relied
on his reputation to prevent prompt action against them by the sheriff,
the old man laughed. He knew the futility of trying to prevent
publication of intimations of that sort.

But he took advantage of the opportunity to put a different
interpretation on his employment by the Sloanes.

"Seems to me," he contributed, "it's more logical to say that their
calling in a detective goes a long way to show their innocence of all
connection with the crime. They wouldn't pay out real money to have
themselves hunted, if they were guilty, would they?"

Afterwards, he was glad he had emphasized this point. In the light of
subsequent events, it looked like actual foresight of Mrs. Brace's
tactics.

Soon after five Hendricks came in, to report. He was a young man,
stockily built, with eyes that were always on the verge of laughter and
lips that sloped inward as if biting down on the threatened mirth. The
shape of his lips was symbolical of his habit of discourse; he was of
few words.

"Webster," he said, standing across the table from his employer and
shooting out his words like a memorized speech, "been overplaying his
hand financially. That's the rumour; nothing tangible yet. Gone into
real estate and building projects; associated with a crowd that has the
name of operating on a shoestring. Nobody'd be surprised if they all
blew up."

"As a real-estate man, I take it," Hastings commented, slowly shaving
off thin slivers of chips from his piece of pine, "he's a brilliant
young lawyer. That's it?"

"Yes, sir," Hendricks agreed, the slope of his lips accentuated.

"Keep after that, tomorrow.--What about Mrs. Brace?"

"Destitute, practically; in debt; threatened with eviction; no
resources."

"So money, lack of it, is bothering her as well as Webster!--How much is
she in debt?"

"Enough to be denied all credit by the stores; between five and seven
hundred, I should say. That's about the top mark for that class of
trade."

"All right, Hendricks; thanks," the old man commended warmly. "That's
great work, for Sunday.--Now, Russell's room?"

"Yes, sir; I went over it."

"Find any steel on the floor?"

Hendricks took from his pocket a little paper parcel about the size of a
man's thumb.

"Not sure, sir. Here's what I got."

He unfolded the paper and put it down on the table, displaying a small
mass of what looked like dust and lint.

"Wonderful what a magnet will pick up, ain't it?" mused his employer: "I
g