o the
taxi's heated space. Snow followed and drifted across the detectives'
knees. Both men strained in one position. Their eyes burned as they
waited with grim-set lips.

A light shone from the lower entrance of the mansion. Its oblong
brought out in bold-relief the details of the iron-grilled gates.
Across this fine snow sifted. A man emerged. He closed the door. He
opened the gates and staggered toward the Avenue's curb. He stood,
bare-headed in the night. His chin swung north and south with helpless
motion. He fixed his eyes upon the waiting taxi, with a start of
recognition. He came over the surface of the Avenue with faltering,
bewildered steps.

"The butler!" snapped Drew. "That's Stockbridge's butler! What's
happened?"

"God only knows!" exclaimed Delaney.

Drew climbed over the operative and sprang to the curb. He charged
around the rear of the taxi and brought up with a jerk before the
startled servant.

"What is it?" he asked sharply.

The butler stammered an incoherent answer. His eyes wavered from the
taxi to the mansion--then back again. They gripped to a dead-lock with
the detective's own.

"What happened?" exclaimed Drew.

"I don't know, sir. I don't know----"

"Keep cool! Answer me!" The Detective clutched the butler's shoulder
with a vise-grip.

"Answer me," he repeated. "What happened? What is the matter--over
there?"

"I don't----"

"None of that! Answer! Answer!"

"The telephone company, sir. The telephone people rang me ... they rang
me hup hon the downstairs 'phone, sir. They said ... she said ... the
chief-loidy said for me to 'ang the receiver hup hon the Gramercy 'ill
'ook, sir. The 9763 one, sir."

"Which one is that--the library?"

"It his, sir!"

"Go on! Go on! Go on!"

"I goes back where I 'ad left the second-man, sir, by the door, sir, as
you'd ordered, sir. I knocks 'ard on the door."

"Yes! Yes!" said Drew, feeling Delaney's hot breath over his shoulder.
"Yes! Go on!"

"I knocks, sir. I pounds 'ard. I 'ammers and 'ammers hon the wood, sir.
'E don't answer--'e don't."

Drew's face grew stern. "Well?" he asked still holding the butler's
eyes. "Well--what then?"

"I knocks some 'arder. Then the second-man, 'e knocks. 'E 'its the door
with 'is 'eel, sir!"

"Come on!" said Drew, turning and clasping Delaney's sleeve. "Come
on--something _is_ wrong!"

The detective swept the Avenue with a sharp glance as he hurried across
the wheel-churned ice and snow. He s