lf were conferring on this case at my house, somebody tried to
listen outside my door. I was pretty sure this was so from the
sounds I heard; and when I went to the door, somebody dashed down
the stairs and escaped in a motor car. I'm ashamed to say it, now,
but at the time I suspected it was one of your confederates."

"You've been mixed up in a good many cases, Morgan, and probably
have some half-finished affairs in the back of your head right now.
I would say that such an occurrence could be connected with any one
of these. On the other hand, this case is very fresh, and you have
been active in working it up. Some person may be trying to find out
just how close you are getting to the trail, so as to take
precautions, if necessary."

At that moment there was a scream in the hall outside Marsh's door.
Both men sprang to their feet and Marsh leaped to the door.

CHAPTER IX

THE LAST LETTER

At the same moment that Marsh opened the door, Tierney and the man
from Headquarters, who had been taking the photographs, came
bounding down the stairs from the third floor.

They all saw the body of a woman lying motionless on the landing.

"Who is it?" cried Morgan, over Marsh's shoulder.

"Jane Atwood!" was the sharp reply.

With that Marsh stooped and took the unconscious girl up in his
arms, the unusual tenderness and care of his movements being plainly
apparent. Carrying her into his apartment, while the others
followed, Marsh laid her gently on a davenport in the living room.

"She must have had a shock of some kind and fainted," exclaimed
Morgan.

"No," returned Marsh, as he softly smoothed back the hair from her
forehead, disclosing a bruise that was now rapidly discoloring and
swelling. "Somebody knocked her insensible." Then added, "You sent
your man away too soon, Morgan."

"My God!" burst out Morgan. "What nerve! To think of pulling
anything like this in a house full of detectives."

"We have a tough customer this time," declared Marsh. "Ordinary
methods won't go. Watch her while I get some water."

Marsh went to the bathroom for a towel and some cold water. In the
meantime Morgan turned sharply to Tierney.

"From now on, while we work on this case, your job is to stand
outside of every door I enter."

Tierney grinned. To some men it might have seemed that they were
being thrust into the background. To Tierney, however, the work
immediately presented possibilities that stirred his fighting I