en out in the
corridor. That, I have since learned, was at ten o'clock, so, you see, the
ruffians had an hour to work in."

"They must have mussed the room up quite a lot in that time," said the
lieutenant, hoping to bring the editor to the point in which he was
interested.

Mr. Shaw made no reply, but turned to Ned with a smile.

"Go ahead, Ned," Frank cried. "We all want to know what ideas are brooding
in that clever brain of yours."

"I would like to ask," Ned began, modestly, "if you can assign a reason
for the attack upon you."

"Why, they came into the house after the emerald necklace," was the reply.
"They looked here for it first. That is all."

"But it appears that they knew the necklace to be in Frank's safe," urged
Ned. "At least it did not take them long to find it there after the safe
was unlocked and he was brought from his room."

"Oh, well, they probably looked here first," insisted the editor. "The
manner in which they rummaged the place while I was unconscious shows that
they searched for it here. The necklace was the thing sought, of course."

"Did they take anything from the room?" asked Ned, and Lieutenant Gordon
leaned forward, anxiously awaiting the answer.

"Not a thing," was the quiet reply. "At least, I have missed nothing."

"Perhaps the thing they sought was not found," suggested Gordon, no longer
able to keep the plot subject out of the conversation.

"I know what you mean, Lieutenant," the other replied, "and I may as well
tell you now that the papers to which you refer are not in the house--were
not here and never have been here. They are perfectly safe, and we will
drop them from the case, if you please."

"I am naturally anxious about them," said Gordon, "in the interest of the
government, of course, for I believe they hold the key to a mystery I am
asked to solve."

"You may be mistaken as to the contents of the papers," laughed Mr. Shaw.
"Well," he added, "we will eliminate them from the matter in hand. What
next, Mr. Nestor? I have great hope of your success in unraveling this
mystery of the necklace."

"With your permission," Ned replied, "and in your presence, I would like
to ask your man a few questions."

Pedro turned a pair of venomous eyes toward the speaker for just an
instant. Then he stood respectfully looking at his master again. Ned saw
the movement, the quick hostility of the glance, and felt surer of his
ground than before.

"He will, I am sure, be hap