, to its
ceilings being somewhat higher. In the sloping roof of the attic were
three small dormer windows, facing the court, but the nearest one was
perhaps twenty feet from the window of Ruth's room, in a horizontal
direction, and some eight or ten feet above it. There was no way in
which anyone could have passed from the attic window to that of Ruth's
room, even supposing such a person to be an expert climber. Anyone
lowered from this window by means of a rope would merely have found
himself hanging against a bare brick wall, twenty feet from the window
of the girl's room. Duvall, accompanied by Mrs. Morton, made his way
back to the library.

"You feel quite certain about the cook?" he asked.

"Sarah?" Mrs. Morton smiled. "What do you think? You've seen her."

"She certainly appears to be above suspicion," Duvall replied. "But one
can never be sure. Suppose you send her out on some errand. I should
like to search her room."

Mrs. Morton left him for a few moments, and presently the old colored
woman passed down the hall and left the apartment. Then Duvall,
accompanied by Mrs. Morton, made a thorough examination of the woman's
room.

His search disclosed nothing of interest, nor was a similar search of
the room of Nora, the maid, productive of anything that could in any way
connect her with the mysterious warnings. There remained only the
occupants of the fifth floor apartment. Duvall requested Mrs. Morton to
summon the janitor of the building, and explain to him, in a guarded
way, that he wished to ask him certain questions.

The janitor proved to be a good-natured fellow, who seemed extremely
anxious to please Mrs. Morton in every possible way. In answer to a
question from the latter, he said that the apartment on the top floor
was vacant, and had been vacant for nearly two months.

The family that had occupied it, he explained, had moved away, and had
requested the management of the building to sublet it. This they had not
yet succeeded in doing.

"May I go up and look it over?" Duvall asked.

"Sure you may," the janitor replied, and he and Duvall went to the
elevator, leaving Mrs. Morton waiting in the library.

The apartment on the top floor had been newly done over, and smelt of
fresh varnish and paint. The shiny floors had scarcely been walked upon,
since they had been refinished. The air was close and warm, by reason of
the tightly closed windows. Duvall proceeded at once to the room
directly over