r innocence. She loved him. She was ready to discard
her husband for him. She and her brother were looking to him to save
them from financial ruin. No, she had nothing to gain and everything to
lose by the merchant's death.

With this conclusion fixed in his mind, Britz arrived at the office of
the United States District Attorney.

"Where is the deputy who took the convict, Arthur Travis, to Atlanta?"
he inquired.

Wells, the district attorney, smiled musingly.

"Resigned day before yesterday," he replied. "Said a relative had left
him a fortune and he was going on a long trip for his health."

Britz proceeded to enlighten the district attorney as to the real reason
for the deputy's departure. He related all the circumstances that led up
to the substitution of prisoners, Wells listening with growing
amazement. When Britz finished, the district attorney regarded him an
instant, incredulity engraved on his face.

"I can't believe it," he said. "And yet, lieutenant, I don't doubt your
word an instant."

"You'll be able to ascertain the facts for yourself," pursued Britz.
"What I am here for is to ask your help in solving the Whitmore case. Of
course, you'll prosecute the deputy if you ever find him. But I want you
to arrange things so that I can promise immunity to the substitute. His
real name is Timson. I'm going to wire a lawyer in Atlanta to get him
out of jail on a writ of habeas corpus. Now, it is more important that
we land the murderer of Herbert Whitmore than that you should send
Timson to jail for aiding in the escape of a man who was killed within a
day after obtaining his freedom. As for Beard who engineered the deal, I
doubt whether you can convict him. It will be a case of Timson's word
against Beard's and, since it is impossible to obtain corroborating
evidence, the judge will have to charge the jury to acquit Beard. But
with Timson up here to be used as a club, I think I can force Beard to
tell what he knows of the killing of his employer."

"Well, go ahead and obtain your writ of habeas corpus for the
substitute. I'll communicate with the Attorney-General in Washington and
see whether he'll agree to the immunity proposition," said Wells.

From the Federal Building Britz went to the financial district to look
up Ward. A plan of action was forming in his brain, shaping itself as
molten lead shapes itself to the mold. If Horace Beard was stained with
Whitmore's blood, there was one man who could be