ut the bullet
they had found.

They were back in the front room again when a huge figure appeared in
the doorway and stood there blocking it.

"Whatta youse doin' here?" demanded a husky voice.

Muldoon nodded a greeting. "'Lo, Dave. Just lookin' around to see the
scene of the scrap. How about yuh?"

"Beat it," ordered Gorilla Dave, his head thrust forward in a threat.
"Youse got no business here."

"Friends av mine." The officer indicated the young woman and her
father. "They wanted to see where 'Slim' was knocked out. So I showed
'em. No harm done."

Dave moved to one side. "Beat it," he ordered again.

In the pocket of Muldoon was a request of the district attorney for
admission to the house for the party, with an O.K. by the captain of
police in the precinct, but Tim did not show it. He preferred to let
Dave think that he had been breaking the rules of the force for the
sake of a little private graft. There was no reason whatever for
warning Durand that they were aware of the clever trick he had pulled
off in regard to the partition.

CHAPTER XXXV

TWO AND TWO MAKE FOUR

From Maddock's the Whitfords drove straight to the apartment house of
Clarendon Bromfield. For the third time that morning the clubman's
valet found himself overborne by the insistence of visitors.

"We're coming in, you know," the owner of the Bird Cage told him in
answer to his explanation of why his master could not be seen. "This
is important business and we've got to see Bromfield."

"Yes, sir, but he said--"

"He'll change his mind when he knows why we're here." Whitford pushed
in and Beatrice followed him. From the adjoining room came the sound
of voices.

"I thought you told us Mr. Bromfield had gone to sleep and the doctor
said he wasn't to be wakened," said Beatrice with a broad, boyish smile
at the man's discomfiture.

"The person inside wouldn't take no, Miss, for an answer."

"He was like us, wasn't he? Did he give his name?" asked the young
woman.

"No, Miss. Just said he was from the Omnium Club."

Whitford and his daughter exchanged glances. "Same business we're on.
Announce us and we'll go right in."

They were on his heels when he gave their names.

Bromfield started up, too late to prevent their entrance. He stood
silent for a moment, uncertain what to do, disregarding his fiancee's
glance of hostile inquiry lifted toward the other guest.

The mining man forced his hand. "Won't