ended the interview, for the inspector rose to
his feet, and Jet, overjoyed at the prospect of escaping imprisonment,
hurried out of the gloomy-looking building.

On his return to the office the manager, who was particularly busy at
that moment, motioned him to a seat on the messengers' bench, and the
fat boy, unusually wide awake, asked in a blood-curdling whisper:

"Did you really have anything to do with that murder?"

"What do you mean?"

"There was a man killed an' robbed over on East Twentieth Street last
night, and some of the fellers said you was down to headquarters
tellin' the police all about it."

"And it was the murderers I saw this morning!" Jet repeated aloud,
astounded by the knowledge that he had possibly assisted the guilty
ones to hide the evidences of their crime.

"Then you was in it!" the fat boy exclaimed.

"Now don't be a fool! I carried a bag for some men this morning, but
that's all I know about it. Who was the murdered man?"

"It's all in that paper Sankey left in his overcoat pocket. Get it an'
you have the whole story. I wonder why they don't put you in jail?"

Before Jet could reply to this question he was ordered to the desk, and
from there sent to answer a call from the Union Square Hotel.

Evidently it was not one of the regular patrons of the house who had
summoned him.

He found a gentlemanly looking party standing just outside the clerk's
desk, who appeared particularly pleased on observing the number on his
cap.

"I want you to go with me to Yonkers, and bring back certain papers
which must be delivered before six o'clock. Can you go so far?"

"I will run over to the office and find out. You see I haven't been on
the force very long, and don't know exactly what to do when the work
will keep me so long away."

"Very well, hurry as fast as possible, for I want to leave here by the
next train."

Jet ran swiftly back, and in a very few moments returned with the
information that he was at liberty to go wherever the gentleman
desired, so long as the office received the regular price per hour for
his services.

"There won't be any difficulty about that. You are to go to pier 466
North River, and wait there until I come. Don't stop on the way, for I
shall probably ride down."

"I thought we were going on the cars."

"I changed my mind while you were away. We can get there just as
quickly by boat. Hurry off, for I don't want to be kept waiting."

Jet left t