ime. Ask questions and keep your eyes open. And
when you have it all, come to me at once and let me know."

"Sure," said he, "I'll go right away."

"Thank you." She drew the rich cloak about her and then held out her
hand. "You're a dear, good fellow, Bat; I've always known that, but now
I'm surer of it than ever."

"Why, Nora, it's not hard to do things for you," said he, as he held the
hand for a moment.

"And you'll hurry?" Her eyes were full of pleading. "You'll find out
everything you can--but you'll hurry, won't you?"

"As soon as I've looked things over carefully," said he, "you'll hear me
at your door."

"Thank you, again," she said. "And good-bye."

And as the door closed behind her, Bat Scanlon stood in the middle of
the floor, his arms folded across his big chest.

"Cop stuff," said he, to himself. "What do you think of that?"

When he returned once more to the room in which he had left the others,
Scanlon found Dennison buttoning up his top-coat.

"I'll be in to-morrow," said the man; "and my togs will be sent around
to-day."

When he had departed, Scanlon looked at Ashton-Kirk.

"I guess you'll have to take your work-out with the big Greek," said he.
"Stanwick's my next stop; and I'm going to get the first train."

"Stanwick?" Ashton-Kirk's keen eyes regarded him inquiringly.

"Funny thing, ain't it? Here I didn't know a thing about this murder,
and then I get it piled in on me from two places. That was Tom Burton's
wife just in to see me--Nora Cavanaugh."

"Oh, yes, to be sure. She is--or was--his wife, wasn't she?"

"She had a fine lot of excitement with her. Dennison ain't the only one
who saw Burton last night. He called on Nora after the show, and wanted
money, as, it seems, he always did. But she refused him and he went away
sore."

"He was an utter scamp," said Ashton-Kirk. "It's rather remarkable,
though, how he managed to keep just outside the reach of the law."

"Nora's been pestered by the cops, and she wants me to have them called
off," said Bat. "And she's asked me to go out to Stanwick and see what
they are doing there."

"The police?"

"Yes. I don't know just what it's all about; but Nora knows, and that's
enough for me."

Ashton-Kirk smiled as the big man went to a closet and took out a long
coat and a soft hat.

"Miss Cavanaugh is fortunate in the control of such an obedient geni,"
said he, quietly. "But good luck on your trip; and while you are gone,
I'll grapp