Constance Dunlap

ate this a

time. I wish they had made the

e is doing the same thing somewhere else. What'

reated me like a

e voice of the second woman as she brok

hum of conversation and the snatches of tuneful music wafted f

meet any one, but because she liked to watch the people in "Peacoc

e felt that very few of the gaily chatting couples or of the waitin

ast, were two young married women with a grievance, and it was not for those against

and carefully groomed. The younger, who had been the first speaker, was, perhaps, the more dashing. Certainly she appeared to be the more sophisticated

they caught sight of the two ladies, there was a smile of recognition, an exchang

tering, familiar terms-"Mr. Smith," "Mr

tance. "Sorry we're late, but a business friend ran into us as we

opposite end of the c

uted the other woman, "but

tated after a little-er-tea-and

n the direction of the din

elope. She picked it up. It was on the stationery of another fashionable hotel, evidently written by one of those who lounge in, and on the

nce had pulled out the card in

AREST

he Vanderveer to-mor

g your lit

many

ur

?

hand and held them as she regarded the passing throng, intending

d she stayed much longer than she had intended. One by one the people had either gone to

her to change her mind. There was the young lady who had been talking so flippantly

cting angle. What did it mean? If Drummond had anything

Was it a side-light upon that peculiar industry of

the detective was up to now. And, somehow, she felt a duty in the case. She determined to return the en

out the Melcombe Apartments, a huge stone and brick affair on

ife of a well-known business man. Yet, as she entered the little apartme

er unexpected visitor

leaping into the middle of her errand, "and I happened to see this envelope lying on the carp

Constance handed it to her. "Thank you," sh

they chatted of in

iend?" asked Con

ushed a bit, evidently wondering j

stance, who had put the que

as inquired in a tone that b

ll you something

mine-a Mrs.

of-er-friends that you may chance to

repeated

dually to the point. "You know th

ing else, you can always take a taxi. Besides, I think I can uncover almost any shadow. All you have to do, if you think you're being shadow

They can fake up evidence to order. That is their business, you know, to manufacture it. You may unco

dently Constance knew some things she

is anything like that, do

. Murray, after you had left the Vanderveer, talking to a detective whom

ossible!" persis

being a detective? Why, just such an attractive young woman, of course. You see, it is just this way. They reason that if they c

as staring

st important business secrets to chance luncheon and dinner companions whom they think have no direct or indirect interest in

onstance, who saw that she had made an impression a

ce quickly, "you say she is a frie

o feel that Constance was different from other chance acquaintances, to

making a confession. "A woman in the dressing-room borrowed a cigarette. You know they often do tha

d to admit that she knew any other men. Consta

on the next day," she continued hasti

on with her, and-"

usband who was a perfect bear, and then gossip about him tha

ys married these days. Somebody is always mixing in, getting one or the other so wrought up that th

reservedly, as there was little reason why she should not, a story

s of him, of a girl who had been hi

tive evidence against him. Still, there was enough to war

ey were separated, she had taken a little kitchenette apartment at the new Melcombe. Her husband was livi

inished, "it is very lonely

o, am often very lonely. Call on me, especially if you find anything cr

the elevator door had clanged shut and her new friend had gone. She was visib

her woman's instinct in her judgment of him. No, she felt sure that he could not be other than she thought. But as for Alice Murray and her friend

a business trip. That she knew, for it had been the

company, after the other couple had excu

one seemed to know when she would be there. It was strange, because always before it

a sort of foreboding that her new friend had not spoken without reaso

It was early in the afternoon, while Anita was still brooding, that a strange man called on

troduced himself

t as if to make sure that he cou

continued, "on a rat

or effect,

ployed by Mr. Douglas t

e what effect his sudden remark wo

etly, "I have watched, I h

words was more potent on her than if he had not

ress it," h

going like a

cost somethin

aw-she caught

she repeated, faci

ok his eyes from

tters that had passed from her to a man named Lynn Munro. He has

g sensation. One

ffer that set her bidding against her husband for the letters. And in a cas

she pleaded weakly. "

e had learned what he had come to

nserting the knife and turning it around, "I sha

up. At least she

ove anything," sh

at this interview helps to prove it, do you? An innocent woman wouldn't have considered my off

r into the fireplace as he rose to go. A

ht it will be locked in his safe-documentary evidence. If you should change your m

a mocking smile at

time, she had begun to tell of her own escapades and to try to get Anita to admit that she had had similar adventures

o, and in some way, after he had left town, had got the l

ers might give her husband material that would look

le allowance? She trembled at the though

to turn. In her dilemma she thought o

she entered Constance's apartment, then in the same br

etically. She had expected suc

o they-know?" sh

rvously. "Really-I confess," she murmur

tly. Constance listened eagerly

virtue, that it showed that there was hope for such a woman. Admission of the truth, even to a friend, would have

ooks badly,"

-on the surface,

don't say I blame you for your-indiscreet friend

as now sobbing softly, as Consta

th. There's a lot of such blackmailing going on in New York. Next to business and political cases, I suppose, it is the private detective's most important graft. Nearly everybody has a past

nn-and the reports that that woman must have made of our-our

was thinki

t was not half an hour ago that Drummond called on you. He must be downtown about now. Y

r to her. "What do you suppose

ical," she answered slowly. "If I know him rightly, I think he will

p them?" broke in

personal papers. I shouldn't be surprised if he looked them over and lo

aimed Constance excit

y. In her face Constance read the desperat

a in a low, tense t

ner in the Terminal. We

Nothing was said, but what each read was a suf

a cabinet. From the false back of a drawer she took two

with a peculiar turn at the end,

er face averted, looking out of the window into the blackness of the night. Perhaps she was thinking of other journeys out to Gle

heir way from the station up the main street, the

Mrs. Douglas, halting Constance,

He had gone out there early and

las. "Oh-it's clear to me that he has the stuff

streets of a suburban town always occasions suspicion, and instinctively Constance dre

but at the corner of the plot a large bush stood. I

y, speculating what it was he was reading, while Anita, half a

library winked out and

d with it the last

red under some clouds, Constance pu

, yet Constance observed all the caution

n space to the cottage, approachin

a window, the window through which had sho

steel bar with the twisted head, and began

aid?" chattered

Against them an ordinary door lock or window catch is no protection at all. Why, with this jimmy, even a w

muffling the lever as much as

wrench and the

noise. There had been no wind, no pa

d breathless. Had it been heard? Would a wi

save the rustle of the

wer sash and they stepped softly into the house-once

on a little pocket storage-battery lam

d been working at it. Anita wondered what had been the grim thoughts of the man as he pondered on the mas

ht rested on a little s

pointing, half afraid even of

des quietly, and drew the curtains ti

pouring some of the powder in a

ked Anita, bending

return. "I read of this thing in a scientific paper the other day, and I determin

powder from t

d t

sium p

had lighte

e whispered, "back in the farthest corner of the room

a steady, brilliant burst of noi

ad she found that her eyes hurt. She h

sufficient to prevent any damage to

be sinking into the very steel of the s

l illusion, a fr

hispered in awe, drawi

cinated, "an invention of a German chemist named Goldschmidt. It will burn a hol

fall into the safe as if it had been

regain control over their eyes in spite

iptoed acro

d a hole large enough to sti

and drew out something on whic

ks, the personal checks of a methodic

ctly straight-payments to tradesmen, to real estate

ie around," remarked Anita, as she began

refully than others. Suddenly she held one up to the

ttle of brownish fluid which s

y and brushed it over the check. T

gent will restore the original color-partially and at least for a time. Ah-yes-it is as I thought. There have been erasures in these checks. Other names h

inal writing. It read, "Pay

n exclamation of anger and hatred at the

. He didn't want to destroy them, yet he couldn't have such evidence about. So he must have altered t

e personal and some business letters, some old check

und a packet of letters and a sheaf of

y suppressed. The letters were those in h

d's reports, too,

n massed in a way that must inevitably have prejudiced

whispered Constance hoarsely, handing it ove

the whole mass of incriminating papers and had cast them

ame a deep voice

hat's a

. For a moment a chill ran over her at being caught in the nefarious work of breaking and

sort of electric light system that could be instan

as staring angrily at his wi

ith cold sarcasm. "Wh

with a quick motion, Constance struck a match

ight of what they were and al

rm. "One moment, Mr. Douglas," s

are you?" he gasped

s, if you attempt to do so. Besides, you know, the courts rather frown on detectives that practice collusion and conspiracy and frame up evidence, t

nge into the brownish liquid. Again the magic touch revealed the telltale name. With her finger sh

stared

he flickering fire died away. In an instant he reali

one to the othe

check

iously folded up t

y-contest," Douglas ma