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st　time；　Sweetwater。　You'll　have　to　go　it　lone　from　now　on。　　The　Department　has　no　more　work　for　Ebenezar　Gryce；　or　rather　Ebenezar　Gryce　will　make　no　more　fool　attempts　to　please　them。　　Strange　that　a　man　don't　know　when　his　time　has　come　to　quit。　　I　remember　low　I　once　scored　Yeardsley　for　hanging　on　after　he　had　lost　his　grip；　and　here　am　I　doing　the　same　thing。　　But　what's　the　matter　with　you？　　Speak　out；　my　boy。　Something　new　in　the　wind？〃

〃No；　Mr。　Gryce；　nothing　new。　　It's　the　same　old　business。　　But；　if　what　I　suspect　is　true；　this　same　old　business　offers　opportunities　for　some　very　interesting　and　unusual　effort。　　You're　not　satisfied　with　the　coroner's　verdict　in　the　Challoner　case？

〃No。　　I'm　satisfied　with　nothing　that　leaves　all　ends　dangling。　Suicide　was　not　proved。　　It　seemed　the　only　presumption　possible；　but　it　was　not　proved。　　There　was　no　blood…stain　on　that　cutter…point。〃

〃Nor　any　evidence　that　it　had　ever　been　there。〃

〃No。　　I'm　not　proud　of　the　chain　which　lacks　a　link　where　it　should　be　strongest。〃

〃We　shall　never　supply　that　link。〃

〃I　quite　agree　with　you。〃

〃That　chain　we　must　throw　away。〃

〃And　forge　another？〃

Sweetwater　approached　and　sat　down。

〃Yes；　I　believe　we　can　do　it；　yet　I　have　only　one　indisputable　fact　for　a　starter。　　That　is　why　I　want　you　to　tell　me　whether　I'm　growing　daft　or　simply　adventurous。　　Mr。　Gryce；　I　don't　trust　Brotherson。　　He　has　pulled　the　wool　over　Dr。　Heath's　eyes　and　almost　over　those　of　Mr。　Challoner。　　But　he　can't　pull　it　over　mine。　Though　he　should　tell　a　story　ten　times　more　plausible　than　the　one　with　which　he　has　satisfied　the　coroner's　jury；　I　would　still　listen　to　him　with　more　misgiving　than　confidence。　　Yet　I　have　caught　him　in　no　misstatement；　and　his　eye　is　steadier　than　my　own。　Perhaps　it　is　simply　a　deeply　rooted　antipathy　on　my　part；　or　the　rage　one　feels　at　finding　he　has　placed　his　finger　on　the　wrong　man。　Again　it　may　be　…　〃

〃What；　Sweetwater？〃　

〃A　well…founded　distrust。　　Mr。　Gryce；　I'm　going　to　ask　you　a　question。〃

〃Ask　away。　　Ask　fifty　if　you　want　to。〃

〃No；　the　one　may　involve　fifty；　but　it　is　big　enough　in　itself　to　hold　our　attention　for　a　while。　　Did　you　ever　hear　of　a　case　before；　that　in　some　of　its　details　was　similar　to　this？

〃No；　it　stands　alone。　　That's　why　it　is　so　puzzling。〃

〃You　forget。　　The　wealth；　beauty　and　social　consequence　of　the　present　victim　has　blinded　you　to　the　strong　resemblance　which　her　case　bears　to　one　you　know；　in　which　the　sufferer　had　none　of　the　worldly　　advantages　of　Miss　Challoner。　　I　allude　to　…〃

〃Wait！　　the　washerwoman　in　Hicks　Street！　　Sweetwater；　what　have　you　got　up　your　sleeve？　　You　　do　mean　that　Brooklyn　washerwoman；　don't　you？〃　

〃The　same。　　The　Department　may　have　forgotten　it；　but　I　haven't。　Mr。　Gryce；　there's　a　startling　similarity　in　the　two　cases　if　you　study　the　essential　features　only。　　Startling；　I　assure　you。〃

〃Yes；　you　are　right　there。　　But　what　if　there　is？　　We　were　no　more　successful　in　solving　that　case　than　we　have　been　in　solving　this。　Yet　you　look　and　act　like　a　hound　which　has　struck　a　hot　scent。　The　young　man　smoothed　his　features　with　an　embarrassed　laugh。

〃I　shall　never　learn；〃　said　he；　〃not　to　give　tongue　till　the　hunt　is　fairly　started。　　If　you　will　excuse　me　we'll　first　make　sure　of　the　similarity　I　have　mentioned。　　Then　I'll　explain　myself。　　I　have　some　notes　here；　made　at　the　time　it　was　decided　to　drop　the　Hicks　Street　case　as　a　wholly　inexplicable　one。　　As　you　know；　I　never　can　bear　to　say　'die；'　and　I　sometimes　keep　such　notes　as　a　possible　help　in　case　any　such　unfinished　matter　should　come　up　again。　　Shall　I　read　them？〃

〃Do。　　Twenty　years　ago　it　would　not　have　been　necessary。　　I　should　have　remembered　every　detail　of　an　affair　so　puzzling。　　But　my　memory　is　no　longer　entirely　reliable。　　So　fire　away；　my　boy；　though　I　hardly　see　your　purpose　or　what　real　bearing　the　affair　in　Hicks　Street　has　upon　the　Clermont　one。　　A　poor　washerwoman　and　the　wealthy　Miss　Challoner！　　True；　they　were　not　unlike　in　their　end。〃

〃The　connection　will　come　later；〃　smiled　the　young　detective；　with　that　strange　softening　of　his　features　which　made　one　at　times　forget　his　extreme　plainness。　　〃I'm　sure　you　will　not　consider　the　time　lost　if　I　ask　you　to　consider　the　comparison　I　am　about　to　make；　if　only　as　a　curiosity　in　criminal　annals。〃

And　he　read：

〃'On　the　afternoon　of　December　Fourth；　1910；　the　strong　and　persistent　screaming　of　a　young　child　in　one　of　the　rooms　of　a　rear　tenement　in　Hicks　Street；　Brooklyn；　drew　the　attention　of　some　of　the　inmates　and　led　them；　after　several　ineffectual　efforts　to　gain　an　entrance；　to　the　breaking　in　of　the　door　which　had　been　fastened　on　the　inside　by　an　old…fashioned　door…button。

〃'The　tenant　whom　all　knew　for　an　honest；　hard…working　woman；　had　not　infrequently　fastened　her　door　in　this　manner；　in　order　to　safeguard　her　child　who　was　abnormally　active　and　had　a　way　of　rattling　the　door　open　when　it　was　not　thus　secured。　　But　she　had　never　refused　to　open　before；　and　the　child's　cries　were　pitiful。

〃'This　was　no　longer　a　matter　of　wonder；　when；　the　door　having　been　wrenched　from　its　hinges；　they　all　rushed　in。　　Across　a　tub　of　steaming　clothes　lifted　upon　a　bench　in　the　open　window；　they　saw　the　body　of　this　good　woman；　lying　inert　and　seemingly　dead；　the　frightened　child　tugging　at　her　skirts。　　She　was　of　a　robust　make；　fleshy　and　fair；　and　had　always　been　considered　a　model　of　health　and　energy；　but　at　the　sight　of　her　helpless　figure；　thus　stricken　while　at　work；　the　one　cry　was　'A　stroke！　　till　she　had　been　lifted　off　and　laid　upon　the　floor。　　Then　some　discoloration　in　the　water　at　the　bottom　of　the　tub　led　to　a　closer　examination　of　her　body；　and　the　discovery　of　a　bullet…hole　in　her　breast　directly　over　the　heart。

〃'As　she　had　been　standing　with　face　towards　the　window；　all　crowded　that　way　to　see　where　the　shot　had　come　from。　　As　they　were　on　the　fourth　storey　it　could　not　have　come　from　the　court　upon　which　the　room　looked。　　It　could　only　have　come　from　the　front　tenement；　towering　up　before　them　some　twenty　feet　away。　　A　single　window　of　the　innumerable　ones　confronting　them　stood　open；　and　this　was　the　one　directly　opposite。

〃'Nobody　was　to　be　seen　there　or　in　the　room　beyond；　but　during　the　excitement；　one　man　ran　off　to　call　the　police　and　another　to　hunt　up　the　janitor　and　ask　who　occupied　this　room。

〃'His　reply　threw　them　all　into　confusion。　　The　tenant　of　that　room　was　the　best；　the　quietest　and　most　respectable　man　in　either　building。

〃'Then　he　must　be　simply　careless　and　the　shot　an　accidental　one。　A　rush　was　made　for　the　stairs　and　soon　the　whole　building　was　in　an　uproar。　　But　when　this　especial　room　was　reached；　it　was　found　locked　and　on　the　door　a　paper　pinned　up；　on　which　these　words　were　written：　Gone　to　New　York。　　Will　be　back　at　6：30！　　Words　that　recalled　a　circumstance　to　the　janitor。　　He　had　seen　the　gentleman　go　out　an　hour　before。　　This　terminated　all　inquiry　in　this　direction；　though　some　few　of　the　excited　throng　were　for　battering　down　this　door　just　as　they　had　the　other　one。　　But　they　were　overruled　by　the　janitor；　who　saw　no　use　in　such　wholesale　destruction；　and　presently　the　arrival　of　the　police　restored　order　and　limited　the　inquiry　to　the　rear　building；　where　it　undoubtedly　belonged。'

Mr。　Gryce；〃　（here　Sweetwater　laid　by　his　notes　that　he　might　address　the　old　gentleman　more　directly）；　〃I　was　with　the　boys　when　they　made　their　first　official　investigation。　　This　is　why　you　can　rely　upon　the　facts　as　here　given。　　I　followed　the　investigation　closely　and　missed　nothing　which　could　in　any　way　throw　light　on　the　case。　　It　was　a　mysterious　one　from　the　first；　and　lost　nothing　by　further　inquiry　into　the　details。

〃The　first　fact　to　startle　us　as　we　made　our　way　up　through　the　crowd　which　blocked　halls　and　staircases　was　this：　…　A　doctor　had　been　found　and；　though　he　had　been　forbidden　to　make　more　than　a　cursory　examination　of　the　body　till　the　coroner　came；　he　had　not　hesitated　to　declare　after　his　first　look；　that　the　wound　had　not　been　made　by　a　bullet　but　by　some　sharp　and　slender　weapon　thrust　home　by　a　powerful　hand。　　（You　mark　that；　Mr。　Gryce。）　　As　this　seemed　impossible　in　face　of　the　fact　that　the　door　had　been　found　buttoned　on　the　inside；　we　did　not　give　much　credit　to　his　opinion　and　began　our　work　under　the　obvious　theory　of　an　accidental　discharge　of　some　gun　from　one　of　the　windows　across　the　court。　But　the　doctor　was　nearer　right　than　we　supposed。　　When　the　coroner　came　to　look　into　the　matter；　he　discovered　that　the　wound　was　not　only　too　small　to　have　been　made　by　the　ordinary　bullet；　but　that　there　was　no　bullet　to　be　found　in　the　woman's　body　or　anywhere　else。　　Her　heart　had　been　reached　by　a　thrust　and　not　by　a　shot　from　a　gun。　　Mr。　Gryce；　have　you　not　heard　a　startling　repetition　of　this　report　in　a　case　nearer　at　hand？

〃But　to　go　back。　　This　discovery；　so　important　if　true；　was　as　yet　…　that　is；　at　the　time　of　our　entering　the　room；…　limited　to　the　off…hand　declaration　of　an　irresponsible　physician；　but　the　possibility　it　involved　was　of　so　astonishing　a　nature　that　it　influenced　us　unconsciously　in　our　investigation　and　led　us　almost　immediately　into　a　consideration　of　the　difficulties　attending　an　entrance　into；　as　well　as　an　escape　from；　a　room　situated　as　this　was。

〃Up　three　flights　from　the　court；　with　no　communication　with　the　adjoining　rooms　save　through　a　door　guarded　on　both　sides　by　heavy　pieces　of　furniture　no　one　person　could　handle；　the　hall　door　buttoned　on　the　inside；　and　the　fire…escape　some　fifteen　feet　to　the　left；　this　room　of　death　appeared　to　be　as　removed　from　the　approach　of　a　murderous　outsider　as　the　spot　in　the　writing…room　of　the　Clermont　where　Miss　Challoner　fell。

〃Otherwise；　the　place　presented　the　greatest　contrast　possible　to　that　scene　of　splendour　and　comfort。　　I　had　not　entered　the　Clermont　at　that　time；　and　no；　such　comparison　could　have　struck　my　mind。　　But　I　have　thought　of　it　since；　and　you；　with　your　experience；　will　not　find　it　difficult　to　picture　the　room　where　this　poor　woman　lived　and　worked。　　Bare　walls；　with　just　a　newspaper　illustration　pinned　up　here　and　there；　a　bed　…　tragically　o