ubbing his hands. "The fellow took chances."

"It came from a slot-booth in a cigar store in a big building. It only
lasted two minutes. The operator at Gramercy Hill says the first voice
she heard, asking for Gramercy Hill 9764, was harsh and loud. I don't
understand that."

"Harsh and loud," repeated Drew, toying with his watch chain. "That's
odd. Was it the same man that Miss Stockbridge heard?"

"The operator don't know. Delaney says maybe there were two of them.
One, who called up, and one who talked to this room." Nichols turned
and nodded toward the silver-plated telephone.

"Hardly possible," mused Drew. "I think he changed his voice after he
got the connection. He didn't want Miss Stockbridge to recognize him."

Loris glanced at the two men. "What will they do?" she asked anxiously.
"Will Mr. Delaney and the other detectives catch him by that call?"

"Hardly," said Drew. "He was in and out within three minutes. The bird
has flown from there!"

"But where will he go?"

"I don't know, Miss Stockbridge. I wish that I did know. There are over
a hundred thousand telephones in New York he could use. It's impossible
to guess which one. The booths at the Grand Central are covered by one
of my operatives. The telephone company is on the alert for all calls
to this house. All they can do is to record them and tell us what
happens after it happens. We are trying now to get this whispering dog
when he is compelled to wait at a booth. If Morphy 'phones him from the
prison to-night we have him. The telephone company is going to delay
the call after getting the number. It would look natural. Then, we can
strike at the booth or place where the call is directed in time to
catch the man Morphy is telephoning to. Up to now, Morphy has not
'phoned or Delaney would have said something about it."

"But can't you stop these calls?" asked Loris.

"Very easy. We could order the wires disconnected. But then we wouldn't
catch our man. He would be suspicious and wait for another time."

"The whole thing seems so strange, Mr. Drew. We're locked in here. The
house is so well guarded. All they can do is 'phone and yet we--at
least I am nervous. Why have I got that strange feeling?"

"From experience!" declared Drew. "If we knew how your poor father was
killed there wouldn't be cause for worry. We don't know. It was so
subtle that we are confronted with the unknown in terrible form. You
feel a shadow and so do I. A reaching shado