resently to take
upon itself the solid outlines of a policeman who came lumbering over to
add or subtract his quota of interest in the affair. Hillard wisely
stopped and waited for him, pulling up the collar of his jacket, as he
began to note that there was a winter's tang to the fog.

"Hi, what's all this?" the policeman called out roughly.

"To what do you refer?" Hillard counter-questioned, puffing. He slipped
his hands into the pockets of his jacket.

"I heard a woman singin', that's what!" explained the guardian of the
law.

"So did I."

"Oh, you did, huh?"

"Certainly. It is patent that my ears are as good as yours."

"Huh! See her?"

"For a moment," Hillard admitted.

"Well, we can't have none o' this in the streets. It's disorderly."

"My friend," said Hillard, rather annoyed at the policeman's tone, "you
don't think for an instant that I was directing this operetta?"

"Think? Where's your hat?"

Hillard ran his hand over his head. The policeman had him here. "I did
not bring it out."

"Too warm and summery; huh? It don't look good. I've been watchin' these
parts fer a leddy. They call her Leddy Lightfinger; an' she has some O'
the gents done to a pulp when it comes to liftin' jools an' trinkets.
Somebody fergits to lock the front door, an' she finds it out. Why did
you come out without yer lid?"

"Just forgot it, that's all."

"Which way'd she go?"

"You'll need a map and a search-light. I started to run after her
myself. I heard a voice from my window; I saw a woman; I made for the
street; _niente_!"

"Huh?"

"_Niente_, nothing!"

"Oh! I see; Dago. Seems to me now that this woman was singin' I-taly-an,
too." They were nearing the light, and the policeman gazed intently at
the hatless young man. "Why, it's Mr. Hillard! I'm surprised. Well,
well! Some day I'll run in a bunch o' these chorus leddies, jes' fer a
lesson. They git lively at the restaurants over on Broadway, an' thin
they raise the dead with their singin', which, often as not, is anythin'
but singin'. An' here it is, after one."

"But this was not a chorus lady," replied Hillard, thoughtfully reaching
into his vest for a cigar.

"Sure, an' how do you know?" with renewed suspicions.

"The lady had a singing voice."

"Huh! They all think alike about that. But mebbe she wasn't bad at the
business. Annyhow...."

"It was rather out of time and place, eh?" helpfully.

"That's about the size of it. This Leddy Lightfinger i