ils were over at
the first sitting, and as there'll he nothing but this new evidence
tomorrow, and as they've never been in a coroner's court----"

"Mr. Aylmore'll be the principal witness tomorrow," interrupted Spargo.
"I suppose he'll be able to tell a lot more than he told--me."

Breton shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't see that there's much more to tell," he said. "But," he added,
with a sly laugh, "I suppose you want some more good copy, eh?"

Spargo glanced at his watch, rose, and picked up his hat. "I'll tell
you what I want," he said. "I want to know who John Marbury was. That
would make good copy. Who he was--twenty--twenty-five--forty years ago.
Eh?"

"And you think Mr. Aylmore can tell?" asked Breton.

"Mr. Aylmore," answered Spargo as they walked towards the door, "is the
only person I have met so far who has admitted that he knew John
Marbury in the--past. But he didn't tell me--much. Perhaps he'll tell
the coroner and his jury--more. Now, I'm off Breton--I've an
appointment."

And leaving Breton to find his own way out, Spargo hurried away, jumped
into a taxi-cab and speeded to the London and Universal Safe Deposit.
At the corner of its building he found Rathbury awaiting him.

"Well?" said Spargo, as he sprang out: "How is it?"

"It's all right," answered Rathbury. "You can be present: I got the
necessary permission. As there are no relations known, there'll only be
one or two officials and you, and the Safe Deposit people, and myself.
Come on--it's about time."

"It sounds," observed Spargo, "like an exhumation."

Rathbury laughed. "Well, we're certainly going to dig up a dead man's
secrets," he said. "At least, we may be going to do so. In my opinion,
Mr. Spargo, we'll find some clue in this leather box."

Spargo made no answer. They entered the office, to be shown into a room
where were already assembled Mr. Myerst, a gentleman who turned out to
be the chairman of the company, and the officials of whom Rathbury had
spoken. And in another moment Spargo heard the chairman explaining that
the company possessed duplicate keys to all safes, and that the proper
authorization having been received from the proper authorities, those
present would now proceed to the safe recently tenanted by the late Mr.
John Marbury, and take from it the property which he himself had
deposited there, a small leather box, which they would afterwards bring
to that room and cause to be opened in each other's presence