r stepfather to Dunn and back again.

"It's only that your name happens to be the same as that of a friend of
ours--a great friend of my daughter's," Deede Dawson said as though he
felt obliged to offer some explanation. "That's all--a coincidence. It
startled me for the moment." He laughed. "That's all. Well, my man, it
happens there is something I can make you useful in. If you do prove
useful and do what I tell you, perhaps you may get let off. I might even
keep you on in a job. I won't say I will, but I might. You look a likely
sort of fellow for work, and I daresay you aren't any more dishonest
than most people. Funny how things happen--quite a coincidence, your
name. Well, come on; it's that packing-case you saw in the attic
upstairs. I want you to help me downstairs with that--Charley Wright."

CHAPTER IX. THE ATTIC OF MYSTERY

Robert Dunn was by no means sure that he was not going to his death as
he went out of Ella's room on his way to the attics above, for he had
perceived a certain doubt and suspicion in Deede Dawson's manner, and he
thought it very likely that a fatal intention lay behind.

But he obeyed with a brisk promptitude of manner, like one who saw a
prospect of escape opening before him, and as he went he saw that Ella
had relapsed into her former indifference and was once more giving all
her attention to bathing her wrists with eau-de-Cologne; and he saw,
too, that Deede Dawson, following close behind, kept always his revolver
ready.

"Perhaps he only wants to get me out of her way before he shoots," he
reflected. "Perhaps there is room in that packing-case for two. It will
be strange to die. Shall I try to rush him? But he would shoot at once,
and I shouldn't have a chance. One thing, if anything happens to me, no
one will ever know what's become of poor Charley."

And this seemed to him a great pity, so that he began to form confused
and foolish plans for securing that his friend's fate should become
known.

With a sudden start, for he had not known he was there, he found himself
standing on the threshold of that attic of death. It was quite dark
up here, and from behind Deede Dawson's voice told him impatiently to
enter.

He obeyed, wondering if ever again he would cross that threshold alive,
and Deede Dawson followed him into the dark attic so that Dunn was
appalled by the man's rashness, for how could he tell that his victim
would not take this opportunity to rise up from the plac