false note where men of the calibre of those
against whom he was now fighting for his life were concerned, would
not only make his scheme abortive, but would place him utterly at their
mercy.

It was nine o'clock when he rang for Jason.

"Jason," he said abruptly, as the other entered, "I want you to
telephone for Doctor Merlin."

"The doctor, sir!" exclaimed the old man anxiously. "You're--you're not
ill, Master Jim, sir?"

"Do I look ill, Jason?" inquired Jimmie Dale gravely.

"Well, sir," admitted Jason, in concern; "a bit done up, sir, perhaps. A
little pale, sir; though I'm sure--"

"I'm glad to hear it," said Jimmie Dale, sitting up in bed. "The worse I
look, the better!"

"I--I beg pardon, sir?" stammered Jason.

"Jason," said Jimmie Dale, gravely again, "you have had reason to know
that on several occasions my life has been threatened. It is threatened
now. You know from last night that this house is now watched. You
may, or you may not have surmised--that our telephone wires have been
tapped."

"Tapped, sir!"--Jason's face had gone a little gray.

"Yes; a party line, so to speak," said Jimmie Dale grimly. "Do you
understand? You must be careful to say no more, no less than exactly
what I tell you to say. Now go and telephone! Ask the doctor to come
over and see me this morning. Simply say that I am not feeling well; but
that, apart from being apparently in a very nervous condition, you do
not know what is the matter."

"Yes, sir--good Lord, sir!" gasped Jason--and left the room to carry out
his orders.

An hour later, Doctor Merlin had been and gone--and had left two
prescriptions; one written, the other verbal. With the written one,
Benson, in his chauffeur's livery, was dispatched to the drug store; the
verbal one was precisely what Jimmie Dale had expected from the fussy
old family physician: "Two or three days of quiet in the house James;
and if you need me again, let me know."

"Now, Jason," said Jimmie Dale, when the old man had returned from
ushering Doctor Merlin from the house, "our friends out there will be
anxious to learn the verdict. I was to dine with the Ross-Hendersons
to-morrow night, was I not?"

"Yes, sir; I think so, sir."

"Make sure!" said Jimmie Dale. "Look in my engagement book there on the
table."

Jason looked.

"Yes, sir, that's right," he announced.

"Very good," said Jimmie Dale softly. "Now go and telephone again,
Jason. Present my regrets and excuses to