ied up here."

"What is it?"

"It's a ring, sir."

"A ring!" exclaimed Bristow. "Let's see it."

Policeman Avery handed Bristow a tissue paper package.

The lame man unwound the paper and discovered a woman's ring, the setting
a tremendous pigeon's-blood ruby flanked on each side by a diamond. It
was an exceedingly handsome and very valuable piece of jewelry.

"Where did the clerk get this?" Bristow asked swiftly.

For the first time, he was visibly excited.

"A maid found it under the bed on the floor of Mr. Morley's room at the
Brevord," answered Avery.

Greenleaf needed no hint from Bristow this time.

"Avery," he said, "your beat takes in the railroad station. Go down to
Number Five and get a good look at this man Morley. After that, if he
attempts to leave Furmville, arrest him."

CHAPTER IV

TWO TRAILS

"I'm afraid," said Bristow, after the policeman had hurried out, "we made
a mistake in permitting Morley to talk to Miss Fulton just at present."

"I can go down there and interrupt them," Greenleaf volunteered.

The lame man reflected, a forefinger against the right side of his nose,
the attitude emphasizing the fact that this feature was perceptibly
crooked, bent toward the left.

"No," he concluded. "We'd probably be too late." Then he added, "And we
didn't find out Morley's employment or profession in Washington--but
we can do that later."

The chief of police prepared to leave, saying he was going to call at
Douglas Campbell's office and from there go to headquarters in the hope
that Perry had been found.

"Can't you come with me?" he invited.

"It's against the doctor's orders," Bristow replied. "He tells me not to
leave this house or its porches. If I started to run around with you, I'd
be exhausted in an hour. But I'll tell you what: this afternoon, after
you've talked to Campbell and the darky, suppose you come back here, and
we'll drop down to interview Miss Fulton ourselves."

This surprised Greenleaf.

"You mean you suspect----"

Bristow laughed.

"Oh," he countered lightly, "we've enough suspecting to do already.
There's Perry--and there's Morley. Don't let's complicate it too much.
But what Miss Fulton has to say may be valuable. By the way, if I should
need to do so, how can I persuade anybody that I have authority to ask
questions, or to do anything else in this matter?"

The captain thought a moment.

"I'll appoint you to the plain-clothes squad. I appoint y