ar. Suddenly the big machine sprang forward at
highest speed. A man leaned from the driver's seat, and snatched the
grip from his hand.

The motorman, cursing, threw on the emergency brake, in time to barely
graze the machine with his fender as it shot across the street before
him.

Shirley's view was cut off, until he had run around the street-car--then
he beheld the big automobile skidding in a half-circle, as it turned
down Fifth Avenue. It was too far away to distinguish the number of the
singing license tag.

"Much good may the bricks do them! Perhaps they will help to build the
annex necessary up the river, when these gentry go there for a long
visit."

Shirley laughed at the joke on his pursuers, and turned into a little
all-night grill for a comforting mutton chop of gargantuan proportions,
with an equally huge baked potato. He was a healthy brute, after all
his morbid line of activities! Later, at the Club, he submitted to the
amenities of the barber, whose fine Italian hand smoothed away, in a
skilful massage, the haggard lines of his long vigil. As he left the
club house for William Grimsby's residence he looked as fresh and
bouyant as though he had enjoyed the conventional eight hours' sleep.

"You are this Montague Shirley?" was the querulous greeting from the
old gentleman, when he was admitted to the drawing-room. "You kept me in
anguish the entire night, with your silly words. The telephone bell
rang at intervals of half an hour until dawn: I may have missed some
important business deal by not replying What do you mean? Is this some
blackmail game?"

"No, sir. It has to deal with blackmailing, however--but not for my
profit."

"Explain quickly. I am a busy man. My motor is waiting now to take me to
my office."

"Look here, Mr. Grimsby, at this memorandum book," said Shirley, holding
forward the list which he had copied from the joy-party article in the
theatrical paper. "With some friends of yours, you held merry carnival
to Venus and Bacchus at an all-night lobster palace not long ago. Have I
the right names?"

"This is rank impertinence. How dare you? Get out of my house."

"Not so fast, my dear sir, until you understand my drift. Throughout
Club circles you and Mr. Van Cleft, with these other cronies are
sarcastically referred to as the Lobster Club. Did you know that?"

Grimsby's face was purple with angry mortification, but Shirley would
not be gainsaid. "I am acting in this matter as