ing down often, Brophy, to see Mr. Flagg. I'll depend on you
to save out a room for me."

"Number Ten is yours if it suits."

Craig grunted with the satisfaction of one who had received interesting
information; knowledge that Latisan would be regularly in Adonia helped
some plans which the director had been revolving.

Latisan lashed his horses away toward the north.

Craig took the forenoon train down over the narrow-gauge, headed for New
York. He was seeking that aid of which he had boasted--city brains. In
handling certain affairs of his in the past he had found the Vose-Mern
Detective Agency both crafty and active--and the roundabout method of
craft, he decided, was the proper way to get at Latisan, without
involving the Comas folks in any scandal.

CHAPTER NINE

Not cattishly, but with patronizing pity, Miss Leigh, bookkeeper,
remarked to Miss Javotte, filing clerk, that if Miss Kennard did not
change that green toque with the white quill to something else pretty
soon, she could be identified by her hat better than by her
fingerprints.

Miss Leigh had been showing one of her new spring hats to Miss Javotte;
she was able to express a _sotto voce_ opinion about Miss Kennard's
toque because Miss Kennard, stenographer, was rattling her typewriter
full tilt. Miss Javotte agreed, spreading her fingers fan shape and
inspecting certain rings with calm satisfaction. "And not even a
rock--only that same old-fashioned cameo thing--speaking of fingers."

"I was speaking of fingerprints," said Miss Leigh, tartly, frowning at
the display of rings, perfectly well aware that they were not bought on
the installment plan out of a filing clerk's wages.

It was quite natural for Miss Leigh to speak of fingerprints. She was an
employe in the Vose-Mern offices. "Vose-Mern Bureau of Investigation"
was the designation on the street corridor directory board of a building
in the purlieus of New York City Hall. On the same board other parties
frankly advertised themselves as detectives. The Vose-Mern agency called
its men and women by the name of operatives. The scope of its
activities was unlimited. It broke strikes, put secret agents into
manufacturing concerns to stimulate efficiency, or calculatingly and in
cold blood put other agents in to wreck a concern in the interests of a
rival. It was a matter of fees. Mern could defend the ethics of such
procedure with interesting arguments; he had been an inspector of police
a