, and I will tell you all that I know. More than two weeks
ago, I returned from my dinner to the bank one day, and I saw this man
in the private office with Mr. Pearson; I noticed then that their manner
toward each other showed them to be old acquaintances rather than mere
strangers. This man left the bank in a few minutes after I came in. He
had the manner and appearance of a gentleman, and I did not think
anything of it at the time."

"Did Mr. Pearson tell you who he was, or explain his presence there at
that time?"

"No, I did not ask anything about him, and he did not mention the matter
to me."

"When did you see them together again?"

"That same evening about dusk. I had been making a call upon a friend,
and was returning home when I met them walking and conversing
together."

"Did Mr. Pearson recognize you on that occasion?" inquired the
detective.

"No, sir, he did not seem to notice me at all, and I passed them without
speaking."

"You are quite sure about this?"

"Oh, yes, quite sure. I recognized him immediately when he came
yesterday afternoon to leave the valise in the bank, and also when he
came with the other man when the robbery was committed."

"Do you feel confident that you would be able to identify him, if you
were to see him again?"

"I am quite sure that I would," returned the girl confidently, "his
features are too indelibly fixed in my mind for me to make any mistake
about it."

"Have you said anything to Mr. Pearson about this?"

"Yes; as soon as we were out of the vault, I said to him--'One of those
men was the man who left the valise and the same one I saw in the
office the other day.'"

"What reply did he make."

"He appeared to be doubtful, and simply said, 'Is that so?'"

"Very well, Miss Patton," said the detective at length, "we will look
fully into this matter; but in the meantime, I particularly desire that
you will say nothing to any one about what you have told me to-day. It
is very necessary that a strict silence should be preserved upon this
point."

The young lady cheerfully promised compliance with this request, and in
a few moments the detective, after thanking her for her kindness in
seeing him, arose and took his departure.

As he strolled back to the hotel, he revolved the information he had
received carefully in his mind. He had also obtained from Miss Patton a
description of the two men, and found that they agreed very nearly with
what he had learned