ebody with
whom I could talk. Besides, he had expressed a desire to see me again."

"Well, what happened?"

"Something I am at a loss to understand. He berated me for daring to
address him. He acted like a maniac. I rebuked him for his manner, and
the hotel detective advised us to leave the place until we cooled off,
or something like that."

"Who left first?" the captain asked.

"I did. I was angry because there was a crowd around and I hated the
scene that had been caused. I went through the main entrance and stepped
to the curb."

"Shepley follow you?"

"Almost immediately."

"And you went up to him and threatened him, didn't you?"

Prale thought a moment. "I told him that I didn't know why he had
insulted me, but I didn't want him to do it again."

"What else?" the captain demanded.

"I believe I said that I ought to settle with him for what he had said
already."

"And then----"

"And then I went on down the street. The hotel detective, I think, heard
me speak to Mr. Shepley."

"Yes, I know that he did," said the captain. "And the hotel detective
also says that you were white with anger, and that you went off down
Broadway like a man with murder in his mind. Do you care to say anything
more?"

"Of course," said Prale. "I went down to Madison Square, and there I sat
down on a bench."

"Meet anybody there?"

"I did. I met an old friend, Jim Farland, who used to be on your
detective force, and who now runs a private agency."

"I know Farland well, and I'll send for him."

"I talked with Jim for some time," Prale went on. "I told him, I
believe, that I seemed to have enemies working in the dark. I told him
about the scene with Shepley."

"Um! What did Farland have to say?"

"Nothing, except that he couldn't understand why Shepley had acted so.
We talked the matter over for a while and then we separated."

"Very well. And where did you go next?"

"I walked up Fifth Avenue," said Prale. "It was after nine o'clock by
that time."

"Go straight to your hotel?"

"I did not," Prale said.

"Care to tell me where you went and what you did?"

"I have no objections. I walked up the Avenue, and met my cousin, George
Lerton, the broker."

"Meet him accidentally?"

"He overtook me--called to me."

"How long did you talk to him?"

"For only a few minutes," said Prale. "You must understand that, while
George Lerton is my cousin, we are not exceptionally friendly, and never
have been. We worke