t. I don't believe he can do as much as he thinks he
can. And I don't know that I care a whole lot, anyhow. He hasn't gone
out of his way to help me so far, and I've managed to get along pretty
well. I guess I can do without him to the end of the chapter."

Just after the court adjourned for lunch, Niles was called away by
Curtin, the leader of the lawyers Holmes had hired to defend the gypsy
prisoners, and Jamieson saw them talking earnestly together for several
minutes. Naturally, he did not try to overhear the conversation, but
he could not have done so in any case, for Curtin kept looking about
him, so that it was evident that he, at least, regarded what he had to
say as both important and confidential. But Charlie waited patiently,
sure that Niles would tell him all he wanted to know, unless he should
again go over to the other side.

"They're wise to us," said Niles, when he returned. "Curtin knows
we've got something up our sleeves, and maybe he wasn't anxious to find
out what it was!"

"You didn't tell him, I hope?"

"Not I! Trust me to know better than that! But I think he's got an
inkling."

"Lord, why shouldn't he?" said Charlie to himself, bitterly. "Of
course, there's no reason why that gypsy shouldn't tell him! He
probably doesn't realize what the letter means, but we do, and if the
rascal has told them that it was taken away from him they would realize
at once that they were up against it, and hard!"

"Well, you haven't told me the whole story," he said, with a suggestion
of being offended in his tone. "So I can't give you my advice as I
would be glad to do if you had taken me into your confidence."

"You'll know it all pretty soon, Niles," said Charlie. "Don't think
you're being slighted--you're not. I know just how valuable you are to
us, and that we couldn't get along without you. And, what's more, I'll
say that I never saw a case handled better than this one. You're all
right. Don't worry; I don't care much if they do know. It's too late
for them to do anything now. I'm going to run back to the hotel. I've
got to get a few papers from my room. Then I'll be back."

Leaving Niles with little ceremony, he hurried back to the hotel, and
went directly to his room, without telling anyone where he was going.
As he passed through the lobby the clerk happened to be busy and did
not see him, and, since his room was on the second floor, he did not
wait for the elevator, but walked u