ar tones of the
distant voices, listening impersonally and dreamily to each question
and answer and suggestion that passed between that quietly talking
group. One of the talkers, he soon found, was a Supreme Court judge on
his vacation, equable and deliberative in his occasional query or view
or criticism; another was apparently a secret agent from the office of
the New York district-attorney, still another two were either Scotland
Yard men or members of some continental detective bureau--this Durkin
assumed from their broad-voweled English voices and their seemingly
intimate knowledge of European criminal procedure. The fifth man he
could in no way place. But it was this man who interrupted the others,
and, apparently taking a slip of paper from some inside pocket or some
well-closed wallet, read aloud a list which, he first explained, had
been secured from some undesignated safe on the night of a certain raid.

"Three hundred and twenty shares of National Bank of Commerce," read
the voice methodically, the reader checking off each item, obviously,
as he went along. "One certificate of forty-seven shares of United
States Steel Preferred; two certificates of one hundred shares each of
Erie Railroad First Preferred; eighteen personal cheques, with names
and amounts and banks attached; seven I. O. U.'s, with amounts and
dates and initials."

"Probably worthless, from our point of view!" interposed a voice.

The dreaminess suddenly went out of Durkin's eyes, as he listened.

"Postal-Union Telegraph bonds, valued at $102,345," went on the reading
voice, and again the interrupting critic remarked: "Which, you see, we
may regard as very significant, since it both obviously and inferably
demonstrates that the telegraph company and the poolrooms are compelled
to stand together!"

Durkin followed the list, with inclined head and uplifted hands,
forgetting even his simulation of work, until the end was reached.

"In all, you see, one quarter of a million dollars in negotiable
securities, if we are to rely on this memorandum, which, as I stated
before, ought to be authentic, for it was taken from the Penfield safe
the night of the first raid."

Durkin started, as though the circuit with which his fingers absently
toyed had suddenly become a live wire.

"Penfield!" The word sent a little thrill through his body.
Penfield--the very name was a challenging trumpet to him. But again he
bent and listened to the drone of t