knew then that my struggle was over and won, and I
turned back to him and leaning across the desk looked him in the eyes:

"No," I said; "tell me his name."

"Littell," he answered.

I sank back in my chair; it had come at last and I knew now what it was
that I had feared and that, unacknowledged to myself, that fear had been
with me ever since,--well, no matter when, for I hardly know, but I had
guessed it, and it was not a secret that I had feared to hear, but the
sound of a name.

So for a long time we sat there while the hissing of the fire alone
broke the silence and the shadows deepened in the room. My thoughts were
travelling back over the years through which I had known and looked up
to the man who was now charged with crime. He had been my friend and
guide, and he had fallen. He was a murderer, and I must denounce him. My
nature recoiled from the dreadful thought.

"There must be some mistake," I said, "it cannot be"; and I looked at
the detective for some sign of wavering or uncertainty, and he
understood me, for his eyes fell pityingly, but the grave face gave no
hope. "I must have proof, then," I said. For answer he extended a roll
of paper he had been holding. I took it mechanically and unrolled it,
and, smoothing it out before me, sat staring blankly at it in the
darkness till he got up and lighted the gas and then I saw it was his
report.

"Read it," he said, and I obeyed, and read it deliberately,
dispassionately, each word. There was no need for question or comment,
it was all too plain, and when I handed it back to him I knew Littell
was guilty. This is what I read:

THE REPORT OF MILES

"This report relative to the case of the death of Arthur White covers
the period of my work from the time of the trial of Henry Winters to
date. The facts discovered before the trial were presented in the
evidence and need not be re-stated.

"They pointed to Winters as the criminal, but I did not believe him
guilty. If Winters was not guilty, theft was not the object for which
the crime was committed, for all the money missing not traced to him was
otherwise accounted for. This made it likely that the crime was
committed by a higher order of criminal, some one who had a personal
motive for wishing White out of the way. Such a man should be looked for
among White's associates. Mr. Littell had taken this line in his
defence, and it seemed sound. I was satisfied that the facts would not
lead me to the cri