se from his seat, stared at his visitor, half-moved
across the floor, as if he had some instinctive notion of going
somewhere--and then suddenly sat down again.

"Aye!" he said. "Aye!--but was it ever delivered?"

"I'm coming to that," replied Chettle. "That, of course, is the big
thing--the prime consideration. I heard all this young fellow Martindale
had to tell--nothing much more than that, except small details as to what
would be the likely progress of the parcel, and then I gave him strict
instructions to keep his own counsel until I saw him again--after which I
caught the afternoon train to town. Martindale had told me where the
parcel would be delivered from, so as soon as I arrived at King's Cross I
went to the proper place. I had to tell 'em, of course, who I was, and
what I was after, and to produce my credentials before they turned up
their books and papers to trace the delivery of the parcel. That, of
course, wasn't a long or difficult matter, as I had the exact date--May
13th. They soon put the delivery sheet of that particular morning before
me. And there it all was--"

"And--it was delivered to and received by--who?" broke in Allerdyke
eagerly. "Who, man?"

"Signed for by Mary Marlow for Franklin Fullaway," answered Chettle in
the same low tones. "Delivered--here--about half-past twelve. So--there
you are! That is--if you know where we are!"

Allerdyke, whose cigar had gone out, relighted it with a trembling hand.

"My God!" he said in a fierce, concentrated voice as he flung the match
away. "This is getting--you're sure there was no mistaking the
signature?" he went on, interrupting himself. "No mistake about it?"

"It was a woman's writing, and an educated woman's writing, anyway," said
Chettle. "And plain enough. But there was one thing that rather struck me
and that they couldn't explain, though they said I could have it
explained by inquiry of the clerk who had the books in charge on May 13th
and the boy who actually delivered the parcel--neither of 'em was about
this evening."

"What?" demanded Allerdyke.

"Why, this," answered Chettle. "The parcel had evidently been signed for
twice. The line on which the signatures were placed had two initials in
pencil on it--scribbled hurriedly. The initials were 'F.F.' Over that was
the other in ink--what I tell you: Mary Marlow for Frank Fullaway."

Allerdyke let his mind go back to the events of May 13th.

"You say the parcel was delivered here at