e. What
time was it, Delaney?"

"Nine forty-eight, when I looked, Chief."

"That's early. Suppose you allow a half hour for a search of the upper
house. Take that time and go over everything. Pay particular attention
to Mr. Stockbridge's rooms. Look at the windows. See that they are
locked. See that there are no places where a man could be hidden.
You'll permit Delaney to do this, Mr. Stockbridge?"

The Munition Magnate nodded. He kept his eyes on Drew, who still faced
him. "Do you think it is necessary?" he asked. "I'll answer for my
servants."

"We must suspect everybody," Drew said. "Go on, Delaney. Find the
butler and let him show you around. I've searched in here."

Delaney started toward the portieres as Stockbridge reached down and
pressed the floor-button with his finger.

"Just a moment," said Drew with afterthought. "You better knock on Miss
Stockbridge's door and ask permission to go through her suite. There's
just a chance that you might see something."

"Might see something!" shrilled the magpie.

Delaney turned with a startled half-oath. "Wot's that?" he asked,
aggressively clenching his huge fists.

"Might be something!" chortled the magpie.

"Go on," Drew laughed. "That's only a magpie."

"Looks like a crow, Chief. It sure startled me. I thought we had the
villain right here."

Drew waited. Delaney--with a last glance toward the bird-cage--followed
the butler to the upper floors of the mansion. Drew opened the letter
and studied it. He examined the postmark. He heard, as he was replacing
the paper in the envelope, the click of the glass against the bottle at
Stockbridge's side. There followed a dry chuckle of inner satisfaction.
A match was struck. Cigar smoke wreathed under the rose-light and
floated toward a high radiator which was over the book-cases. Drew went
over to these and glanced upward. The gilt-grilled ventilator, through
which the smoke passed, was narrow and set within the wallplaster. It
showed no sign of marks at its edge. It was the only opening, save the
door and the two great windows at the front, which led from or into the
library.

He returned to the center of the library. A swishing sounded. Loris,
with eyes aflame, glided into the room. The curtains dropped behind her
with soft rustling. She glanced from Drew to her father. She stamped
her slippered foot upon the thick pile of the rug before the doorway.

"By what right?" she said to Drew. "By whose orders have yo