look up his references and the other
papers, if you wish me to. But as I recall it, he came from St.
Louis and had excellent references from that city."

"I won't bother you to look anything more up on that just now," said
Morgan. "I may be interested in the information later. I'll see what
I can find out first."

"How did you come to associate the name of Atwood with that
apartment?" inquired Cole.

"I thought that was the name mentioned in the report I have. It was
probably a mistake of the man who first went through the building.
They often make mistakes in names," Morgan added, reassuringly, as
it was not his desire to start Cole on any investigation of his own
at this time. "Now, what can you tell me about the Marsh family,
second floor north?"

"Well, there's a party I can tell you more about. It made an
impression upon me at the time we rented the apartment, because we
had to make special arrangements."

"Yes," said Morgan, encouragingly.

"You see," continued Cole, "owing to a death in the family, the
people who occupied that apartment moved out in July, and I sublet
the apartment for them from the first of August, to a Mr. Gordon
Marsh. Mr. Marsh, I understand, was driven off his ranch in Mexico
by the revolutionists. As he knew practically no one in the United
States to whom he could refer, we finally compromised by his
agreeing to pay his rent quarterly in advance."

"How much of a family has he?" asked Morgan.

"Only his wife," returned Cole. "That was one reason we were willing
to come to terms with him. We like small families; like Mr. Ames,
who rents the apartment where this trouble occurred."

Morgan welcomed this mention of Ames. It gave him an opening for
further questions regarding this tenant. He was not overlooking the
fact that the Ames family might in some way be connected with the
affair.

"I suppose Mr. Ames and his wife are still away?" he inquired.

"Yes," returned Cole. "We received his October rent through his
London bankers, White, Wyth, Harding; and only a few days ago, a
letter referring to some decorating to be done when he returns next
month. By the way, why are you particularly interested in these
families?"

"Just happen to be people we didn't get reports on at the building,
that is all. Our reports on a case of this kind have to be
complete."

"Quite right--quite right," approved Cole, his curiosity evidently
satisfied.

"Mr. Marsh and Mr. Ames are friends, are