inference is obvious--something caused him to dress and prepare
to leave the house voluntarily. That 'something' must have manifested
itself very abruptly, and demanded great haste--either that, or he
expected to return; for you will observe that, although he replaced his
shaving tackle in the portmanteau, he did not put his sleeping-suit back
with it. While I am poking about, do me the favour of looking in the
bag, Mr. Narkom; and tell me if you find the collar and necktie there."

"Not a trace of them," announced the superintendent a moment or two
later. "Here are the shaving-mug, the brush, and the spirit-lamp,
however, just as you suggested; and--Hallo! what have you stumbled upon
now?" For Cleek, who had been "poking about," as he termed it, had
suddenly stooped, picked up something, and was regarding it fixedly as
it lay in the palm of his hand.

"A somewhat remarkable thing to discover in a lady's bed-chamber, Mr.
Narkom, unless--Just step downstairs, and ask Miss Morrison to come up
again for a moment, will you?" And then held out his hand so that Narkom
could see, in passing, that a hempseed, two grains of barley, and an
oat lay upon his palm. "Miss Morrison," he inquired as Mary returned in
company with the superintendent, "Miss Morrison, do you keep pigeons?"

She gave a little cry, and clasped her hands together, as if reproaching
herself for some heartless act.

"Oh!" she said, moving hastily forward toward the window. "Poor dears!
How good of you to remind me. To think that I should forget to feed them
for three whole days. They may be dead by now. But at such a time I
could think of nothing but this hideous mystery. My pigeons--my poor,
pretty pigeons!"

"Oh, then you do keep them?"

"Yes; oh, yes. In a wire-enclosed cote attached to the house just
outside this window. Homing pigeons, Mr. Headland. George bought them
for me. We had an even half dozen each. We used to send messages to each
other that way. He would bring his over to me, and take mine away with
him at night when he went home, so we could correspond at any moment
without waiting for the post. That's how I sent him the message about
the arrival of the belt. Oh, do unlock the window, and let me see if the
pretty dears are still alive."

"It doesn't need to be unlocked, Miss Morrison," he replied, as he
pulled up the blind. "See, it can be opened easily--the catch is not
secured."

"Not secured? Why, how strange. I myself fastened it af