ruggle. Were you in it?"

"No."

"Now, see here! We know such a struggle occurred. If you were there, as
you say you were, you must have seen it. You couldn't have helped seeing
it!"

Morley denied it again, and his denial stood against all of Braceway's
skill. There had been no struggle, no encounter of any two persons. He
clung to that without qualification.

Bristow knew how great Braceway's disappointment was. He was convinced
that Braceway, in coming to Washington, had looked forward to securing
a confirmation of Withers' story. Now, instead of corroboration, he got
only a flat and unshaken contradiction.

CHAPTER XXIII

ON THE RACK

Braceway waved his hand carelessly, relinquishing the post of questioner.
Bristow took command again.

"What did you do after you saw the second man?"

"At first, I sat still. After a while, not very long, it occurred to me
that the two women in Number Five might be in danger. I say it occurred
to me, but I didn't really think so.

"I walked down to the bungalow, but I couldn't hear any noise, couldn't
see any light. Finally, I went up to the head of the steps and listened,
but there wasn't a sound. Then I went back to the hotel--no; I went first
to the station, got my grips, and then went to the hotel."

"Didn't murder or robbery occur to you when you saw those two men on the
steps?"

"Well--no; I can't say either occurred to me."

"What did, then?"

"I knew Withers had visited his wife unexpectedly once or twice before,
late at night."

"Why?"

"I don't know. I thought he was jealous, suspicious."

"And you also thought these two men you saw were Withers?"

"They might have been one man, the same man," Morley advanced the
supposition wearily. The tremor of his hands had gone into his arms; they
jerked every few moments. "I saw them at different times.

"I couldn't see that clearly. But--but I think the first one wore a long
raincoat, or else he was heavily built. Hearing about the negro the next
day, I thought the first figure I'd seen must have been the negro's. The
second didn't look very different. He might have had a beard; perhaps, he
was a little slenderer. Those are the only differences I remember."

"Did the second wear a raincoat?"

"I thought so."

"And the first had no beard?"

"He might have, but I don't think so."

Bristow paused long enough to let the silence become impressive. Then he
broke the stillness with a voice that cracke