letting us know that he's going away. And it's
quite true he's a very great friend of Miss Slade's--somebody did say,
jokingly, this morning, that perhaps they'd run away and got married."

"Ah!" said the chief, with another smile. "I scarcely think Miss Slade
would contract such an important engagement at this moment, she has
evidently much else to think about. But now let us see Miss Slade's
apartment, if you please, and I shall be obliged to you, ma'am, if you
will accompany us."

Not only did the manageress accompany them, but the manager also, who
just then arrived and was filled with proper horror to hear that such
things were happening. But, being a man, he knew that it is every
citizen's duty to assist the police, and he accepted his fate cheerfully,
and bade his wife give the gentlemen every help that lay in her power.
After which both conducted the two visitors to Miss Slade's room, and
became fascinated in acting as spectators.

Miss Slade's apartment was precisely that of any other young lady of
refined taste. It was a good-sized, roomy apartment, half bedroom, half
sitting-room, and it was bright and gay with books and pictures, and
evidences of literary and artistic fancies and leanings. And Chettle,
taking a first comprehensive look round, went straight to the mantelpiece
and pointed out a certain neatly framed photograph to his superior.

"That's it, sir," he said in a low voice. "That's what the other was
taken from. You know, sir--Mr. James A. Mr. Marshall A. said she said she
was going to have it framed. Odd, ain't it, sir?--if she really is
implicated."

The chief agreed with his man. It was certainly a very odd thing that
Miss Slade, alias Mrs. Marlow, if she really had any concern with the
murder of James Allerdyke, should put his photograph in a fairly
expensive silver frame, and hang it where she could look at it every
day. But, as Chettle sagely remarked, you never can tell, and you never
can account, and you never know, and meanwhile there was the urgent
business on hand.

The business on hand came to nothing. Manager and manageress watched with
interested amazement while the two searchers went through everything in
that room with a thoroughness and rapidity produced by long practice.
They were astounded at the deftness with which the heavy-looking Mr.
Chettle explored drawers and trunks, and the military-looking chief
peered into wardrobes and cupboards and examined desks and tables. But