ssor was
peering at him curiously over the top of his glasses, and said:

"Pretty warm stuff, eh! Good josh! Great girl! Ought to know her. She's
daft on this Egyptian business."

"Her letter is perhaps a trifle er--impulsive," the professor answered.
"But she combines the ancient and the modern charmingly. I congratulate
you."

"Thanks, Professor," Simpkins answered awkwardly, and took his leave.

Once in the street, he plunged along, head down. It was worse than he
had suspected. He had felt all along that the boy's surmises about
Brander were correct; now he knew that his suspicions of Mrs. Athelstone
were well founded. But he would keep her from that hypocrite, that hawk,
that--murderer! Simpkins stopped short at the intrusion of that word.
It had come without logic or reason, but he knew now that it had been
shaping in his head for two days past. And once spoken, it began to
justify itself. There was the motive, clear, distinct and proven; there
were the means and the man.

Next morning Simpkins was earlier than usual at the Oriental Building,
where he found the youth waiting for Brander to come and open up the
inner office.

"Parson's late, eh?" he threw out by way of greeting.

"Always is," was the surly answer. "He's de 'rig'nal seven sleepers."

"Puts you behind with your cleaning, eh?"

"Naw; youse ought to know I don't do no cleanin'."

"You don't? I thought you tended to Mrs. Athelstone's rooms and--Mr.
Brander's storeroom."

"Aw, go wan. I'm no second girl, an' de storeroom's never cleaned.
Dere's nothin' to clean but a lot of stones an' bum mummies an' such."

"Brander can't sell much stuff; I never see anything being shipped."

"Oh! I don't know! We sent a couple of embammed dooks to Chicago last
week."

"And last month?"

"Search me; I only copped out me job here last mont'; but seems as if
his whiskers did say dere was somethin' doin'." And just then Mr.
Brander came along.

Simpkins had found out what he wanted to know, and he decided that he
must bring his plans to a head at once. Mrs. Athelstone was expected
back the next day; he must search the storeroom that very night.
If--well, he thought he could spoil one scoundrel.

He worked to good advantage during the day, and at nine o'clock that
night, when he was back outside the Oriental Building, there were three
new keys in his pocket.

He unlocked the door noiselessly, tiptoed up the staircase, and gained
the friendly blacknes