dly did
Mr. Middleton enter, for had not the talisman delayed him until the
venerable man opened the door?

"Come in, sir, come in," said the venerable man, whom Mr. Middleton
saw was none other than David O. Crecelius, the capitalist, whose
portraits he had seen again and again in the Sunday papers and the
weekly papers of a moral and entertaining nature, accompanying
accounts of his life and achievements, with exhortations to the youth
of the land to imitate them, advice which Mr. Middleton then and there
resolved to follow, reflecting upon the impeccable sources from which
it emanated.

"All the servants seem to be gone. My family is abroad and the
household force has been cut down, and I have given everybody leave to
go out to-night, all but one maid, and she seems to have gone, too,"
said Mr. Crecelius, leading Mr. Middleton into a spacious salon and
seating him near where great portieres of a funereal purple moved
uneasily in the superheated atmosphere of the house. At that moment, a
voice from the hallway, a voice he had surely heard before, said:

"Did some one ring? I am very sorry, but it was impossible for me to
come," and Mr. Middleton was aware that some one was looking hard at
the back of his head.

"Yes. I let them in. It's no matter. Run away now."

When Mr. Middleton had finished explaining the reason for his call and
had fished up the ring, Mr. Crecelius did not, as he had expected he
would, arise and make out a check for $800.

"This ring," said that gentleman after a little pause, "have you it
with you?"

Mr. Middleton glanced at the hollow of his left hand. He had fished up
the scarabaeus instead of the ring. But his left thumb soon showed him
the ring was safe in his vest pocket. The delay and caution of Mr.
Crecelius, and above all, the prevention of the immediate delivery of
the ring caused by the scarabaeus coming up in its stead caused Mr.
Middleton to delay.

"It can be produced," said he.

"How did you get it?"

"It came into my possession innocently enough so far as I was
concerned. As to the person from whom I received it, that is a
different matter, but though I made no promises, I feel I am in honor
bound not to disclose that person's identity."

As he uttered these words, Mr. Middleton saw the portiere at his side
rustle slightly. It was not the swaying caused by the currents of
overheated air.

"I will give you two hundred dollars more to tell me who gave you or
sold y