stepped around
the desk, putting his hand on Garth's shoulder.

"Watch out for yourself," he faltered. "I don't want another Kridel
case on my conscience."

The name dampened Garth's enthusiasm. He had never known Joe Kridel who,
a year ago, had been the ascending star of the bureau. But the manner of
the young man's death was depressingly familiar to him--found stabbed
through the heart in a private house whose dwellers had heard no alarm.
The key to that puzzle had never been discovered. Even the inspector had
harbored the nature of Kridel's assignment that night of his murder.

"I hate," the inspector continued, that note of regret in his voice
again, "to give a man I like such an ugly risk."

This reached Garth as definite encouragement to words which he had
restrained for some time with difficulty. To loose them, now, however,
would be, in a way, unfair to his chief; would, in every sense, form no
fitting prelude to his formidable and dangerous task. He contented
himself, therefore, with an unsatisfactory compromise.

"If I've time I may drop in for a chat with Nora after all."

"But you won't alarm her with this?"

"Certainly not."

The inspector was very friendly.

"You know I wouldn't be surprised if Nora had taken kind of a fancy for
you herself."

Garth's face reddened. He turned away.

The inspector sighed.

"Oh, well. There's plenty of time to think of that when you bring
yourself back--alive."

* * * * * *

Before making his arrangements Garth called at the inspector's flat.
This was, in fact, a preparation. Without seeing Nora he felt he would
not be armed to enter these unfair lists with death.

He found her by the window in the sitting room. She looked, he thought,
more Latin than usual, although the black clothes she habitually wore
accentuated her dark hair and flashing eyes, the olive complexion and
regular features she had inherited from her Italian mother.

She smiled up at Garth, and, as always in face of that smile, he
recalled the unexplored neutral ground where their minds had never
really met. This impression had unquestionably retarded the development
of their relations. It had until now held their emotions in the leash of
friendship. Garth had no idea of snapping that cord at his entrance, but
Nora's proximity and the suddenness of an unexpected gesture distilled
logic and fairness for the moment's irresistible intoxication.

Their hands,