, reach the office before Perlmer himself had
left--it was still quite early enough for that--but in that case she
need only remain on watch until the lawyer had locked up and gone away.
Nor need even the fact that the office would be locked dismay her.
In the secret hiding-place here in the garret, among those many other
evidences of criminal activity, was the collection of skeleton keys,
and--she was moving swiftly around the attic now, physically as active
as her thoughts.

It was not like that other night. There were few preparations to make.
She had only to secure the keys and a flashlight, and to take with her
the damp cloth that would remove the grime streaks from her face, and
the box of composition that would enable her to replace them when she
came back--and five minutes later she was on the street, making her way
toward the lane, and, specifically, toward the deserted shed where she
had hidden away her own clothing.

IX. ROOM NUMBER ELEVEN

Another five minutes, and in her own personality now, a slim, trim
figure, neatly gloved, the heavy veil affording ample protection to her
features, Rhoda Gray emerged from the shed and the lane, and started
rapidly toward lower Sixth Avenue. And as she walked, her mind, released
for the moment from the consideration of her immediate venture, began
again, as it had so many times in the last three days, its striving
and its searching after some loophole of escape from her own desperate
situation. But only, as it ever did, confusion came--a chaos of things,
contributory things and circumstances, and the personalities of those
with whom this impossible existence had thrown her into contact. Little
by little she was becoming acquainted with the personnel of the gang--in
an impersonal way, mostly. Apart from Danglar, there was Shluker, who
must of necessity be one of them; and Skeeny, the man who had been with
Danglar in Shluker's room; and the Cricket, whom she had never seen; and
besides these, there were those who were mentioned in the cipher message
to-night, and detailed to the performance of the various acts and scenes
that were to lead up to the final climax--which, she supposed, was the
object and reason for the cipher message, in order that even those not
actually employed might be thoroughly conversant with the entire plan,
and ready to act intelligently if called upon. For there were others, of
course, as witness herself, or, rather, Gypsy Nan, whose personal