ance is to match them against each other. Do I make myself quite
clear?"

"Not in the least."

"I want to know who sends that message, and it's possible that the
answer is right under our eyes." He held up the strip of telegraphic
tape. "Do you see the letter S, enclosed in parentheses, and repeated
before several words?"

"Means nothing, so far as I see."

"Unless it's a habit with the operator to occasionally sound the three
dots that make up the letter S in the Morse alphabet--unconsciously,
you know, and just as another man, in speaking, might stutter or
continually introduce a hesitating 'er' or 'um.'"

"Impossible."

"Nothing is impossible, my dear fellow." Here the bell of the
desk-telephone rang. "For example, this call may be from Mademoiselle
D. herself." He picked up the receiver and held it to his ear. "It is,"
he said, looking over at me.

The weather conditions happened to be particularly favorable for
telephonic communication; I could hear almost as distinctly, standing
on my side of the table, as Indiman himself. I started to walk away,
then I stopped, and announced my intention of listening also; Indiman
nodded assent.

There was unmistakable annoyance and anxiety in the tones of the voice
that greeted us. "I have just seen your absurd advertisement," it
began. "I beg of you to let this matter drop, instantly, finally."

"A request without a reason," answered Indiman, "You owe me something
more than that."

"There is danger--"

"To me or to you?"

"To yourself."

"I am sorry, but you have indicated the sole condition which makes my
withdrawal possible."

A little feminine sigh came from the other end of the wire. "Oh, dear,
it was so stupid of me to say that--to a man!" A pause. Then, in a
slightly vexed tone, "Supposing that it is a question of minding one's
own business."

"Precisely what I am trying to do," said Indiman, humbly. "It is a
settlement that I am proposing."

"I perceive, sir, that I am making myself ridiculous," and the voice
sounded cold and inconceivably distant. "I have the honor to wish you a
very good-morning." The telephone rang off sharply.

I fancy that the same thought was in both our minds: Could this be the
same woman whom we had seen selling her kisses at an East Side bazaar?
The very thought was incredible. And remember that we had not heard her
voice before. Yet neither of us doubted, even for a moment.

"After all, it was only the one kiss that wa