er had such a thing hit me before. But I lost him slick as a
whistle. I was in the bar of the hotel, and he was sitting in the lobby.
I had my eye right on him, and he had no idea I was following him. Then,
all at once, after I'd turned to the barkeeper just long enough to order
a soft drink, I looked around, and he was gone. I combed the house from
top to bottom, but it was no use. He had ducked me clean."

"What time was that?"

"Twelve-forty-five."

"And then what?"

"The chief gave me your message, and I went back to keep a look on
Eidstein's place. I didn't think he'd show there again, but he did--at
four o'clock and stayed there almost half an hour. After that, he went to
the station, me right after him. We both caught the five o'clock for
Washington."

"Did you talk with Eidstein?"

"No, sir; had no orders. But he's no loan-shark, and no fence. Eidstein's
on the level. We know all about him."

"How did Morley look when he showed up there the second time?"

"Done up, sir, fagged out. That's what makes me uneasy. He'd been up to
something that shook him, something that rattled his teeth. He looked
it."

"Pawning something, perhaps?"

"That's just it--just the way I figured it--something he knew was
risky--something that made him sweat blood."

"Well, it's all right," Braceway concluded. "There's nothing for you to
worry about. It may be that losing him was the best thing you ever did.
I'm not sure, but it may turn out so."

Delaney, greatly relieved, thanked him and left.

Braceway hurried to the sick man's room and, having been ushered in by
Miss Martin, found him, fully dressed, sitting on the edge of the bed. He
was still pale and looked tired, but his voice was strong. He was setting
down a half-empty glass of water on a tray near the bed, and his hand,
although it wavered a little, had lost the helpless tremulousness
Braceway had noticed at noon.

"Hello!" said the visitor. "You're a wonder! I expected to find you
prostrated."

"Oh, no," Bristow answered quietly. "I knew the rest and sleep would
bring me around all right, and Miss Martin has given me a twentieth of a
grain of strychnine. What's the news?"

"I'll sketch it to you. But how about dinner?"

"I've arranged for us to have it up here, if you don't mind?"

Braceway agreed, and Miss Martin straightened up the other room, where
the meal was served.

Bristow, restricting himself to clam broth, crackers, and coffee, heard
the sto