nder, and that was all.

The Saturday morning following an express wagon stopped at Nick Carter's
house and delivered a package addressed to the detective, which was
marked: "Fragile. This side up, with care."

Joseph carried it to the detective's study, placed it upon the table,
and was about to leave the room when Nick stopped him.

"What is that, Joseph?" he asked.

"An express package, sir, which just came for you."

"Who brought it, Joseph?"

"The express wagon, sir."

"Bring it over here. Let me see it."

Joseph took the package in his hand, carried it over to place it on the
desk in front of the detective, who regarded it with a smile, while
strangely enough his mind went back to the number of attempts to injure
him that had been made during the week that was now nearly past.

"Did you sign for it, Joseph?" he asked.

"Yes, sir."

"I am expecting no package." said the detective.

"No, sir," said Joseph, not knowing what else to reply.

"I think, Joseph," said the detective, "that if you will take it to the
basement, or, rather, to the laundry, and draw one of the tubs there
full of water, it would be a good idea to put the package to soak for
five or six hours before we open it."

"Really, sir," said Joseph. "Why?"

"Joseph, if that package had come here as it has a week or ten days ago,
I should have opened it without a second thought, but, under the
circumstances and considering all that has happened of late, I deem it
wise to use every precaution. Take the package down and soak it as I
have directed."

Some hours later, when the detective recalled the incident to mind, he
and Chick went to the basement together, found the package, and with a
great deal of care opened it--from the bottom.

It was found to contain an infernal machine of the most approved
pattern, loaded with broken glass, slugs of lead and old iron, and an
assortment of nails, old keys, and bullets.

"A very pretty little present to send a fellow," said Nick, smiling
grimly. "I rather think it is a lucky thing, Chick, that it occurred to
me to give it a good soaking. I wonder what the woman will do next?"

Sunday evening when the detective entered his room he found Joseph
writhing on the floor in evident agony, brought about by the contents of
what had been a box of candy, and Nick instantly guessed that another
attempt had been made upon his life, this time to poison him.

But Joseph fortunately had only nibbled at one