."

"Have you met with any success, at all?" asked Mary Louise.

"That question proves you're not fitted for detective work," Josie
laughingly asserted. "A moment's reflection would assure you that when
I found my man my search would be ended. Ergo, no success has yet
attended my efforts. I've interviewed a couple of hundreds, however,
and that leaves only a few hundreds left to question."

"But the whole thing drags terribly!" complained Mary Louise. "Days are
passing, and who knows what may be happening to poor Alora while you
are hanging around the cab-stands?"

Josie's face grew grave. In sober tones she said:

"I'm just as anxious as you are, Mary Louise. But this case is really
puzzling, because Chicago is such a big city that criminals may
securely hide themselves here for months--even for years--without being
discovered. Mrs. Orme was clever enough to leave few traces behind her;
as far as clews are concerned she might have evaporated into thin air,
taking Alora with her--except for this matter of the cabman. That's why
I am pinning my faith to this search, knowing all the time,
nevertheless, that Mrs. Orme may have provided for even that
contingency and rendered the discovery of the cabman impossible. To do
that, however, she would have to use a private equipage, involving a
confederate, and I believe she preferred to take chances with a hired
cab."

"What are the police doing?" inquired Mary Louise nervously.

"Nothing. They were soon discouraged and lost interest in the matter
when I took hold of the case. But _I_ don't intend to get discouraged.
I hate to be 'stumped,' as you know, and it seems to me, after careful
consideration, that success may follow the discovery of the cab-driver.
I've not been neglecting other trails, I assure you. I've obtained a
pretty fair record of the history of nurse Orme. She has the habit of
drudging in sick rooms until she accumulates enough capital to lead a
gay life for a month or so, after which she resumes nursing in order to
replenish her purse. She's a good nurse and a wild spendthrift, but
aside from the peculiarity mentioned there's nothing in her career of
especial interest. The woman is pretty well known both in New York and
Chicago, for she squanders in the first city and saves in the other,
but of her early history there is no information available. In her
wildest moods she has never done anything to warrant her arrest, yet
the police have kept a suspicious