dual's door
doing it. He centred his attack upon the bottom push button of all.
Directly, from almost beneath his feet, came the sound of an areaway
window being unlatched, and a drowsy female somewhat crossly inquired to
know who might be there and what might be wanted.

"It's a gentleman calling on Mr. Slack," wheezed Mr. Leary with his head
over the balusters. He was getting so very, very hoarse. "I've been
ringing his bell, but I can't seem to get any answer."

"A gentleman at this time o' night!" The tone was purely incredulous.

"Yes; a close friend of Mr. Slack's," assured Mr. Leary, striving to put
stress of urgency into his accents, and only succeeding in imparting an
added hoarseness to his fast-failing vocal cords. "I'm his law partner,
in fact. I must see him at once, please--it's very important, very
pressing indeed."

"Well, you can't be seein' him."

"C-can't see him? What do you mean?"

"I mean he ain't here, that's what. He's out. He's went out for the
night. He's ginerally always out on Friday nights--playin' cards at his
club, I think. And sometimes he don't come in till it's near breakfast
time. If you're a friend of his I sh'd think it'd be likely you'd know
that same."

"Oh, I do--I do," assented Mr. Leary earnestly; "only I had forgotten
it. I've had so many other things on my mind. But surely he'll be coming
in quite soon now--it's pretty late, you know."

"Don't I know that for myself without bein' told?"

"Yes, quite so, of course; naturally so." Mr. Leary was growing more and
more nervous, and more and more chilled, too. "But if you'll only be so
very kind as to let me in I'll wait for him in his apartment."

"Let you in without seein' you or knowin' what your business is? I
should guess not! Besides, you couldn't be gettin' inside his flat
anyways. He's locked it, unless he's forgot to, which ain't likely, him
bein' a careful man, and he must a-took the key with him. I know I ain't
got it."

"But if you'll just let me inside the building that will be sufficient.
I would much rather wait inside if only in the hall, than out here on
the stoop in the cold."

"No doubt, no doubt you would all of that." The tone of the unseen
female was drily suspicious. "But is it likely I'd be lettin' a stranger
into the place, that I never seen before, and ain't seen yet for that
matter, just on the strength of his own word? And him comin'
unbeknownst, at this hour of the mornin'? A fat chancet!"