d uneasy as she answered:

"No."

The detective turned to Mrs. Frewen and said:

"It may be necessary to hunt up this young man in order to run down the
criminals who, we are to assume, are about to make an attempt to rob
you."

"I fear the young man is a criminal."

"But, aunty, he is very considerate when he warns us."

"Yes, he owes it to me, and I am glad he evidently possesses at least
one good quality; but I fear his deeds were the death of his mother. She
did not reveal to me all she knew about her son, that is evident, and
now under the new light I can see clearly and interpret many little
incidents that before I could not understand."

"I will ask to borrow this picture, madam."

"You can take it," said the elder lady, but the younger one said:

"No, no, aunty, do not let the gentleman have the picture."

"Why not, my child?"

"Well, it is better that he does not discover the young man. In case his
theories are correct it might lead to mortifying incidents. We do not
know the young man, and probably it is better that we let him drop from
our memories forever."

"I will see that no complications arise from the discovery of the young
man. If he is a criminal who has come over here from France it may be as
well to cut him short in his career of crime on this side of the ocean
as quickly as possible."

"And what would you do?"

"It is my duty to note every criminal as far as I can, and run him down
if he makes himself answerable to our laws."

"You have no proof that this young man is a criminal."

"No, I have no proof, but I am satisfied that he is a criminal, and it
is possible I can already associate him with a very grave crime."

The face of Alice became ghastly as her aunt asked:

"Alice, why do you show such interest in this criminal?"

"Aunty, I only show the interest that is natural, considering the esteem
in which you held his mother."

The keen eyes of the detective were on the girl and he reached a very
startling conclusion, and other very strange and startling suggestions
and suspicions were running through his mind.

"I will take the photograph," he said, "and will guarantee no
unpleasant incidents will follow my possession of it; and now, madam,
one more point--I will come to your house to-night between eleven
o'clock and midnight and remain here as a private watchman in order to
anticipate the visit of the burglars in case a raid on your house is
meditated."

"I am glad t