little
assistance. Do you think you would know the woman who came to your rooms
last night, in case you should see her again?"

Miss Morton shuddered.

"I--I don't know. I do not think I saw her face. It was all so very
sudden----"

"Tell me about it," Duvall said. "It may help me to get at the facts.
That is, if you feel able to do so."

"I think I do. What shall I tell you?"

"Just describe, in a few words, what happened."

"Well, as you know, I had been feeling rather better yesterday, and had
begun to rather laugh at my fears. Mother was with me constantly, and
Nora as well, and I began to feel quite cheerful again, especially as I
knew that you were making splendid progress and had found the woman who
had been writing me. Mother told me that you expected to arrest her
before the day was over. She said your wife had been helping you, too.

"After dinner Nora, who had been in the hotel all day, asked permission
to go out for awhile and mother told her she might go. The poor girl had
been almost a prisoner since we arrived at the hotel. That was about
eight o'clock.

"About half past eight a boy came to the room with a card, upon which
was written your wife's name, and a note asking if she might see mother
for a few moments. We both looked at the card and then mother decided to
go down and see her. She instructed me to lock the door while she was
out, and of course I did so.

"In a few minutes mother came back. She seemed greatly excited, said
that she had seen Mrs. Duvall and that you had sent a message to the
effect that you had arrested the woman who had been threatening me and
wanted mother to come to your hotel at once to appear against her in
court. It was necessary, the woman who pretended to be your wife said,
that mother should come at once, as otherwise the woman couldn't be
held.

"We talked the matter over for a few moments and I told her that I
thought she ought to go. She seemed rather afraid to leave me alone, but
I promised to keep the door locked, and anyway, as I pointed out to her,
if the woman was arrested I had nothing further to fear.

"At last mother decided she would go, and left me. I locked the door as
soon as she went out.

"It seemed to me a very few moments before I heard some one rapping. At
first I supposed that mother had come back for some reason or other.
Then I thought it might be Nora who had said she was only going out for
a breath of air. So, suspecting nothing, I