a young
girl's signature to obtain money, would not hesitate at any denial. She
would not even blanch at my questions."

He was right.

"I must be convinced in some other way," he went on. "Mrs. Couldock or
Miss Dawes do not either of them possess any more truthful or ingenuous
countenance than she does, and though it seems madness to suspect such
women----"

"Wait," I broke in, "let us be sure of all the facts before we go on.
You lie down here and close your eyes; now pull the rug up so. I will
have Sudley in and question him. If you do not turn toward the light he
will not know who you are."

Taylor followed my suggestion and in a few moments Sudley stood before
me. I opened upon him quite carelessly.

"Sudley," said I, throwing down the newspaper I had been ostensibly
reading. "You remember that little business you did for me in Main
Street last month? Something I've been reading made me think of it
again."

"Yes, sir."

"Have you never had a conviction yourself as to which of the three
ladies you saw go into the parlor took the letter I left hid in the
Bible?"

"No, sir. You see, I could not. All of them are well known in society
here and all of them belong to the most respectable families. I wouldn't
dare to choose between them, sir."

"Certainly not," I rejoined, "unless you had some good reason for doing
so, such as having been able to account for the visits of two of the
ladies to the hotel and not of the third."

"They all had good pretexts for being there. Mrs. Couldock gave her card
to the boy before going into the parlor and left as soon as he returned
with word that the lady she called to see was not in. Miss Dawes gave no
card but asked for a Miss Terhune, I think, and did not remain a moment
after she was informed that that lady had left the hotel."

"And Mrs. Walworth?"

"She came in from the street adjusting her veil, and upon looking around
for a mirror, was directed to the parlor, into which she at once
stepped. She remained there but a moment and when she came out passed
directly into the street."

These words disconcerted me; the mirror was just over the table in the
small room, but I managed to remark nonchalantly:

"Could you not tell whether any of these ladies opened the Bible?"

"Not without seeming intrusive."

I sighed and dismissed the man. When he was gone I approached Taylor.

"He can give us no assistance," I cried.

My friend was already on his feet, looking ve