ng man did not reply. He had conceived for this stately man a
sudden hero-worship. What Citizen Drew had told him was added to his own
instinct in matters of the understanding of a personality. He did not
dare to stop and consider to what despicable extent he was lying to
his victim. He knew if he stopped to think he would quit. Now the whole
affair seemed a crazy thing. Did even his proposed ends justify this
procedure?

"There's a short cut through Sanson Street," stammered Farr, the sense
of his own iniquity increasing in the same ratio in which his respect
and admiration grew. The honorable gentleman traveled along at a brisk
jog, evidently desiring to show his apologetic mood by exhibiting
confidence in his guide.

And Farr, stealing side glances at him, was more self-accusatory, more
abashed. He cherished the hope that they would be able to anticipate
the departure of Dodd and the confederates from the cottage. It was not
clear to him just how he would make the incident serve, anyway. He was
conscious that he had grasped at any opportunity which would open the
ears of the Honorable Archer Converse to a person who had accosted him
on the street. Finding somebody in the house would, at least, stamp his
story with verity even if it served no purpose in the main intent of
Farr's efforts.

But on a well-lighted street corner the young man halted suddenly.

"It's no use," he informed the astonished Mr. Converse. "Conscience has
tripped me. I can't do it."

"Do you mean to intimate that you have been tricking me, sir?"

"I mean to say, Mr. Converse, that I had proposed to take a half-hour or
so and think up some method of honestly and properly interesting you in
a matter which is very dear to me--a public matter, sir. But here is how
I spent that half-hour."

Frankly, simply, convincingly he related to his amazed listener the full
story of what he had found in the cottage in Rose Alley.

"And therefore I had no time to ponder on my business with you--I simply
turned from the young lady, and there you were, sir, coming down the
club steps. I did the very best I could on short notice--but what I did
was very crude. I apologize. I suppose, under the circumstances, I may
as well say 'Good-night'!" He raised his hat.

But there was something in all this which piqued Converse's curiosity.

"Wait one moment. This is getting to be interesting."

A rather hazy conviction began to assure Farr that possibly chance had