irties; I saw him now and then, in the club playing
billiards or going in and out of the Wells house, a large, fastidiously
dressed man, strong featured and broad shouldered, with rather too much
manner. I remember particularly how I hated the light spats he affected,
and the glaring yellow gloves.

A man who would go straight for the thing he wanted, woman or power or
money. And get it.

Sperry was waiting on his door-step, and we went on to the Wells house.
What with the magnitude of the thing that had happened, and our mutual
feeling that we were somehow involved in it, we were rather silent.
Sperry asked one question, however, "Are you certain about the time when
Miss Jeremy saw what looks like this thing?"

"Certainly. My watch fell at five minutes after nine. When it was all
over, and I picked it up, it was still going, and it was 9:30."

He was silent for a moment. Then:

"The Wellses' nursery governess telephoned for me at 9:35. We keep a
record of the time of all calls."

Sperry is a heart specialist, I think I have said, with offices in his
house.

And, a block or so farther on: "I suppose it was bound to come. To tell
the truth, I didn't think the boy had the courage."

"Then you think he did it?"

"They say so," he said grimly. And added,--irritably: "Good heavens,
Horace, we must keep that other fool thing out of our minds."

"Yes," I agreed. "We must."

Although the Wells house was brilliantly lighted when we reached it,
we had difficulty in gaining admission. Whoever were in the house were
up-stairs, and the bell evidently rang in the deserted kitchen or a
neighboring pantry.

"We might try the servants' entrance," Sperry said. Then he laughed
mirthlessly.

"We might see," he said, "if there's a key on the nail among the vines."

I confess to a nervous tightening of my muscles as we made our way
around the house. If the key was there, we were on the track of a
revelation that might revolutionize much that we had held fundamental in
science and in our knowledge of life itself. If, sitting in Mrs. Dane's
quiet room, a woman could tell us what was happening in a house a mile
or so away, it opened up a new earth. Almost a new heaven.

I stopped and touched Sperry's arm. "This Miss Jeremy--did she know
Arthur Wells or Elinor? If she knew the house, and the situation between
them, isn't it barely possible that she anticipated this thing?"

"We knew them," he said gruffly, "and whatever we an