th pain.

"Greig, take the letter out of this man's hand!" called the detective.

It was not necessary, however, to employ further violence, for the
secretary announced his willingness to relinquish the note. Evidently it
had been written in a hurry, under stress of excitement, and was as
follows:

"_My Dear Julia_:

"Don't permit your anger to tempt you into any rash act. There is
no reconciliation. My wife's return is but a sham, designed to
avoid a great deal of unpleasantness. Mr. Whitmore's death has not
changed matters. Follow Mr. Beard's instructions and I shall carry
out faithfully my promise to you.

"Yours in haste, GEORGE."

Britz stowed the letter in his pocket, then summoned Muldoon.

"Now tell what happened," he said.

It required some effort on the part of the policeman to gather his
thoughts. The quick succession of events had woven a fog before his
brain, leaving him with but a misty perception of what had occurred.

"I--I don't know exactly where to begin," he stammered.

"Did you follow her to the house?" Britz gave him an opening.

"Yes," he replied. "I got a taxicab and trailed her machine. She got out
in front of the door and went upstairs. About ten minutes later this
gentleman came and must have gone to her apartment. I waited downstairs.
Presently the elevator boy rushed into the street yelling 'Murder!
Police!' I asked him what happened and he said he heard a shot and a
sound like a body falling to the floor. He took me upstairs and I rapped
on the door. This man here opened it and let me in. He said the woman
had killed herself. As I knew you were coming here, I made sure that she
was dead and remained to see that nothing was disturbed."

"This man was in the room when the shot was fired?" asked Britz, as if
to make Beard realize the significance of it.

"Yes," responded the policeman.

"Mr. Beard, have you anything to add to the officer's story?" curtly
inquired the detective.

Beard faced his inquisitor, trying to meet his steady gaze with equal
steadiness. But the consciousness that he was in a serious predicament,
that he might be compelled to meet a serious charge, made him waver. He
was struggling furiously to maintain his composure, but his inward
excitement reacted on his outer frame, rendering him speechless. When,
finally, he found his voice, he turned an appealing glance on the
detective.

"She did commit suicide," he declared as