eyes rested casually 
 
 155
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 upon a man who sat opposite him, looking over 
 an evening paper. Gradually Marsh began to 
 feel that the face was familiar. With this 
 realization came the recollection that the man 
 had seated himself very quickly after Marsh 
 had selected his chair. Perhaps his recognition 
 of the face was something that came out of the 
 past, but Marsh always endeavored to connect 
 every noticeable incident with the problem of 
 the moment. It was not long, therefore, before 
 he had placed the man. On coming out of the 
 office building where he had made his temporary 
 address arrangements, he had passed this man 
 standing near the door and also remembered 
 seeing the same man in the grill room where he 
 had lunched. The fact that the man was 
 .now seated near him in the hotel lobby was more 
 than a coincidence. Marsh's eyes roved about 
 the lobby with apparently careless interest, and 
 not even the man across from him could have 
 guessed that he had noted anything or become 
 more watchful than before. However, he was 
 planning action. If this man was watching him 
 there could be but one reason his connection 
 with the present case. If he was connected 
 with this case then he was evidently one of 
 
 156
 
 STAETLING DISCLOSUBES 
 
 the men they wanted. Marsh intended to be 
 sure. 
 
 To change the situation from watched to 
 watcher would involve some quick and clever; 
 work. Marsh pondered. 
 
 As the bell boy passed Marsh called to him. 
 Slipping a coin into the boy's hand, he said, "I 
 had an appointment here with a Mr. Morgan. 
 See if you can locate him." As the boy started 
 off, calling the name, Marsh watched the man 
 opposite out of the corner of his eye. The man 
 threw down his newspaper, stretched and 
 yawned, while his eyes wandered about the 
 lobby. His movements were of a very casual 
 sort, but to Marsh's watchful eye it was notice- 
 able that his glances were actually following the 
 bell boy seeking Morgan. Marsh was now con- 
 vinced that his actions were under surveillance, 
 and he next planned how to throw the man off. 
 As he sat intent on this problem, he was startled 
 to hear the bell boy say, "Here's the gentleman, 
 sir," and looking up, Marsh saw; Morgan 
 standing in front of him. 
 
 The training of both men forbade any indi- 
 cation of the astonishment both felt, but looking 
 into the other's eyes, each read the question 
 
 157
 
 [E SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 there. Marsh jumped np, and holding out his 
 hand, exclaimed boisterously, "Where have you 
 been hiding yourself ? I'd about given you up. ' ' 
 
 "I'm sorry I am late," apologized Morgan, 
 in an equally loud voice, taking the cue. He 
 pulled an adjoining chair close to Marsh and sat 
 down. 
 
 "Now," said Marsh, in a low voice, "it is 
 probably needless to tell you not to make your 
 observation too obvious, but I want to call your 
 attention to the man sitting opposite." 
 
 Morgan nodded. 
 
 "He has been following me all the after- 
 noon," continued Marsh, in the same guarded 
 voice. "As long as I sit here I surmise that he 
 will stay where he is. That will give you time 
 to slip out, pick up one of your men, and get him 
 on the job. I suspect it will be worth while get- 
 ting a line on him." 
 
 "That's easy," returned Morgan. "I'll hava 
 him locked up inside of the next ten minutes." 
 
 "No," said Marsh, "that would be taking too 
 big a chance." 
 
 "On the contrary," said Morgan, "it would 
 be taking no chance at all. That man has been 
 wanted for a year for putting over a confidence 
 
 158
 
 STARTLING DISCLOSURES 
 
 game. I won't mention any names because lips 
 sometimes tell stories to watchful eyes. You 
 just sit here and you'll see something in a few 
 minutes." With that, Morgan went out. 
 
 A few minutes later a man strolled through 
 the lobby and approached the stranger. He 
 leaned over and whispered to him and the two 
 went out together. Marsh was congratulating 
 himself that when this man got to Headquarters 
 he might be made to talk to some effect, when 
 Morgan and another man, whom Marsh easily 
 recognized as a detective, approached. 
 
 "Where in blazes did your man go?" ex- 
 claimed Morgan. 
 
 Marsh stared for a moment. ' ' Why I thought 
 your man got him," he said. "Somebody came 
 in and quietly took him out." 
 
 "Good-night!" exclaimed Morgan. "Some- 
 body must have tipped him off." He turned to> 
 the man with him. "No use hanging around 
 now. Our bird's flown." 
 
 As the man left them Morgan sat down again 
 beside Marsh. "How the deuce did you know 
 I was here f " he asked. 
 
 "I didn't," returned Marsh. "I had that bell 
 boy page you to test the man across from me. 
 
 159
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 I never had such a surprise in my life as when 
 you turned up. What were you doing here?" 
 he added. 
 
 "The Chief asked me to look into this Merton 
 case. What were you doing here ? ' ' 
 
 "The same thing," replied Marsh. 
 
 "Looking up Merton?" 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 "Well, that's funny. What for?" 
 
 "Because I strongly suspect he is the mur- 
 dered man in our case." 
 
 Morgan gasped. 
 
 160
 
 CHAPTER XIV 
 
 THE NIGHT CALL 
 
 AS MORGAN recovered from his astonish- 
 ment, Marsh anticipated some leading 
 questions. He headed these off at this 
 time, by saying, "In this case, conditions seem 
 to be somewhat reversed ; for up to this time we 
 have f onnd practically no one who could be put 
 under surveillance, yet we have every evidence 
 that we are being carefully watched by others. 
 Several incidents have occurred, including the 
 present little drama which convinces us of that 
 fact. There is no question that we should again 
 compare notes as soon as possible, but this is a 
 dangerous place to discuss the case. I came 
 here to question certain people. As they will 
 not be on duty until later there is nothing I can 
 do along that line for a little while. In the mean- 
 time, we ought to look over Merton's rooms 
 upstairs. I could not make an attempt to do 
 this, because I do not possess the proper 
 
 161
 
 authority without explaining my real connec- 
 tions. You, however, as a city detective en- 
 gaged on the case, will have no difficulty in mak- 
 ing arrangements to inspect his room." 
 
 "That is just what I dropped in to do," 
 replied Morgan. 
 
 "Then go ahead and make your arrange- 
 ments," said Marsh, "and when you are ready, 
 let me go up with you. If we meet anyone, 
 remember that I am working under the special 
 authorization of Mr. Hunt, and you and I have 
 just become acquainted." 
 
 Morgan went to the hotel office. In a few 
 minutes he returned with a bell boy and nodded 
 to Marsh. Guided by the bell boy, they took an 
 elevator and ascended to Merton's rooms, which 
 they found consisted of a sitting room, bedroom 
 and bath. Obeying instructions, the bell boy at 
 once retired and closed the door after him. 
 
 They first inspected the bedroom, giving 
 special attention to the dresser. This contained 
 nothing save the usual supply of clothing, which 
 served no other purpose than to indicate the 
 wealth and conservative taste of the owner. 
 Marsh particularly sought some jewelry that 
 might help to identify the cuff button as the 
 
 162
 
 THE NIGHT CALL 
 
 property of the lost man. He found nothing, 
 however, and considered it probable that what- 
 ever jewelry Merton owned was on his person. 
 From the bedroom the two men went to the 
 sitting room, which they hoped would hold 
 greater possibilities, for a desk stood in one 
 corner near a window. A framed photograph 
 of Merton 's wife and son, standing on top of the 
 desk, of course had no significance. They then 
 began a search of the drawers and the interior 
 of the desk. 
 
 "Probably you have noticed," said Marsh, 
 after a moment, "the disordered condition of 
 this desk." 
 
 "Now that you speak of it," agreed Morgan, 
 "I think it is pretty well mussed up." 
 
 "I should say," commented Marsh, "that 
 dither Merton is very careless, or else we are not 
 the first people to examine this desk." 
 
 "Probably the desk has been gone over, 
 Marsh," acceded Morgan. "But you must 
 remember that Merton has been known to be 
 missing for several days and hotel employees, 
 even under ordinary circumstances, are apt to 
 be curious. The point is worth remembering, 
 but I doubt if it is of any importance." 
 
 163
 
 THE SHEEIDAN EOAD MYSTERY 
 
 One by one, they examined various letters and 
 papers. A few touched on business subjects, 
 but the majority were of a personal nature. 
 Most of these were from Merton's wife; the 
 others from business men whose well known 
 names placed them beyond suspicion. In one 
 corner of the desk Morgan picked up a sheet 
 containing some notations regarding bond pur- 
 chases. Beneath this he found a black, leather- 
 covered notebook of a size that would conveni- 
 ently fit into a vest pocket. One glance into this 
 and Morgan gave an exclamation. l ' See here ! ' ' 
 he cried, calling Marsh's attention to the book. 
 ' l This notebook has been kept in cipher. These 
 combinations of letters and figures mean abso- 
 lutely nothing as they stand. ' ' 
 
 The two men slowly turned the pages, but as 
 Morgan had stated, the matter which the book 
 contained conveyed nothing to them. 
 
 "That looks as if Merton had something to 
 conceal, Marsh." 
 
 "On the face of it yes," returned Marsh. 
 "But just glance at this sheet which covered the 
 notebook. From its subject matter I should be 
 inclined to believe that it represented Merton's 
 handwriting." 
 
 164
 
 THE NIGHT CALL 
 
 Morgan nodded and Marsh went on. 
 
 "Now, when you come to look at this notebook, 
 even a hasty glance shows a difference in the 
 handwriting. In fact, now that my attention 
 has been drawn to it, there is really a marked 
 difference." 
 
 "Well!" queried Morgan. 
 
 "Offhand," returned Marsh, "I would say 
 that somebody has been keeping a secret record. 
 That person sat at this desk making additional 
 notes. In a moment of forgetfulness, or per- 
 haps the necessity of hasty concealment, the 
 notebook was placed under this sheet and later 
 overlooked. There is a possibility that this 
 notebook was left by the person who preceded 
 us at this desk." 
 
 Morgan took the notebook and examined it 
 carefully for a few minutes. * ' In my work, ' ' he 
 said, "I have several times run up against 
 ciphers of various kinds. This is unlike any- 
 thing I ever saw before, and looks as if it would 
 be mighty hard to unravel." 
 
 Marsh again took the book and after care- 
 fully examining it, said, "I don't pretend to be 
 a cipher expert. In fact, I never waste time on 
 it. "We have men both here and at Washington 
 
 165 

 
 THE SHERIDAN EOAD MYSTEEY 
 
 who can read this sort of staff backward. Ill 
 send this book to them and we'll soon get a key 
 to the cipher. " 
 
 At this moment, both men became silent and 
 alert. Someone was slipping a key into the lock 
 of the door. Marsh quickly dropped the note- 
 book into the side pocket of his coat. A moment 
 later the door swung open and Gilbert Hunt 
 entered. 
 
 He stopped with a start of surprise, ]but 
 quickly recovered himself. 
 
 "You gentlemen gave me a shock!" he 
 exclaimed. "I didn't expect to find anyone 
 here. Already on the job, Mr. Marsh?" he 
 added. 
 
 "Yes," returned Marsh, easily. "I never 
 lose any time, and this room naturally should be 
 looked over." 
 
 "And this gentleman with you?" questioned 
 Hunt. 
 
 "Detective Sergeant Morgan Mr. Hunt," 
 introduced Marsh. "Morgan is conducting the 
 police investigation." Then he added, with a 
 wink at Hunt. "We met downstairs and I 
 thought we might as well look things over at the 
 same time." 
 
 166
 
 THE NIGHT CALL 
 
 ' * I see, ' ' said Hunt, smiling. l ' Have you dis- 
 covered anything ? ' ' 
 
 "Nothing to which I can attach any great im- 
 portance at this time," replied Marsh. 
 
 "I thought I would come up and look things 
 over," explained Hunt, as he strolled over to 
 the desk and ran his fingers through the papers. 
 The two men watched him with keen attention. 
 
 ' * Seems to be nothing here outside of personal 
 correspondence," said Hunt, turning around. 
 
 "Yes," Morgan answered, "those letters 
 appear to be of a very ordinary character. As 
 far as I can see, there is nothing there that 
 would help us." 
 
 "I presume yon are working along other linesi 
 also?" inquired Hunt. 
 
 "Surely," said Morgan. "We have severaj 
 men on the case now." 
 
 "And what have you found, Mr. Marsh?" in-^ 
 quired Hunt. 
 
 "Nothing that gives me a lead so far. I will 
 report to you as soon as anything comes to 
 light." 
 
 "Better come to my home some evening," 
 Hunt suggested. "We can talk in greater pri-t 
 vacy than at the office. You will find my address 
 
 167
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 in the telephone directory. By the way, I be- 
 lieve you neglected to give me your address this 
 morning, and I do not find your name in the 
 telephone book." 
 
 1 ' That 's right, ' ' exclaimed Marsh. * ' I believe 
 I did neglect to do that." Marsh went over to 
 the desk, tore off the corner of a sheet of paper, 
 and wrote down his new address and telephone 
 number. "Here it is," he said, handing the 
 paper to Hunt. "My name would not be in the 
 telephone book as my work necessitates frequent 
 changes of address. One month I am liable to 
 be in California and the next in Europe. For 
 the present, however, you will be: able to get 
 word to me at the address I have given you. 
 Naturally, I will seldom be there, but you can 
 always leave word for me to get in touch with 
 you. ' ' Then Marsh turned to Morgan. * ' We 'd 
 better be moving along," he said. 
 
 "Yes," agreed Morgan, " there 's nothing 
 more to be gained here." 
 
 After exchanging a few commonplace words 
 with Hunt, the two detectives went out, leaving 
 Hunt in the room. Downstairs, in the lobby, 
 Marsh said, "I strongly suspect that Hunt 
 wanted to be left alone in that room. That's 
 
 168
 
 THE NIGHT CALL 
 
 why I hurried you away. The sooner he gets 
 through up there, the quicker he will leave the 
 hotel. I don't want him around while I am 
 looking up the rest of my information. Now, 
 you watch the Madison Street entrance, while 
 I stand across the street on La Salle. When ho 
 leaves, the one that sees him will let the other 
 know." 
 
 The two men then separated and took up their 
 watch. 
 
 Hunt must have made a careful examination 
 of Merton's rooms, because it was not until a 
 half hour later that Morgan rejoined Marsh and 
 informed him that he had seen Hunt enter his 
 automobile on Madison Street and drive away. 
 
 "Morgan," said Marsh. "I want to have a 
 talk with you after I get through here. Suppose 
 I come to your apartment tonight I ' ' 
 
 "Fine!" agreed Morgan. "I have some in- 
 formation to give you. I'll run up to Head- 
 quarters now, make a report, and go right home. 
 You will find me there whenever you are ready. ' ' 
 
 "And here is a suggestion, Morgan. When 
 either of us calls on the other, the signal will be 
 three knocks on the door instead of pushing the 
 electric bell. I have a suspicion that answering 
 
 169
 
 THE SHEBIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 a bell these days will haye fa be conducted with 
 caution." 
 
 1 * Perhaps you are right, ' ' said Morgan. " I '11 
 remember." 
 
 Morgan then walked on up La Salle Street, 
 while Marsh crossed over and entered the hotel 
 once more. There was now only one person who 
 might give him a really definite lead the night 
 telephone operator and he went straight to 
 her switchboard. Marsh knew that this young 
 woman was probably overfed with smooth talk, 
 BO he counted upon getting better results by 
 going straight to the point. 
 
 "Good evening, ' ' he said. ' ' You are the night 
 operator here, are you not?" 
 
 The young woman, who was arranging things 
 before her in a way that indicated she had but 
 recently come on duty, replied in the affirmative. 
 
 "Do you remember Mr. Merton, who has been 
 reported missing?" asked Marsh. 
 
 ' * I should say I do, ' ' exclaimed the girl. ' ' An 
 awfully nice man. He appreciated good service. 
 Every Saturday night he gave me a box of 
 candy." 
 
 "Read this," said Marsh, handing her his 
 authorization from Hunt. 
 
 170
 
 THE NIGHT CALL 
 
 "Oh, I hope you do find out something," said 
 the girl, as she returned the paper to Marsh. 
 "I'd just hate to think anything serious had 
 happened to Mr. Merton." 
 
 * * All right, ' ' answered Marsh, ' l then you '11 be 
 [willing to help me ? ' ' 
 
 "What can I do ? ' ' she inquired. 
 
 "Mr. Mer ton's kindness to you made an im- 
 pression upon you, did it not?" Marsh asked. 
 
 The girl nodded. 
 
 "Then you would naturally recollect any- 
 thing of an unusual nature which might have 
 taken place during the last few days, would you 
 not?" 
 
 "Yes ... I think so," returned the girl, 
 somewhat guardedly. 
 
 "A telephone call late at night?" suggested 
 Marsh. 
 
 The girl was busy with her switchboard for a 
 time. Then she leaned back and looked at 
 Marsh. "See here," she said, "I'd do most any- 
 thing to help find that man, but I can't take a 
 chance on losing my job." 
 
 Marsh now knew that he was going to get 
 important information if he handled the matter 
 diplomatically. 
 
 171
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 "Remember," lie explained, confidentially, 
 "I am not a regular detective. J have nothing 
 to do with the city police department. There 
 will be no publicity attached to anything I learn. 
 I am merely looking up confidential information 
 for Mr. Hunt, who, as you know, has charge of 
 Mr. Merton 's business." 
 
 The girl was again busy at the switchboard, 
 and when at last there came a pause, she looked 
 carefully around to see that no one else was 
 within ear shot. Then she leaned toward 
 Marsh. 
 
 "He got a telephone message at twelve o'clock 
 on Monday night," she whispered. 
 
 "You mean last Monday? ' ' questioned Marsh. 
 He recollected that Merton had been reported 
 missing for ten days. 
 
 The girl nodded. 
 
 "Of course, at that hour," suggested Marsh, 
 "you were not very busy and would therefore 
 be likely to listen in on the wire. ' ' 
 
 "The very idea !" she exclaimed, indignantly. 
 
 "Look here," said Marsh. "If I can rescue 
 Merton from the predicament he is probably in, 
 someone will be handsomely rewarded. Is it not 
 a safe bet that the person who gives me the 
 
 172
 
 THE NIGHT CALL 
 
 correct information to put me on the right track, 
 will be pretty well taken care of?" 
 
 The girl sat in thoughtful silence. 
 
 "And if Mr. Merton should happen to be dead, 
 Mrs. Merton would be very grateful, indeed, to 
 anyone who had helped her learn the truth," 
 Marsh added. 
 
 Again the girl looked cautiously about. The 
 hint of an ample reward was having its effect. 
 
 "If I lose my job . . . . " she warned, and 
 then again leaned toward Marsh. "I listened 
 in, all right. It was a man who said his name 
 was Nolan. From what I heard I think he used 
 to be a chauffeur for Mr. Merton. He said he 
 was in an awful hole, that he was unjustly ac- 
 cused of theft, and that they were about to lock 
 him up. He asked Mr. Merton if he could do 
 anything to keep him out of this disgrace. Mr. 
 Merton said he would try and asked where he 
 was. Nolan said he was being detained in the 
 apartment of a man named Ames, at some place 
 on Sheridan E-oad I forget the exact number. ' ' 
 
 "Did Mr. Merton go there then, do you 
 know?" 
 
 ' 1 1 couldn 't tell you that. He simply said, * All 
 right,' and hung up the receiver." 
 
 173
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 "You have given me just the information I 
 needed," said Marsh. "Your job is in no dan- 
 ger if you let this matter rest just between us 
 two. If anyone else should question you, you 
 don't know anything. And above all, forget 
 about me. You get the idea?" 
 
 "You bet!" replied the girl, as she turned 
 again to her switchboard. 
 
 Marsh left the hotel, well satisfied with his 
 progress. It was now fairly well established 
 that Richard Townsend Merton was the victim 
 of Clark Atwood.
 
 CHAPTER XV 
 
 "DEAD MEN TELL NX> TALES" 
 
 UP TO this time the case had seemed one 
 of the most mysterious with which 
 Marsh had ever had to deal. Now, how- 
 ever, while elements of mystery still remained, 
 he had certain definite clues upon which to work. 
 The little notebook in his pocket might prove to 
 be a key that would unlock the final barrier. 
 The most important thing before him now, 
 therefore, was to secure a solution to the cipher. 
 It was of too important a nature to trust to the 
 mails so Marsh decided to put it directly into 
 official hands. He glanced at his watch. It 
 was after six, and being Saturday, it was likely 
 that these men had left their offices in the 
 Federal Building. At the same time, this was a 
 very busy branch of the Government and it was 
 just possible that someone might be lingering 
 late. Marsh decided to take a chance. 
 
 It had been clearly impressed upon him by 
 this time that he was no longer free t<J rome and 
 
 175
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 go unnoticed. At this very moment there might 
 be a pair of eyes somewhere in that hurrying 
 throng on La Salle Street ready to follow his 
 every move. However much they might suspect 
 him, his exact status in the case was probably 
 still a puzzle to them. He did not believe it safe 
 as yet to betray his connection with the Govern- 
 ment. The problem then was to reach the 
 Federal Building without being followed. 
 
 Marsh called a taxi, and loudly giving an ad- 
 dress on the South Side, was whirled away. 
 Taking out a bill, he laid it on the seat. In a 
 couple of blocks the taxi was held up for a 
 moment by traffic and Marsh stepped hastily out 
 and softly closed the door. He dashed up the 
 street, turned down an alleyway, and half way 
 down the block turned again through another 
 alley that brought him to a different street. In 
 these dark, deserted byways he could have in- 
 stantly detected any attempt to follow him. A 
 few minutes later he entered the Federal Build- 
 ing, quite sure that any possible pursuers had 
 been thrown off the trail. 
 
 He found a hard working official still in his 
 office, and showing his credentials and explain- 
 ing the object of his visit, Marsh turned over 
 176
 
 "DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES" 
 
 the notebook. Then he slipped out of the 
 Federal Building and went to a nearby restau- 
 rant to get his dinner. After dinner he pro- 
 ceeded by devious routes to keep his appoint- 
 ment with Morgan. Climbing to Morgan's 
 apartment, Marsh gave three raps, the signal 
 agreed upon. 
 
 T'erney opened the door, but after an ex- 
 change of greetings, put on his cap and passed 
 out into the hall to stand guard. 
 
 "Both of us must have important informa- 
 tion," said Morgan. "Which of us shall tell it 
 first?' 7 
 
 "Let me hear your story first," returned 
 Marsh. 
 
 "All right," agreed Morgan. "Here goes. 
 My chief information lies in the fact that we 
 now have two men who are undoubtedly con- 
 nected with Atwood. Both of these men are 
 known to the police, and once we get our eyes on 
 them they will probably lead us to the men we 
 want. It is only a question of hours, perhaps, 
 because every man on the force now has their 
 descriptions and will keep his eyes open. The 
 first of these is Wagner, the man you saw in the 
 hotel lobby. The other is the man who attacked 
 
 177
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 * 
 
 Miss Atwood. With her description in mind, 
 Tierney and I looked over the photographs at 
 Headquarters. "We picked out a man known as 
 'Baldy' Newman as best answering the descrip- 
 tion. I took a copy of the photograph to Miss 
 Atwood at her hotel, and while she was not 
 sure, she said it was enough like the man she saw 
 to be the same person. Now, this 'Baldy* New- 
 man is a well known "West Side gunman, and we 
 know his usual hangouts. He 's a little bit of a 
 shrimp, but an expert with his gun, and there- 
 fore a dangerous customer to handle, so Tierney 
 and I were mighty vigilant. We found, how- 
 ever, that for nearly two years he has shown up 
 only twice at his old hangouts. That time ties 
 np in a significant way with your story, Marsh. 
 The last time was early on Monday night, when 
 he showed a roll of money and boasted that he 
 was going to pull off a real job that night. We 
 got this from the bartender, who was mighty 
 sore at 'Baldy.' It seems that our friend had 
 slipped a five dollar bill off his roll to pay for 
 drinks for the crowd, and the bartender still has 
 this bill as a souvenir. It was a counterfeit. Of 
 course, there's enough in all that to positively 
 tie 'Baldy' up with our case, even if Miss At- 
 
 178
 
 "DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES" 
 
 wood had not been fairly confident of her iden- 
 tification. 
 
 "Now," continued Morgan. "Here's some 
 stuff I brought for yon. Sooner or later I be- 
 lieve you can make use of it." Morgan handed 
 some photographs to Marsh, which he explained 
 as Marsh looked them over. 
 
 "The first," he said, "is a photograph of 
 'Baldy' Newman. He's a good man for you to 
 keep your eye out for, because if he ever shot 
 first it would be all day with you. The second 
 photograph is of ^Wagner. You have already 
 seen him, but this picture will fix him more firm- 
 ly in your mind. The next photograph is the one 
 our man made of Atwood's letter. Of course, 
 the letter doesn't tell us much, but the hand- 
 writing may. That last photograph is of the 
 hand marks on the dining room table in thei 
 Ames apartment. Ordinarily, marks of that 
 kind would tell very little. Our finger print ex- 
 pert, however, called my attention to the fact 
 that there is a scar on the right hand. Of course, 
 a scar in that position might be found on many 
 hands, but if you look carefully at that photo- 
 graph you will see that the scar forms a sort of 
 acute angle. It is, therefore, not an ordinary 
 
 J79
 
 THE SHEEEDAN EOAD MYSTERY 
 
 scar. The man whose hand we find it on is 
 pretty snre to be one of the men who was in the 
 Ames apartment that night. 
 
 "High class crooks like Atwood, while they 
 work alone, are often hard to get, but sooner or 
 later they grow ambitious. They want to be the 
 brains of an organization. Then they call in 
 second-rate crooks like 'Baldy' and "Wagner, to 
 do the dirty work. These men are never so 
 clever, and some day, through them, the police 
 get their hands on the man higher up. I think, 
 Marsh, that in this case that is what we are go- 
 ing to do. ' ' 
 
 "You have done well, Morgan," praised 
 Marsh. "I believe on the whole that, while I 
 have secured some valuable information, your 
 work has really brought us the nearest to the 
 man we want." 
 
 "That was pretty sharp of you to tie up Mer- 
 ton with the case," commented Morgan. "Of 
 course, when you mentioned it to me I saw its 
 possibilities. Before that I was thrown off the 
 track by the fact that Merton was reported 
 to have been missing for ten days, where- 
 as this supposed crime occurred at two 
 o'clock last Tuesday morning. Why do yon 
 
 180
 
 "DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES" 
 
 suppose that fellow Hunt threw us off like 
 that?" 
 
 "Probably he did not do it intentionally," an- 
 swered Marsh. "Hunt is running the business 
 for Merton, and very likely saw little of him 
 outside of the office. It may have been ten days 
 since Merton had appeared at his office, although 
 only a few days since he was missing from the 
 hotel." 
 
 "What made you suspect it in the first 
 place ? ' ' inquired Morgan. 
 
 "I'll tell you the whole story," said Marsh. 
 "Naturally, I was watching the papers for miss- 
 ing people. When I saw that announcement this 
 morning, and remembered the *M' on the cuff 
 button, it began to look like a possibility. At 
 any rate, it was worth looking up. To get at the 
 real facts, I knew that I would have to be on the 
 inside, so I presented myself to Hunt this morn- 
 ing as a private investigator who was anxious 
 to get the job of looking up Merton in the inter- 
 est of his office. I think I got closer to Hunt than 
 any policeman ever would. In fact, I was fur- 
 nished with inside information that may or may 
 not be significant. This man Hunt holds a 
 power of attorney from Merton, and Merton 's 
 
 181
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 will names him as sole executor. Of course, to a 
 criminal investigator that sounds bad on its 
 face. On the other hand, if Hunt possessed such 
 power with Merton there could be no object in 
 his wanting to get him out of the way. Certain- 
 ly, a man in Hunt's position would not have had 
 dealings with a crook like Atwood. Further- 
 more, if Hunt did want to make away with Mer- 
 lon, he would more likely do it himself than take 
 the risk of employing others, and so place him- 
 self in a position to be blackmailed later. Carry-) 
 ing the thought still further, would a clever man 
 like Atwood take a chance of upsetting his own 
 plans by hiring himself out to Hunt as a common 
 thug! 
 
 "I am positive that Atwood either killed or 
 kidnapped Merton, for I have discovered, 
 through the telephone girl at the hotel, that Mer- 
 ton received a telephone call at twelve o'clock 
 Monday night, summoning him out. That tele- 
 phone call was supposed to come from the Ames 
 apartment. At two o'clock Tuesday morning 
 the shot was fired in that apartment and Merton 
 has not been seen since. We know definitely 
 that Atwood occupies the apartment across the 
 hall, but at this time I cannot see any possible 
 
 182
 
 "DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES" 
 
 connection between the two men. Hunt is evi- 
 dently nervous, because it is my opinion that he 
 used undue influence over Merton, and this dis- 
 appearance has placed him in a peculiar posi- 
 tion. I particularly called this phase of the case 
 to his attention this morning, and subtly sug- 
 gested that my work would be of value to him in 
 preventing suspicion on the part of the police. 
 That feature was plainly what made him decide 
 to employ me, and I am relying upon it to 
 eventually get further valuable informa- 
 tion. 
 
 "The little book, with notes in cipher, which 
 we discovered in Merton 's room, is somewhat of 
 a puzzle to me just now. It may contain informa- 
 tion that will be helpful, or it may prove just a 
 memoranda of business deals. We must not 
 overlook the fact that a man in Merton 's line of 
 work, and the men with whom he did business, 
 have many big plans which must be kept secret 
 until they are launched. That book may have 
 contained data along such lines, and Merton 
 may have simply been referring to it when sud- 
 denly called out. You will recall that we found a 
 memorandum regarding business transactions 
 covering the book. ' ' 
 
 183
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 "But," protested Morgan, " there must have 
 been some connection between Merton and At- 
 wood or else Atwood would not have taken such 
 a dangerous step against him. Even you will 
 admit that Atwood was not an ordinary crook. 
 Doubtless, then, every step he took was the" re- 
 sult of a definite plan." 
 
 "Quite true," agreed Marsh, "but there waa 
 never a plan yet that didn't have possibilities of 
 failure. You remember what I have said be- 
 fore; that I believed that shot to have been a 
 mistake. If the shot was a mistake, could not 
 other mistakes have also crept in? Get Atwood 
 and I believe that many things will be cleared up. 
 
 "Now there is one thing more," went on 
 Marsh. "I cannot tell you where I got the tip, 
 and the information is only general. Still it 
 helps. There are at least four men in the gang 
 we seek, and their headquarters is in some sub- 
 urban house near Chicago. The most important 
 point, however, is this: they know positively 
 that we are after them, and have made arrange- 
 ments to get out at the first opportunity. That 
 means we must work fast." 
 
 Morgan was sitting in his favorite chair by 
 the table. Marsh was seated at the front of the 
 
 184
 
 "DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES" 
 
 room with his back to the window. At this mo- 
 ment the window glass above his head cracked, 
 a dull thud sounded on the wall across the room, 
 and bits of paper and plaster dropped to thei 
 floor. 
 
 Instantly Marsh slipped down in his chair, so 
 that his head came below its back, while Mor- 
 gan's hand shot out and snapped off the electric 
 lamp on the table, throwing the room into dark-. 
 ness. Aside from the slight cracking of the 
 window glass, and the dull crash as the missile 
 struck the plastered wall, there had been no 
 other sound. 
 
 Morgan left his chair and felt his way through 
 the darkened room. Opening the hall door he 
 cautiously peered out. Tierney, with his hands 
 in his trouser pockets, was leaning with his back 
 against the wall. He glanced up quickly as the 
 door opened. 
 
 "Everything all right, Tierney?" inquired 
 Morgan. 
 
 "Sure thing." 
 
 "Haven't seen or heard anybody?" 
 
 "Nope." 
 
 Morgan closed the door and moved back into 
 the room. 
 
 185
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 1 ' ' Dead men tell no tales ', ' ' said Marsh, light- 
 
 ly. 
 
 "Was it that, or just a warning?" questioned 
 Morgan. 
 
 "People do not go to all that trouble just to 
 deliver a warning, Morgan. They wanted to get 
 me." 
 
 "Why you?" protested Morgan. "I was 
 here, too." 
 
 "They couldn't possibly have seen you where 
 you sat, Morgan. On the other hand, my head, 
 sticking above the back of this chair, and show- 
 ing against the lamp-light, made an excellent 
 target." 
 
 Marsh now rose and examined the window. 
 "A nice, clean hole," he commented, "and not 
 more than two inches above my head. A mighty 
 good marksman, with a high-powered rifle, 
 evidently." 
 
 * ' Rifle ! ' ' exclaimed Morgan. ' ' We didn 't hear 
 a sound!" 
 
 "Come here," Marsh called. Morgan joined 
 him at the window. ' ' From here you can see the 
 grand stand in the ball park. The upper tiers 
 are on a line with this window." 
 
 "But," objected Morgan, "that is too far 
 186
 
 "DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES" 
 
 away for any man to get a good sight ; and rei- 
 member, we heard no shot. ' ' 
 
 "Don't forget," Marsh reminded him, "that 
 we live in scientific times. With a telescopic 
 sight, and a Maxim Silencer on his rifle, a good 
 marksman could steady it on the back of one of 
 those seats and pick us off at twice the distance 
 without a sound." 
 
 "It is very discouraging," groaned Morgan. 
 "To think that we may be picked off before 
 we Ve even begun to get near our man." 
 
 "On the contrary," returned Marsh, "it is 
 very encouraging. When a criminal gets as des- 
 perate as that you are not very far away from 
 him." 
 
 Marsh then pulled down the shades and in- 
 structed Morgan to light the lamp once more. 
 
 "Seems kind of dangerous, under the circum- 
 stances," remonstrated Morgan. 
 
 "On the contrary, the man who fired that shot 
 is probably miles away by this time. He is doubt- 
 less laughing to think of fat policemen crawling 
 around over the benches up there right now." 
 
 "They would have been," admitted Morgan, 
 " if I had been alone. As it was, I left it to you to 
 do what you thought best. " 
 
 187
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 "I have a special reason, however, for lighting 
 the lamp and pulling down the shades," ex- 
 plained Marsh. l ' It is just possible that another 
 member of the gang is watching out there for me 
 to leave. Pulling down the shades and lighting 
 np will lead him to think I am still here. In the 
 meantime, I am about to slip down your back 
 etairs." 
 
 "Where are you going to stay tonight?" in- 
 quired Morgan. 
 
 "Home, of course." 
 
 "I admire your nerve!" exclaimed Morgan. 
 "Sleeping up in that place all alone, with these 
 fellows hot on your trail. " 
 
 Marsh laughed. ' ' Seems to me they're pretty 
 close to your house, too, Morgan. Aren't you 
 going to sleep at home?" 
 
 "Yes," said Morgan, grinning, "but some- 
 how or other that big, half -furnished place of 
 yours seems more dismal and open to the enemy 
 than my little home here with a police station 
 only a couple of blocks away." 
 
 :< You forget that I have two policemen on 
 guard up there. They've not been ordered off 
 yet. If I were to let my imagination scare me to 
 death, Morgan, I would have been out of the 
 
 188
 
 "DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES" 
 
 Government service long ago. This experience 
 is no worse than some of the things I went 
 through during the war. 
 
 "Now, before I go, there are two matters I 
 should like you and Tierney to look up for me. 
 First, locate a man named Nolan, who was for- 
 merly Mr. Merton 's chauffeur. Find out what 
 he has been doing for the last week or two ; par- 
 ticularly where he was last Monday night. Nolan 
 is the man who is supposed to have telephoned 
 Merton. 
 
 ' ' Then try to get a line on Gilbert Hunt ; how; 
 long he has been with Merton, and things of that 
 sort. I will look for you at my apartment Mon- 
 day evening. If anything important should 
 happen in the meantime, try to get me on the 
 telephone. Now, I'm going." 
 
 As they passed through the apartment, Mor- 
 gan said, "I'm sorry you didn't meet my 
 mother. She never interrupts conferences, and 
 has gone to bed by this time." 
 
 "There will be many other opportunities, I 
 hope," returned Marsh. 
 
 By this time they had reached the back door, 
 and after a silent handshake, Marsh slipped 
 quietly down the rear stairs, then through the 
 
 189
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 alley to Addison Street, where he boarded an 
 elevated train and went home. 
 
 He was re-assured by the caref nl way in which 
 the officer on duty in front of his house scru- 
 tinized him as he passed, and went upstairs and 
 straight to bed. It had been a busy day and 
 Marsh had many half -formed plans for the mor- 
 row. 
 
 190
 
 CHAPTER XVI 
 
 THE CLOSED OOTHSTTBY HOUSE 
 
 SUNDAY morning was gray and dark, with 
 low-hanging clouds and a frosty snap in 
 the air that gave the city its first touch of 
 real autumn weather. Returning from break- 
 fast, Marsh lit the gas logs in his fireplace and 
 sat down before their cheery blaze to smoke 
 and think. 
 
 Step by step he analyzed and strove to connect 
 the developments of the last few days. The case 
 was strange in many ways. With numerous 
 clues, suspicious circumstances and half -identi- 
 fied people on every hand, there was no one 
 feature upon which definite action could be 
 taken. Atwood was the most elusive criminal he 
 had ever pursued. Never at any time had the 
 man become an actual personality. Like a will- 
 o'-the-wisp, he was ever in sight, yet just beyond 
 reach. While the detectives struggled along 
 tangled paths that led nowhere, Atwood 'a long 
 arm continually reached out to strike back. 
 
 191
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 As lie thought along these lines, an explana- 
 tion slowly took form in Marsh 's mind. In some 
 of its features it seemed weird and unreal. This, 
 perhaps, was due to the fact that the few definite 
 pieces of information in his possession had to be 
 largely supported and connected by theories and 
 deductions. Strange as the explanation might 
 seem, it nevertheless gave birth to a well-defined 
 plan of action. 
 
 In this way the morning slipped by and Marsh 
 was surprised, on looking at his watch, to find 
 that it was nearly noon. He went to his tele- 
 phone, called the Monmouth Hotel, and asked to 
 speak to Miss Atwood. When the girl answered 
 the telephone, Marsh inquired if she would care 
 to have dinner with him. The invitation was 
 accepted with quite evident pleasure on the girl's 
 part, and Marsh soon left to keep his appoint- 
 ment with her. On his way to the hotel,. Marsh 
 stepped into a cigar store, looked up Gilbert 
 Hunt's telephone number, and made an appoint- 
 ment for the evening. Marsh took this precau- 
 tion of telephoning Hunt from a pay station 
 because a telephone call is easily traced, and he 
 had not yet decided to advise Hunt of his real 
 address. 
 
 192
 
 THE CLOSED COUNTEY HOUSE 
 
 Jane Atwood joined Marsh in the lobby of 
 the hotel, and the friendliness of her greet- 
 ing made him glad of his decision to take her 
 on the trip he had planned for the after- 
 noon. 
 
 They had dinner at the Edgewater Beach 
 Hotel. It was the girl's first visit to this show- 
 place of the North Side, and Marsh was de- 
 lighted with her animated interest in everything 
 about her. In fact, he found it hard to believe 
 that this girl, whose bright chatter, sunny smile 
 and sparkling eyes now held him fascinated, had 
 so recently been through such trying experi- 
 ences. Marsh felt that it was a natural reaction 
 brought about by this diversion, and he long 
 afterward remembered it as one of the happiest 
 hours in a life that had been replete with pro- 
 fessional adventure, but barren in the compan- 
 ionship of women of her sort. 
 
 As they sat sipping their coffee, Marsh said, 
 "I imagine you have seen very little of Chicago, 
 Miss Atwood V 9 
 
 "Yes," she admitted. "One takes less inter- 
 est in things when sight-seeing trips must be 
 made alone. You know, I have not seemed to 
 make any friends in Chicago. " 
 
 193
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 "When I can spare the time, I want to take 
 you around a little. I am sure that you would 
 enjoy the art museum, for art is akin to music ; 
 and from what you have told me I know that you 
 are deeply interested in that." 
 
 "Yes," she replied, "music has always been 
 my chief companion. The dreams that other 
 girls confide in chums, I have told to my piano. ' ' 
 
 Marsh lit a cigarette and smoked for a mo- 
 ment in silence. 
 
 "How would you like to take a little trip with 
 me out to one of the North Shore suburbs this 
 afternoon?" he inquired. 
 
 "I should enjoy it very much," she said. 
 
 "Well," Marsh went on, "there is a house out 
 at Hubbard Woods that I want to look over this 
 afternoon for a friend. This is just the day for 
 a stroll along the autumn-leafed roads. I 
 thought perhaps you would like to go with me." 
 
 Marsh aided her with her wraps and they 
 walked across to the elevated railroad. At 
 Evanston, a few miles north of the city, they 
 changed to the suburban electric line. The girl 
 took a lively interest in the pretty suburban 
 towns through which they passed, and it seemed 
 to Marsh as if they had but just boarded the 
 
 194
 
 train when the conductor called out their station 
 and they alighted. 
 
 The place was well named. A lonely little 
 station set down in the midst of thick woods, and 
 a road that wound slightly downhill and away 
 among the trees were all that met the eye. They 
 strolled down this road, passing occasional 
 homes. These were usually well back from the 
 road and almost concealed among the trees. In 
 fact, in some places the house itself was not 
 visible, the only indication of a residence being 
 an ornamental gateway, or sometimes just a 
 simple driveway disappearing into the woods. 
 Fallen leaves rustled about their feet, but much 
 of the foliage remained on the trees. Some of 
 this was still green, setting off the masses of 
 autumn colors that ranged from a sombre brown 
 to vivid reds and many shades of yellow. 
 
 "And a great city only a few miles away," 
 mused Marsh, giving voice to both their 
 thoughts. 
 
 "It is beautiful," admitted the girl, "but so 
 lonely and quiet. Somehow, one feels so far, 
 far away from everything. Perhaps the gloomy 
 day affects me, but it seems as if the air were 
 full of some solemn mystery." 
 
 195
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 At this point Marsh saw a young couple, 
 strolling on the other side of the road. He sur- 
 mised that they were local residents, and excus- 
 ing himself to Miss Atwood, crossed over and 
 inquired of the man if he knew where the Mer- 
 ton estate was located. 
 
 "Yes," was the reply. "Just keep on south 
 along Sheridan Road. It won't take you five min- 
 utes to get there. The place is on the left hand 
 side of the road. You can't miss it; a gateway 
 with gray stone posts, and there are two big 
 pines inside the entrance to the driveway." 
 
 Thanking him, Marsh rejoined Miss Atwood. 
 
 "I wanted to find out how to locate the place 
 I was looking for," he explained. "You will 
 pardon my leaving you alone, but it seemed un- 
 necessary to make you cross the street." 
 
 "Oh, I didn't mind," she replied. 
 
 Marsh's real reason, however, in thus leaving 
 Miss Atwood, was to prevent her hearing men- 
 tion of the name of Merton. Unquestionably, 
 the girl had read of the case in the papers, and 
 after her own recent experiences might feel a 
 certain timidity in approaching the missing 
 broker's home ; especially after her recent men- 
 tion of how the surroundings affected her. 
 
 196
 
 THE .CLOSED COUNTRY HOUSE 
 
 A slight tarn in the road brought them to the 
 driveway which the young man had described. 
 There was no mistaking the two great pines that 
 stood like sentinels at either side, just back of 
 the imposing stone gateway. One of these trees 
 was evidently dead, for .it was gaunt and bare, 
 in marked contrast to its companion; and as 
 they paused a moment before the entrance, the 
 wind broke off a rotting branch, which fell at 
 their feet. The gates of iron grill work were 
 standing open, and they turned in and started 
 up the driveway, which was covered with 
 crushed gray stone. The house was farther 
 from the road than Marsh had expected, for it 
 was several minutes before they reached it. As 
 he stood before the great pile of stone and wood, 
 with its drawn shades and general appearance 
 of desertion, Marsh thought of the long, winding 
 road through the woods behind them and half 
 regretted that he had brought Miss Atwood with 
 him. His desire had been to attract as little 
 attention as possible in his inspection of the 
 house. One man scouting around this lonely 
 place would have been a suspicious object. On 
 the other hand, it had seemed to him that a man 
 and woman, out for an afternoon stroll, might 
 
 197
 
 SHERIDAN BOAD MYSTERY 
 
 exhibit an interest in a large country house with- 
 out attracting suspicious attention. But now, as 
 he stood there in the gray autumn light, with the 
 wind sighing through the trees about them and 
 a fine snow beginning to drift down, the place 
 seemed to take on an uncanny atmosphere that, 
 even though nothing worse could happen, would 
 have a depressing effect on the girl. It was too 
 late to back out, however. It would be hard to 
 explain a sudden retreat to the girl, and there 
 was no time to be lost in trying to get the in- 
 formation which he sought. Marsh glanced at 
 his companion. She was looking around with 
 evident interest, and he was glad to note that as 
 yet she exhibited no signs of nervousness. 
 
 ' ' I understand there is a caretaker here. Will 
 you come up with me while I ring the belli " 
 
 The girl assented, and they climbed the wide 
 steps over which the autumn leaves were thickly 
 scattered. Whether or not the bell rang, Marsh 
 could not tell, but certainly no sound came to 
 them. He decided to knock and struck the door 
 with the knuckles of his clenched hand. At the 
 first blow, the door moved and swung inward. 
 
 A large hall stretched dimly before them. Af 
 one side, Marsh saw a stairway and at the other 
 
 198
 
 THE CLOSED COUNTRY HOUSE 
 
 a high curtained doorway, which probably led 
 to the drawing room. At the back of the hall 
 seemed to be another smaller doorway, bnt 
 Marsh could not be sure in the dim light. He 
 was in a quandary. So far as he could see, the 
 house was deserted. Possibly the caretaker was 
 spending his Sunday afternoon with friends, 
 and the door had been closed carelessly so that 
 the latch had not caught. Had Marsh been alone 
 he would have welcomed this opportunity to 
 carefully inspect the house. The girl now 
 blocked such an attempt, for it was obviously 
 unwise, for many reasons, to ask her to accom- 
 pany him into the house; and he could not 
 consider the idea of leaving her alone, even 
 for a few minutes. There was no alternative 
 but to postpone his visit until the next 
 day. 
 
 Marsh stepped through the doorway, pulled! 
 the door closed, and tried the knob to see that the 
 door had latched securely. As he turned away, 
 he glanced toward the shrubbery that bordered 
 the adjoining woods. Although he turned in- 
 stantly to the girl, and started to assist her down 
 the steps, Marsh's quick eyes had noted a man 
 crouching half -concealed in the shrubbery. 
 
 199
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 As they retraced their steps down the drive- 
 way, Marsh kept a firm grasp on the automatic 
 in his pocket while his eyes, without apparent 
 interest, continually watched the trees and 
 shrubbery on either side. They reached the 
 main road without incident and turned north 
 toward the station. Not a word had been spoken 
 as they passed along the driveway, for Marsh 
 had been too intent upon keeping a keen watch to 
 think of words, and the depressing atmosphere 
 of the place had evidently begun to affect Miss 
 Atwood. In fact, Marsh thought that she 
 seemed to brighten as soon as they passed 
 throught the gateway. 
 
 "Are you in the real estate business, Mr. 
 Marsh!" she asked. 
 
 "No," he replied. "What made you think 
 that?" 
 
 "You never told me what your business was, ' ' 
 she answered, "and your coming out here to 
 look at that house today gave me the idea that 
 you might be interested in real estate." 
 
 "No," he said, "I am not interested in 
 real estate." Then added, evasively, but not 
 quite untruthfully, "I am planning, however, 
 to go into some sort of business in Chicago." 
 
 200
 
 THE CLOSED COUNTEY HOUSE 
 
 The fact was that since meeting this girl r 
 Marsh had begun to take an entirely different 
 view of life. He looked back upon his wander- 
 ings and realized the emptiness of the passing 
 years. It seemed to him now that a man could 
 ask for nothing more than to settle down to 
 some regular employment in such a wonderful 
 city, and go home every night to find this girl 
 waiting for him. 
 
 Marsh stepped off the motor bus at Oak Street 
 to keep his appointment with Hunt. He reflected 
 that he had never seen a street so representative 
 of Chicago and its rapid growth. At his back 
 was the great new Drake Hotel and the whole 
 neighborhood was one of wealth and fashion. 
 Yet, as he passed along the street, he noticed 
 tiny frame or brick dwellings nestling shoulder 
 to shoulder with obviously wealthy homes, and 
 here and there the dark, towering structures 
 of old and new apartment buildings. He found 
 Hunt's apartment in one of the new buildings 
 and paused for a moment on the curb to look it 
 over. Though handsome architecturally and 
 modern in every respect, there was a peculiar 
 sombreness about the building, and the two 
 
 201
 
 THE SHEBIDAN EOAD MYSTERY 
 
 bright lamps that gleamed at the entrance but 
 served to exaggerate the dim interior of the 
 hallway. 
 
 Not realizing exactly why he did so, but prob- 
 ably responding to an instinct for caution, 
 Marsh strolled back and forth before entering 
 the building. He noted the two dark and narrow 
 alleyways on either side. One of these, reached 
 through a dim, deep recess in the front wall, was 
 evidently the tradesmen's entrance. Marsh 
 then entered the vestibule and pushed the bell 
 under Hunt's name. This was immediately 
 answered by the clicking of the electric door 
 opener. Hunt's man-servant stood at the apart- 
 ment door, and after closing it behind him, 
 ushered Marsh down a short hall and into the liv- 
 ing room. Marsh's quick eye took in the luxuri- 
 ousness of the furnishings and something more. 
 He surmised that Hunt was a bachelor. Hunt 
 advanced to meet him with extended hand. 
 
 "Good evening, Mr. Marsh," Hunt greeted 
 him, affably. "I hope you bring me some im- 
 portant information." 
 
 "I think it will at least be interesting," 
 returned Marsh, as he handed his hat and coat 
 to Hunt's man. 
 
 202
 
 THE CLOSED COUNTRY HOUSE 
 
 A log fire blazed in a large open fireplace. 
 Before this was a deeply upholstered davenport, 
 plentifully supplied with extra cushions, and at 
 either side of the fireplace were large lounging 
 chairs. Hunt called Marsh's attention to these 
 and told him to make himself comfortable. As 
 Hunt seated himself on the davenport, Marsh 
 'decided to take one of the chairs near the fire. 
 This gave him the advantage of having the fire- 
 light on Hunt's face while his own was more or 
 less in the shadow, for the heavily shaded lamps 
 about the room furnished only a soft glow that 
 made details indistinct. 
 
 Hunt clasped his hands and leaning forward 
 rested his elbows on his knees. * l Tell me what you 
 found in Merton's rooms yesterday," he said. 
 
 "I found absolutely nothing of importance," 
 replied Marsh. It might be splitting hairs, he 
 thought, but it was Morgan who had actually 
 'discovered the notebook. "I looked carefully 
 through his dresser," he went on, "and also 
 examined all the papers in the desk." 
 
 "And you found nothing of importance, Mr. 
 Marsh?" 
 
 "Nothing," replied Marsh, putting as strong 
 a note of positiveness into his voice afl possible, 
 
 203
 
 THE SHERIDAN EOAD MYSTERY 
 
 for he now began to supect to whom the notebook 
 had belonged. "The desk contained only per- 
 sonal and a little business correspondence. 
 Morgan and I examined all the signatures. If 
 you looked that correspondence over, as I 
 presume you did, you will acknowledge that no 
 suspicion could be directed at the men whose 
 names appeared there." 
 
 Hunt nodded in an absent-minded way and 
 again asked, "Perhaps this man Morgan found 
 something?" 
 
 "I would have known if he had," said Marsh, 
 again evasively. ( ' I entered the room with him, 
 and as you know, we left together." 
 
 Hunt now seemed satified that Marsh had no 
 special information to give him about the con- 
 tents of Merton's rooms. "Well, tell me just 
 what you have discovered," he said, settling 
 back into a corner of the davenport. 
 
 "For one thing," Marsh began, "I know that 
 Mr. Merton is dead." 
 
 He leisurely took out his cigarette case, care- 
 fully selected a cigarette, and touch a match to 
 it. It was evident that this act on Marsh's part 
 was intended to give Hunt time in which to think 
 and pass some comment if he cared to. The man 
 remained silent. 
 
 204
 
 THE CLOSED COUNTRY HOUSE 
 
 "All right, my friend," thought Marsh. 
 "We'll tell you a little more; just enough to 
 make you think and perhaps act." Then he 
 continued aloud, "I work along somewhat 
 different lines than those followed by the police. 
 For example, I frequently get better results by 
 sitting down quietly in my room, laying certain 
 obvious circumstances before me, and, through 
 what you might call a method of addition, derive 
 an answer to my problem. ' ' 
 
 "Quite interesting," murmured Hunt. 
 
 "And that is the way I have worked out this 
 problem. ' ' 
 
 "Tell me the details," said Hunt. 
 
 "While you reported to the police that Mr. 
 Merton had been missing for ten days, I 
 discovered by inquiries at his hotel that he was 
 in his room as late as last Monday night. In fact, 
 he was seen to leave the hotel at midnight." 
 
 "So I have heard," Hunt broke in hastily. 
 "At the time I notified the police I had not seen 
 Mr. Merton at the office for about ten days." 
 
 Marsh nodded, and inquired, "I suppose you 
 follow the papers carefully every day?" 
 
 "Naturally," was the reply. 
 
 "Then." said Marsh, "you probably read 
 205
 
 THE SHERIDAN EOAD MYSTEET 
 
 about the murder on Sheridan Road last Tues- 
 day morning the Sheridan Road Mystery, the 
 papers called it." 
 
 "Yes, I read about that affair." 
 
 "Didn't it make you think?" asked Marsh. 
 
 "I don't understand." 
 
 " I '11 explain, ' ' said Marsh. ' ' Mr. Merton left 
 his hotel at midnight Monday. Two hours later 
 a man was murdered in the Sheridan Road apart- 
 ment. Mr. Merton has not been seen since." 
 
 "Well?" queried Hunt. 
 
 "I've just been wondering that's all," an- 
 swered Marsh, throwing the remains of his 
 cigarette into the fire place. There was a slight 
 pause as he selected another from his case and 
 lit it. 
 
 "Mr. Marsh," said Hunt, "you're driving at 
 something. What is it!" 
 
 "Just this," answered Marsh, leaning for- 
 ward and looking Hunt in the eye. "You hold 
 a power of attorney from Mr. Merton. You are 
 to be sole executor of his estate. Mrs. Merton 
 may not return for years. That's an easy war 
 to get a business, Mr. Hunt." 
 
 Hunt adjusted a couple of pillows and settled 
 back again. "Do I gather from your remarks, 
 
 206
 
 THE CLOSED COUNTRY HOUSE 
 
 Mr. Marsh, that you mean to imply some- 
 thing?" 
 
 "No," returned Marsh, "I am just stating an 
 obvious situation." 
 
 Hunt now leaned toward Marsh. "Have the 
 police arrived at the same conclusions!" 
 
 "Have you ever noticed," countered Marsh, 
 "that what the police know usually appears in 
 the papers?" 
 
 "You mean by that that the police have not 
 formed the same connection which you have?" 
 
 "I inferred as much," returned Marsh. 
 
 "Are you thinking of bringing your theories 
 to their attention?" asked Hunt, as he again set- 
 tled himself back against the cushions. 
 
 "That depends." 
 
 "On what?" inquired Hunt. 
 
 "Yourself." 
 
 Hunt remained silent for a moment, then said, 
 "Do I understand that you are making me a 
 proposition?" 
 
 "I'm not laying myself open to a charge of 
 blackmail, Mr. Hunt." 
 
 "No," jeered Hunt, "I see you're a clever 
 rogue. I might have guessed as much when you 
 offered to investigate this matter for me." 
 
 207
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 "A man must make a living," returned 
 Marsh. 
 
 "This is a cheap way to do it." 
 
 "I haven't had your opportunities," snapped 
 Marsh. 
 
 "Damn you!" cried Hunt, leaping to his feet 
 and shaking his fist in Marsh 's face. " I '11 hand 
 you over to the police." 
 
 "And lose a good lieutenant, Mr. Hunt?" 
 
 "You're a dirty blackguard, Marsh," 
 stormed Hunt. "You've worked your way into 
 my confidence and now attempt to use your 
 knowledge to hold me up. I admit that you've 
 got me by the throat. A man placed in the 
 position which you have made only too clear 
 to me has only one way out. Of course, I 
 could clear myself, but the stigma and sus- 
 picion would remain. All right, what's your 
 price?" 
 
 Marsh stared in puzzled silence for a mo- 
 ment, as Hunt glared down at him. In some 
 ways the outcome of the conversation was not 
 exactly what he had expected. 
 
 "Mr. Hunt," he said, rising, "I'm in this; 
 thing for bigger game than a few hundred dol- 
 lars." 
 
 208
 
 THE CLOSED COUNTEY HOUSE 
 
 "I told you to name your price," replied 
 Hunt. 
 
 "As I told you before," returned Marsh, 
 "I'm not laying myself open to a charge of 
 blackmail. You think the matter over for a day 
 or two; and in the meantime I'll take my coat 
 and hat." 
 
 Hunt hesitated for a moment, then struck a 
 bell which stood on a small table by the daven- 
 port. A moment later his man appeared with 
 Marsh's coat and hat and assisted him to put 
 on his coat. 
 
 "Good night, Mr. Hunt," said Marsh, smil- 
 ing, and holding out his hand. 
 
 "Good night," said Hunt, shortly, turning 
 away and ignoring the preferred hand. 
 
 The servant opened the door and Marsh 
 passed out. He hurried over to Bush Street and 
 into the telephone booth in a nearby drug store. 
 He talked for a few minutes over the telephone 
 and then took a street car for home. 
 
 A half hour later an observant person might 
 have noticed a man lingering in the shadows of 
 Oak Street. 
 
 209
 
 CHAPTER XVTI 
 
 WHAT THE CABETAKEB SAW 
 
 EARLY Monday morning Marsh started 
 for Hubbard Woods, to carry out his in- 
 vestigations regarding the Merton house. 
 These investigations must be conducted along 
 different lines from those he had contemplated 
 on Sunday, for his last interview with Hunt had 
 considerably changed his position in the matter. 
 Hunt now regarded him with suspicion, and it 
 might be considered probable that he had even 
 gone so far as to warn the caretaker he had said 
 was in charge, against admitting Marsh. 
 
 Marsh intended to have another look at the 
 place, but only a surreptitious one from the 
 cover of the woods. His chief object now was 
 to discover if neighbors knew anything about 
 the place. As he came down the road he recog- 
 nized the turn, which the day before had brought 
 him directly in front of the gate, so he stepped 
 to the side of the road, and approached the turn 
 
 210
 
 with caution, for lie did not want anyone who 
 might be coming from the house to find him near 
 it at this time. 
 
 As Marsh walked slowly around the bend in 
 the road he saw the rear of a closed car just dis- 
 appearing between the gateposts. Only the 
 guarded way in which he had approached had 
 prevented the occupants of the car from seeing 
 him. Marsh hurried to the shelter of one of the 
 big stone gateposts and peered around it in 
 time to note that the car was a large, black one 
 of the limousine type. The next minute it was 
 lost to view around a curve in the driveway, and 
 Marsh paused for a moment to reflect. This 
 might be Hunt's car bringing Tn'm up for one of 
 the visits which he had said he was accustomed 
 to make. On the other hand, it seemed too early 
 an hour for a man of Hunt's habits. Moreover, 
 Marsh had reason to believe that Hunt's car 
 would be followed; and certainly there was no 
 one else in sight now. Marsh decided that the 
 matter was worth investigating, and turned into 
 the concealing shadow of the woods. He made; 
 his way with difficulty through the tangled un-< 
 derbrush, in what he believed to be the general 
 direction of the house. His guess was correct, 
 
 211 

 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 for the house was before him when he emerged, 
 a few minutes later, from the woods. He was 
 protected from the sight of anyone in the house 
 by a screen of heavy shrubbery, which divided 
 the lawn from the woods. 
 
 He found that in his unguided advance 
 through the woods, he had approached the house 
 to the south, so that he saw not only the house 
 itself, but also had a good view of the garage at 
 the back. The car had evidently just been run 
 into the garage, for a man was closing the doors, 
 while another stood nearby. A moment later, 
 the two men approached the house and passed 
 out of sight. Marsh presumed that they had 
 used the back door, which was out of his line 
 of vision. While the distance was too great for 
 him to see the men's features distinctly, he 
 knew that neither of them was Hunt, for he was 
 now sufficiently familiar with Hunt's figure to 
 have easily recognized it. 
 
 To have seen one man or woman around the 
 premises would not have surprised Marsh, as 
 he was prepared to find a caretaker in charge. 
 That two men should drive up in an expensive 
 automobile, however, store it in the garage, and 
 enter the house as if perfectly at home, was a 
 
 212
 
 ;WHAT THE CARETAKER SAW 
 
 peculiar incident. Caretakers do not usually 
 have automobiles; certainly not expensive 
 limousines. If the family had been away for a 
 few days, it would be natural for the chauffeur, 
 or some of the servants, to use the car. But this 
 house had been closed for two years, and Marsh 
 was under the impression that Merton had not 
 been using a private car. If he had been using 
 a car it was hardly likely that he would have 
 let his old chauffeur go. The telephone conver- 
 sation, which the girl at the hotel had overheard, 
 between Merton and the supposed Nolan, indi- 
 cated that Merton had more than a casual re- 
 gard for his ex-chauffeur, or the man would not 
 have appealed to him. 
 
 Marsh's suspicions being now definitely 
 aroused, he decided not to take a chance by 
 showing himself in the open. This might very 
 probably be "the house in the suburbs," and he 
 was not prepared to battle alone with four or 
 more desperate men. Though he lingered for 
 some time in his place of concealment, there 
 were no further signs of life, so Marsh, decid- 
 ing that he was wasting valuable time, crept 
 cautiously into the woods and worked his way 
 back through the undergrowth to the raw"? n>ad. 
 
 213
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 The next step was to find a close neighbor. 
 Having twice approached the house from the 
 north, Marsh knew that there was no residence 
 near it on that side. He turned south, there- 
 fore, and after going only a few hundred feet, 
 approached a gateway that was similar in many 
 respects to that at the entrance to the driveway 
 of the Merton home. It lacked the tall, dis- 
 tinctive pines, however, and a short distance in- 
 side the gate he could see a cozy little gardener's 
 cottage, or lodge. Marsh was well pleased at 
 this discovery, for he had hoped to locate some- 
 thing of the kind. Servants are more easily 
 questioned, more talkative, and usually in the 
 possession of a larger amount of neighborhood 
 gossip, than their employers. He approached 
 ;the door and knocked. 
 
 "Come in," called a feminine voice, unques- 
 tionably Swedish in its accent. 
 
 Marsh opened the door and found himself in a 
 room that appeared to be kitchen, sitting and 
 dining room. A small, round table was set for 
 |two, and a woman stood near the stove, pre- 
 paring lunch or a midday dinner. Marsh had 
 not realized how quickly the morning was 
 passing. The woman's occupation reminded 
 
 214
 
 WHAT THE CARETAKER SAW 
 
 him that he was hungry, and also gave him a 
 sudden inspiration. He would offer to buy his 
 lunch here, for people always grow more 
 friendly and communicative over a meal. 
 
 "You want my husband? He bane come 
 in a minute," the woman said, when she saw 
 Marsh. 
 
 "No," Marsh replied, "I wasn't looking for 
 your husband. I've been walking around the 
 neighborhood, and thought perhaps I could get 
 lunch here. I '11 pay you well for your trouble. ' ' 
 
 The woman smiled broadly. "Dere bane 
 enough one more. Yust set down one, two 
 minute." 
 
 Marsh laid his hat and coat on an old- 
 fashioned couch that stood against the wall, and 
 was about to sit down beside them, when the 
 door opened again and a stocky man entered. 
 His tanned face was expressionless, and the 
 eyes looked dully at Marsh. A lock of light 
 brown hair drooped over his forehead from 
 under a cap, which he wore well back on his 
 head. The cap seemed to be a fixture, for it 
 was not removed while Marsh remained, and the 
 detective had the humorous thought that it 
 might also serve as a nightcap. 
 
 215
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 "Aye give dis yentleman lunch, " explained 
 the woman. 
 
 The man grunted, took off his coat, rolled up 
 his sleeves and sat down at the table. 
 
 "Not very talkative," thought Marsh. Then 
 the woman told him to sit down at the place she 
 had prepared for him. She heaped the three 
 plates with a stew-like mixture. Marsh did not 
 recognize it, but he liked the flavor. With this, 
 and the fresh home-made bread, a cup of strong 
 coffee, and urged on by a healthy appetite, which 
 his morning in the frosty country air had made 
 keener, he enjoyed his lunch. 
 
 To these people eating was just a part of the 
 day's work, and beyond the satisfying of a 
 natural appetite, evidently produced no special 
 feeling of enjoyment. Contrary to his expecta- 
 tions, therefore, Marsh did not find an oppor- 
 tunity to open a conversation. One or two 
 remarks were greeted merely with grunts, so he 
 decided to wait until the business of eating had 
 been completed. The man's food disappeared 
 rapidly, including a second helping, and Marsh 
 was pleased to see him at last take out an old 
 cob pipe and fill it with an evil-looking, 
 strong-smelling tobacco from a dirty paper 
 
 216
 
 WHAT THE CAEETAKEE SAW 
 
 package. Marsh lit a cigarette, chiefly as a mat- 
 ter of protection. 
 
 "Have you lived here long?" inquired Marsh, 
 addressing the man. 
 
 1 1 Tree year, ' ' answered the woman. The man 
 rolled his eyes in her direction. 
 
 "I'm thinking of buying a place around 
 here," continued Marsh. "This house next 
 door seems to be a nice place." 
 
 He nodded his head in the direction of the 
 Merton home. 
 
 The man and his wife exchanged glances. 
 She laughed, but the man's face looked as 
 solemn as its expressionless lines would per- 
 mit. 
 
 "Et bane bad place," he muttered. 
 
 "Nels he bane crazy!" snapped the woman. 
 "Crazy widt de moonshane I" 
 
 "Moonshine!" repeated Marsh. 
 
 "Hootch," she explained. "Ole's hootch." 
 
 Marsh laughed, and Nels grinned, his features 
 for the first time showing an awakened interest. 
 
 Marsh thought quickly. The woman was evi- 
 dently the "boss," but she would not talk about 
 something in which she had no faith. On the 
 other hand, the man undoubtedly had some 
 
 217
 
 THE SHERIDAN EOAD MYSTERY 
 
 knowledge of things which Marsh desired to 
 know. He decided to side with the man. 
 
 "You don't approve of hootch?" Marsh asked 
 her. 
 
 "No no !" she exclaimed vehemently. 
 
 "But it makes a strong man work harder 
 keeps up his health.'* Marsh glanced at Nels, 
 who showed appreciation of this defense of 
 home-made strong drink by grinning at Marsh. 
 The Secret Service man decided they would 
 soon be friends, and quietly slipping his hand 
 into his pocket, began to detach a bill. 
 
 The woman snorted in protest. "Et make 
 Nels see t'ings. No goodt for him," she said, 
 sharply. Then she rose and began clearing the 
 table. "While her back was turned, Marsh 
 quickly slipped a bill over to Nels, winked hard 
 at him, and nodded toward the door. Dull as 
 the man seemed, he apparently understood 
 Marsh's suggestion. He winked back and 
 grinned, but as the woman returned to the table 
 his face instantly resumed its blank expression. 
 
 "Well," said Marsh, rising. "I must be 
 going." He drew out some bills and presented 
 one to the woman. "I thank you for the lunch. 
 It was fine. You are a good cook. " 
 
 218
 
 WHAT THE CAEETAKEE SAW 
 
 When taking his leave, Marsh put special em- 
 phasis on his parting with Nels. After closing 
 the door behind him, however, he strolled in a 
 very leisurely way toward the gate, and instead 
 of keeping on along the road he leaned against 
 the outside of one of the posts where he was not 
 visible from the cottage. He had not waited 
 long when footsteps sounded on the crushed 
 stone of the driveway and Nels appeared. 
 Marsh beckoned to him and they walked down 
 the roadway until out of sight of the gate. 
 
 "Nels," said Marsh, stopping and facing the 
 Swede, "you don't think I ought to buy that 
 house next door, eh?" 
 
 Nels shrugged his shoulders. ' ' Dat bane your 
 bes'ness," he said. 
 
 "But I don't want to buy a place that has a 
 bad name. Will you tell me what you think is 
 the matter with it?" 
 
 Nels glanced about him, and standing a little 
 closer to Marsh, said in a lowered voice, "Aye 
 tenk bad men live dere." 
 
 "But," protested Marsh, "I thought the 
 house was closed, and had only a caretaker, or 
 someone like that ? ' ' 
 
 "No caretaker," answered Neb. "Tree 
 219
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 f olir five men. House look close, but men inv 
 gide." Then he added, shaking his head, 
 * ' Fonny f onny. ' ' 
 
 "How do you know all this, Nels ft" 
 
 "Aye watch. Aye see you yesterday, with 
 yong lady." 
 
 Marsh smiled. This was evidently the man 
 he had seen crouching in the bushes, and who 
 had caused him to hurry Miss Atwood away 
 from the house. 
 
 "Yes," said Marsh, "I was going to look over 
 the house, but there seemed to be nobody home." 
 
 "Men inside," answered Nels, giving Marsh 
 a shock. 
 
 "Tell me all about it, Nels," said Marsh, pat- 
 ting the man on the shoulder, "and I'll give 
 you some more money." 
 
 "House close two year. Since den Aye see 
 fonny men most in night time. Big, black 
 car no light. House stay close all dark 
 fonny so Aye watch." 
 
 "Is that all?" inquired Marsh. 
 
 "Aye tell my wife she say Aye drink too 
 much hootch," grinned Nels. "So Aye don't 
 tell her about deh oder night." 
 
 ".What night was that?" 
 220
 
 WHAT THE CAEETAKER SAW 
 
 "Aye tenk las' Monday night. Aye go see 
 jOle. He have some new stuff goodt goodt. 
 Aye stay late don't see well com'n' home. Aye 
 tenk Aye turn in my own gate and walk walk 
 walk but no home. Aye hear auto com'n' 
 get out of de road. Et pass me stop." Nels 
 lowered his voice to a whisper. "Aye bane no- 
 where near home in front bad place. Men 
 turn on lights carry dead man in house!" 
 
 ' ' How did you know he was dead ? ' ' exclaimed 
 Marsh. 
 
 "He all loose so," and Nels endeavored to 
 illustrate by allowing his body to droop limply. 
 
 "Then what?" 
 
 "Car put in gar-rage all quiet. Aye get 
 scared. Aye see clear now Aye run like 
 hell!" 
 
 "That's all you know, is it, Nels?" asked 
 Marsh. 
 
 "All now but Aye watch." 
 
 "You're a good man, Nels real smart," said 
 Marsh. "Here's some more money for you. 
 Maybe I'll come to see you again." 
 
 "You bane fine man," grinned Nels, as he 
 pocketed the additional bill. 
 
 "Good-bye, Nels," said Marsh. "Better not 
 221
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 tell anybody about onr talk. Your wife might 
 hear about it. ' ' 
 
 Nels winked knowingly and they parted, 
 Marsh going directly to the station of the elec- 
 tric line and returning to Chicago. 
 
 As he approached his apartment, Marsh saw 
 a heavily built man lounging on the steps and 
 chatting with the policeman on duty. Marsh 
 paid no attention to this man, merely nodding 
 to the policeman as he passed, and climbed the 
 fctairs to his apartment. But after he had un- 
 locked the door he stood in the hall instead of 
 entering. Presently the man came up the stairs 
 and they entered the apartment together. As 
 soon as the door closed the man said, "IVe got 
 that dope for you." He pulled out a long en- 
 velope and handed it to Marsh. 
 
 "Thanks," said Marsh as he took the en- 
 velope. "Things are shaping themselves fine." 
 
 "Anything I can do?" asked the man. 
 
 "Nothing now," answered Marsh, "but yoii 
 had better have several men where we can reach 
 them in a hurry. How is Oak Street!" 
 
 "No change," was the reply. "Hasn't left 
 222
 
 WHAT THE CARETAKER 
 
 the house all day." 3Yith that the man opened 
 jthe door and left. 
 
 Marsh opened the envelope. It contained the 
 black leather notebook, a letter, and some type- 
 iwritten sheets. He sat down and read the let- 
 ter. 
 
 The solution of the cipher code used in the notebook sub- 
 mitted, was comparatively simple and we were able to work it 
 out here. This code was evidently not intended for the trans- 
 mission of secret messages; it was very probably used exclu- 
 sively to make notations in this book with the sole idea of 
 maintaining privacy for these memoranda. 
 
 Due to the simplicity of the code, it could be easily memor- 
 ized and therefore used for making hurried notes for quick 
 reference. 
 
 To the inexpert person the combination of letters and figures 
 gave a bewildering appearance to the notes, but it did not 
 actually make the cipher any more intricate. 
 
 You can readily make up your own key to this cipher by 
 writing out the letters of the alphabet from A to Z. Under 
 these letters you again write the letters of the alphabet, placing 
 the letter A under the letter Z and working backward. By this 
 arrangement, A would stand for Z and Z for A. Below this 
 you again write out the letters of the alphabet, and under these, 
 beginning at Z and working backward, write the numbers 1 to 
 10, which brings you to the letter Q. Prom P to J you write 
 the figures 20 to 26 and from I to A you write the figures 30 to 
 38. The person using this cipher probably memorized these 
 two arrangements. In writing a word of say six letters, he 
 would use four letter* and two figure*. To anyone glancing at 
 
 223
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 his notes in a casual way, the system looked intricate, but to him 
 these notes could be read almost as easily as if written in plain 
 English. 
 
 Attached to the letter were several pages con- 
 taining the decoded notations from the book. 
 After carefully reading these, Marsh folded 
 the sheets and started to place them in his 
 pocket. Then he paused, glancing about the 
 room thoughtfully. A moment later he 
 smoothed the sheets out flat and lifting up the 
 corner of the rug, slipped them under it well 
 toward the center. Walking back and forth 
 over the spot several times, he seemed satis- 
 fied. Then he turned up one of the chairs, 
 placed the notebook inside of the bottom lining, 
 and putting on his hat and coat, went out. 
 
 224
 
 CHAPTER XVIII 
 
 THE ENEMY SHOWS HIS HAND 
 
 AFTER returning from supper, Marsh sat 
 down to look over the evening paper. 
 The Merton case, which had replaced the 
 Sheridan Road mystery in editorial esteem, was 
 now retired to an inner page. He read the usual 
 short notice that the police expected to have 
 the guilty parties in custody within the next 
 twenty-four hours, accompanied by an an- 
 nouncement of some of their plans so that the 
 people sought could have timely warning of 
 what to expect. Then he turned to other news 
 of the day and the time slipped by. 
 
 About nine o'clock Marsh raised his head and 
 listened. He had distinctly heard two sharp 
 reports, like pistol shots. Motors continued to 
 hum past on Sheridan Eoad, and he could detect 
 none of the unusual sounds which accompany a 
 disturbance of any kind. As a result of having 
 hundreds of cars pass his windows daily he was 
 used to the crack of bursting motor tires, or the 
 
 225
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 back-fire in mufflers. Marsh's trained ear had 
 seemed to catch something different in the two 
 reports, but perhaps it was only imagination. 
 He resumed his reading. 
 
 Three soft knocks sounded on the hall door. 
 
 It was the usual signal, and Morgan was ex- 
 pected. Marsh laid down the paper, and going 
 to the door, threw it open. Instantly a small 
 figure leaped into the entrance hall and stood 
 facing him with its back to the living room door. 
 A big army automatic held in a long, thin hand, 
 covered Marsh menacingly. 
 
 "Shut the door quick!" snarled the visitor. 
 
 Marsh towered above the diminutive figure, 
 and he thought with satisfaction that with his 
 bare hands he could crush it like an eggshell. 
 But it has been said that the invention of the 
 pistol made all men equal. Certainly at this 
 moment the automatic in the small man's steady 
 hand more than offset Marsh's physical 
 superiority. So, though he smiled in contempt, 
 he also diplomatically gave the door a sharp 
 push and it slammed closed. 
 
 "Now, we'll go in and have a little talk," his 
 visitor informed Marsh, and slowly backed into 
 the living room. 
 
 226
 
 THE ENEMY SHOWS HIS HAND 
 
 Marsh followed. 
 
 A hasty glance showed the man the location 
 of the big davenport. Backing to this, he sat 
 down, looking smaller than ever, and motioned 
 Marsh to a chair across the room. "While Marsh 
 seated himself the little man turned down his 
 coat collar and pulled his cap up from his face. 
 Marsh immediately recognized "Baldy" New- 
 man. 
 
 "Now," said Newman, "you and me is goin* 
 to have an important conference on serious mat- 
 ters." 
 
 Marsh did not reply. He seemed quite at his 
 ease, and not at all interested. Nevertheless, 
 both his eyes and his brain were actively tak- 
 ing stock of the situation; watching for some 
 slip that might enable him to change their rela- 
 tive positions. Newman was leaning com- 
 fortably back on the davenport, his legs crossed 
 and his feet a long way from the floor. Marsh 
 surmised that there would be some delay in get- 
 ting the latter into action again. The automa- 
 tic, however, was still ready. Held firmly in one 
 hand, the weight of the barrel was supported in 
 the palm of the other, the back of which rested 
 on Newman's knee. Marsh realized that when 
 
 227
 
 THE SHERIDAN BOAD MYSTEEY 
 
 lie looked at this gun he was staring directly 
 Into its muzzle. Obviously, this was a time for 
 watchful waiting only. 
 
 ""We can't figure where you fit into this here 
 game, ' ' Newman began. * ' You ain 't a bull ; yon 
 don't work; and you don't steal." 
 
 Marsh laughed at this quaint appraisal of 
 him. 
 
 "Well, what are you tryin' to pull off?" ques- 
 tioned Newman, his bright, piercing eyes study- 
 ing Marsh's face. 
 
 "You have me at a disadvantage," returned 
 Marsh. "I do not know what game you refer 
 to in the first place. In the second, I cannot 
 see why the pursuit of my private business 
 should interest you." 
 
 "Come on come on!" remonstrated New- 
 man. "I ain't got any time to waste kiddin' 
 around with you." 
 
 "Get down to the point then," advise'd 
 Marsh. 
 
 "All right, I win," said Newman. "We don't 
 mind these bulls. They're bone-heads. I can 
 run circles around any one of them. But you're 
 gettin' too damned close, and we want to know 
 what you're after." 
 
 228
 
 THE ENEMY SHOWS HIS HAND 
 
 " Thanks for the tip," replied Marsh. "If 
 I were really interested in you, the information 
 you have just given me would be of great 
 value." 
 
 Newman eyed Marsh suspiciously for a mo- 
 ment. 
 
 "Don't worry," he said. "You're not goin* 
 to bother us much. We've arranged to take 
 care of you, if you won't listen to reason. If 
 you're crooked, just lay off for awhile, that's all, 
 and we'll see you get what's right later. If 
 you really are a bull, or are helpin' these other 
 bulls, then I'm warnin' you to back out grace- 
 fully before it's too late. I came here with a 
 flag of truce to give you a chance, and you can 
 save yourself a lot of trouble by bein* on the 
 square with me." 
 
 Bargaining with a known crook was not to 
 Marsh's taste. If they were in the dark as to 
 his intentions and his status, let them remain 
 so. He guessed now that the gun in Newman's 
 hands would not be used except as a last resort 
 to avoid personal capture. The man's idea was 
 to have his say, and then go as quietly as he had 
 come, if possible. Marsh's tense watching re- 
 laxed somewhat. There was no immediate dan- 
 229
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 ger, and the future could adjust itself. He 
 would like to get this fellow now, but if not, 
 then he would get him later. 
 
 "It is none of your business what work I am 
 engaged in," said Marsh. "Moreover, you can 
 tell your gang for me to go straight to hell. 
 Now, take my advice and get out quick before 
 you lose the opportunity." 
 
 Newman's lips parted in a vicious grin. 
 
 "You've got nerve, I'll say that for you," he 
 commented. "But you don't know what a hole 
 you're in. We've got more than one string to 
 our bow. If you won't listen to one kind of 
 reason, perhaps you'll listen to another. Now, 
 you're stuck on Jane Atwood." 
 
 Marsh sprang to his feet with an oath. 
 
 "Leave that girl out of this," he cried, "or 
 I'll beat you to a pulp !" 
 
 "Steady, Mister, steady!" exclaimed New- 
 man. "You ain't bullet proof. Handlin' a gun 
 is part of my business, and you won't get two 
 feet from that chair if you make a false move. 
 Sit down and listen to me." 
 
 Reason quickly replaced the unthinking rage 
 fc>f the moment, and Marsh sat down as the other 
 (directed. But his mind was made up to on 
 230
 
 THE ENEMY SHOWS HIS HAND 
 
 thing Newman would not leave that room 
 except as a prisoner or a dead man. 
 
 "That's the idea," said Newman. "You're 
 helpless as a babe, and you might as well 
 acknowledge it. Now, listen to this. You're 
 crazy about Jane Atwood, or all signs fail. In 
 fact, you probably hope to marry her. She 's a 
 classy, refined girl, with a big purpose in life. 
 What's more, she's got peculiar notions of 
 what's right and what's wrong. If she knew 
 her father was a crook, and that he died to 
 escape you, where do you think you'd get off? 
 She 'd never have anything more to do with you, 
 that girl wouldn't. She'd devote her life to 
 somethin' or other to make up for her father's 
 slip that's what she'd do." 
 
 Newman paused, and Marsh ground his teeth 
 and waited. 
 
 "Now, my man," continued Newman, "an- 
 other false move on your part and the facts will 
 be given to that girl, with absolute convincin* 
 proof. There'll be no way of talkin' her out of 
 it. You'll be through that's all!" 
 
 While Newman talked, he had gradually 
 leaned forward, deeply absorbed in the driving 
 home of this final threat. The muzzle of the 
 231
 
 THE SHEEIDAN EOAD MYSTEEY 
 
 automatic had also slowly turned until a bullet 
 would now strike several feet to the right. 
 Marsh had carefully watched for this approach- 
 ing opportunity and now he acted. 
 
 Like a flash, he jumped to his feet, swinging 
 his right arm upward and forward as if hurling 
 something at Newman. Instinct was stronger 
 than training. The man's arms were quickly 
 raised to ward off the expected missile. Then, 
 realizing that Marsh was upon him, he en- 
 deavored to escape, but the powerful hands had 
 already closed on him. He was swung upward 
 into the air, while bullets from the automatic 
 crashed into the walls, the ceiling and the floor, 
 as he tried to direct its fire at his opponent. 
 
 For the matter of a second, Newman was 
 poised in midair. Then Marsh, swept by a 
 fierce and uncontrollable rage, dashed the help- 
 less bundle across the room and it struck with a 
 smashing thud. 
 
 232
 
 CHAPTER XIX 
 
 KIDNAPPED 
 
 MARSH slowly regained control of him- 
 self as he stood staring at the crumpled 
 figure. Striding across the room, he 
 bent over Newman. The man was breathing 
 heavily, and his eyes had a dazed glare. Al- 
 though he was not unconscious in the full sense 
 of the word, it seemed probable that it would be 
 some time before Newman could start any more 
 trouble. Marsh decided, however, that it would 
 be safer to provide against future possibilities, 
 so he drew Newman's hands together and snap- 
 ped on a pair of handcuffs. 
 
 Suddenly Marsh realized that his doorbell 
 was ringing furiously. This time he took no 
 chances, and his automatic was in his hand 
 ready for instant use when he opened the door. 
 He found Morgan and Tierney in the hall. 
 233
 
 THE SHEBIDAN EOAD MYSTERY 
 
 "For God's sake, what's the matter!" cried 
 Morgan. 
 
 By this time Marsh had recovered his calm 
 and easy manner. "I had a visitor," he said, 
 smiling, and slipping his automatic back into his 
 pocket. * * Come in. ' ' 
 
 The two men passed through to the living 
 room and Marsh closed the door and followed. 
 
 "Where did he go?" asked Morgan, as Marsh 
 entered the room. 
 
 "There it is," said Marsh, contemptuously, 
 nodding toward Newman. 
 
 Morgan and Tierney hurried to the man and 
 straightened him out on his back. Newman was 
 still too dazed to do more than roll his eyes at 
 them. 
 
 " 'Baldy' Newman!" exclaimed Morgan, 
 looking up at Marsh. ' ' How did you get him ! ' ' 
 
 Marsh briefly explained the incident. "And 
 what beats me," he concluded, "is how he got 
 by the policeman at the door." 
 
 "By a well-laid plan, Marsh. "We were talk- 
 ing about it to the patrolman when the shooting 
 began. That was the first we realized what the 
 scheme had been." 
 
 ' ' What was it ? " inquired Marsh. ' ' I thought 
 234
 
 KIDNAPPED 
 
 I heard a conple of shots sometime ago, but as 
 nothing seemed to happen afterward, I con- 
 cluded it was just somebody's tire." 
 
 "You heard shots, all right," returned 
 Morgan. "It seems that an auto stopped on 
 Lawrence Avenue in front of the alleyway. 
 Someone in the car fired two shots at the police- 
 man on guard there. He immediately started 
 for the car, and the man in front, who had also 
 heard the shots, joined him. Naturally the car 
 was out of sight before they had run half a 
 block, and so they returned to their posts. 
 They didn't even get the number of the license, 
 although I suppose it would have been of little 
 use if they had. When you look those things 
 up you generally find that the car has been 
 stolen from some respectable citizen. 
 
 "Tierney and I arrived just after the patrol- 
 men got back to the building, and the man in 
 front told us about it. I was puzzled over just 
 what the game was until we heard the shooting 
 up here. Then I guessed that they had only 
 drawn off the policemen so as to let someone get 
 in, so Tierney and I beat it up the stairs as fast 
 as we could, When you took so long to answer 
 the door, we thought you were gone, sure." 
 235
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 "Well, the little rat did have me wondering 
 for a few minutes," admitted Marsh. "If he 
 had really come to kill me I think he could have 
 got me, all right. But the fact was, he just came 
 to warn me, and intended to use his gun only as 
 a last resort. Under such circumstances, if you 
 can only keep them talking long enough, they 
 get careless. You can see what happened to 
 'Baldy' because he stayed too long." 
 
 "He'll have a long stay somewhere else 
 now," commented Tierney, cheerfully. 
 
 "And we'll make him talk some more before 
 we get through with him," declared Morgan. 
 
 "There is one thing I want to ask of you, 
 Morgan, ' ? said Marsh. ' ' Get him out of here as 
 quietly as you can, and don't let the news get 
 into the papers. We don't want the people who 
 sent him to know exactly what has happened. 
 Just let them wonder for a day or two. ' ' 
 
 "I get your point," answered Morgan. He 
 then went to the telephone and called the patrol 
 wagon, impressing upon the man at the other 
 end of the wire, the need for secrecy, and in- 
 structing him to have the patrol drive up the 
 alley back of the house. 
 
 "Now," said Morgan, as he turned from the 
 236
 
 KIDNAPPED 
 
 telephone, "I suppose you want to hear about 
 the information I was to get for you." 
 
 "Yes," replied Marsh. "Were you able to 
 get it?" 
 
 "All that's worth knowing," returned Mor- 
 gan. "I turned Tierney loose on this man 
 Nolan, and looked up Hunt myself. You can 
 dismiss Nolan from the case at once. He has a 
 job as chauffeur with a big business man in Mil- 
 waukee, and hasn't been in Chicago for a month. 
 At one o'clock last Tuesday morning he was 
 bringing this man and his wife home from an 
 affair at the man's club. Someone simply im- 
 personated Nolan. 
 
 "Now, about Hunt. I found that he started 
 to work for Merton as his confidential secretary 
 about five years ago. Merton apparently 
 thought a good deal of him, and gradually put 
 more and more of his business into his hands. 
 About a year ago, he made Hunt his 'general 
 manager, and Hunt has practically been run- 
 ning the entire business ever since. People in 
 the financial district seem to consider Hunt a 
 fine fellow. "What he was doing before he went 
 with Merton I have been unable to find out in 
 such a short time." 
 
 237
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 "I cannot say that this information helps us 
 out very much," said Marsh. "Your news 
 about Nolan simply confirms the idea I already 
 had that the Nolan message was a trick. I 
 dug up some information today which looks like 
 the best clue we have had so far. I think that 
 by tomorrow afternoon we'll close in on the men 
 we want. Telephone me at twelve o'clock to- 
 morrow, Morgan, and I will tell you just what 
 to do." 
 
 At this moment they heard pounding on 
 Marsh's back door. 
 
 "I guess that's the wagon, Tierney," said 
 Morgan. "Let them in." 
 
 Tierney went back through the flat and re- 
 turned immediately with two policemen, who 
 gathered up "Baldy" Newman and his gun and 
 carried them quietly out and down the rear 
 stairs. 
 
 "I'd like to tell the world," said Morgan, 
 "that the West Side's most famous gunman has 
 been captured with a man's bare hands. But 
 we'll keep it quiet if you insist on it, Marsh." 
 
 "After tomorrow, Morgan, you will have 
 more than 'Baldy' Newman to your credit. Un- 
 til then, our success depends on secrecy. Now, 
 238
 
 KIDNAPPED 
 
 remember, telephone me at twelve sharp to- 
 morrow. ' ' 
 
 With that, the men parted for the night and 
 Marsh, after making sure that all his doors and 
 windows were securely fastened, went to bed. 
 
 But twelve o'clock on Tuesday passed with- 
 out Marsh receiving his expected message, for 
 the very good reason that Morgan and Tierney 
 could not get to a telephone. 
 
 These two men spent the greater part of the 
 morning in the financial district in a futile at- 
 tempt to get further information regarding 
 Hunt. About eleven o'clock Morgan suggested 
 that they go to the North Side and get their 
 lunch so that after telephoning Marsh they 
 would be close at hand in case he wanted them 
 quickly. They took the elevated to Wilson 
 Avenue, and after leaving the train, turned east 
 toward Broadway. At the corner stood a big, 
 black limousine. The door was open and the 
 chauffeur turned to them and said, "Say 
 friends, will you help me get this guy out of 
 the car? He's too drunk to move." 
 
 Morgan saw that a man was lying back In a 
 239
 
 THE SHEEIDAN BOAD MYSTERY] 
 
 corner with his eyes shut, and nodding to Tier- 
 ney, went over to the car. 
 
 "I've been driving him for two hours/' said 
 the chauffeur, "and I don't think there's any 
 chance of getting my money. I want to throw 
 Tn'm out. He's too heavy for me to lift. You 
 two guys look husky, and like good fellows, so I 
 thought maybe you'd lift him out for me." 
 
 As this sort of thing frequently came to the 
 attention of the detectives, they did not suspect 
 anything out of the ordinary when they climbed 
 into the car and started to pull the man out of 
 the seat. Suddenly the chauffeur slammed the 
 door and sprang to the wheel. The man in the 
 seat, who but a moment before had apparently 
 been in a drunken stupor, now sat up, and draw- 
 ing his right arm from behind his back, covered 
 the two detectives with an automatic. 
 
 "Sit down," he commanded, "an'd be 
 quiet." 
 
 In the meantime, the car was moving swiftly 
 across Wilson Avenue. Turning north on Sheri- 
 dan Eoad, its speed increased to a terrific pace. 
 Morgan noticed this and hoped that it would at- 
 tract the attention of the motorcycle police, but 
 they met none of these men and the car soon left 
 240
 
 KIDNAPPED 
 
 the city limits and passed through Evaix-! 
 ston. 
 
 From here on, the road was quiet and they 
 passed only an occasional car. The man with 
 the automatic now instructed them to hand over 
 their revolvers. After he had these in his pos- 
 session, he^felt Morgan and Tierney over care-] 
 fully to see that they had no other concealed 
 weapon. Then, keeping them covered with the ] 
 automatic, he reached out and drew down all 
 the shades in the car so that they sat in a semi- 
 darkness and were unable to see where they 
 were going. Morgan judged that they had been 
 riding about an hour when the car suddenly 
 stopped. The door was opened and a man stuck 
 his head in. The man was Wagner. 
 
 " Turned the tables on you, didn't we?" he 
 jeered. Then he stepped back and they saw 
 that he also held an automatic in his hand. 
 ' 'Come on," he said, "step lively. You're wel- 
 come to our happy home." 
 
 Tierney began to swear, but Morgan jabbed 
 him with his elbow. It would be like committing 
 suicide to show any fight now. 
 
 "These bulls ought to travel in regiments for 
 self -protection," taunted the man who had been 
 
 241
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 with them in the car. But Morgan noticed, aa 
 he stepped out of the car, that the chauffeur had 
 left his seat and was also standing ready with 
 an automatic. These men might have their lit- 
 tle joke, but they were taking no chances. The 
 three men escorted Morgan and Tierney up the 
 steps and into the house. Wagner then directed 
 them to precede him up the stairs. They passed 
 down a long hall and into a big room. 
 
 "Make yourselves comfortable," sneered 
 "Wagner. ' * And I might as well tell you that you 
 can make all the noise you want, because the 
 nearest house is so far away they couldn't hear 
 a fog horn. Just try to be nice, good little boys, 
 and maybe we'll let you go sometime." 
 
 He backed out of the door and they heard him 
 turn the key, 
 
 242
 
 CHAPTER XX 
 
 THE FALLEN PUO1 
 
 THAT Marsh escaped a similar fate later 
 in the afternoon was due solely to his in- 
 dividual way of arming himself. For 
 some years Marsh had carried a small auto- 
 matic pistol, which unobtrusively rested in the 
 side pocket of his coat. When he was outside in 
 weather that required an overcoat, the auto- 
 matic was temporarily transferred to the over- 
 coat pocket. Marsh did this because a gun was 
 seldom needed except in emergencies. At such 
 times a movement toward the hip pocket, where 
 men usually carry their revolvers, frequently 
 gave the other man an opportunity to act first. 
 Marsh had even carried his precautions in this 
 line a little further, for the automatic was al- 
 ways placed in the left-hand pocket. A move- 
 ment of the left hand does not receive the same 
 suspicious attention from a criminal. In fact, 
 as he had several times discovered, it was pos- 
 
 243
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 sible to distract the attention by a movement 
 of the right hand while quickly drawing the gun 
 with the left, and at close quarters a gun in the 
 left hand was just as effective as in the right. 
 
 When no word had come from Morgan by one 
 o'clock, Marsh decided to look the detective up. 
 He called Morgan's home on the telephone, then 
 the detective bureau, and two nearby precinct 
 stations that Morgan might have been likely 
 to drop into while waiting to telephone him. 
 Morgan's mother said he had left early, and 
 the detective bureau informed Marsh that they 
 had not heard from Morgan again after receiv- 
 ing a report from him early in the day. The 
 The stations did not remember having seen the 
 detective for a long time. At each place Marsh 
 left his name, and a message for Morgan to 
 ring up at once if he came in. 
 
 Marsh was now in a quandary. He remem- 
 bered that he had not asked Morgan to look 
 anything up that morning and therefore knew 
 of no place where he might endeavor to obtain 
 a trace of him. The case had now reached a 
 point where immediate action was necessary, 
 yet he could not act alone. Of course, he could 
 have called upon the Secret Service Division at 
 
 244
 
 THE FALLEN PINE 
 
 the Federal Building, but he had special reasons 
 for wanting Morgan's and Tierney's assistance 
 at this time rather than that of Secret Service 
 men. After long consideration, therefore, he 
 came to the conclusion that there was nothing 
 he could do except stay by his telephone and 
 wait. It never occurred to Marsh that any- 
 thing of a serious nature could have happened 
 to the detectives on the crowded city streets. 
 The only plausible explanation of the delay 
 might be that Morgan and Tierney had dis- 
 covered some new clue which they thought of 
 sufficient importance to follow up before keep- 
 ing their appointment with him. Marsh 
 accepted this explanation readily, because he 
 realized that there were still many loose ends to 
 the case that would permit of new developments 
 at any moment. 
 
 When four o'clock came, however, and there 
 was still no word from Morgan, Marsh decided 
 that something must have happened to the two 
 men. He had had ample evidence of the des- 
 perate and daring character of their opponents. 
 To raise a hue and cry in the Police Depart- 
 ment would utterly defeat his plans. What- 
 ever he did must be carried out quietly. So 
 
 245
 
 THE SHERIDAN EOAD MYSTERY 
 
 far as he knew, at this time, there were only 
 two possible sources of information one, the 
 house on Oak Street ; the other, the closed house 
 at Hubbard Woods. First he would get a re- 
 port from the man on watch at Oak Street. If 
 nothing had occurred there, he would then carry 
 out his proposed raid on the Hubbard Woods 
 house with some of his own men. 
 
 Having reached this decision Marsh put on 
 his coat and hat and went down to the corner of 
 Lawrence Avenue to wait for a bus. A stream 
 of motor cars swept steadily by and when one 
 of these turned into the curb and stopped, 
 Marsh paid little attention to it. He was 
 astounded, therefore, when a man opened the 
 door, and addressing him, said, "Step in and be 
 quick about it ! " Marsh gave the man a sharp 
 glance, then noticing that one of the man's arms 
 was extended toward him, he dropped his eyes 
 and saw that the coat sleeve was pulled down 
 over the hand, while the barrel of an automatic 
 projected about an inch from the sleeve. Marsh 
 looked about him quickly. The policeman in 
 front of his house was too far away to be of 
 any assistance, if, in fact, his attention could be 
 attracted at all. In the other direction, the 
 
 246
 
 THE FALLEN PINE 
 
 nearest people were two women, one of whom 
 was pushing a baby carriage. He then saw that 
 another man had descended from the driver's 
 seat and was approaching him. Marsh stepped 
 back and his right hand shot toward his right 
 hip pocket. Not that he had any intention of 
 drawing a gun while so carefully covered by 
 the other man, but he had a thought. 
 
 1 1 Easy, easy ! ' ' cried the man. ' * You haven J t 
 a chance in the world I Do you want to get 
 bumped off right now?" 
 
 Marsh murmured something inaudible and 
 withdrew his hand. The man with the gun sig- 
 naled to his companion. This man came up and 
 felt around Marsh's hip pockets. 
 
 "Aw, he's kiddin'," the fellow exclaimed. 
 "He ain't got any gun at all." 
 
 Marsh's thought had been correct. 
 
 "All right," said the man with the gun, smil- 
 ing. "Let's go." 
 
 It had flashed through Marsh's mind that 
 what was now happening to him might have 
 also happened to Morgan and Tierney. If such 
 was the case it was more than likely that these 
 men would take him to the same place, and that 
 was just the information he wanted. As for 
 
 247
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 getting him into that place, that was a different 
 matter. To carry out his quickly formed plan, 
 it was necessary for Marsh to sit with his left 
 side away from this man, who would probably 
 join him in the car, so without further hesitation 
 he climbed into the car and settled back in the 
 far corner of the seat. The man followed and 
 sat down at Marsh's right, pulling the door to 
 after him. The other man climbed back to his 
 seat at the wheel and started the car. They 
 went down Sheridan Road, and turning through 
 the next street, made the circuit of the block, 
 returning again to Sheridan Road and moving 
 swiftly north. 
 
 After a time the man turned to Marsh, and 
 said, "If you take things easy you'll get out of 
 this with a whole skin, but if you start any- 
 thing good night ! ' ' 
 
 Marsh smiled but said nothing. 
 
 "Oh, I know you're a cool customer," the 
 man appraised, "but if you think you're going 
 to put anything over on us this time, you've 
 made a bum guess." 
 
 "It's hardly likely," replied Marsh, "that an 
 unarmed man would try any tricks while you 
 sit there with that automatic. The fact is, how- 
 
 248
 
 THE FALLEN PINE 
 
 ever, that you fellows are giving yourselves a 
 lot of trouble for nothing." 
 
 "What do you mean?'* snapped the man. 
 
 "I mean that I have already offered you my 
 services. All you had to do was to tip me the 
 word." 
 
 The man looked at Marsh suspiciously for a 
 moment. "Do you mean that?" he said. 
 
 "I see no reason why you should doubt my 
 word. ' ' 
 
 "All right," returned the man. "Hand over 
 those papers youVe got and I'll drop you out 
 at the next street. ' ' 
 
 "What papers do you mean?" queried 
 Marsh. 
 
 ' ' There you go stalling again. No use ; the 
 boss said to bring you up, and I guess he knows 
 best." 
 
 "I don't know where you get that idea about 
 any papers," said Marsh. "I can show you 
 quickly enough that the only papers I have on 
 me are of a personal nature and of no use to 
 anyone else." 
 
 "Maybe so maybe so. But after we get you 
 under lock and key, we know damn well where 
 we can find them." 
 
 249
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 Thus the argument continued at intervals un- 
 til they were far up into the North Shore 
 suburbs. Darkness had fallen and the interior 
 of the car was absolutely black except when they 
 passed an occasional street light or an automo- 
 bile. As Marsh had told Morgan, if you can 
 only make them talk long enough, they grow 
 careless. Passing under the last street light, 
 Marsh had observed that the automatic was no 
 longer leveled in his direction. 
 
 The car was of the limousine type, with a 
 glass partition shutting off the driver so that 
 unless he happened to look around he would not 
 know what was going on within the car. Marsh 
 figured that now darkness had fallen, the 
 driver's attention would be directed entirely to 
 the road ahead, for street lights along the subur- 
 ban section of Sheridan Road were few and far 
 between. 
 
 "It's getting warm in here," said Marsh. 
 He raised his right hand and pushed his hat 
 l>ack on his head. At the same time his left hand 
 withdrew the automatic from his coat pocket 
 and the next instant it was pressed into the 
 ribs of the man beside him. 
 
 "One move and you're through!" breathed 
 250
 
 THE FALLEN PINE 
 
 Marsh in his ear. "Give me that gun!" His 
 right arm came down with the hand closing over 
 the man's automatic. The man started to 
 swear, but stopped suddenly as Marsh warned, 
 * ' Shut up. This matter is in my hands now, and 
 I mean business !" Marsh slipped the man's 
 automatic into his own pocket, and then brought 
 out a pair of light, steel handcuffs which he im- 
 mediately snapped on his prisoner's wrists. 
 
 "When I get ready," Marsh informed him, 
 "I'm going to step out of this car, and I want 
 you to sit perfectly still until I am gone. If 
 you want to know how good a shot I am, just 
 make a move." Marsh settled back into his 
 corner and the car rolled on. 
 
 At last, just as they made a sharp turn, Marsh 
 caught a different sound from the wheels, and 
 he knew they had passed into a driveway. With 
 a last warning to the man, Marsh quietly opened 
 the door on his side and stepped out of the car. 
 In the distance he could hear his late captor's 
 manacled hands beating on the glass of the front 
 windows to attract the driver's attention. There 
 was no time to lose, for they would be after him 
 in a minute. 
 
 Marsh sped down the driveway, but before lie 
 251
 
 THE SHEEIDAN KOAD MYSTEEY 
 
 reached the entrance gate he could hear the hum 
 of the pursuing car, and as he sprang through 
 the gate the car was only a few yards away. 
 Then a most surprising thing happened. Weak- 
 ened by its rotting fibres and the never-ending 
 battle with the winds, the dead pine, which stood 
 beside the gate, swayed and cracked. The next 
 minute it fell crashing across the driveway in a 
 cloud of flying splinters and dust, effectually 
 blocking pursuit by motor. 
 
 Marsh dashed across the roadway and con- 
 cealed himself in the underbrush. The falling 
 pine had identified the place to Marsh as quickly 
 as if the men had told him its name. He was 
 facing the entrance to the house in Hubbard 
 .Woods. 
 
 The driver of the pursuing car had switched 
 on the powerful headlights to aid him in locat- 
 ing the fugitive. These lights warned him of 
 the fallen pine blocking the road. Marsh could 
 hear the grinding of the emergency brake, and 
 the hum of the motor died away as the man 
 " killed" his engine in his effort to make a quick 
 stop. So swiftly had the car been moving, how- 
 ever, that it struck the log with a tremendous 
 impact which echoed through the still woods. 
 252
 
 THE FALLEN PINE 
 
 The front wheels scattered far and wide, and 
 the body of the car climbed up and rested on the 
 pine log. 
 
 The two men, although probably well shaken 
 up by the accident, jumped hastily from the car 
 and rushed into the roadway. The headlights 
 were shining directly on Marsh and for a mo- 
 ment he thought the men might discover him 
 among the bushes. Standing in the glare, how- 
 ever, they were partially blinded and the 
 manacled man, realizing this, turned to the 
 other. 
 
 "Shut off those damn lights. He'll take a 
 pot-shot at us before we can see him." 
 
 The driver leaped back to the car, shut off the 
 lights, and then returned to his companion. 
 
 "Not much danger," he said. "The guy's 
 probably making a quick getaway." 
 
 "Hell!" the manacled man exclaimed, "the 
 boss '11 skin us alive." 
 
 "The boss be damned!" exclaimed the other. 
 "This guy '11 have the bulls on us if we don't get 
 him, and the boss won't be ready for the get- 
 away until Thursday." 
 
 "We've got to get him!" declared the mana- 
 cled man. "He can't run all the way to Chi- 
 253
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 cago. I figure he made for either the electric 
 line or the railroad station. You beat it up 
 there quick and see if you can get him. ' ' 
 
 "All right," agreed the driver, "and you 
 run down the road." 
 
 "Where do you get that stuff?" exclaimed the 
 other, holding up his manacled hands. " I'm no 
 good with these bracelets on. It's all up to you 
 now. You're wasting time. Beat it!" 
 
 The driver started up the road at a run and 
 Marsh listened to the rapid beat of his foot- 
 falls until they disappeared in the distance. 
 Then he cautiously crept out of the bushes and 
 approached the other man. It was so dark that 
 Marsh could barely make out the man's form as 
 it was outlined against the gray of one of the 
 gateposts. Consequently, the man did not dis- 
 cover him until Marsh's hand was on his arm. 
 
 "That you, Wagner?" he gasped. 
 
 Marsh laughed. "Don't make me talk," he 
 said. "I'm all out of breath making that get- 
 away your friend spoke of." 
 
 "Hell!" the other man groane'd, expres- 
 sively. 
 
 ' ' It sure is f or you, f ' replied Marsh. * ' Now, 
 just lie down in the road while I tie your feet." 
 254
 
 THE FALLEN PINE 
 
 The man turned to run, probably hoping to es- 
 cape in the darkness. Marsh's hand still gripped 
 his arm and with a quick movement of his foot, 
 Marsh threw the man down ; then unbuckled the 
 belt around the fellow's waist and proceeded to 
 secure his feet with it. As Marsh rose to a 
 standing position a voice close at hand, said, 
 * * That '11 be all for you. Throw up your hands 1 ' ' 
 
 Marsh did not move. 
 
 "I said, put up your hands," repeated the 
 voice. 
 
 "They are up," replied Marsh, counting on 
 the darkness. 
 
 "Don't kid me!" The speaker suddenly 
 flashed an electric pocket lamp on Marsh. By 
 its gleam Marsh saw the sparkle of a revolver 
 and wisely put his hands over his head. 
 
 The man was standing in front of thick shrub- 
 bery. At this moment, Marsh saw, by the dim 
 glow of the pocket lamp, two hands slip from 
 the shrubbery and close about the man's throat. 
 The lamp and the revolver fell to the ground as 
 the man instinctively raised his own hands to 
 break the hold. But in the darkness Marsh 
 heard his body drop with a wheezing sigh. 
 
 255
 
 I 
 
 CHAPTER XXI 
 
 THE CHIMNEY THAT WOULDN *T DRAW 
 
 MARSH stood for a moment in puzzled 
 thought. Then he heard a cheerful 
 voice say, " Aye bane got him all right," 
 and he recognized his rescuer. 
 
 "Hold him for a minute," ordered Marsh, 
 and he leaped over the pine to the car, return- 
 ing immediately with one of the robes. With 
 Nels' assistance Marsh wound the robe about 
 the upper part of the man's body, fastening his 
 arms to his side as effectively as if he had been 
 placed in a straightjacket. Then he took the 
 man's belt and secured his feet in the same way 
 he had tied up those of the other man. Marsh 
 next took the men's handkerchiefs and two of 
 his own. Stuffing one into each man's mouth, 
 and tying another around his head, Marsh ef- 
 fectually gagged them into silence. 
 
 "Now," he said to Nels, "we'll lay these 
 two fellows out of sight in the underbrush." 
 256
 
 THE CHIMNEY THAT WOULDN'T DKAW] 
 
 When, this was accomplished he instructed 
 Nels to follow him, and they cautiously ap- 
 proached the house. As they crossed the lawn, 
 Marsh heard rapid footsteps ahead, followed 
 by the opening of the house door. He im- 
 mediately dashed in pursuit. In the hall he 
 paused to listen for sounds that would indicate 
 the direction the man had taken. He heard the 
 clicking of a telephone receiver hook and a voice 
 calling, "Hello! Hello!" Leaping through an 
 arched and curtained doorway at his left, Marsh 
 discovered a dim light in a connecting room, 
 and darted to the doorway, drawing his 
 automatic and transferring it to his right hand 
 as he ran. He found himself in the library of 
 the house, and in one corner he saw the driver 
 of the car with a telephone in his hands. 
 
 "Drop that 'phone!" called Marsh, leveling 
 his automatic. 
 
 Ignoring Marsh's command, the man hastily 
 gave a number to the operator. It was quite 
 clear what was happening. This man, return- 
 ing from his fruitless quest at the station, had 
 witnessed the capture of his companions. He 
 was now endeavoring to warn some person; 
 probably the principal, who was the man Marsh 
 257
 
 THE SHERIDAN EOAD MYSTEEY 
 
 particularly wanted. There was no time for 
 argument, so Marsh fired. 
 
 The man dropped the telephone and stumbled 
 forward in a heap on the floor. Marsh dashed 
 across the room and replaced the receiver on 
 its hook, hoping that the connection had not 
 been made in time for the man at the other end 
 of the wire to hear the shot. Though the man 
 had fallen, Marsh knew that he had nothing 
 worse than a flesh wound in the arm, because he 
 was sure of his aim. He tied the man's hands 
 with a handkerchief, and his feet with his belt, 
 and left him on the floor. Turning quickly to 
 Nels, who had followed him into the room, and 
 now stood watching, he handed the Swede the 
 captured automatic, saying, "Do you know how; 
 to use it?" 
 
 "Ya, Aye know," was the smiling reply. 
 
 "All right," said Marsh. "I'm going to 
 search the house. Follow me and keep your 
 eyes open." Marsh hurried back through the 
 front room to the hall, with the Swede at his 
 heels, and he heard the man murmuring, as he 
 went, "You bane fine man." 
 
 As they climbed the stairs, feeling their way 
 in the dark, they heard a distant hammering. 
 258
 
 It came from the back of the house, and Marsh 
 and Nels speeded down the hall. The hammer- 
 ing ceased as they approached the door at the 
 end of the hall. A thin strip of light showed 
 beneath it and Marsh heard familiar voices. 
 
 "I tell you somebody's come after us," said 
 one. 
 
 1 1 Oh, hell ! The man said nobody could hear 
 a foghorn here," replied the other. "What's 
 the use?" 
 
 Marsh found the key in the lock, and turning 
 it, threw the door open. There stood Morgan 
 and Tierney in the wreckage of what had once 
 manifestly been a beautifully furnished bed- 
 room. A black opening, through which a strong 
 draft came when the door was opened, showed 
 where once had been a shuttered window. The 
 remains of chairs littered the floor, parts of the 
 bed were scattered around the room, and in the 
 center of the floor was a pile of felt that had 
 once been the stuffing for the mattress. 
 
 "My God!" cried Marsh, "what has hap- 
 pened?" 
 
 The two men's faces lighted up at sight of 
 him, and Tierney shouted, "What did I tell 
 you, Morgan T I knew that guy would find us. ' ' 
 259
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 "He bane fine man," added a voice from the 
 doorway. 
 
 ' ' Hello Svenska ! ' ' bellowed Tierney. ' Who 
 are you?" 
 
 Nels grinned as Marsh explained who he 
 was. 
 
 "How did you get in? Where's the gang?" 
 rapidly questioned Morgan. 
 
 "One wounded and tied downstairs, and two 
 safely tied up by the gate," explained Marsh. 
 "One of the two out there is your man Wagner. 
 Now tell me how you got here. ' ' 
 
 Morgan gave him a brief outline of their ad- 
 ventures. 
 
 "But how did the room get in this state?" 
 questioned Marsh. 
 
 "Well, you know Tierney," replied Morgan, 
 with a laugh. "He's a mighty restless individ- 
 ual when you try to shut him up. He de- 
 molished all the chairs on the door. We found 
 the window frame and the shutters had been 
 screwed tight to keep us in, so Tierney took the 
 bed apart and used the sides to clean out the 
 whole business. When we discovered it was too 
 far to drop from the window, we tried to make 
 a rope with the ticking of the mattress, but 
 260
 
 THE CHIMNEY THAT WOULDN'T DRAW, 
 
 when we tested it, the stuff proved to be too 
 rotten to hold us. 
 
 "And the worst of it is," added Morgan, "it 
 was cold enough in here before Tierney broke 
 out the window. Since then we've been freez- 
 ing. If there 's a fire in the house, lead us to it. ' ' 
 
 "I don't think there is," replied Marsh. 
 "Now that you speak of it, I noticed a damp 
 chill in the place the minute I came in. Nels," 
 he added, turning to the Swede, "you're a good 
 fellow. I saw a big, open fireplace in the li- 
 brary. Build a wood fire there and we'll warm 
 my friends up." 
 
 Nels nodded and started off. 
 
 "We haven't any time to lose," announced 
 Marsh, turning back to Morgan. "I expect to 
 find my final evidence in this house, and we've 
 got to get back to town pretty soon. You fel- 
 lows can warm up a bit and then we'll start a 
 systematic search from the garret to the cel- 
 lar." 
 
 All three then went down to the library where 
 Nels was building the fire. Tierney loudly 
 voiced his approval as the red and yellow flames 
 began to creep over the wood. A minute later, 
 however, he was choking and swearing as the 
 
 261
 
 THE SHERIDAN BOAD MTSTEKY 
 
 acrid wood smoke rolled out into the room in- 
 stead of up the chimney. 
 
 "Aye fix him," explained Nels. "Chimney 
 cover to keep out draft, mebbe." He hurried 
 out of the room. 
 
 A few minutes later he returned with a white 
 face and staring eyes. 
 
 "You come," he half -whispered, from the 
 doorway. "Aye see somet'ing." 
 
 "What is it?" questioned Marsh. 
 
 "Aye don't know Aye only tenk come 
 quick ! ' ' 
 
 "Go ahead," said Marsh, "we'll follow," and 
 with Nels leading the way they all climbed the 
 stairs. Nels had turned on the electric lights in 
 the halls. They could now see their way clearly 
 as he guided them to the attic and across it to 
 an open window which opened on a wide gut- 
 ter. They crawled out after him and worked 
 their way along a short distance to the big, old 
 fashioned, outside stone chimney from the 
 library fireplace. 
 
 ;< Yust put your hand in so," directed Nels, 
 making a motion with his arm. 
 
 Marsh reached up and followed the sug- 
 gestion. Just below the top of the chimney 
 
 262
 
 THE CHIMNEY THAT WOULDN'T DRAW 
 
 his fingers came into contact with a human 
 head. 
 
 ' ' My God ! ' ' he cried. ' ' Here 's our man. ' ' 
 
 "Holy Saints!" gasped Tierney. 
 
 Then Morgan asked, "What do you mean?" 
 
 "I think we've found Merton's body," re- 
 plied Marsh. "You'll have to help me get him 
 out." 
 
 With considerable effort, and hindered by the 
 blackness of the night, Marsh and Morgan 
 climbed the slanting, slate-covered roof and 
 perched themselves on the broad capstone of the 
 chimney. Slowly they loosened the wedged in 
 body, gradually drew it out through the top of 
 the chimney, and passed it down to Tierney 
 and Nels, who crept with it along the gutter and 
 passed it through the attic window. Marsh and 
 Morgan followed them, and under the glow of 
 the one dim electric light, the two men made a 
 hasty examination of the body. It was in a fair 
 state of preservation, due probably to the cold 
 air, which had been made especially effective 
 by the draft through the chimney. The iden- 
 tification was made certain when Marsh ex- 
 tracted a card case from the man's coat, in 
 which they found the business and personal 
 
 263
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 cards of Richard Townsend Merton, and Mor- 
 gan located the duplicate of the cuff button he 
 had discovered in the empty apartment. 
 
 The examination completed, Marsh turned to 
 Morgan. 
 
 "Do you notice that this man was stabbed, 
 not shot?" he asked. 
 
 ' ' Yes, " returned Morgan. 1 1 That was one of 
 the things I looked to make certain of." 
 
 "Now," said Marsh, addressing the two de- 
 tectives, "I guess this job has warmed you fel- 
 lows up. We can't lose another minute. You, 
 Tierney, make a careful examination of this at- 
 tic. It should not take you long, and you can 
 then join Morgan, who will start now to make 
 an examination of the second and third floors. 
 Nels and I will look over the first floor and the 
 basement. You join us as soon as you get 
 through. If you find anything worth while, 
 bring it down. ' ' 
 
 Leaving Tierney in the attic, and dropping 
 Morgan off at the third floor, Marsh and Nels 
 passed on down to the first floor of the house. 
 A careful inspection of this floor brought noth- 
 ing of especial interest to light except that there 
 were no signs of its having been used. The 
 
 264
 
 THE CHIMNEY THAT WOULDN'T DEAW 
 
 kitchen and the pantry were bare of food, and 
 Marsh could see that neither of the sinks in the 
 pantry and the kitchen, nor the kitchen stove, 
 had been used for a long time. 
 
 "I thought you said those men were living in 
 the house," he queried, turning to Nels. 
 
 "So Aye tenk," Nels assured him. 
 
 "Queer," murmured Marsh. "No fire, no 
 food, and no signs of cooking." 
 
 "Mebbe in basement," suggested Nels. 
 
 "Well, we're going there now," said Marsh. 
 "Do you know the way, Nels?" 
 
 "Aye guess," replied the Swede, leading the 
 way into a long hall that led from the pantry 
 along one side of the house. A short distance 
 up this hall Nels opened a door, and they dis- 
 covered a stairway leading into the basement. 
 Marsh lit a match and located an electric switch. 
 When he turned this a light flashed on below 
 and they descended the stairs. Here they found 
 a hall leading across the house, with a doorway 
 at the far end, and one on either side. 
 
 "Aye tenk," said Nels, pointing down the 
 hall, "dat door go outside dis one to laundry 
 dat one Aye don't know." 
 
 Marsh opened the last door indicated by Nels, 
 265
 
 THE SHERIDAN EOAD MYSTERY 
 
 and lighting another match, found it a rough 
 basement containing the heating plant, coal 
 bins, and general storage space. He found the 
 electric light and turned it on. But little coal 
 was left in the bins, and the thick mantle of dust 
 over the other things in this part of the base- 
 ment showed that it had been a long time since 
 anything had been touched. The last thing, 
 Marsh looked into the firebox under the heating 
 plant. This was well filled with an ash that had 
 resulted from the burning of papers, but after 
 poking around with a long stick, he found that 
 nothing remained which could in any way be 
 used as evidence. 
 
 Turning out the light, they crossed the hall 
 and opened the other door. "With a match, 
 Marsh found a wall switch close to the door, and 
 snapping this, the room was flooded with bril- 
 liant light from several electric lamps pendant 
 from the ceiling, each covered with a green 
 metal shade. 
 
 Here was the solution of the deserted condi- 
 tion of the upper part of the house. That part 
 of the house had been left intentionally de- 
 serted, for all the men's activities had been 
 centered in this room. It was a large, square 
 
 266
 
 THE CHIMNEY THAT WOULDN'T DKAW1 
 
 room that had been the laundry of the house. 
 Four cots, standing along one wall, indicated 
 where the men had slept, and several pots on 
 the gas stove showed where they had obtained 
 their heat and done their cooking. Through the 
 glass door of a cupboard, in one corner, he saw 
 cans and packages of food. The table, in the 
 center of the room, was littered with soiled 
 dishes and the remains of a meal. 
 
 Large patches of black cloth on two sides of 
 the room marked the probable location of win- 
 dows which had been carefully covered to keep 
 any light from showing on the outside. But 
 what interested Marsh most was the complete 
 counterfeiting equipment in one corner of the 
 room. A small trunk also stood in this corner, 
 and raising the lid Marsh discovered a large 
 quantity of the five dollar bills he had been 
 tracing over the country for the last two years. 
 , What he really sought, however, were the plates, 
 and these were apparently missing. 
 
 At this moment Nels spoke. "You like to see 
 dis 1 " he asked. 
 
 Turning, Marsh found that Nels had the 
 cupboard door open, and was pointing to a 
 suitcase, which lay on the floor. It had been 
 
 267
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 previously concealed by the lower part of the 
 door. 
 
 "You bet I would!" exclaimed Marsh and 
 hurried across to the cupboard. He pulled out 
 the suitcase, which was fairly heavy, and tried 
 to open it. It was locked. Nels pulled out a big 
 knife, with a long blade, and began to cut 
 through the leather at the edges. He presently 
 laid back one side of the suitcase, exposing some 
 clothing to view. It was only a thin layer, how- 
 ever, which Marsh threw quickly aside. Under 
 the clothing he found a carefully wrapped pack- 
 age. Tearing off the covering, he saw what he 
 sought the plates for the five dollar bills. Be- 
 neath the package, laid out in a carefully ar- 
 ranged row, were bundles of stocks and bonds. 
 
 Here, at last, was the evidence Marsh had 
 sought, and the confirmation of the theory he 
 had carefully worked out. 
 
 268
 
 CHAPTER XXII 
 
 COEUERED 
 
 MARSH replaced everything in the suit- 
 case, put it back in the cupboard, and 
 closed the door. 
 
 "We're through here for the present, Nels," 
 he said. 
 
 Shutting off the lights, the two men returned 
 to the main floor. As they entered the library, 
 Morgan and Tierney appeared, having com- 
 pleted their search of the upper part of the 
 house. 
 
 "Any luck?" asked Marsh. 
 
 "Nothing at all with any bearing on the 
 case," answered Morgan. "How about you?" 
 
 * ' I found all the evidence we need ; most of it 
 in a suitcase, which is probably the one Atwood 
 removed from his apartment." 
 
 "There goes one of your theories, Marsh," 
 laughed Morgan. 
 
 "Which one?" inquired Marsh. 
 269
 
 THE SHERIDAN EOAD MYSTERY 
 
 1 ' That Clark Atwood and this man Hunt were 
 not in cahoots. " 
 
 Marsh smiled. "What is the proverb?" he 
 said. " 'Tis wisdom sometimes to seem a fooL* 
 
 "Now then, Morgan," he continued, briskly, 
 "there's the telephone. You make arrange- 
 ments to have your men come out and take care 
 of the evidence in the basement, and the prison- 
 ers. "While you're doing that, the rest of us 
 will bring in those fellows we left out by the 
 road. ' ' 
 
 Morgan went to the telephone as directed, and 
 Marsh led the others down the drive to the gate. 
 Everything was just as they had left it, and they 
 found the two men where they had placed them, 
 behind the bushes. 
 
 "If I'm any example," said Tierney, "these 
 two guys must be near frozen to death." 
 
 "That'll cool off their ambition for a fight," 
 replied Marsh. 
 
 Marsh placed Wagner, who was the -smaller 
 of the two men, over his shoulder, and Tierney 
 and Nels, carrying the other man between them, 
 followed Marsh back to the house. They put 
 the two men in chairs in the library, and lifting 
 the other man from the floor placed him in a 
 
 270
 
 CORNERED 
 
 chair near them. Marsh then turned to Morgan, 
 "Have you fixed everything up?" 
 "Yes, they ought to be here inside of an hour, 
 and a half." 
 
 "Fine!" commented Marsh. Then turning 
 to Nels, he pulled out a bill and presented it. 
 
 "Nels," he said, "we've all got to go into the 
 city. Somebody must watch this place while 
 we're gone. You have a good gun there, so you 
 can stick around until the police come." 
 "Sure Aye watch." 
 
 ' ' Come on, ' ' Marsh called, and the three men 
 started out. The last thing Marsh heard as he 
 went down the steps, was a voice murmuring, 
 "He bane fine man." 
 
 Oak Street lay shadowy and deserted, as 
 Marsh, accompanied by Morgan and Tierney, 
 turned into it from Rush Street. 
 
 "Wait here for a minute," requested Marsh, 
 as they stopped in front of the entrance to 
 Hunt's building, and he moved toward the dark 
 tradesmen's entrance. As he neared it, a man 
 appeared from the shadows. They held a low- 
 voiced conversation, and Marsh then returned 
 to the others. "When the door was opened, in 
 
 271
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 answer to their ring, the three detectives 
 climbed the stairs. 
 
 Hunt's man-servant stood at the door. 
 
 "Mr. Hunt in?" asked Marsh. 
 
 "Yes, sir," replied the man. "I think you 
 were here before, sir." 
 
 "Yes, Sunday night." 
 
 "Walk right in, sir. Mr. Hunt's in the living 
 room." 
 
 Hunt had evidently been reading, but had 
 risen at the sound of voices, for on entering the 
 living room they found him standing by the 
 davenport, with his finger between the pages of 
 a book. 
 
 "Good evening," said Marsh. 
 
 There was a look of surprise on Hunt's face, 
 but he quickly mastered it. 
 
 "I hardly expected to see you here," he ob- 
 served, significantly. "And who are your 
 friends ? ' ' 
 
 "Detective Sergeant Morgan, whom you have 
 met before ; and his partner, Detective Sergeant 
 Tierney." 
 
 Again that astonished expression passed over 
 Hunt's face. He spoke quite calmly, how- 
 ever. 
 
 272
 
 COENEEED 
 
 "May I ask the reason for this late call?" 
 
 "It's really a continuation of the visit I made 
 here Sunday night," answered Marsh. "My 
 story has had another and more interesting 
 chapter added to it, and I thought you might 
 like to hear it." 
 
 "Naturally, I am interested," returned Hunt, 
 smiling. "Will you gentlemen take chairs?" 
 
 Hunt's man, who had followed them into the 
 room, now offered to assist them in taking off 
 their coats. 
 
 "Never mind," said Marsh, "we shall be here 
 only a few minutes, ' ' and the man left the room. 
 
 Marsh now seated himself in the chair he had 
 occupied on the occasion of his previous visit, 
 and Morgan and Tierney took chairs on the 
 opposite side of the fireplace. Hunt laid aside 
 his book and offered them cigars from a humi- 
 dor. Marsh refused, calling attention to the 
 fact that he was lighting a cigarette, but Mor- 
 gan and Tierney accepted, and Hunt, selecting 
 a cigar for himself, then settled down among 
 the cushions in a corner of the davenport. 
 
 "My story really begins two years ago, Mr. 
 Hunt," said Marsh, "but I will pass briefly over 
 the early part of it by merely saying that at that 
 
 273
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 time I took up the trail of a counterfeiter, known 
 as Clark Atwood." 
 
 "Why should you take up the trail of a coun- 
 terfeiter?" inquired Hunt. 
 
 "Because/* declared Marsh, throwing back 
 his coat and exposing his badge, "I belong to 
 the Secret Service Division of the United States 
 Treasury Department." 
 
 Hunt remained silent and Marsh continued. 
 "Upon the death of his wife in St. Louis, a 
 few months ago, this man Atwood brought his 
 daughter to Chicago and placed her in an apart- 
 ment on Sheridan Road. Posing as a traveling 
 man, Atwood was busy in other places, and 
 made only occasional visits to his daughter. To 
 maintain a place of safety and refuge in time 
 of trouble, this man Atwood kept his daughter 
 in ignorance of his real occupation. I may say, 
 at this point, that Atwood had made his living 
 by criminal means for many years, and the ven- 
 ture in counterfeiting was simply the latest of 
 his many ways of gaining a livelihood. 
 
 "In the course of time it became necessary 
 for Atwood to get a certain man out of the way. 
 The plans were carefully laid and the stage set. 
 His daughter believed him to be traveling on the 
 
 274 
 
 f
 
 COENEEED 
 
 road, but after he was sure that she had retired 
 for the night, he quietly entered his apartment, 
 went to her bedroom, and by means of a hypo- 
 dermic needle, charged with morphine, rendered 
 her unconscious while she slept, so that there 
 would be no chance of her awakening and spoil- 
 ing his plans. Then Atwood, and a well known 
 police character known as 'Baldy' Newman, en- 
 tered an empty apartment across the hall by 
 means of a duplicate key. At twelve o'clock, 
 this man 'Baldy' telephoned the victim at his 
 hotel. Newman represented himself as the 
 man's former chauffeur, and appealed for im- 
 mediate assistance to get out of some trouble 
 he was in. Atwood, and his confederate, then 
 waited in the dining room of this apartment un- 
 til the victim rang the bell. Newman admitted 
 him and led him into the dining room. There 
 the two men confronted him with revolvers and 
 on the threat of taking his life, forced him to 
 sign a paper. 
 
 "After that, the victim made an attempt to 
 escape. He fled to the front of the apartment, 
 closely pursued by the two men. They at- 
 tempted to make away with him silently, as 
 originally planned, by knifing Mm to death. The 
 
 275
 
 THE SHEKIDAN BOAD MYSTERY 
 
 victim brought a hitch into their plans by draw- 
 ing a revolver and firing one shot before he 
 died. Had this not occurred, it is probable that 
 the murderers > plans would not have been dis- 
 covered until long after they had made a safe 
 getaway. As it was, the shot merely hastened 
 their actions at the time. The lights in the 
 apartment were turned out, the dead man was 
 carried across the hall, through Atwood's apart- 
 ment, and down the rear stairs, where he was 
 thrown into a waiting automobile. "When the 
 police arrived, a few minutes later, the men be- 
 lieved that they had gotten safely away, with- 
 out leaving a trace. They did leave traces, how- 
 ever, and from that minute the police never left 
 the trail until they closed in on the men today." 
 
 Marsh took a photograph from his pocket. 
 "Among the traces left in that apartment," he 
 went on, "were the imprints of a man's hands 
 on the dining room table. I have here a photo- 
 graph of those imprints, and among the many 
 Identifying marks there is a scar of a peculiar 
 shape." 
 
 Marsh returned the photograph to his pocket. 
 
 "I am very glad to learn that you have 
 cleared up the murder of my employer, Mr. 
 
 276
 
 COENEEED 
 
 Marsh," said Hunt. "What seems curious to 
 me, however, is why you should think this man 
 Atwood would want to kill Mr. Merton. Surely 
 Mr. Merton could never have had any dealings 
 with a criminal such as you describe Atwood to 
 be." 
 
 "On the contrary, Mr. Hunt," returned 
 Marsh, "Merton had extensive business deal- 
 ings with Atwood. In fact, he went so far as 
 to place Atwood in a position where he could 
 rob Merton of several hundred thousand dol- 
 lars worth of stocks and bonds. The transfer 
 of these securities had been taking place for a 
 year or more, and it had reached the point 
 where the greater part of Merton 's fortune was 
 in Atwood 's hands. It is evident that Atwood 's 
 original intention was to step quietly out of 
 sight with this fortune, but subsequent events 
 led him to believe that he could go on in quiet 
 security if Merton were out of the way. That 
 was the reason why Merton was murdered." 
 
 Hunt threw the remains of his cigar into the 
 fireplace, and slipped the hand that had held it 
 down into the pillows of the davenport. 
 
 "And you think you have at last located this 
 man Atwood do you, Mr. Marsh?" 
 
 277
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 "Yes," returned Marsh, calmly, "because I 
 have absolute proof that Clark Ativood and 
 Gilbert Hunt are one and the same man!" 
 
 Instantly Hunt's hand whipped out from be- 
 hind the sofa cushions, and the three detectives 
 found themselves covered by an automatic as 
 Hunt stood up. 
 
 "Clever work, gentlemen," he said, smiling. 
 "But after leading men of your type around by 
 the nose for many years, you can hardly expect 
 me to stay here and calmly accept defeat now.'* 
 
 "Oh, no," answered Marsh. "We fully ex- 
 pected you to put up a good fight." He slipped 
 his hands into his trouser pockets, and crossing 
 his legs, leaned back, smiling up at Hunt. "Go 
 ahead; what's your next move?" 
 
 "My next move," cried Hunt, sharply, "is to 
 leave you damn fools sitting right there. When 
 I didn't hear from my men this afternoon I 
 knew that something was wrong, and my way 
 of escape is ready." 
 
 He backed slowly toward the door, keeping 
 the detectives covered with his automatic. 
 When he reached the door of the room, he 
 2alled, "Everything ready, George?" 
 
 "Yes, sir," a voice replied from the distance. 
 278
 
 COENEEED 
 
 Hunt again addressed the detectives. "I ad- 
 vise you gentlemen to stay quietly where you 
 are for a few minutes. I am going out of the 
 back door of this apartment, and you will find 
 it difficult to find your way through in the dark 
 especially as you may meet a shot at any mo- 
 ment. I bid you good evening, gentlemen. ' ' 
 
 With that, Hunt backed out of sight through 
 the doorway and all was silent. Immediately, 
 Morgan and Tierney leaped to their feet and 
 dashed toward the door. 
 
 "Hold on!" exclaimed Marsh, still sitting 
 quietly in his chair, "Where are you going?" 
 
 The two detectives stopped in astonishment. 
 
 "We're going to get him!" shouted Tierney. 
 
 "No need of taking all that trouble," re- 
 turned Marsh. "My men are ready for him. 
 Long ago a Secret Service man even replaced 
 his driver at the wheel of his car. ' ' 
 
 As if in answer to this statement from Marsh, 
 there was a distant fusillade of shots. 
 
 "They've got him," said Marsh, rising. 
 "Now we can go." 
 
 "If there's no hurry now," said Morgan, "I 
 wish you would tell us the rest of the story." 
 
 "What do you mean?" inquired Marsh. 
 279
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 "How did you come to connect these two men, 
 and how did you get that inside dope on the 
 stealing?" 
 
 "You know all the incidents," returned 
 Marsh, "and you ought to be able to connect 
 them as I did. The only information I had 
 about which you did not know was that note- 
 book. The book contained memoranda in 
 Hunt's handwriting, which, by the way, closely 
 resembled the writing in Atwood's last letter. 
 Among these were the names, addresses and 
 telephone numbers of the men who worked with 
 him, and showing their different locations dur- 
 ing the past year or two. He also made nota- 
 tions of the different stocks and bonds which he 
 took out of Merton's vaults at various times. 
 
 "Atwood, you know, took a suitcase at the 
 last moment from his apartment. This after- 
 noon I located a suitcase in the Merton house, 
 containing the counterfeit plates, and the stocks 
 and bonds which I had found noted in Hunt's 
 memorandum book. Naturally, a large part of 
 the story I told tonight was merely surmise on 
 my part, but you can see how near I came to the 
 truth from the way Hunt acted. 
 
 "Another interesting point, due to your fore- 
 280
 
 CORNERED 
 
 sight, Morgan, was that matter of the scar. I 
 studied very carefully the photograph you had 
 taken. Sunday night, when I was calling here 
 on Hunt, I goaded him into a rage, so that he 
 shook his right fist in my face. I had a good 
 view of the scar then, and my last doubt van- 
 ished." 
 
 "Another point that isn't clear," queried 
 Morgan, "is that paper Merton signed. What 
 was it?" 
 
 "I don't know," said Marsh. "That was a 
 wild guess on my part ; that he had signed any 
 paper at all. It seemed odd, however, that an 
 experienced financier like Merton would make 
 an employee sole executor. So I decided that 
 before his death, Merton was forced to sign 
 either a new will, or a codicil to his old will, 
 which was dated back some months so as to off- 
 set any suspicions." 
 
 "And what do you suppose Hunt expected to 
 gain by kidnapping all of us ? " again questioned 
 Morgan. 
 
 "Don't you see," explained Marsh, "that we 
 were getting too close, and might be expected to 
 spring the trap at any minute. Our disappear- 
 ance would divert the police into a search for 
 
 281
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 ns instead of for them. In the meantime, they 
 could get quietly away and vanish. And be- 
 sides, I was supposed to have that notebook 
 the most incriminating evidence we possessed at 
 that time." 
 
 ' * But see here, ' ' now broke in Tierney. ' ' Why 
 did you let that guy think he had a chance to 
 get away, when you had the goods on him? The 
 three of us could have nabbed him the minute 
 we came in." 
 
 "Tierney," replied Marsh, "there's a little 
 girl up north that I hope to marry some day. 
 You know her she's Atwood's daughter. If 
 that girl knew that her father was a crook it 
 would break her heart. I didn't intend that she 
 should ever know. I told Hunt that story to- 
 night so as to show him the hopelessness of his 
 position, and thus drive him out to a finish bat- 
 tle with my men. Sooner or later he had to 
 pay the penalty of being a murderer, and I did 
 not think he would allow himself to be taken 
 alive, so I gave him his chance. His death pre- 
 vents a personal trial and the presenting of all 
 the evidence. The name of Atwood need not 
 now appear in the reports of the case, and the 
 girl will never connect the references that may 
 
 282
 
 COENEEED 
 
 be made to Gilbert Hunt, with her father." 
 
 "One week!" exclaimed Morgan. "Marsh, 
 you complimented me once on twenty-four 
 hours bum work. It's my turn now, to hand it 
 to you for one week's real work." 
 
 "I appreciate your good intentions, Mor- 
 gan," laughed Marsh, "but you forget that I 
 have actually been two years on this job. The 
 last week was simply the windup. It was not 
 my superior work merely a slip in the man's 
 plans that gave me a clue." 
 
 "Hell!" cried Tierney. "Cut that modest 
 stuff. A man who could turn the biggest 
 mystery the Department ever had into a clue, is 
 some guy!" 
 
 283
 
 SUNSET 
 
 ONE of the sudden changes characteristic 
 of the Chicago climate had taken place. 
 The wintry chill had left the air before 
 the advance of a soft, warm breeze that blew 
 out of the west. It might have been early spring 
 instead of late fall. 
 
 Marsh waited outside the music school on 
 Michigan Avenue for Jane Atwood. Presently 
 she appeared, and Marsh was conscious of a 
 quickened beating of the heart as he watched 
 the slender, graceful figure approach. He noted 
 the becoming flush, which spread over her fea- 
 tures as she recognized him, and he was certain 
 that no woman ever before had such sparkling 
 eyes and so sweet a smile. 
 
 "This is a pleasant surprise," she greeted 
 him. 
 
 "I knew you had a lesson today," explained 
 Marsh, "and the weather was so fine that I 
 
 284
 
 SUNSET 
 
 thought you might enjoy a walk before you went 
 home." 
 
 1 'I should love it!" she exclaimed. "I was 
 just dreading the thought of going straight 
 home to that plain little room in the hotel. 
 Hotel rooms never do seem homelike, do 
 they?" 
 
 "Most of my life has been spent in hotels," 
 returned Marsh, as they strolled toward the 
 curb. "My parents died before I was twenty, 
 and since then I have led a roving life." He 
 signaled a passing taxi, and directed the chauf- 
 feur to take them to Lincoln Park. 
 
 Marsh glanced down Oak Street as the car 
 flashed by. The mysterious shadows that hung 
 over the street at night, and the recent tragic 
 incident which had taken place there, seemed 
 almost like a dream to Marsh, as he saw the 
 street stretch peacefully toward the west in the 
 light of the late afternoon sun. Marsh's at- 
 tention was quickly diverted, however, for at 
 this point the tall buildings, the smoky streets, 
 and the crowds were left behind. At one side 
 began the long line of palatial residences that 
 has brought to this section of Chicago the 
 sobriquet of "The Gold Coast" On the other 
 
 285
 
 THE SHERIDAN ROAD MYSTERY 
 
 side lay a strip of park, and beyond that 
 stretched the rolling waters of Lake Michigan, 
 as far as the eye could see. 
 
 "This is what I like about Chicago," ex- 
 claimed Marsh. "After a day in the hurry and 
 bustle and grind of the business district, you 
 are swept in a few minutes into a region of 
 trees, grass and spreading waters. At one 
 stroke you seem to leave the seething city be- 
 hind and enter into the wide spaces of the 
 earth." 
 
 "You speak like a poet," declared the girl, 
 "rather than a plain business man." 
 
 "Perhaps," returned Marsh, in a low voice, 
 "it is because of something new that has come 
 into my life." 
 
 The girPs eyes looked into his for a moment, 
 and seemed to read something there, for she 
 turned with heightened color to look out over 
 the lake. 
 
 They sat in silence for the next few minutes ; 
 then Marsh leaned forward and opened the door 
 of the taxi. ".We'll stop here," he called to the 
 driver. 
 
 "Have you "been in Lincoln Park before?" he 
 inquired, as they strolled north. 
 
 286
 
 SUNSET 
 
 "Only to pass through in the bus," returned 
 Jane. 
 
 "I think," commented Marsh, "that this is 
 one of the prettiest parks. I presume that those 
 rolling hills are artificial, but they are certainly 
 a relief, after the 1 monotonous flatness of the 
 rest of the city. There is one, just ahead of us, 
 that is the highest in the park. I want to take 
 you there, for it is a place where I have often 
 sat during the last few months, when I wanted 
 to be alone and think." 
 
 "I believe," said Jane, "that this is the first 
 time you have really told me anything about 
 yourself." 
 
 "Frankly," replied Marsh, "that is one of 
 the reasons why I suggested this walk today. 
 This favorite spot of mine appealed to me as 
 just the place to tell you something of my story. 
 There it is," he added, pointing across the 
 driveway to a little tree-clad hill. He guided 
 her across the drive, up the winding path 
 through the trees, to an open space on the hill- 
 top, where they found a bench and sat down. 
 
 "It is beautiful," agreed the girl. 
 
 Several miles of the shore line lay stretched 
 before them, and beyond it miles and miles of 
 
 287
 
 3?HE SHERIDAN KOAD MYSTERY 
 
 blue-green water rolled in, to break into minia- 
 ture waves against the embankment. The sun 
 had nearly touched the treetops behind them, 
 and the gray of evening already lay out over the 
 lake. The distant horizon changed from a deep 
 purplish tint, where it met the water, through 
 many shades, until it turned to rich gold, where 
 the light of the setting sun fell full upon fleecy 
 clouds that drifted slowly, far up in the air. 
 
 "You asked me a few days ago," began 
 Marsh, "about the nature of my business. I 
 did not feel free to tell you at that time, because 
 I was engaged in working out one of my most 
 important cases. That case is completed; and 
 so is my work along that line. I am a detective, 
 Miss Atwood for the last ten years in the 
 Secret Service Division of the United Stages 
 Government. " 
 
 "How interesting, " she exclaimed. 
 
 "No, you are wrong," returned Marsh. "I 
 thought it was interesting, but I have found out 
 my mistake. It was a wandering, unnatural 
 life, full of nervous days and sleepless nights. 
 No home life, no family, no friends lacking all 
 the things that really make life worth living. 
 Miss Atwood, the men who work down there in 
 
 288
 
 SUNSET 
 
 those great buildings during the day, and go 
 to a little home at night, to be greeted by a 
 cheery wife and romping children, are the most 
 fortunate men in the world. Some of them 
 grow restless at times, and may long for 
 what they think is the glamour and excitement 
 of a life like mine. Work such as mine is 
 necessary to the peace, happiness and progress 
 of the world but I have come to the conclu- 
 sion that I would rather let the other fellow 
 doit." 
 
 "What do you plan to do, then?" the girl 
 asked softly. 
 
 "Unfortunately, my training has been along 
 one line only, and I must stick to that. But I 
 intend to follow it in a way that will permit me 
 to have a home, and some of the things in life 
 which other men enjoy. I have already sent in 
 my resignation to the Secret Service. As soon 
 as it is accepted I plan to open an office in Chi- 
 cago, to do private investigative work. There 
 is an immense opportunity for this among the 
 thousands of great business houses here. Then 
 I am going to have a home and," he added, 
 leaning toward her and gazing straight into her 
 eyes, "I want you to help me start that home." 
 
 289
 
 THE SHERIDAN EOAD MYSTEEY 
 
 Jane flushed. "What do you mean?" she 
 murmured. 
 
 "That I love you," replied Marsh, as he took 
 her small, soft hand in his. 
 
 "But you have known me such a short time," 
 protested Jane. 
 
 "Jane," he said, "I have watched over you 
 for nearly two years. When you walked along 
 St. Louis streets and entered shops ; when you 
 passed back and forth to your music school in 
 Chicago; I was many times close at hand." 
 
 She gazed at him in startled surprise. "I 
 don't understand," she said. 
 
 "My work took me to St. Louis," Marsh ex- 
 plained. "There I saw you and fell in love. 
 The same work brought me to Chicago, soon 
 after you arrived here, and though you did not 
 know me probably not even by sight I was 
 there, watching over you, and worshipping day 
 by day. Perhaps a week is too short a time 
 for you to begin to care, but I had hoped that 
 you would." 
 
 "I do care," she half whispered, "but I did 
 not know that you thought so much of me. I 
 have often longed for a real home myself. You 
 know, my own home was never really a happy 
 
 290
 
 SUNSET 
 
 one> For years my mother was sickly and nerv- 
 ous, and it was I who incurred all the household 
 responsibilities. It has been years since I had 
 the care and companionship that most girls re- 
 ceive from a mother. My father always pro- 
 vided liberally for us, but he was seldom at 
 home." 
 
 "Then we will start a real home together?" 
 he pleaded. 
 
 "Yes," she whispered. 
 
 The sun sank out of sight and the twilight 
 folded them in friendly seclusion as Marsh took 
 her in his arms. 
 
 THE END 
 
 291
 
 JAMES OLIVER CURWOOD'S 
 
 STORIES OF ADVENTURE 
 
 May be had wlnrever books irt sold. Ask for Grtxstt ft Dunlap't lirt. 
 
 THE RIVER'S END~ 
 
 A story of the Royal Mounted Police. 
 THE GOLDEN SNARE 
 
 Thrilling adventures in the Far Northland. 
 NOMADS OF THE NORTH 
 
 The story of a bear-cub and a dog. 
 KAZAN 
 
 The fcle of a "quarter-strain wolf and three-quarters husky" torn ' 
 between the call of the human and his wild mate. 
 
 BAREE, SON OF KAZAN 
 
 The story of the son of the blind Grey Wolf and the gallant pert 
 he played in the lives of a man and a woman. 
 
 THE COURAGE OF CAPTAIN PLUM 
 
 The story of the King of Beaver Island, a Mormon colony, and bit 
 battle with Captain Plum. 
 
 THE DANGER TRAIL 
 
 A tale of love, Indian vengeance, and a mystery of the North. 
 THE HUNTED WOMAN 
 
 A tale of a great fight in the " valley of gold" for a woman. 
 THE FLOWER OF THE NORTH 
 
 The story of Fort o' God, where the wild flavor of the wildernea* 
 is blended with the courtly atmosphere of France. 
 
 THE GRIZZLY KING 
 
 The story of Thor, the big grizzly. 
 1SOBEL 
 
 A love story of the Far North. 
 THE WOLF HUNTERS 
 
 A thrilling tale of adventure in the Canadian wilderness. 
 THE GOLD HUNTERS 
 
 The story of adventure in the Hudson Bay wilds. 
 THE COURAGE OF MARGE O'DOONE 
 
 Filled with exciting incidents in the land of strong men and women. 
 BACK TO GOD'S COUNTRY 
 
 A thrilling story of the Far North. The great Photoplay was made 
 from this book. 
 
 GROSSET & DUNLAP, PUBLISHERS, NEW Yoag:
 
 ZANE GREY'S NOVELS 
 
 Hay be had wherever bookt ire sold. Ask for firossat * Dunlap's list 
 
 THE MAN OF THE FOREST 
 
 THE DESERT OF WHEAT . 
 
 THE U. P. TRAIL 
 
 WILDFIRE 
 
 THE BORDER LEGION 
 
 THE RAINBOW TRAIL 
 
 THE HERITAGE OF THE DESERT 
 
 RIDERS OF THE PURPLE SAGE 
 
 THE LIGHT OF WESTERN STARS 
 
 THE LAST OF THE PLAINSMEN 
 
 THE LONE STAR RANGER 
 
 DESERT GOLD 
 
 BETTY ZANE 
 
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 LAST OF THE GREAT SCOUTS 
 
 The life story of " Buffalo Bill" by his sister Helen Cody 
 Wetmore, with Foreword and conclusion by Zane Grey. 
 
 ZANE GREY'S BOOKS FOR BOYS 
 
 KEN WARD IN THE JUNGLE 
 THE YOUNG LION HUNTER 
 THE YOUNG FORESTER 
 THE YOUNG PITCHER 
 THE SHORT STOP 
 
 THE RED-HEADED OUTFIELD AND OTHER 
 BASEBALL STORIES 
 
 GROSSET & DUNLAP, PUBLISHERS, NEW YORK
 
 EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS 
 NOVELS 
 
 May ba had wheraver boohs are sold. Ask for Cresset & Duntop's list 
 
 TARZAN THE UNTAMED 
 
 Tells of Tarzan's return to the life of the ape-man in 
 his search for vengeance on those who took from him his 
 wife and home. 
 
 JUNGLE TALES OF TARZAN 
 
 Records the many wonderful exploits by which Tarzan 
 proves his right to ape kingship. 
 
 A PRINCESS OF MARS 
 
 Forty-three million miles from the earth a succession 
 of the weirdest and most astounding adventures in fiction. 
 John Carter, American, finds himself on the planet Mars, 
 battling for a beautiful woman, with the Green Men of 
 Mars, terrible creatures fifteen feet high, mounted on 
 horses like dragons. 
 
 THE GODS OF MARS 
 
 Continuing John Carter* s adventures on the Planet Mars, 
 in which he does battle against the ferocious * 'plant men," 
 creatures whose mighty tails swished their victims to instant 
 death, and defies Issus, the terrible Goddess of Death, 
 whom all Mars worships and reveres. 
 
 THE WARLORD OF MARS 
 
 Old acquaintances, made in the two other stories, reap- 
 pear, Tars Tarkas, Tardos Mors and others. There is a 
 happy ending to the story in the union of the Warlord, 
 the title conferred upon John Carter, with Dejah Thoris. 
 
 THUVIA, MAID OF MARS 
 
 The fourth volume of the series. The story centers 
 around the adventures of Carthoris, the son of John Car- 
 ter and Thuvia, daughter of a Martian Emperor. 
 
 GROSSET & DUNLAP. PUBLISHERS, NEW YORK
 
 ETHEL M. DELL'S NOVELS 
 
 May be had wherever books ire sold. Ask for Brosset & Dunlap's ttst 
 
 THE LAMP IN THE DESERT 
 
 The scene of this splendid story is laid in India and 
 tells of the lamp of love that continues to shine through 
 all sorts of tribulations to final happiness. 
 
 GREATHEART 
 
 The story of a cripple whose deformed body conceals 
 a noble soul. 
 
 THE HUNDREDTH CHANCE 
 
 A hero who worked to win even when there was only 
 a hundredth chance." 
 
 THE SWINDLER 
 
 The story of a "bad man's" soul revealed by a 
 woman's faith. 
 
 THE TIDAL WAVE 
 
 Talcs of love and of women who learned to know the 
 true from the false. 
 
 THE SAFETY CURTAIN 
 
 \ 
 A very vivid love story of India. The volume also 
 
 contains four other long stories of equal interest 
 
 GROSSET & DUNLAP, PUBLISHERS, NEW Yowt 
 
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 UC SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FAC ITY 
 
 A 000 038 371 1