nd he fell to the girl's trail again. He had made up his mind as to the
course he would take, and again his conclusions were justified in the
most startling manner. He had anticipated her design and in following
her he had been compelled to be very careful, for he speedily discerned
that she was on the watch against being followed. She evidently
suspected that she would be, and Oscar had lain very close in order to
avoid observation, but he was delighted at the prospect of witnessing
the verification of his suspicions. The girl finally arrived in front of
a very nice house--one of those narrow houses to be found uptown in New
York in very stylish neighborhoods. The detective was actually
compelled to throw himself at full length beside the curb in order to
avoid observation, and he actually crept forward like a huge snail, for
the girl was very cute and careful in ascertaining whether she was being
followed or not. At length our hero's patience and endurance were
rewarded; he saw the girl ascend the stoop of a house, produce a key and
enter; and he then knew that she had returned to the lodging place back
of Brooklyn--to Argetti's poorer quarters--for the very purpose of
getting this key. She passed inside the house, and then Dunne rose to
his feet, ran forward and darted down to the basement door of the house.
Once under the stoop it took him but a little time to open the door, and
he too passed inside the house. He did not stop to take observations,
but hastened up the stairs, and in the rear room on the second floor he
saw the glimmer of a light. It was a critical moment, but he was a
winner. He made no hesitation in entering the room. He did not stop to
watch the girl. He was fully satisfied in having located the house. He
felt he could trust himself for all other discoveries. He peeped into
the room and beheld the girl standing before a mirror, and for the first
time only realized how singularly beautiful she was. He stepped into the
room; the girl was so intent gazing at her beautiful self in the mirror
she did not hear his entrance, but suddenly as she beheld his reflection
in the glass she uttered a suppressed scream and turned and faced him
with the startled exclamation, "You here!"

"Yes."

"This is treachery."

Oscar smiled and said:

"Do not use so harsh a term."

"It is indeed treachery; you were to meet me to-morrow night."

"Yes, and I will. I did not _meet_ you this time, I followed you."

"You n