"Maybe she is," Garth said thoughtfully, "but sometimes I wonder."

CHAPTER XVI

A NOTE FROM THE DEAD

Alsop was around the next day, loud with generosity, and anxious to give
Garth the only form of reward he could understand--large sums of money.
Garth, however, didn't care for the man. He preferred to keep their
relations on a purely business basis.

"I only did my duty, Mr. Alsop," he said. "Some day I may break away
from here and start an office of my own. In that case, if you cared to
mention me to your friends I would feel I had been well repaid."

"Maybe you were a little too proud, Garth," the inspector grunted
afterwards.

Nora, however, when she heard of it, said simply, "Jim, you did
perfectly right. If you had taken money from that man he'd have believed
he owned you body and soul."

"When you two combine against me I've nothing more to say," the
inspector grinned.

Garth knew that the old man watched, with something like anxiety
himself, the progress of his and Nora's friendship. The detective had
long since made up his mind not to speak to the inspector on that
subject until he had received some definite encouragement from the girl.
The inspector himself brought up the matter about this time. Probably
the impulse came from the trial of Slim and George which began and
threatened, in spite of its clear evidence, to drag through several
weeks.

It would be necessary, of course, for both Garth and Nora to testify
sooner or later. So they rehearsed all the incidents of that night when
Garth had worn the grey mask. After this exercise one evening the
inspector followed Garth to the hall.

"I don't want my girl to become morbid, Jim."

Garth nodded.

"You mean Kridel?"

"You've said it," the big man answered with an attempt at a whisper.
"I've thought that maybe you and Nora--See here, Jim, I wouldn't mind a
bit. You see Nora's mother was Italian. I don't altogether understand
her, but I know it isn't natural for her to mourn for this fellow
forever, and I mean, if you and she ever hit it off, I won't forbid the
banns. Only maybe you'll let me live with you now and then. You don't
know what that girl means to me, Jim; but I want to make her happy, and
I believe you're the one, for a blind, deaf, and dumb man could see you
are in love with her."

Garth laughed, not altogether comfortably.

"It's up to Nora, chief, but I don't see how I can ever get along
without her."

It wasn't oft