, sallow, with a face that was long and leathery,
and particularly hawk-like, who talked with Butler for over an hour
and then departed. That evening he came to the Butler house around
dinner-time, and, being shown into Butler's room, was given a look at
Aileen by a ruse. Butler sent for her, standing in the doorway just
far enough to one side to yield a good view of her. The detective stood
behind one of the heavy curtains which had already been put up for the
winter, pretending to look out into the street.

"Did any one drive Sissy this mornin'?" asked Butler of Aileen,
inquiring after a favorite family horse. Butler's plan, in case the
detective was seen, was to give the impression that he was a horseman
who had come either to buy or to sell. His name was Jonas Alderson, and
be looked sufficiently like a horsetrader to be one.

"I don't think so, father," replied Aileen. "I didn't. I'll find out."

"Never mind. What I want to know is did you intend using her to-morrow?"

"No, not if you want her. Jerry suits me just as well."

"Very well, then. Leave her in the stable." Butler quietly closed the
door. Aileen concluded at once that it was a horse conference. She knew
he would not dispose of any horse in which she was interested without
first consulting her, and so she thought no more about it.

After she was gone Alderson stepped out and declared that he was
satisfied. "That's all I need to know," he said. "I'll let you know in a
few days if I find out anything."

He departed, and within thirty-six hours the house and office
of Cowperwood, the house of Butler, the office of Harper Steger,
Cowperwood's lawyer, and Cowperwood and Aileen separately and personally
were under complete surveillance. It took six men to do it at first, and
eventually a seventh, when the second meeting-place, which was located
in South Sixth Street, was discovered. All the detectives were from New
York. In a week all was known to Alderson. It bad been agreed between
him and Butler that if Aileen and Cowperwood were discovered to have any
particular rendezvous Butler was to be notified some time when she was
there, so that he might go immediately and confront her in person, if
he wished. He did not intend to kill Cowperwood--and Alderson would have
seen to it that he did not in his presence at least, but he would give
him a good tongue-lashing, fell him to the floor, in all likelihood,
and march Aileen away. There would be no more lying o