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rked。　　Bare　walls；　with　just　a　newspaper　illustration　pinned　up　here　and　there；　a　bed　…　tragically　occupied　at　this　moment　…　a　kitchen　stove　on　which　a　boiler；　half…filled　with　steaming　clothes　still　bubbled　and　foamed；　…　an　old　bureau；…　a　large　pine　wardrobe　against　an　inner　door　which　we　later　found　to　have　been　locked　for　months；　and　the　key　lost；…　some　chairs　…　and　most　pronounced　of　all；　because　of　its　position　directly　before　the　window；　a　pine　bench　supporting　a　wash…tub　of　the　old　sort。

〃As　it　was　here　the　woman　fell；　this　tub　naturally　received　the　closest　examination。　　A　board　projected　from　its　further　side；　whither　it　had　evidently　been　pushed　by　the　weight　of　her　falling　body；　and　from　its　top　hung　a　wet　cloth；　marking　with　its　lugubrious　drip　on　the　boards　beneath　the　first　heavy　moments　of　silence　which　is　the　natural　accompaniment　of　so　serious　a　survey。　　On　the　floor　to　the　right　lay　a　half…used　cake　of　soap　just　as　it　had　slipped　from　her　hand。　　The　window　was　closed；　for　the　temperature　was　at　the　freezing…point；　but　it　had　been　found　up；　and　it　was　put　up　now　to　show　the　height　at　which　it　had　then　stood。　　As　we　all　took　our　look　at　the　house　wall　opposite；　a　sound　of　shouting　came　up　from　below。　　A　dozen　children　were　sliding　on　barrel　staves　down　a　slope　of　heaped…up　snow。　　They　had　been　engaged　in　this　sport　all　the　afternoon　and　were　our　witnesses　later　that　no　one　had　made　a　hazardous　escape　by　means　of　the　ladder　of　the　fire…escape；　running；　as　I　have　said；　at　an　almost　unattainable　distance　towards　the　left。

〃Of　her　own　child；　whose　cries　had　roused　the　neighbours；　nothing　was　to　be　seen。　　The　woman　in　the　extreme　rear　had　carried　it　off　to　her　room；　but　when　we　came　to　see　it　later；　no　doubt　was　felt　by　any　of　us　that　this　child　was　too　young　to　talk　connectedly；　nor　did　I　ever　hear　that　it　ever　said　anything　which　could　in　any　way　guide　investigation。

〃And　that　is　as　far　as　we　ever　got。　　The　coroner's　jury　brought　in　a　verdict　of　death　by　means　of　a　stab　from　some　unknown　weapon　in　the　hand　of　a　person　also　unknown；　but　no　weapon　was　ever　found；　nor　was　it　ever　settled　how　the　attack　could　have　been　made　or　the　murderer　escape　under　the　conditions　described。　　The　woman　was　poor；　her　friends　few；　and　the　case　seemingly　inexplicable。　　So　after　creating　some　excitement　by　its　peculiarities；　it　fell　of　its　own　weight。　　But　I　remembered　it；　and　in　many　a　spare　hour　have　tried　to　see　my　way　through　the　no…thoroughfare　it　presented。　　But　quite　in　vain。　　To…day；　the　road　is　as　blind　as　ever；　but　…〃　here　Sweetwater's　face　sharpened　and　his　eyes　burned　as　he　leaned　closer　and　closer　to　the　older　detective　…〃　but　this　second　case；　so　unlike　the　first　in　non…essentials　but　so　exactly　like　it　in　just　those　points　which　make　the　mystery；　has　dropped　a　thread　from　its　tangled　skein　into　my　hand；　which　may　yet　lead　us　to　the　heart　of　both。　Can　you　guess　…　have　you　guessed　…　what　this　thread　is？　　But　how　could　you　without　the　one　clew　I　have　not　given　you？　　Mr。　Gryce；　the　tenement　where　this　occurred　is　the　same　I　visited　the　other　night　in　search　of　Mr。　Brotherson。　　And　the　man　characterised　at　that　time　by　the　janitor　as　the　best；　the　quietest　and　most　respectable　tenant　in　the　whole　building；　and　the　one　you　remember　whose　window　opened　directly　opposite　the　spot　where　this　woman　lay　dead；　was　Mr。　Dunn　himself；　or；　in　other　words；　our　late　redoubtable　witness；　Mr。　Orlando　Brotherson。〃



XII

Mr。　GRYCE　FINDS　AN　ANTIDOTE　FOR　OLD　AGE

〃I　Thought　I　should　make　you　sit　up。　　I　really　calculated　upon　doing　so；　sir。　　　Yes；　I　have　established　the　plain　fact　that　this　Brotherson　was　near　to；　if　not　in　the　exact　line　of　the　scene　of　crime　in　each　of　these　extraordinary　and　baffling　cases。　　A　very　odd　coincidence；　is　it　not？〃　was　the　dry　conclusion　of　our　eager　young　detective。

〃Odd　enough　if　you　are　correct　in　your　statement。　　But　I　thought　it　was　conceded　that　the　man　Brotherson　was　not　personally　near；　…　was　not　even　in　the　building　at　the　time　of　the　woman's　death　in　Hicks　Street；　that　he　was　out　and　had　been　out　for　hours；　according　to　the　janitor。〃

〃And　so　the　janitor　thought；　but　he　didn't　quite　know　his　man。　　I'm　not　sure　that　I　do。　　But　I　mean　to　make　his　acquaintance　and　make　it　thoroughly　before　I　let　him　go。　　The　hero　…　well；　I　will　say　the　possible　hero　of　two　such　adventures　…　deserves　some　attention　from　one　so　interested　in　the　abnormal　as　myself。〃

〃Sweetwater；　how　came　you　to　discover　that　Mr。　Dunn　of　this　ramshackle　tenement　in　Hicks　Street　was　identical　with　the　elegantly　equipped　admirer　of　Miss　Challoner？〃

〃Just　this　way。　　The　night　before　Miss　Challoner's　death　I　was　brooding　very　deeply　over　the　Hicks　Street　case。　　It　had　so　possessed　me　that　I　had　taken　this　street　in　on　my　way　from　Flatbush；　as　if　staring　at　the　house　and　its　swarming　courtyard　was　going　to　settle　any　such　question　as　that！　　I　walked　by　the　place　and　I　looked　up　at　the　windows。　　No　inspiration。　　Then　I　sauntered　back　and　entered　the　house　with　the　fool　intention　of　crossing　the　courtyard　and　wandering　into　the　rear　building　where　the　crime　had　occurred。　But　my　attention　was　diverted　and　my　mind　changed　by　seeing　a　man　coming　down　the　stairs　before　me；　of　so　fine　a　figure　that　I　involuntarily　stopped　to　look　at　him。　　Had　he　moved　a　little　less　carelessly；　had　he　worn　his　workman's　clothes　a　little　less　naturally；　I　should　have　thought　him　some　college　bred　man　out　on　a　slumming　expedition。　　But　he　was　entirely　too　much　at　home　where　he　was；　and　too　unconscious　of　his　jeans　for　any　such　conclusion　on　my　part；　and　when　he　had　passed　out　I　had　enough　curiosity　to　ask　who　he　was。

〃My　interest；　you　may　believe；　was　in　no　wise　abated　when　I　learned　that　he　was　that　highly　respectable　tenant　whose　window　had　been　open　at　the　time　when　half　the　inmates　of　the　two　buildings　had　rushed　up　to　his　door；　only　to　find　a　paper　on　it　displaying　these　words：　Gone　to　New　York；　will　be　back　at　6：30。　　Had　he　returned　at　that　hour？　　I　don't　think　anybody　had　ever　asked；　and　what　reason　had　I　for　such　interference　now？　　But　an　idea　once　planted　in　my　brain　sticks　tight；　and　I　kept　thinking　of　this　man　all　the　way　to　the　Bridge。　　Instinctively　and　quite　against　my　will；　I　found　myself　connecting　him　with　some　previous　remembrance　in　which　I　seemed　to　see　his　tall　form　and　strong　features　under　the　stress　of　some　great　excitement。　　But　there　my　memory　stopped；　till　suddenly　as　I　was　entering　the　subway；　it　all　came　back　to　me。　　I　had　met　him　the　day　I　went　with　the　boys　to　investigate　the　case　in　Hicks　Street。　　He　was　coming　down　the　staircase　of　the　rear　tenement　then；　very　much　as　I　had　just　seen　him　coming　down　the　one　in　front。　　Only　the　Dunn　of　to…day　seemed　to　have　all　his　wits　about　him；　while　the　huge　fellow　who　brushed　so　rudely　by　me　on　that　occasion　had　the　peculiar　look　of　a　man　struggling　with　horror　or　some　other　grave　agitation。　　This　was　not　surprising；　of　course；　under　the　circumstances。　　I　had　met　more　than　one　man　and　woman　in　those　halls　who　had　worn　the　same　look；　but　none　of　them　had　put　up　a　sign　on　his　door　that　he　had　left　for　New　York　and　would　not　be　back　till　6　：30；　and　then　changed　his　mind　so　suddenly　that　he　was　back　in　the　tenement　at　three；　sharing　the　curiosity　and　the　terrors　of　its　horrified　inmates。

〃But　the　discovery；　while　possibly　suggestive；　was　not　of　so　pressing　a　nature　as　to　demand　instant　action；　and　more　immediate　duties　coming　up；　I　let　the　matter　slip　from　my　mind；　to　be　brought　up　again　the　next　day；　you　may　well　believe；　when　all　the　circumstances　of　the　death　at　the　Clermont　came　to　light　and　I　found　myself　confronted　by　a　problem　very　nearly　the　counterpart　of　the　one　then　occupying　me。

〃But　I　did　not　see　any　real　connection　between　the　two　cases；　until；　in　my　hunt　for　Mr。　Brotherson；　I　came　upon　the　following　facts：　that　he　was　not　always　the　gentleman　he　appeared：　that　the　apartment　in　which　he　was　supposed　to　live　was　not　his　own　but　a　friend's；　and　that　he　was　only　there　by　spells。　　When　he　was　there；　he　dressed　like　a　prince　and　it　was　while　so　clothed　he　ate　his　meals　in　the　caf？of　the　Hotel　Clermont。

〃But　there　were　times　when　he　had　been　seen　to　leave　this　apartment　in　a　very　different　garb；　and　while　there　was　no　one　to　insinuate　that　he　was　slack　in　paying　his　debts　or　was　given　to　dissipation　or　any　overt　vice；　it　was　generally　conceded　by　such　as　casually　knew　him；　that　there　was　a　mysterious　side　to　his　life　which　no　one　understood。　　His　friend　…　a　seemingly　candid　and　open…minded　gentleman　…　explained　these　contradictions　by　saying　that　Mr。　Brotherson　was　a　humanitarian　and　spent　much　of　his　time　in　the　slums。　　That　while　so　engaged　he　naturally　dressed　to　suit　the　occasion；　and　if　he　was　to　be　criticised　at　all；　it　was　for　his　zeal　which　often　led　him　to　extremes　and　kept　him　to　his　task　for　days；　during　which　time　none　of　his　up…town　friends　saw　him。　　Then　this　enthusiastic　gentleman　called　him　the　great　intellectual　light　of　the　day；　and　…　well；　if　ever　I　want　a　character　I　shall　take　pains　to　insinuate　myself　into　the　good　graces　of　this　Mr。　Conway。

〃Of　Brotherson　himself　I　saw　nothing。　　He　had　come　to　Mr。　Conway's　apartment　the　night　before　…　the　night　of　Miss　Challoner's　death；　you　understand　but　had　remained　only　long　enough　to　change　his　clothes。　　Where　he　went　afterwards　is　unknown　to　Mr。　Conway；　nor　can　he　tell　us　when　to　look　for　his　return。　　When　he　does　show　up；　my　message　will　be　given　him；　etc。；　etc。　　I　have　no　fault　to　find　with　Mr。　Conway。

〃But　I　had　an　idea　in　regard　to　this　elusive　Brotherson。　　I　had　heard　enough　about　him　to　be　mighty　sure　that　together　with　his　other　accomplishments　he　possessed　the　golden　tongue　and　easy　speech　of　an　orator。　　Also；　that　his　tendencies　were　revolutionary　and　that　for　all　his　fine　clothes　and　hankering　after　table　luxuries　and　the　like；　he　cherished　a　spite　against　wealth　which　made　his　words　under　certain　moods　cut　like　a　knife。　　But　there　was　another　man；　known　to　us　of　the　　Precinct；　who　had　very　nearly　these　same　gifts；　and　this　man　was　going　to　speak　at　a　secret　meeting　that　very　evening。　　This　we　had　been　told　by　a　disgruntled　member　of　the　Associated　Brotherhood。　　Suspecting　Brotherson；　I　had　this　pr