did you? You don't class me with Wilson, I hope?"

"Never mind about Wilson; tell me your story."

"Very good. Don't be impatient. You know me, I take my own way of doing
things. Well, you left me in Madison Square Park. I sat on a bench and
watched Wilson. Two hours later a man came out of the hotel and Wilson
followed him. It made me laugh to see the gawk skulking along in the
rear. He's no artist. Why, any booby could tell in a minute that he was
on the trail."

"I told you to omit remarks about Wilson."

"I know, but I choose to tell you about him, because I make you
appreciate me more. So there he was chasing after your man Mitchel. You
see I have found out his name. You didn't tell me, but that could not
trouble me long, you know. It was real fun. One minute Wilson would be
actually running to keep up, and all of a sudden Mitchel would stop so
short, that Wilson would almost bump into him. Of course he knows Wilson
by this time, and just has fun with him. I wanted to get one good square
look at him myself. I jumped on a car and reached Third Avenue ahead of
them. I ran upstairs to the platform of the elevated station, and hid in
the waiting-room. Soon up came Mitchel, and away he goes to the end of
the platform. Wilson stopped in the middle and tried to look natural,
which of course he didn't. When the train came along, I got aboard and
walked through till I found my man and down I sat right opposite to him.
I just studied his face, you bet."

"Yes, Miss, and he studied yours. You are a goose, and you disobeyed
orders. I told you not to let that keen devil see you at all."

"That's all right. It came out straight enough. At Forty-second Street
he got out, and so did Wilson, and so didn't I."

"Why not?"

"Because then he might have suspected me. No, sir; I rode on up to
Forty-seventh Street, crossed over, took a train down, and was waiting
in the station when Mitchel came along the second time. This time he was
alone, evidently having eluded Wilson at Thirty-fourth Street. He took
the down train. So did I, this time keeping out of sight. He went
straight to his lay, and I after him. It is a house in Irving Place.
Here is the number." She handed a card to Mr. Barnes.

"You have done well," said he, taking it, "but why did you not report
to me at once?"

"I am not through yet. When I take up a case I go to the end of it. Do
you suppose I would track that man, and then let you turn Wilson on him
again? N