unting had become keenly interested
in the amazing series of crimes which was occupying the imagination
of the whole of London's nether-world. Even her refined mind had
busied itself for the last two or three days with the strange problem
so frequently presented to it by Bunting--for Bunting, now that they
were no longer worried, took an open, unashamed, intense interest in
"The Avenger" and his doings.

She took the kettle off the gas-ring. "It's a pity Bunting isn't
here," she said, drawing in her breath. "He'd a-liked so much to
hear you tell all about it, Joe."

As she spoke she was pouring boiling water into a little teapot.

But Chandler said nothing, and she turned and glanced at him. "Why,
you do look bad!" she exclaimed.

And, indeed, the young fellow did look bad--very bad indeed.

"I can't help it," he said, with a kind of gasp. "It was your
saying that about my telling you all about it that made me turn
queer. You see, this time I was one of the first there, and it
fairly turned me sick--that it did. Oh, it was too awful, Mrs.
Bunting! Don't talk of it."

He began gulping down the hot tea before it was well made.

She looked at him with sympathetic interest. "Why, Joe," she said,
"I never would have thought, with all the horrible sights you see,
that anything could upset you like that."

"This isn't like anything there's ever been before," he said. "And
then--then--oh, Mrs. Bunting, 'twas I that discovered the piece of
paper this time."

"Then it is true," she cried eagerly. "It is The Avenger's bit of
paper! Bunting always said it was. He never believed in that
practical joker."

"I did," said Chandler reluctantly. "You see, there are some queer
fellows even--even--" (he lowered his voice, and looked round him
as if the walls had ears)--"even in the Force, Mrs. Bunting, and
these murders have fair got on our nerves."

"No, never!" she said. "D'you think that a Bobby might do a thing
like that?"

He nodded impatiently, as if the question wasn't worth answering.
Then, "It was all along of that bit of paper and my finding it while
the poor soul was still warm,"--he shuddered--"that brought me out
West this morning. One of our bosses lives close by, in Prince
Albert Terrace, and I had to go and tell him all about it. They
never offered me a bit or a sup--I think they might have done that,
don't you, Mrs. Bunting?"

"Yes," she said absently. "Yes, I do think so."

"But, there, I don't know th