ey reached it, did not enter.

"I shall not remain any longer, at present," he said. "I have an idea
that I can accomplish more in town. Perhaps I may discover something
there--some clue, that will enable us to make progress. I have a plan
that may result in something."

"What is it?" Mr. Baker asked.

"I prefer not to say yet. If anything develops, I will let you know.
Good day."

The taxicab in which he had made the trip down was still waiting for
him. An hour later he had reached his hotel.

The disguise of the night before he had discarded. The woman in the cab
had penetrated it. His presence, and that of Mrs. Morton, at the uptown
hotel, was known. There seemed to be no further purpose, for the
present, in attempting to preserve his incognito. He went to his room at
once, and knocked on the door which separated it from the apartment of
Mrs. Morton and her daughter. The door was opened by the maid, who
ushered him into the little parlor.

"I will tell Mrs. Morton that you are here," the girl said, and went
into the next room.

Mrs. Morton came out presently, her face pale and drawn. Duvall knew at
once that she had been up all night, watching, no doubt, beside her
daughter.

"How is Miss Ruth?" he asked.

"She is better. She had a fairly good night's rest, and her fever has
left her."

"I am glad to hear that. I hope there have been no further threats."

"No. Not yet. But I never know at what moment something may happen. It
is terrible--terrible, living under a shadow like this."

As she spoke, the telephone bell rang.

"You answer it, Mr. Duvall," she said, turning quickly to the door by
which she had entered, and closing it. "I do not think I can stand
anything more at present."

Duvall took down the receiver. Someone was asking for Mr. John Bradley.

"This is Mr. Bradley," he said, then suddenly recognized his wife's
voice. "Is this you, Richard?" she asked.

"Yes. What is it?"

"If you have time, to-day, come down and see me. I have something I want
to tell you. Something important."

"Very well. I will be there in half an hour. Good-by." He hung up the
receiver.

"Was it anything--anything _more_, Mr. Duvall?" asked Mrs. Morton.

"No. Nothing of that sort. Well, I must go along now. I merely looked in
to ask after your daughter. There is one thing I want you to do,
however, and that is, let me have a key to your apartment on 57th
Street."

Mrs. Morton took the key from her purse, an