again.

"I have been thinking it over," he said, "and I believe you'd better
not mention the piece of paper that you found behind the wash-stand.
They might say the whole thing is a hoax."

"Very well," I agreed, and went in.

The police sergeant in charge knew me at once, having stopped at my
house more than once in flood-time for a cup of hot coffee.

"Sit down, Mrs. Pitman," he said. "I suppose you are still making the
best coffee and doughnuts in the city of Allegheny? Well, what's the
trouble in your district? Want an injunction against the river for
trespass?"

"The river has brought me a good bit of trouble," I said. "I'm--I'm
worried, Mr. Sergeant. I think a woman from my house has been
murdered, but I don't know."

"Murdered," he said, and drew up his chair. "Tell me about it."

I told him everything, while he sat back with his eyes half closed,
and his fingers beating a tattoo on the arm of his chair.

When I finished he got up and went into an inner room. He came back in
a moment.

"I want you to come in and tell that to the chief," he said, and led
the way.

All told, I repeated my story three times that afternoon, to the
sergeant, to the chief of police, and the third time to both the
others and two detectives.

The second time the chief made notes of what I said.

"Know this man Ladley?" he asked the others. None of them did, but
they all knew of Jennie Brice, and some of them had seen her in the
theater.

"Get the theater, Tom," the chief said to one of the detectives.

Luckily, what he learned over the telephone from the theater
corroborated my story. Jennie Brice was not in the cast that week, but
should have reported that morning (Monday) to rehearse the next week's
piece. No message had been received from her, and a substitute had
been put in her place.

The chief hung up the receiver and turned to me. "You are sure about
the clock, Mrs. Pitman?" he asked. "It was there when they moved
up-stairs to the room?"

"Yes, sir."

"You are certain you will not find it on the parlor mantel when the
water goes down?"

"The mantels are uncovered now. It is not there."

"You think Ladley has gone for good?"

"Yes, sir."

"He'd be a fool to try to run away, unless--Graves, you'd better get
hold of the fellow, and keep him until either the woman is found or a
body. The river is falling. In a couple of days we will know if she is
around the premises anywhere."

Before I left, I descr