d at Shepley's hotel. I knew where his
suite was, so I slipped up to it without anybody seeing me, and knocked
at the door. He admitted me. I begged him to give me a little time to
repay the money, but he would not. He called me a thief, and said that I
must go to prison, that he would not have a hand in letting me remain at
liberty to rob other men.

"There was a steel letter opener on the table. I--I stabbed him with it,
and then I got away by the fire escape. Nobody saw me. I left him there
dead. I was almost frantic when I reached home. Then I saw how I could
have Sidney Prale accused and remove the menace of his presence also. I
would be safe if Prale were convicted of the murder. I would not have to
repay the Shepley money, and Prale never could reveal that I had
betrayed Mr. Griffin and the others instead of him.

"So I sent the notes and money to the barber and clothing merchant, and
they denied that Prale had visited them, thus smashing his alibi. I
denied that I had met him on the Avenue. I thought that I was safe. But
the barber and merchant told Farland the truth, and the police began to
think that Sid was not guilty.

"I grew almost frantic then. My one hope was in running Sid out of town
as quickly as possible, and so I did everything I could think of to
bring about that end."

"How about that fountain pen found beside the body?" Farland asked.

"When I was talking to Sid that night on the Avenue, his coat was open
and I saw the pen. Something seemed to tell me to take it, that it might
be used against him some time. As I clutched his lapel, begging him to
leave town, I took the pen from his pocket."

"Nothing but a plain dip, after all!" Farland sneered.

"I dropped it beside the body after I had killed Shepley. It was a part
of my plan. And--and I guess that is all!"

"I guess it is!" Sidney Prale said. "Mr. Griffin and I, and some other
men, made a little investigation last night and continued it this
morning. We found that you were the traitor who caused that financial
smash ten years ago. It may please you to know that Mr. Griffin is my
friend again, and that others are being informed of my innocence. Even
Coadley has come to me and asked to take my case again. But I was
clearing myself of the charge of business treason, and nothing more. I
did not connect you with the murder of Shepley."

"Well, I did connect him with it," Farland put in. "But when I sprung it
on him here this afternoon, I