do you know about the disappearance of Mr. Deever's brother?"

"I don't know anything about it, but I saw something Monday night which
Mr. Deever wants me to swear to."

"And you are willing?"

"Yes, I am willing; but I don't want to get into court if I can help
it."

"I told him," explained Deever, "that we would try to keep him out of
court. He thinks it might lose him a job he wants to get. There's
evidence enough without his, the Lord knows."

"I will hear you now," said Nick.

"The way of it was this," said Flint. "Monday night, about midnight, I
was down in the vacant lot of St. Agnes' Hospital. I was just looking
for a fellow I heard had gone down that way."

"That was Klein," said Deever.

"I walked up the street, and had just turned the corner of the wall
when I saw a man coming up under the trees. He was carrying a big bag.

"I kept out of sight, and watched him. I thought at first that there was
some crooked work, but the man with the bag didn't seem to be afraid.

"He came up to the wall in a place where there was some rubbish piled
against it, and lifted the bag on to the top of the wall. Then he
climbed up himself and let the bag down into the garden. That's all I
know about it."

"Did you notice how the man was dressed?"

"He had on a loose, long coat--a queer sort of thing--and a little round
cap on his head."

"That will do," said Nick. "I am much obliged. It will not be necessary,
I think, for you to testify to these facts in court."

"There's enough without it," said Deever. "You'll take Jarvis to
headquarters now, won't you ?"

"Well, no," said Nick. "I hadn't thought of it."

"I'll be doubly and eternally--"

Deever's wrath and surprise choked him.

"Never mind," he said, at last, mastering his rage. "Come along, John.
And you get out!"

"With all the pleasure in life," said Nick, quietly walking toward the
door.

Chick had slipped away at Deever's approach. Nick met him outside.

"What did Deever's witness say?" asked Chick.

"He told exactly the same story as Prescott."

"I'm surprised to hear it."

"Why?"

"Prescott, in my opinion, told the truth."

"So I believe."

"And Deever's man--I got a glimpse of him--struck me as a liar in the
first degree. I took him for a man Deever had hired, in order to hurry
up his vengeance on Dr. Jarvis."

"But as they told the same story, and Prescott can have no connection
with Deever or the other man, it must be true."

"R