f course."

"I admire your nerve!" exclaimed Morgan. "Sleeping up in that place
all alone, with these fellows hot on your trail."

Marsh laughed. "Seems to me they're pretty close to your house, too,
Morgan. Aren't you going to sleep at home?"

"Yes," said Morgan, grinning, "but somehow or other that big,
half-furnished place of yours seems more dismal and open to the enemy
than my little home here with a police station only a couple of
blocks away."

"You forget that I have two policemen on guard up there. They've not
been ordered off yet. If I were to let my imagination scare me to
death, Morgan, I would have been out of the Government service long
ago. This experience is no worse than some of the things I went
through during the war."

"Now, before I go, there are two matters I should like you and
Tierney to look up for me. First, locate a man named Nolan, who was
formerly Mr. Merton's chauffeur. Find out what he has been doing for
the last week or two; particularly where he was last Monday night.
Nolan is the man who is supposed to have telephoned Merton."

"Then try to get a line on Gilbert Hunt; how long he has been with
Merton, and things of that sort. I will look for you at my apartment
Monday evening. If anything important should happen in the meantime,
try to get me on the telephone. Now, I'm going."

As they passed through the apartment, Morgan said, "I'm sorry you
didn't meet my mother. She never interrupts conferences, and has
gone to bed by this time."

"There will be many other opportunities, I hope," returned Marsh.

By this time they had reached the back door, and after a silent
handshake, Marsh slipped quietly down the rear stairs, then through
the alley to Addison Street, where he boarded an elevated train and
went home.

He was re-assured by the careful way in which the officer on duty in
front of his house scrutinized him as he passed, and went upstairs
and straight to bed. It had been a busy day and Marsh had many
half-formed plans for the morrow.

CHAPTER XVI

THE CLOSED COUNTRY HOUSE

Sunday morning was gray and dark, with low-hanging clouds and a
frosty snap in the air that gave the city its first touch of real
autumn weather. Returning from breakfast, Marsh lit the gas logs in
his fireplace and sat down before their cheery blaze to smoke and
think.

Step by step he analyzed and strove to connect the developments of
the last few days. The case was strange in many ways