e the Rotterdam steamer sailed this morning."

"And that's about all we know," continued the landlord. "I never took any
particular notice of him, and--"

"Just answer a few questions," said the chief, interrupting him quietly.
"We shall get at what we want to know more easily that way. What time did
this young man come to the hotel yesterday?"

The landlord turned to his wife with an expressive gesture.

"Ask her," he answered. "She looks after all that--I'm not so much in
the office."

"He came at seven o'clock last night," said the landlady. "I was in the
office, and I booked him and gave him his room--27."

"Was he alone?"

"Quite alone. He'd the suit-case that's upstairs in the room now, and an
overcoat and an umbrella."

"Of course," said the chief, "he gave you some name--some address?"

"He gave the name and address of Frank Herman, Walthamstow," replied the
landlady, opening a ledger which she had brought into the room. "There
you are--that's his writing."

The chief drew the book to him, glanced at the entry, and closed the book
again, keeping a finger in it.

"Well, what was seen of him during the evening!" he asked.

"Nothing much," replied the landlady. "He had his supper in the
coffee-room--a couple of chops and coffee. He was reading the papers in
the smoking-room until about half-past ten; I saw him myself going
upstairs between that and eleven. As I didn't see him about next morning
and as his breakfast wasn't booked, I asked where he was, and the
chambermaid said there was a card on his door saying that he wasn't to be
called till eleven."

"Where is that card?" asked the chief.

"It's here in this envelope," answered the landlady, who seemed to be
much more alert and much sharper of intellect than her husband. "I took
care of it when we found out what had happened. I suppose you'll take
charge of it?"

"If you please," answered the chief. He took the envelope, looked
inside it to make sure that the card was there, and turned to the
landlady again.

"Yes?" he said. "When you found out what had happened. Now, who did find
out what had happened?"

"Well," answered the landlady, "the chambermaid came down soon after
eleven, and said she couldn't get 27 to answer her knock. Of course, I
understood that he wanted to catch the Rotterdam boat which sailed about
noon, so I sent my husband up. And as he couldn't get any answer--"

"I went in with the chambermaid's key," broke in the landl