of that paragraph. He smoothed out the paper
and found it at once. It was an account of the murder of a wealthy old
woman, living on the outskirts of a country village not far from London.
Peter Ruff's face did not change as he called for another vermouth and
read the description, slowly. Yet he was aware that he had possibly
stumbled across the very thing for which he had searched so urgently!
The particulars of the murder he already knew well, as at one time
he had felt inclined to aid the police in their so far fruitless
investigations. He therefore skipped the description of the tragedy,
and devoted his attention to the last paragraph, toward which he fancied
that the finger of Major Jones had been chiefly directed. It was a list
of the stolen property, which consisted of jewelry, gold and notes to a
very considerable amount. With the waiter's permission, he annexed the
paper, cut out the list of articles with a sharp penknife, and placed it
in his pocketbook before he left the cafe.

In the course of some of the smaller cases with which Peter Ruff had
been from time to time connected, he had more than once come into
contact with the authorities at Scotland Yard, and he had several
acquaintances there--not including Mr. John Dory--to whom, at times, he
had given valuable information. For the first time, he now sought some
return for his many courtesies. He drove straight from the cafe to
the office of the Chief of the Criminal Investigation Department. The
questions he asked there were only two, but they were promptly and
courteously answered. Peter Ruff left the building and drove back to
his rooms in a somewhat congratulatory frame of mind. After all, it was
chance which was the chief factor in the solution of so many of these
cases! Often he had won less success after months of untiring effort
than he had gained during that few minutes in the cafe in Regent Street.

Peter Ruff became an inmate of that very select boarding-house carried
on by Mrs. Bognor at number 17 Russell Street, Bloomsbury. He arrived
with a steamer trunk, an elaborate traveling-bag and a dressing-case;
took the best vacant room in the house, and dressed for dinner. Mrs.
Bognor looked upon him as a valuable addition to her clientele, and
introduced him freely to her other guests. Among these was Major Edward
Jones. Major Jones sat at Mrs. Bognor's right hand, and was evidently
the show guest of the boarding-house. Peter Ruff, without the least