s death, my poor boy. And Howard, I am grieved
to learn that there is some little scandal about it. As your father's
confidential adviser, I urge you to hush it up at all cost. I was told
at your home just now by one of the servants that you had gone to this
vulgar detective agency."

Here Shirley shut off the phonograph, addressing Van Cleft with his hand
over the mouthpiece of the telephone for the minute.

"Keep on talking until I return. Get his advice about flowers and
everything else you can think of."

Then he ran from the room, into the hallway, out of the door, and down
the stoop to Fortieth Street. He looked about uncertainly, then espied
across the way a tailor shop, where the light of the late workman still
burned. Monty hurried thither and asked the use of the telephone upon
the wall.

"Shuair, mister, but it will cost you a dime, for I have to pay the gas
and the rent."

From the telephone directory he obtained the address and number of
William Grimsby, the banker. He received an answer promptly. The
servant, after learning his name promised to call the master. A gruff
voice answered soon. Mr. Grimsby declared that he had been reading in
his library for the last two hours, undisturbed by any telephone calls.
Shirley expressed a doubt.

"How dare you doubt my word, sir. The telephone is in my reception room
where I heard it ring just now, for the first time. What do you want?"

"An interview with you to-morrow morning at nine on a life and death
matter. I can merely remind you, sir, that two of your friends,
Wellington Serral and Herbert de Cleyster have met mysterious deaths
during the past week. Mr. Van Cleft died of heart failure to-night.
I will be there at nine. As you value your own life do not leave your
residence or even answer any telephone messages again until I see you."

"Well, I'll be--" Shirley disconnected, before the verb was reached. He
tossed the coin to the tailor, and speedily returned to the waiting room
where he signaled Van Cleft to end the conversation.

"Quick now, find out what wire called you up." The answer was "William
Grimsby, 97 Fifth Avenue."

"You had the wrong tip that time, Mr. Shirley," said Van Cleft. "But how
could he have found out where I was, for none of the servants know about
Captain Cronin, or even my family that I was coming down here. He gave
me some good advice however. I want to pay the hush money and end it all
forever."

Shirley had preserved t