a Singh energetically. "That's not it. She
doesn't want her money back. She--she's _almost_ satisfied. She's
willing to accept what had happened philosophically. She's almost
content. Mr. Gubb, the reason I came to you was that I did not want
her to land in--"

Alibaba Singh looked carefully around.

"I don't want her to land in jail," he whispered. "It would make
trouble for me. The lady, Mr. Gubb, is Mrs. Henry K. Lippett."

"Well?" queried Mr. Gubb.

"What I don't know," said Alibaba Singh, wiping his brow nervously,
"is whether I _did_ reincarnate her late husband or whether she's
liable to be arrested for stealing a--"

Alibaba Singh stopped short and arose hastily. Some one had knocked on
Mr. Gubb's door. Alibaba Singh moved toward the door.

"I don't want to talk about this with anybody around," he said
nervously. "I'll come back later. Not a word about it!"

He brushed past Mr. Gubb's new visitor as he went out, and Mr. Gubb
arose to greet the newcomer.

This third visitor was a large, red-faced man with an extremely loud
vest. He wore a high hat of gray beaver, and a large but questionable
diamond sparkled on his finger. He walked directly up to Mr. Gubb and
shook hands.

"Sit down," he commanded. "Now, you're Gubb, the detective, ain't you?
Good enough! My name is Stephen Watts, but they mostly call me Steve
for short--Three-Finger Steve," he added, holding up his right hand to
show that one finger was missing. "I'm in the show business. Ever hear
of John, the Educated Horse? Ever hear of Hogo, the Human Trilobite?
Ever hear of Henry, the Educated Pig? Well, them are me! That's my
show. Did you ever hear of a sheriff?"

"Frequently often," said Mr. Gubb with a smile.

"Well, up to Derlingport this here Human Trilobite of mine got loose
from my side-show tent, and when they found him he had eat about half
of the marble cornerstone out from under the Dawkins Building. He's
crazy after white marble. It's like candy to him. So Dawkins attaches
my show and sends the Sheriff with an execution to grab the whole
business unless I pay for a new cornerstone. Said it would cost two
hundred and fifty dollars. I didn't have the money."

"So he took the show," said Philo Gubb.

"_Ex_-act-ly!" said Mr. Three-Finger Steve. "He grabbed the whole
caboodle. _Ex_-cept Henry, the Educated Pig. That's why I'm here. That
Sheriff's attachment is out against that pig; it was a felony to
remove that pig from Derling Co