hat for once in his life he had
followed persistently on a blind trail, and now found himself only a
little better off than when he started. Naturally, his professional
pride was hurt, but the candid way in which Marsh had, to use his
own words, laid his cards on the table, appealed to Morgan. He felt
that this Government man was both broad-minded and efficient. He
realized that there was surely more to gain by accepting Marsh's
proposition, and working with him, than there would be if each
worked alone, and very probably at cross purposes. The story which
Marsh had told him, the surprising clue he had just offered, and the
facts in his own possession, showed conclusively the close
connection between the affair of the empty apartment and the Atwood
counterfeiting case. Locating the murderer would undoubtedly bring
the counterfeiters to light, and in the same way, locating the
counterfeiters would probably disclose the perpetrator of this now
unquestioned crime.

Morgan covered up these deliberations by getting out his pipe and
tobacco pouch and lighting up. "Now I can talk," he said, as he
leaned back in his chair.

"I may have a few facts that you don't know, Marsh, and now that I
know the whole situation I can see that they will probably be of
some value to you. Or in any event, of value to both of us in the
general working out of the case. For I want to say that I am
satisfied with your suggestion about our working together."

"I called on this Miss Atwood yesterday. While some of the
information which she gave me simply ties up with and confirms your
own story, there was one thing I discovered that may help us. Of
course, in lining up my evidence, I separated the strong points
against you from certain suspicious circumstances connected with the
Atwoods. That girl impressed me so favorably that I could not
definitely connect her with the trouble upstairs. Instead, I was
inclined to believe that I had uncovered something else."

"During my talk with the girl I noticed a peculiar mark on her arm.
I brought the conversation around to that mark, and she told me that
some time during the night of the crime she had been awakened by a
sharp sting in the arm, but had almost immediately gone to sleep
again. Noticing the mark in the morning, she was under the
impression, so she said, that it was a bite, from some kind of
insect--I suggested a spider. But the truth was, Marsh, that mark
was made by a hypodermic needle!"