y realize
that she was a weeping woman, who had appealed to my pity and who
asked my aid.

I stood up and stared out of the window, for I experienced a not
unnatural embarrassment. Without looking at her I said--

"Don't be afraid to tell me your troubles. I don't say I should go
out of my way to be kind to Mr. Dexter, but I have no wish whatever
to be instrumental in"--I hesitated--"in making you responsible
for his misdeeds. If you can tell me where to find Hassan of
Aleppo, I won't even ask you where Dexter is--"

"God help me! I don't know where he is!"

There was real, poignant anguish in her cry. I turned and
confronted her. Her lashes were all wet with tears.

"What! has he disappeared?"

She nodded, fought with her emotion a moment, and went on unsteadily,

"I want you to help me to find him for in finding him we shall find
Hassan!"

"How so?"

Her gaze avoided me now.

"Mr. Cavanagh, he has staked everything upon securing the slipper--and
the Hashishin were too clever for him. His hand--those
Eastern fiends cut off his hand! But he would not give in. He
made another bid--and lost again. It left him almost penniless."

She spoke of Earl Dexter's felonious plans as another woman might
have spoken of her husband's unwise investments! It was fantastic
hearing that confession of The Stetson Man's beautiful partner, and
I counted the interview one of the strangest I had ever known.

A sudden idea came to me. "When did Dexter first conceive the plan
to steal the slipper?" I asked.

"In Egypt!" answered Carneta. "Yes! You may as well know! He is
thoroughly familiar with the East, and he learned of the robbery of
Professor Deeping almost as soon as it became known to Hassan. I
know what you are going to ask--"

"Ahmad Ahmadeen!"

"Yes! He travelled home as Ahmadeen--the only time he ever used
a disguise. Oh! the thing is accursed!" she cried. "I begged him,
implored him, to abandon his attempts upon it. Day and night we
were watched by those ghastly yellow men! But it was all in vain.
He knew, had known for a long time, where Hassan of Aleppo was in
hiding!"

And I reflected that the best men at New Scotland Yard had failed
to pick up the slightest clue!

"The Hashishin, of whom that dreadful man is leader, are rich, or
have supporters who are rich. The plan was to make them pay for
the slipper."

"My God! it was playing with fire!"

She sat silent awhile. Emotion threa