hem on the man's wrists, after all."

"I did; I swear it," declared Ferguson. "I'm no novice at that business.
Here, don't touch them, Mr. Kent," as his companion bent toward the
chair. "There may be finger marks on the steel; if so"--he drew out
his handkerchief, and taking care not to handle the burnished metal, he
folded the handcuffs carefully in it and put them in his coat pocket.
"There's no use lingering here, Mr. Kent; this apartment is vacant now
except for us. I must get to Headquarters."

"Hadn't you better telephone for an operative and station him here?"
suggested Kent.

"I did so while you were searching the back rooms," replied Ferguson.
"There," as the gong sounded. "That's Nelson, now."

But the person who stood in the outer corridor when they opened the
front door was not Nelson, the operative, but Dr. Stone.

"Can I see Mr. Rochester?" he asked, then catching sight of Kent
standing just back of the detective, he added, "Hello, Kent; I thought
I heard some one walking about in here from my apartment next door, and
concluded Rochester had returned. Can I see him?"

"N-no," Kent spoke slowly, with a side-glance at the silent detective.
"Rochester has been here--and left."

CHAPTER XVI. THE CRIMSON OUTLINE

Barbara McIntyre made the round of the library for the fifth time,
testing each of the seven doors opening into it to see that they ere
closed behind their portieres, then she turned back to her sister, who
sat cross-logged before a small safe.

"Any luck?" she asked

Instead of replying Helen removed the key from the lock of the steel
door and regarded it attentively. The safe was of an obsolete pattern
and in place of the customary combination lock, was opened by means of a
key, unique in appearance.

"It is certainly the key which father mislaid six months ago," she
declared. "Grimes found it just after father had a new key made and gave
it to me. And yet I can't get the door open."

"Let me try." Barbara crouched down by her sister and inserted the key
again in the lock, but her efforts met with no results, and after five
minutes' steady manipulation she gave up the attempt. "I am afraid it is
impossible," she admitted. "Seems to me I have heard that the lost key
will not open a safe after a new key has been supplied."

Helen rose slowly to her feet, stretching her cramped limbs carefully as
she did so, and sank down in the nearest chair. Her attitude indicated
dejection.

"Th