om
the Anita Lawton Club and installed in the offices of the men he
suspected.

The first to respond was Margaret Hefferman, who had been sent as
stenographer to Rockamore, the promoter.

"You followed my instructions, Miss Hefferman," asked Blaine. "You
kept a list for me of Mr. Rockamore's visitors?"

"Yes, sir. I have it here in my bag. I also brought carbon copies of
two letters which Mr. Rockamore dictated and which I thought might
have some bearing on the matter in which you are interested--although
I could not quite understand them myself."

"Let me see them, please."

Blaine took the documents and list of names, scanning them quickly and
sharply with a practised eye. The names were those of the biggest men
in the city--bankers, brokers, financiers and promoters. Among them,
that of President Mallowe and Timothy Carlis appeared frequently. At
only one did Henry Blaine pause--at that of Mark Paddington. He had
known the man as an employee of a somewhat shady private detective
agency several years before and had heard that he had later been
connected in some capacity with the city police, but had never come
into actual contact with him.

What business could a detective of his caliber have to do with
Bertrand Rockamore?

The letters were short and cryptic in their meaning, and significant
only when connected with those to whom they were addressed. The first
was to Timothy Carlis; it read:

Your communication received. We must proceed with the utmost
care in this matter. Keep me advised of any further
contingencies which may arise. P. should know or be able to
find out. The affair is to his interests as much as ours.

B. R.

The second was addressed to Paddington:

Have learned from C. that your assistants are under espionage.
What does it mean? Learn all particulars at once and advise.

R.

"You have done well, Miss Hefferman," said Blaine as he looked up from
the last of the letters. "I will keep these carbon copies and the
list. Let me know how often Mr. Mallowe and Timothy Carlis call, and
try particularly to overhear as much as possible of the man
Paddington's conversation when he appears."

When the young stenographer had departed, Fifine Dechaussee
appeared. She was the governess who had been sent to the home of
Doctor Franklin, ostensibly to care f