he
elder Morris were heavy drinkers caused me to think it possible."

"Is that all there is to the report?"

"Almost." The investigator turned to the pages once more, and
proceeded: "'Hume and the elder Morris became quite intimate and were
often seen together. But what it was that formed the bond between
them, no one knows, unless it be a deaf mute named Locke, who was
frequently seen in their society and who seemed upon close terms with
both. But within a year after their first meeting, Hume broke with
Morris. This must have been serious, for it caused a marked enmity to
spring up between them. A number of people recall that Richard Morris
frequently made threats against the other--threats of personal
violence and also of the law. But before anything could come of these,
if he really meant them, he died.

"'Thinking that Locke might be able to throw some light on this phase
of the case, we have endeavored to locate him. Up to this time we have
met with no success; but we hope to learn something of him at an early
date.'"

Ashton-Kirk laid the sheets down upon the table.

"There follows a list of the names of the people who have supplied
this information and their addresses," said he. "Burgess is very
thorough in his work."

"Outside the fact that Hume was a scoundrel--which we knew
before--and that he was acquainted with Locke and Allan Morris's
father, what does this report tell you?"

There was discontent in Pendleton's voice as he asked this question,
and the investigator smiled as he made answer:

"That Hume knew the elder Morris supplies us with a theory as to the
possible part which the younger Morris has taken in this drama.
Whatever passed between Hume and the father has probably been taken up
by the son."

"Why, yes," said Pendleton. "I hadn't thought of that."

"Another thing," added Ashton-Kirk: "The report has swung like the
needle of a compass, and indicated a fact that my imagination
suggested days ago."

"And that is--"

"That Hume once lived in the French town of Bayonne."

Pendleton frowned impatiently.

"I don't know what ever made you imagine that," he said. "But now that
you find that it is so, of what service is it?"

"We will speak of that later," answered Ashton-Kirk.

Pendleton was about to say something more, but just then Fuller
knocked and entered.

"The report on Allan Morris," said he.

"Ah, thanks." The investigator took the compactly typed sheets, and
then he co