cessive sobs. The
last shreds of her outward composure vanished as before the wind, and
she surrendered unresistingly to the turbulent emotions struggling
within her. Several minutes passed before the inward tumult subsided.
Then, lifting herself to her feet, she said with bitter emphasis:

"Four lives wrecked! Two dead!... Mr. Beard and I alive--but what a
future! What a dastardly thing to bring all this about!"

Britz, eagerly drinking in her words, watched her in a fever of
expectancy. But she checked her outburst before the fatal revelation for
which he hoped, received utterance. With a new shock she recalled his
presence, and, as if afraid of having incriminated herself, or someone
whom she wanted to shield, walked hastily toward the door.

"Please escort me to the automobile," she pleaded.

Britz recognized the futility of trying to obtain further admissions
from a woman in her distressful state of mind. The fear that had seized
her would prove a padlock on her lips. So he permitted her to lean
heavily on his arm while she passed through the door and descended the
steps to the street. Then, helping her into the machine, he waited until
the car vanished around the corner.

With a self-satisfied smile Britz slowly ascended the steps, intent on
obtaining the documents which he had left in the sitting-room.

"With those papers we'll soon wring admissions from somebody," he said
to himself. "It's a good night's work--a most profitable night's work."

To his consternation he found that the servant had closed the door. Nor
did his insistent pressure of the electric door-bell produce any effect
on the butler. Then, for the first time, Britz realized that the lights
in the sitting-room had been extinguished.

Consumed with sudden anger he climbed the low iron hand-rail that
protected the stoop, and the next instant the broad toe of his boot had
shattered the window leading to the front room. Reaching forward, he
found it easy to displace sufficient glass to permit him to step safely
into the room. Near the curtained doorway he found the electric switch
which regulated the light. As the cluster of lamps flashed up, he looked
for the documents. They were gone.

His jaw snapped viciously as he leaped out of the room and groped his
way to the head of the basement stairs. By the aid of matches he
achieved a safe passage down the narrow steps, at the bottom of which he
found the button which switched on the basement lig