red
the detective's curiosity. The street, he noticed now, in common with
many this far up-town, was inadequately lighted, but, in spite of the
veils placed by the snow and the haze over the few gas lamps, a glance
informed him that fashion had not invaded this far. The buildings, with
high stoops and sunken areaways, were of a depressing, tasteless
similarity--doubtless cheap boarding-houses or dreary converted
apartments. He wondered what such an automobile did here, unless,
perhaps, the chauffeur, alone, had some object. But he saw that, while
the chauffeur retained his seat, the door was opened from the inside and
a tall man, in a high hat and a fur coat, which exposed an evening
shirt, stepped with nervous haste to the sidewalk.

Garth slackened his pace. He kept to the shadows near the house line. He
watched with increasing interest while the man crossed the pavement,
and, instead of climbing the steps, stooped to place an object on the
ground. He saw him rise then and take something from his pocket which he
tossed in the air. He was not surprised when the man failed to catch
it. He heard it, whatever it was, strike the sidewalk, clicking
metallically.

The man dropped to his knees and with wide gestures searched
the flagging and the gutter. After a moment the chauffeur
exclaimed--angrily, Garth fancied--then descended from his seat and
joined the hunt.

Garth, speculating on this unconventional performance, stepped casually
into an areaway, as if, indeed, it was his destination. From this
shelter he observed the outcome.

The chauffeur picked up something which he thrust into the other's hand.
After glancing quickly around he sprang to his seat while the man in
evening clothes straightened, returned to the limousine, and closed the
door. The car rolled almost silently up the street.

What, Garth questioned, had been left with such care on the sidewalk in
front of the corner house? What object, probably similar, had occasioned
the search?

When the car was nearly opposite him the man inside tapped on the pane.
On a subdued note the chauffeur exclaimed again, then pulled the car to
the curb and stopped it.

Once more the well-dressed man left the limousine and crossed the
sidewalk. For the second time he bent and placed something carefully on
the ground. It lay within Garth's reach, but just outside his line of
vision. In fact, Garth could have grasped the other, so close was he;
and he could see, in spit