e
movie theatre, where two workmen were already perched on ladders taking
down the Tarzan electric light sign, to substitute the illuminated
lettering for the next feature.

After some debate he decided that the best thing to do was to return to
his room at Mrs. Schiller's, from which he could keep a sharp watch on
the front door of the bookshop. By good fortune there was a lamp post
almost directly in front of Mifflin's house, which cast plenty of light
on the little sunken area before the door. With his opera glasses he
could see from his bedroom whatever went on. As he crossed the street
he cast his eyes upward at the facade of Mrs. Schiller's house. Two
windows in the fourth storey were lit, and the gas burned minutely in
the downstairs hall, elsewhere all was dark. And then, as he glanced
at the window of his own chamber, where the curtain was still tucked
back behind the pane, he noticed a curious thing. A small point of
rosy light glowed, faded, and glowed again by the window. Someone was
smoking a cigar in his room.

Aubrey continued walking in even stride, as though he had seen nothing.
Returning down the street, on the opposite side, he verified his first
glance. The light was still there, and he judged himself not far out
in assuming the smoker to be the friend and well-wisher or one of his
gang. He had suspected the other man in the alley of being Weintraub,
but he could not be sure. A cautious glance through the window of the
drug store revealed Weintraub at his prescription counter. Aubrey
determined to get even with the guttural gentleman who was waiting for
him, certainly with no affectionate intent. He thanked the good
fortune that had led him to stick the book cover in his overcoat pocket
when leaving Mrs. Schiller's. Evidently, for reasons unknown, someone
was very anxious to get hold of it.

An idea occurred to him as he passed the little florist's shop, which
was just closing. He entered and bought a dozen white carnations, and
then, as if by an afterthought, asked "Have you any wire?"

The florist produced a spool of the slender, tough wire that is
sometimes used to nip the buds of expensive roses, to prevent them from
blossoming too quickly.

"Let me have about eight feet," said Aubrey. "I need some to-night and
I guess the hardware stores are all closed."

With this he returned to Mrs. Schiller's, picking his way carefully and
close to the houses so as to be out of sight fro