and white at the lips with rage. Several times he's
tried to injure Mr. Hume--once he took out a knife."

"Hah!" said the coroner.

"That was the time Mr. Hume called him 'Mad Anthony.' I also remember
that Mr. Hume pulled aside the curtain and showed him the large
painting of General Wayne, laughing and telling him that that was
another Mad Anthony. He was so successful that day in arousing
Spatola, that always after that, when he was drunk, he'd call the
Italian 'Mad Anthony' and it never failed to infuriate him.

"Do you know where this man Spatola lives?"

"In Christie Place, sir; just about half a dozen doors from the store.
I believe he rents a garret there, or something."

Stillman seemed struck by this.

"In view of the fact that the building was entered by way of the
scuttle," said he to Ashton-Kirk, "I consider that a most interesting
piece of information."

"It may indeed prove so," was the non-committal reply.

Once more the discontented crease showed itself upon the coroner's
forehead; and again as he turned to Brolatsky, his voice rose sharply.

"Next to Antonio Spatola, who came most to Hume's place while you were
there?"

"The next most frequent caller," returned the clerk, "was Mr. Allan
Morris."

Ashton-Kirk, glancing at Pendleton, saw him start.

"And who," queried the coroner, "is Mr. Allan Morris?"

"At first I took him to be a customer," replied Brolatsky. "And
perhaps he was. He talked a great deal at times about engraved gems
and would look at lists and works upon the subject. But somehow I got
the notion that that was not just what he came for."

"What caused you to think that?" asked the coroner.

"His manner, partly, and then the fact that there seemed something
between Mr. Hume and him--something that I never understood. Mr.
Morris was another one that the boss used to make game of. Not so
much as he would Spatola, but still a good bit. Mr. Morris always took
it with a show of good temper; but underneath I could see that he too
was sometimes furious."

"About what did Hume deride _him_?"

"That's what I never could quite make out. It always seemed as though
it was something that Mr. Morris wanted. At first I got the notion
that it was something that he wanted to buy and which Mr. Hume refused
to sell; but later I changed my mind. There seemed to be more to it
than appeared on the top. Both were very secretive about it."

"I understand." Stillman's face wore a puzzled ex