disconnected the library telephone wires at
the junction-box in the alley. He knew that sooner or later Mr.
Stockbridge would try to use the 'phone. He couldn't get a connection,
or I couldn't. It was the time I tried to 'phone and then notified
Gramercy Hill Exchange through another 'phone. He was listening in and
consequently caught the gist of my orders to Harrigan. He hurried to
Gramercy Hill Exchange and there met Frisby, another trouble-man,
starting out to investigate my complaint. He took Frisby's place,
hurried over and closed the library connection and then came into the
house, stating that we had sent for him."

"Clever," said Nichols. "That was clever, wasn't it?"

"Remarkably so!" exclaimed Drew. "It was a case of making the detective
on the premises act as a tool. It was like a safeblower asking a night
watchman to move a safe out on a truck. I never suspected that fellow
at all. I hardly looked at him when he was testing the connections in
the library. I even heard him rattling a pair of pliers over the
binding posts on the receiver. That was the time he took the old one
off and put on the loaded pistol. It was done very quickly."

The detective paused and glanced at his watch. "We must go," he said,
staring at Loris with soft interest. "I'm afraid we're keeping you from
your sleep."

"No. I want to ask you another question," she said eagerly. "I'm still
in doubt about the slot booths at Grand Central. Why were they used?"

"As a throw off! That is what the English would call shunting.
Electricians use the same word. It means diverting a current or a
connection. Cuthbert did this so that his trail would be harder to
check up. He thought of almost everything."

"He missed his vocation!" interjected Nichols.

"And misused his talents," added Loris. "Think of being clever enough
to do all of those things, and stoop to murder. He paid ten times over.
He must have been under that man Morphy's power. So many men were. I
heard father say that when Morphy was arrested. He said Morphy was the
most dangerous man in the world. That he would cause trouble sooner or
later."

Drew rose and nodded. "He did that!" he exclaimed with conviction. "He
came very close to getting away with it. But for the magpie and the
fact that he 'phoned from the prison at the same time your father was
murdered, there would have been no clew. Cuthbert would have entered
this house after you were slain, and removed the receiver. Tha