d him who
his father was, Maloney's information immediately put him at his ease.
It was all clear to him now. The youth had never been any good. His own
father had kicked him out. He was in desperate financial straits. He had
come to this man's rooms to make a demand for money. Underwood had
refused and there was a quarrel, and he shot him. There was probably a
dispute over the woman. Ah, yes, he remembered now. This girl he married
was formerly a sweetheart of Underwood's. Jealousy was behind it as
well. Besides, wasn't he caught red-handed, with blood on his hands,
trying to escape from the apartment? Oh, they had him dead to rights,
all right. Any magistrate would hold him on such evidence.

"It's the Tombs for him, all right, all right," muttered the captain to
himself; "and maybe promotion for me."

Suddenly there was a commotion at the door. The coroner entered,
followed by the undertaker. The two men advanced quickly into the room,
and took a look at the body. After making a hasty examination, the
coroner turned to Captain Clinton.

"Well, Captain, I guess he's dead, all right."

"Yes, and we've got our man, too."

The coroner turned to look at the prisoner.

"Caught him red-handed, eh? Who is he?"

Howard was about to blurt out a reply, when the captain thundered:

"Silence!"

To the coroner, the captain explained:

"He's the scapegrace son of Howard Jeffries, the banker. No good--bad
egg. His father turned him out of doors. There is no question about his
guilt. Look at his hands. We caught him trying to get away."

The coroner rose. He believed in doing things promptly.

"I congratulate you, captain. Quick work like this ought to do your
reputation good. The community owes a debt to the officers of the law if
they succeed in apprehending criminals quickly. You've been getting some
pretty hard knocks lately, but I guess you know your business."

The captain grinned broadly.

"I guess I do. Don't we, Maloney?"

"Yes, cap.," said Maloney quietly.

The coroner turned to go.

"Well, there's nothing more for me to do here. The man is dead. Let
justice take its course." Addressing the undertaker, he said:

"You can remove the body."

The men set about the work immediately. Carrying the corpse into the
inner room, they commenced the work of laying it out.

"I suppose," said the coroner, "that you'll take your prisoner
immediately to the station house, and before the magistrate to-morrow
mornin