maid who took care of his own bedroom.

Months later, puzzling over the situation, Bassett was to wonder, and
not to know, whether chance or design brought the Thorwald woman to
the door that night. At the time, and for weeks, he laid it to tragic
chance, the same chance which had placed in Dick's hand the warning
letter that had brought him West. But as months went on, the part played
in the tragedy by that faded woman with her tired dispirited voice and
her ash colored hair streaked with gray, assumed other proportions,
loomed large and mysterious.

There were times when he wished that some prescience of danger had
made him throttle her then and there, so she could not have raised her
shrill, alarming voice! But he had no warning. All he saw was a woman
in a washed-out blue calico dress and a fresh white apron, raising
incurious eyes to his.

"I suppose it's all right if she sits in the hall?" Bassett inquired,
still fighting his losing fight. "She can go in if he stirs."

"Right-o," said the doctor, who had been to France and had brought home
some British phrases.

Bassett walked back from the hospital alone. The game was up and he knew
it. Sooner or later--In a way he tried to defend himself to himself.
He had done his best. Two or three days ago he would have been exultant
over the developments. After all, mince things as one would, Clark was a
murderer. Other men killed and paid the penalty. And the game was not up
entirely, at that. The providence which had watched over him for so long
might continue to. The hospital was new. (It was, ironically enough, the
Clark Memorial hospital.) There was still a chance.

He was conscious of something strange as he entered the lobby. The
constable was gone, and there was no clerk behind the desk. At the foot
of the stairs stood a group of guests and loungers, looking up, while a
bell-boy barred the way.

Even then Bassett's first thought was of fire. He elbowed his way to
the foot of the stairs, and demanded to be allowed to go up, but he was
refused.

"In a few minutes," said the boy. "No need of excitement."

"Is it a fire?"

"I don't know myself. I've got my orders. That's all." Wilkins came
hurrying in. The crowd, silent and respectful before the law, opened to
let him through and closed behind him.

Bassett stood at the foot of the stairs, looking up.

XXVI

To Elizabeth the first days of Dick's absence were unbelievably dreary.
She seemed to live