. A Suspicious Test

XXIII. A Startling Decision

XXIV. The Devil's Cauldron

PART IV.--THE MAN OF MYSTERY

XXV. Death Eddy

XXVI. Hazen

XXVII. She Speaks

XXVIII. Fifteen Minutes

XXIX. "There is One Way"

XXX. Not Yet

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

A young girl sitting on a low stool by the window mending a rent in her
skirt (_Frontispiece_)

"I cut them letters there fifteen years ago. Now I'm to cut 'em out"

"A slight, dark form steals from the shadows and lays a hand on the
stooping man's shoulder"

"Cormorants!" escaped his lips. "They look for a feast of death, but they
will be disappointed"

[Illustration: Facsimile Page of Manuscript from THE LEAVENWORTH CASE

"Yes, sir,"

Might even have entered
his room late at night,
crossed it and stood at his
side, without disturbing him
sufficiently to cause him to
turn his head?

"Yes," her hands pressing
themselves painfully together.

"Miss Leavenworth, the key
to the library door is missing."

She made no answer.

"It has been testified to,
that previous to the actual
discovery of the murder,
you visited the door of the
library above. Will you tell
us if the key to the door
was there in the lock?"

"It was not."

Anna K. Green Rohlfs]

THE CHIEF LEGATEE

PART I

A Woman of Mystery

CHAPTER I

A BRIDE OF FIVE HOURS

"What's up?"

This from the manager of the Hotel ---- to his chief clerk. "Something
wrong in Room 81?"

"Yes, sir. I've just sent for a detective. You were not to be found and
the gentleman is desperate. But very anxious to have it all kept quiet;
very anxious. I think we can oblige him there, or, at least, we'll try.
Am I right, sir?"

"Of course, if--"

"Oh! it's nothing criminal. The lady's missing, that's all; the lady
whose name you see here."

The register lay open between them; the clerk's finger, running along the
column, rested about half-way down.

The manager bent over the page.

"'Roger J. Ransom and wife,'" he read out in decided astonishment. "Why,
they are--"

"You're right. Married to-day in Grace Church. A great wedding; the
papers are full of it. Well, she's the lady. They registered here a few
minutes before five o'clock and in ten minutes the bride was missing.
It's a queer story Mr. Ransom tells. You'd better hear it. Ah, there's
our man! Perhaps you'll go up with him."

"You may bet your last dollar on that," muttered the man