confederate. He waited patiently until the waning
afternoon light told him that it was time to begin his watch before the
house at number 162.

Across the street a residence, closed for the summer, its front entrance
boarded up, afforded him a convenient place to wait. He sat down upon
the steps, and pretended to be occupied with a newspaper. His eyes,
however, sought constantly the doorway opposite.

A number of persons entered the place, during the next two hours, but
Marcia Ford was not amongst them. As the darkness began to approach, and
lights in the streets and houses flared up, Duvall rose, crossed the
street, and stationed himself at a nearer point, from which he might the
more certainly identify anyone entering the house. Miss Ford, however,
failed to appear.

From the sign in the window, to the effect that roomers were wanted,
Duvall concluded that the Ford girl did not take her meals in the house.
His watch showed him that it was nearly seven. Doubtless she had
arranged to dine before returning home. In a flash it came to him that
his opportunity to make an examination of her room was now at hand.

To secure entrance to the room by the usual channels was clearly out of
the question. The people at the boarding house would, of course, not
permit it. But could he discover the means of communication, whatever
they were, between Miss Morton's apartment and the girl's room, he might
be able to enter the latter unknown and unobserved. He had thought of
attempting this during the afternoon, but realized that he could not
hope to accomplish it, in broad daylight, without being seen by the
occupants of the neighboring buildings, and perhaps arrested as a
burglar or sneak thief.

With a last glance down the street, he hastened back to the apartment
building and made his way to Mrs. Morton's flat. Passing quickly through
Ruth Morton's bedroom, he climbed out upon the fire escape and looked
about.

Below him were the rear yards of the houses fronting on the next street.
To the right he could see the bulk of the apartment building, blocking
his view of the avenue beyond. To the left were the rear buildings of
the adjoining houses. It was quite dark, the sky was starless, but all
about him gleamed the lights in the windows of the neighboring
buildings.

Neither to the right, nor to the left was there any possible way by
which access to the point where he now stood could be gained. From
below, it was possible, altho