第1章

THEGRAYSEAL

AmongNewYork”sfashionableandultra-exclusiveclubs，theSt。

Jamesstoodanacknowledgedleader——moremen，perhaps，castanenviouseyeatitsportals，ofmodestandunassumingtaste，astheypassedbyonFifthAvenue，thantheydidatanyotherclubuponthelonglistthatthecityboasts。True，thereweremoreexpensiveclubsuponwhosemembershiprollscintillatedmorestarsofNewYork”ssocialset，buttheSt。Jameswasdistinctive。Itguaranteedaman，sotospeak——thatis，itguaranteedamantobeinnatelyagentleman。Itrequiredmoney，itistrue，tokeepupone”smembership，butthereweremanymemberswhowerenotwealthy，aswealthismeasurednowadays——thereweremany，even，whowerepressedsometimestomeettheirduesandtheirhouseaccounts，buttheaccountswereinvariablypromptlypaid。Noman，oncein，couldeverafford，oreverhadthedesire，toresignfromtheSt。JamesClub。

Itsmembershipwascosmopolitan；menofeverywalkinlifepassedinandoutofitsdoors，professionalmenandbusinessmen，physicians，artists，merchants，authors，engineers，eachstampedwiththe“hallmark“oftheSt。James，aninnategentleman。Toreceiveatwoweeks”out-of-townvisitor”scardtotheSt。Jameswassomethingtospeakabout，andmenfromChicago，St。Louis，orSanFranciscospokeofitwithasortofholier-than-thouairtofellowmembersoftheirownexclusiveclubs，athomeagain。

IsthereanydoubtthatJimmieDalewasagentleman——anINNATE

gentleman？JimmieDale”sfatherhadbeenamemberoftheSt。JamesClub，andoneofthelargestsafemanufacturersoftheUnitedStates，aprosperous，wealthyman，andatJimmieDale”sbirthhehadproposedhisson”snameformembership。IttooksometimetogetintotheSt。James；therewasalongwaitinglistthatneithermoney，influence，norpullcouldalterbysomuchasoneiota。Menproposedtheirsons”namesformembershipwhentheywerebornasreligiouslyastheyenteredthemuponthecity”sbirthregister。Attwenty-oneJimmieDalewaselectedtomembership；and，incidentally，thatsameyear，graduatedfromHarvard。ItwasMr。Dale”sdesirethathissonshouldenterthebusinessandlearnitfromthegroundup，andJimmieDale，forfouryearsthereafter，hadfollowedhisfather”swishes。Thenhisfatherdied。JimmieDalehadleaningstowardmoreartisticpursuitsthanbusiness。Hewascreditedwithsketchingalittle，writingalittle；andhewascreditedwithhavingreceivedaverysnugamountfromthecombinetowhichhesoldouthissafe-manufacturinginterests。Helivedabachelorlife——hismotherhadbeendeadmanyyears——inthehousethathisfatherhadlefthimonRiversideDrive，keptacarortwoandenoughservantstorunhismenagesmoothly，andserveadinnerexquisitelywhenhefelthospitablyinclined。

CouldtherebeanydoubtthatJimmieDalewasinnatelyagentleman？

Itwasevening，andJimmieDalesatatasmalltableinthecorneroftheSt。JamesClubdiningroom。OppositehimsatHermanCarruthers，ayoungmanofhisownage，abouttwenty-six，aleadingfigureinthenewspaperworld，whoserisefromreportertomanagingeditorofthemorningNEWS-ARGUSwithintheshortspaceofafewyearshadbeenalmostmeteoric。

Theywereatcoffeeandcigars，andJimmieDalewasleaningbackinhischair，hisdarkeyesfixedinterestedlyonhisguest。

Carruthers，intentlyengagedintrimminghiscigarashontheedgeoftheLimogeschinasaucerofhiscoffeeset，lookedupwithanabruptlaugh。

“No；Iwouldn”tcaretogoonrecordasbeinganadvocateofcrime，“

hesaidwhimsically；“thatwouldneverdo。ButIdon”tmindadmittingquiteprivatelythatit”sbeenapositiveregrettomethathehasgone。”

“Madetoogood”copy”tolose，Isuppose？“suggestedJimmieDalequizzically。“Toobad，too，afterworkingupatheatricalnamelikethatforhim——theGraySeal——ratherunique！Whostuckthatonhim——

you？“

Carrutherslaughed——then，grownserious，leanedtowardJimmieDale。

“Youdon”tmeantosay，Jimmie，thatyoudon”tknowaboutthat，doyou？“heaskedincredulously。“Why，uptoayearagothepaperswerefullofhim。”

“Ineverreadyourbeastlyagonycolumns，“saidJimmieDale，withacheerygrin。

“Well，“saidCarruthers，“youmusthaveskippedeverythingbutthestockreportsthen。”

“Granted，“saidJimmieDale。“Sogoon，Carruthers，andtellmeabouthim——IdaresayImayhaveheardofhim，sinceyouaresodistressedaboutit，butmymemoryisn”tgoodenoughtocontradictanythingyoumayhavetosayabouttheestimablegentleman，soyou”resafe。”

CarruthersrevertedtotheLimogessaucerandthetipofhiscigar。

“Hewasthemostpuzzling，bewildering，delightfulcrookintheannalsofcrime，“saidCarruthersreminiscently，afteramoment”ssilence。“Jimmie，hewastheking-pinofthemall。Cleverisn”tthewordforhim，ordare-devilisn”teither。Iusedtothinksometimeshismotivewasmorethanhalfforthepuredeviltryofit，tolaughatthepoliceandpullthenosesoftherestofusthatwereafterhim。Iusedtodreamnightsaboutthoseconfoundedgraysealsofhis——that”swherehegothisname；helefteveryjobheeverdidwithalittlegraypaperaffair，fashioneddiamond-shaped，stucksomewherewhereitwouldbethefirstthingyoureyeswouldlightuponwhenyoureachedthescene，and”

“Don”tgosofast，“smiledJimmieDale。“Idon”tquitegettheconnection。Whatdidyouhavetodowiththis——er——GraySealfellow？Wheredoyoucomein？“

“I？Ihadagooddealtodowithhim，“saidCarruthersgrimly。“I

wasareporterwhenhefirstbrokeloose，andtheambitionofmylife，afterIbeganreallytoappreciatewhathewas，wastogethim——andInearlydid，halfadozentimes，only”

“Onlyyouneverquitedid，eh？“cutinJimmieDaleslyly。“Howneardidyouget，oldman？Comeon，now，nobluffing；didtheGraySealeverevenrecogniseyouasafactorinthehare-and-houndgame？“

“You”reflickingontheraw，Jimmie，“Carruthersanswered，withawrygrimace。“Heknewme，allright，confoundhim！Hefavouredmewithseveralsarcasticnotes——I”llshow”emtoyousomeday——

explaininghowI”dfallendownandhowIcouldhavegothimifI”ddonesomethingelse。”Carruthers”fistcamesuddenlydownonthetable。“AndIwouldhavegothim，too，ifhehadlived。”

“Lived！“ejaculatedJimmieDale。“He”sdead，then？“

“Yes，“avertedCarruthers；“he”sdead。”

“H”m！“saidJimmieDalefacetiously。“Ihopethesizeofthewreathyousentwasanadequatetributeofyourappreciation。”

“Ineversentanywreath，“returnedCarruthers，“fortheverysimplereasonthatIdidn”tknowwheretosendit，orwhenhedied。Isaidhewasdeadbecauseforoverayearnowhehasn”tliftedafinger。”

“Rottenpoorevidence，evenforanewspaper，“commentedJimmieDale。

“Whynotgivehimcreditforhaving，say——reformed？“

Carruthersshookhishead。“Youdon”tgetitatall，Jimmie，“hesaidearnestly。“TheGraySealwasn”tanordinarycrook——hewasaclassic。Hewasanartist，andtheartofthethingwasinhisblood。Amanlikethatcouldnomorestopthanhecouldstopbreathing——andlive。He”sdead；there”snothingtoitbutthat——

he”sdead。I”dbetayear”ssalaryonit。”

“Anothergoodmangonewrong，then，“saidJimmieDalecapriciously。

“Isuppose，though，thatatleastyoudiscoveredthe”womaninthecase”？“

Carrutherslookedupquickly，alittlestartled；thenlaughedshortly。

“What”sthematter？“inquiredJimmieDale。

“Nothing，“saidCarruthers。“Youkindofgotmeforamoment，that”sall。That”sthewaythoseinfernalnotesfromtheGraySealusedtoendup：”Findthelady，oldchap；andyou”llgetme。”Hehadadamnedpatronisingfamiliaritythatwouldmakeyousquirm。”

“PooroldCarruthers！“grinnedJimmieDale。“Youdidtakeittoheart，didn”tyou？“

“I”dhavesoldmysoultogethim——andsowouldyou，ifyouhadbeeninmyboots，“saidCarruthers，bitingnervouslyattheendofhiscigar。

“Andbeensorryforitafterward，“suppliedJimmieDale。

“Yes，byJove，you”reright！“admittedCarruthers，“IsupposeI

should。Iactuallygottolovethefellow——itwastheGAME，really，thatIwantedtobeat。”

“Well，andhowaboutthiswoman？Keeponthestraightandnarrowpath，oldman，“proddedJimmieDale。

“Thewoman？“Carrutherssmiled。“Nothingdoing！Idon”tbelievetherewasone——hewouldn”thavebeenlikelytoeggthepoliceandreportersontofindingheriftherehadbeen，wouldhe？Itwasablind，ofcourse。Heworkedalone，absolutelyalone。That”sthesecretofhissuccess，accordingtomywayofthinking。Therewasneversomuchasanindicationthathehadhadanaccompliceinanythingheeverdid。”

JimmieDale”seyestravelledaroundtheclub”shomelike，perfectlyappointedroom。Henoddedtoafellowmemberhereandthere，thenhiseyesrestedmusinglyonhisguestagain。

Carrutherswasstaringthoughtfullyathiscoffeecup。

“Hewastheprinceofcrooksandthefatheroforiginality，“

announcedCarruthersabruptly，followingthepausethathadensued。

“Halfthetimetherewasn”tanymoregettingatthemotiveforthecuriousthingshedid，thantherewasgettingattheGraySealhimself。”

“Carruthers，“saidJimmyDale，withaquicklittlenodofapproval，“you”repositivelyinterestingto-night。But，sofar，you”vebeenkindofscoutingaroundtheoutsideedgeswithoutgettingintothethickofit。Let”shavesomeofyourexperienceswiththeGraySealindetail；theyoughttomakerippingfineyarns。”

“Notto-night，Jimmie，“saidCarruthers；“itwouldtaketoolong。”

Hepulledouthiswatchmechanicallyashespoke，glancedatit——andpushedbackhischair。“GreatScott！“heexclaimed。“It”snearlyhalf-pastnine。I”dnoideawehadlingeredsolongoverdinner。

I”llhavetohurry；we”reamorningpaper，youknow，Jimmie。”

“What！Really！Isitaslateasthat。”JimmieDalerosefromhischairasCarruthersstoodup。“Well，ifyoumust”

“Imust，“saidCarruthers，withalaugh。

“Allright，Oslave。”JimmieDalelaughedback——andslippedhishand，atrickoftheiroldcollegedaystogether，throughCarruthers”armastheylefttheroom。

HeaccompaniedCarruthersdownstairstothedooroftheclub，andsawhisguestintoataxi；thenhereturnedinside，saunteredthroughthebilliardroom，andfromthereintooneofthecardrooms，where，pressedintoagame，heplayedseveralrubbersofbridgebeforegoinghome。

Itwas，therefore，wellontowardmidnightwhenJimmieDalearrivedathishouseonRiversideDrive，andwasadmittedbyanelderlymanservant。

“Hello，Jason，“saidJimmieDalepleasantly。“Youstillup！“

“Yes，sir，“repliedJason，whohadbeenvalettoJimmieDale”sfatherbeforehim。“Iwasgoingtobed，sir，ataboutteno”clock，whenamessengercamewithaletter。Beggingyourpardon，sir，ayounglady，and”

“Jason“——JimmieDaleflungouttheinterruption，sudden，quick，imperative”whatdidshelooklike？“

“Why——why，Idon”texactlyknowasIcoulddescribeher，sir，“

stammeredJason，takenaback。“Veryladylike，sir，inherdressandappearance，andwhatIwouldcall，sir，abeautifulface。”

“Hairandeyes——whatcolor？“demandedJimmieDalecrisply。“Nose，lips，chin——whatshape？“

“Why，sir，“gaspedJason，staringathismaster，“I——Idon”trightlyknow。Iwouldn”tcallherfairordark，somethingbetween。I

didn”ttakeparticularnotice，anditwasn”toverlightoutsidethedoor。”

“It”stoobadyouweren”tayoungerman，Jason，“commentedJimmieDale，withacurioustingeofbitternessinhisvoice。“I”dhavegivenayear”sincomeforyouropportunityto-night，Jason。”

“Yes，sir，“saidJasonhelplessly。

“Well，goon，“promptedJimmieDale。“YoutoldherIwasn”thome，andshesaidsheknewit，didn”tshe？AndshelefttheletterthatIwasonnoaccounttomissreceivingwhenIgotback，thoughtherewasnoneedoftelephoningmetotheclub——whenIreturnedwoulddo，butitwasimperativethatIshouldhaveitthen——eh？“

“GoodLord，sir！“ejaculatedJason，hisjawdropped，that”sexactlywhatshedidsay。”

“Jason，“saidJimmieDalegrimly，“listentome。Ifevershecomeshereagain，inveigleherin。Ifyoucan”tinveigleher，useforce；

captureher，pullherin，doanything——doanything，doyouhear？

Onlydon”tlethergetawayfromyouuntilI”vecome。”

Jasongazedathismasterasthoughtheotherhadlosthisreason。

“Useforce，sir？“herepeatedweakly——andshookhishead。“You——youcan”tmeanthat，sir。”

“Can”tI？“inquiredJimmieDale，withamirthlesssmile。“Imeaneverywordofit，Jason——andifIthoughttherewastheslightestchanceofhergivingyoutheopportunity，I”dbemoreimperativestill。Asitis——where”stheletter？“

“Onthetableinyourstudio，sir，“saidJason，mechanically。

JimmieDalestartedtowardthestairs——thenturnedandcamebacktowhereJason，stillshakinghisheadheavily，hadbeengazinganxiouslyafterhismaster。JimmieDalelaidhishandontheoldman”sshoulder。

“Jason，“hesaidkindly，withaswiftchangeofmood，“you”vebeenalongtimeinthefamily——firstwithfather，andnowwithme。You”ddoagooddealforme，wouldn”tyou？“

“I”ddoanythingintheworldforyou，MasterJim，“saidtheoldmanearnestly。

“Well，then，rememberthis，“saidJimmieDaleslowly，lookingintotheother”seyes，“rememberthis——keepyourmouthshutandyoureyesopen。It”smyfault。Ishouldhavewarnedyoulongago，butI

neverdreamedthatshewouldevercomehereherself。Therehavebeentimeswhenitwaspracticallyamatteroflifeanddeathtometoknowwhothatwomanisthatyousawto-night。That”sall，Jason。

Nowgotobed。”

“MasterJim，“saidtheoldmansimply，“thankyou，sir，thankyoufortrustingme。I”vedandledyouonmykneewhenyouwereababy，MasterJim。Idon”tknowwhatit”sabout，anditisn”tformetoask。Ithought，sir，thatmaybeyouwerehavingalittlefunwithme。ButIknownow，andyoucantrustme，MasterJim，ifsheevercomesagain。”

“Thankyou，Jason，“saidJimmieDale，hishandclosingwithanappreciativepressureontheother”sshoulder“Good-night，Jason。”

Upstairsonthefirstlanding，JimmieDaleopenedadoor，closedandlockeditbehindhim——andtheelectricswitchclickedunderhisfingers。Aglowfellsoftlyfromaclusterofshadedceilinglights。Itwasalargeroom，averylargeroom，runningtheentiredepthofthehouse，andtheeffectofapparentdisorderinthearrangementofitsappointmentsseemedtobreatheasenseofcharm。

Thereweregreatcozy，deep，leather-coveredloungingchairs，ahuge，leather-covereddavenport，andaneaselortwowithhalf-

finishedsketchesuponthem；thewallswerepanelled，thepanelsofexquisitegrainandmatching；inthecentreoftheroomstoodaflat-toppedrosewooddesk；uponthefloorwasadark，heavyvelvetrug；and，perhapsmostinvitingofall，therewasagreat，old-

fashionedfireplaceatonesideoftheroom。

ForaninstantJimmieDaleremainedquietlybythedoor，asthoughlistening。Sixfeethestood，muscularineverylineofhisbody，likeawell-trainedathletewithnosingleounceofsuperfluousfatabouthim——thegraceandeaseofpowerinhispoise。Hisstrong，clean-shavenface，asthelightfelluponitnow，wasserious——amoodthatbecamehimwell——thefirmlipsclosed，thedark，relianteyesalittlenarrowed，afrownonthebroadforehead，thesquarejawclamped。

Thenabruptlyhewalkedacrosstheroomtothedesk，pickedupanenvelopethatlayuponit，and，turningagain，droppedintothenearestloungingchair。

Therehadbeennodoubtinhismind，nonetodispel。ItwaspreciselywhathehadexpectedfromalmostthefirstwordJasonhadspoken。Itwasthesamehandwriting，thesametextureofpaper，andtherewasthesameoldhaunting，rare，indefinablefragranceaboutit。JimmieDale”shandsturnedtheenvelopenowthisway，nowthat，ashelookedatit。WonderfulhandswereJimmieDale”s，withlong，slim，taperingfingerswhosesensitivetipsseemednowasthoughtheywerestrivingtodecipherthemessagewithin。

Helaughedsuddenly，alittleharshly，andtoreopentheenvelope。

Fivecloselywrittensheetsfellintohishand。Hereadthemslowly，critically，readthemoveragain；andthen，hiseyesontherugathisfeet，hebegantotearthepaperintominutepiecesbetweenhisfingers，depositingthepieces，ashetorethem，uponthearmofhischair。Thefivesheetsdemolished，hisfingersdippedintotheheapofshredsonthearmofthechairandtorethemoverandoveragain，torethemuntiltheywerescarcelylargerthanbitsofconfetti，toreatthemabsentlyandmechanically，hiseyesnevershiftingfromtherugathisfeet。

Thenwithashrugofhisshoulders，asthoughrousinghimselftopresentreality，acurioussmileflickeringonhislips，hebrushedthepiecesofpaperintoonehand，carriedthemtotheemptyfireplace，laidthemdowninalittlepile，andsetthemafire。

Lightingacigarette，hewatchedthemburnuntilthelastglowhadgonefromthelastcharredscrap；thenhecrunchedandscatteredthemwiththebrass-handledfenderbrush，and，retracinghisstepsacrosstheroom，flungbackaportierefromwhereithungbeforealittlealcove，anddroppedonhiskneesinfrontofaround，squat，barrel-shapedsafe——oneofhisowndesignandplanningintheyearswhenhehadbeenwithhisfather。

Hisslim，sensitivefingersplayedforaninstantamongtheknobsanddialsthatstuddedthedoor，guided，itseemedbythesenseoftouchalone——andthedoorswungopen。Withinwasanotherdoor，withlocksandboltsasintricateandmassiveastheouterone。This，too，heopened；andthenfromtheinteriortookoutashort，thick，rolled-upleatherbundletiedtogetherwiththongs。Herosefromhisknees，closedthesafe，anddrewtheportiereacrossthealcoveagain。Withthebundleunderhisarm，heglancedsharplyaroundtheroom，listenedintently，then，unlockingthedoorthatgaveonthehall，heswitchedoffthelightsandwenttohisdressingroom，thatwasonthesamefloor。Here，divestinghimselfquicklyofhisdinnerclothes，heselectedadarktweedsuitwithloose-fitting，sackcoatfromhiswardrobe，andbegantoputiton。

Dressed，allbuthiscoatandvest，heturnedtotheleatherbundlethathehadplacedonatable，untiedthethongs，andcarefullyopeneditouttoitsfulllength——andagainthatcurious，crypticsmiletingedhislips。Rolledtheoppositeawayfromthatinwhichithadbeentiedup，theleatherstripmadeawidebeltthatwentonsomewhatafterthefashionofalifepreserver，thethongsbeingusedforshoulderstraps——abeltthat，onceon，thevestwouldhidecompletely，and，fittingclose，leftnotelltalebulgeintheoutergarments。Itwasnotanordinarybelt；itwasfullofstout-sewn，up-rightlittlepocketsallthewayaround，andinthepocketsgrimlylayanarrayoffine，blued-steel，highlytemperedinstruments——acompact，powerfulburglar”skit。

Theslim，sensitivefingerspassedwithalmostacaressingtouchovertheviciouslittleimplements，andfromoneofthepocketsextractedathin，flatmetalcase。ThisJimmieDaleopened，andglancedinside——betweensheetsofoilpaperlaylittlerowsofGRAY，ADHESIVE，DIAMOND-SHAPEDSEALS。

JimmieDalesnappedthecaseshut，returnedittoitsrecess，andfromanothertookoutablacksilkmask。Heheldituptothelightforexamination。

“Prettygoodshapeafterayear，“mutteredJimmieDale，replacingit。

Heputonthebelt，thenhisvestandcoat。Fromthedrawerofhisdresserhetookanautomaticrevolverandanelectricflashlight，slippedthemintohispocket，andwentsoftlydownstairs。Fromthehatstandhechoseablackslouchhat，pulleditwelloverhiseyes——

andleftthehouse。

JimmieDalewalkeddownablock，thenhailedabusandmountedtothetop。Itwaslate，andhefoundhimselftheonlypassenger。Heinsertedhisdimeintheconductor”slittleresonant-belledcashreceiver，andthensettledbackontheuncomfortable，bumping，cushionlessseat。

Onrattledthebus；itturnedacrosstown，passedtheCircle，andheadedforFifthAvenue——butJimmieDale，toallappearances，wasquiteobliviousofitsmovements。

Itwasayearsinceshehadwrittenhim。SHE！JimmieDaledidnotsmile，hislipswerepressedhardtogether。Notaveryintimateorpersonalappellation，that——butheknewherbynoother。ItWASawoman，surely——thehand-writingwasfeminine，thedictioneminentlyso——andhadSHEnotcomeherselfthatnighttoJason！Herememberedthelastletter，apartfromtheoneto-night，thathehadreceivedfromher。Itwasayearagonow——andtheletterhadbeenhardlymorethananote。ThepolicehadworkedthemselvesintoafrenzyovertheGraySeal，thepapershadgrownabsolutelymaudlin——andshehadwritten，inhercharacteristicway：

Thingsarealittletoowarm，aren”tthey，Jimmie？Let”sletthemcoolforayear。

Sincethenuntilto-nighthehadheardnothingfromher。Itwasastrangecompactthathehadenteredinto——sostrangethatitcouldneverhaveknown，couldneverknowaparallel——unique，dangerous，bizarre，itwasallthatandmore。Ithadbegunreallythroughhisconnectionwithhisfather”sbusiness——thebusinessofmanufacturingsafesthatshoulddefythecleverestcriminals——whenhisbrains，turnedintothatchannel，hadbeenpittedagainsttheunderworld，againstthemethodsofathousanddifferentcrooksfromMainetoCalifornia，thereportofwhoseeveryoperationhadreachedhiminthenaturalcourseofbusiness，andeveryoneofwhichhehadstudiedinminutestdetail。Ithadbegunthroughthat——butatthebottomofitwashisownrestless，adventurousspirit。

Hehadmeanttosetthepolicebytheears，usinghisgray-sealdevicebothasanaddedbarbandthatnoinnocentbystanderoftheunderworld，innocentforonce，mightbeinvolved——hehadmeanttolaughatthemandpuzzlethemtothevergeofmadness，forinthelastanalysistheywouldfindonlyanabortiveattemptatcrime——andhehadsucceeded。Andthenhehadgonetoofar——andhehadbeencaught——byHER。Thatstringofpearls，which，tostudywhoseeffectfacetiously，hehadsoidioticallywrappedaroundhiswrist，andwhich，soironically，hehadbeenunabletoloosenintimeandhadbeenforcedtocarrywithhiminhissudden，desperatedashtoescapefromMarx”sthebigjeweler”s，inMaidenLane，whosestrongroomhehadtoyedwithonenight，hadbeentheleverwhich，AT

FIRST，shehadheldoverhim。

ThebuswasonFifthAvenuenow，andspeedingrapidlydownthedesertedthoroughfare。JimmieDalelookedupatthelightedwindowsoftheSt。JamesClubastheywentby，smiledwhimsically，andshiftedinhisseat，seekingamorecomfortableposition。

Shehadcaughthim——howhedidnotknow——hehadneverseenher——didnotknowwhoshewas，thoughtimeandagainhehaddevotedallhisenergiesformonthsatastretchtoasolutionofthemystery。ThemorningfollowingtheMaidenLaneaffair，indeed，beforehehadbreakfasted，Jasonhadbroughthimthefirstletterfromher。Ithadstartedbydetailinghiseverymoveofthenightbefore——andithadendedwithanultimatum：“Thecleverness，theoriginalityoftheGraySealasacrooklackedbutonething，“shehadnaivelywritten，“andthatonethingwasthathiscrookednessrequiredaleadingstringtoguideitintochannelsthatwereworthyofhisgenius。”

Inaword，SHEwouldplanthecoups，andhewouldactatherdictationandexecutethem——orelsehowdidtwentyyearsinSingSingforthatlittleMaidenLaneaffairappealtohim？Hewastoanswerbythenextmorning，asimple“yes“or“no“inthepersonalcolumnofthemorningNEWS-ARGUS。

AthreattoamanlikeJimmieDalewaslikeflauntingaredragatabull，andarageungovernablehadsurgeduponhim。Thencoldreasonhadcome。Hewascaught——therewasnoquestionaboutthat——shehadtakenpainstoshowhimthatheneedmakenomistakethere。

Innocentenoughinhisownconscience，asfarasactualtheftwent，forthepearlswouldinduecourseberestoredinsomewaytothepossessionoftheirowner，hewouldhavebeenunabletomakeevenhisownfather，whowasalivethen，believeinhisinnocence，letaloneajuryofhispeers。Dishonour，shame，ignominy，alongprisonsentence，staredhimintheface，andtherewasbutonealternative——tolinkhandswiththisunseen，mysteriousaccomplice。

Well，hecouldatleasttemporise，hecouldalways“queer“agameinsomespeciousmanner，ifhewerepushedtoofar。Andso，inthenextmorning”sNEWS-ARGUS，JimmieDalehadanswered“yes。”AndthenhadfollowedthoseyearsinwhichtherehadbeenNOtemporising，inwhicheveryplanwascarriedouttothelastdetail，thoseyearsofcurious，unaccountable，bewilderingaffairsthatCarruthershadspokenof，oneontopofanother，thathadshakentheoldheadquartersonMulberryStreettoitsfoundations，untiltheGraySealhadbecomeanametoconjurewith。And，yes，itwasquitetrue，hehadenteredintoitall，gonethelimit，withaneagernessthatwasinsatiable。

ThebushadreachedthelowerendofFifthAvenue，passedthroughWashingtonSquare，andstoppedattheendofitsrun。JimmieDaleclambereddownfromthetop，threwapleasant“good-night“totheconductor，andheadedbrisklydownthestreetbeforehim。AlittlelaterhecrossedintoWestBroadway，andhispaceslowedtoaleisurelystroll。

Here，attheupperendofthestreet，wasaconglomeratebusinesssectionofratherinferiorclass，cateringdoubtlesstothepoor，foreignelementthatcongregatedwestofBroadwayproper，andtothesouthofWashingtonSquare。Thestreetwas，atfirstglance，deserted；itwasdarkanddreary，withstoresandloftsoneitherside。Anelevatedtrainroaredbyoverhead，withathunderous，deafeningclamour。JimmieDale，ontheright-handsideofthestreet，glancedinterestedlyatthedarkstorewindowsashewentby。Andthen，ablockahead，ontheotherside，hiseyesrestedonanapproachingform。Astheotherreachedthecornerandpaused，andthelightfromthestreetlampglintedonbrassbuttons，JimmieDale”seyesnarrowedalittleunderhisslouchhat。Thepoliceman，althoughnonchalantlyswinginganightstick，appearedtobewatchinghim。

JimmieDalewentonhalfablockfarther，stoopedtothesidewalktotiehisshoe，glancedbackoverhisshoulder——thepolicemanwasnotinsight——andslippedlikeashadowintothealleywaybesidewhichhehadstopped。

ItwasanotherJimmieDalenow——theprofessionalJimmieDale。Quickasacat，active，lithe，hewasoverasixfootfenceintherearofabuildinginaflash，andcrouchedablackshape，againstthebackdoorofanunpretentious，unkempt，dirty，secondhandshopthatfrontedonWestBroadway——thelastplacecertainlyinallNewYorkthatthemanagingeditoroftheNEWS-ARGUS，oranyoneelse，forthatmatter，wouldhavepickedoutasthesettingfortheseconddebutoftheGraySeal。

Fromthebeltaroundhiswaist，JimmieDaletooktheblacksilkmask，andslippediton；andfromthebelt，too，camealittleinstrumentthathisdeftfingersmanipulatedinthelock。Acurioussnippingsoundfollowed。JimmieDaleputhisweightgraduallyagainstthedoor。Thedoorheldfast。

“Bolted，“saidJimmieDaletohimself。

Thesensitivefingerstravelledslowlyupanddownthesideofthedoor，seemingtopressandfeelforthepositionoftheboltthroughaninchofplank——thenfromthebeltcameatinysaw，thinandpointedattheend，thatfittedintothelittlehandledrawnfromanotherreceptacleintheleathergirdlebeneaththeunbuttonedvest。

Hardlyasounditmadeasitbitintothedoor。Halfaminutepassed——therewasthefaintfallofasmallpieceofwood——intotheaperturecreptthedelicate，taperingfingers——cameaslightraspingofmetal——thenthedoorswungback，thedarkshadowthathadbeenJimmieDalevanishedandthedoorclosedagain。

Around，whitebeamoflightglowedforaninstant——anddisappeared。

Amiscellaneous，lumberingcollectionofjunkandoddsandendsblockedtheentry，leavingnomorespacethanwassufficientforbarepassageway。JimmieDalemovedcautiously——andoncemoretheflashlightinhishandshowedthewayforaninstant——thendarknessagain。

Theclutteredaccumulationofsecondhandstuffinthereargaveplacetoalittlemoreorderlyarrangementasheadvancedtowardthefrontofthestore。Likeahugefirefly，theflashlighttwinkled，wentout，twinkledagain，andwentout。Hepassedasortofcrude，partitioned-offapartmentthatdiddutyfortheestablishment”soffice，asortoflittleboxed-inplaceitwas，aboutinthemiddleofthefloor。JimmieDale”slightplayedonitforamoment。buthekeptontowardthefrontdoorwithoutanypause。

Everymovementwasquick，sure，accurate，withnotawastedsecond。

Ithadbeenbarelyaminutesincehehadvaultedthebackfence。Itwashardlyaquarterofaminutemorebeforethecumbersomelockofthefrontdoorwasunfastened，andthedooritselfpulledimperceptiblyajar。

Hewentswiftlybacktotheofficenow——andfounditevenmoreofashaky，cheapaffairthanithadatfirstappeared；morelikeaboxstallwithwindowsaroundthetopthananythingelse，thewindowsdoubtlesstopermittheoccupanttooverlookthestorefromthevantagepointofthehighstoolthatstoodbeforealong，battered，wobblydesk。Therewasadoortotheplace，too，butthedoorwasopenandthekeywasinthelock。TherayofJimmieDale”sflashlightsweptoncearoundtheinterior——andrestedonanantique，ponderoussafe。

UnderthemaskJimmieDale”slipspartedinasmilethatseemedalmostapologetic，asheviewedthehelplessironmonstrositythatwaslittlemorethananinsulttoatrainedcracksman。Thenfromthebeltcamethethinmetalcaseandapairoftweezers。Heopenedthecase，andwiththetweezersliftedoutoneofthegray-coloured，diamond-shapedseals。Holdingthesealwiththetweezers，hemoistenedthegummedsidewithhislips，thenlaiditonahandkerchiefwhichhetookfromhispocket，andclappedthehandkerchiefagainstthefrontofthesafe，stickingthesealconspicuouslyintoplace。JimmieDale”sinsigniaborenofingerprints。Themicroscopesandmagnifyingglassesatheadquartershadmanyatimeregretfullyassuredthepoliceofthatfact。

Andnowhishandsandfingersseemedtoworklikelightning。Intothesoftironbitadrill——bitinandthrough——bitinandthroughagain。Itwasdark，pitchblack——andsilent。Notasound，savethequick，dullraspoftheratchet——likethedistantgnawingofamouse！JimmieDaleworkedfast——anotherholewentthroughthefaceoftheold-fashionedsafe——andthensuddenlyhestraighteneduptolisten，everyfacultytense，alert，andstrained，hisbodythrownalittleforward。WHATWASTHAT！

Fromthealleywayleadingfromthestreetwithout，throughwhichhehimselfhadcome，soundedthestealthycrunchoffeet。Motionlessintheutterdarkness，JimmieDalelistened——therewasascrapingnoiseintherear——someonewasclimbingthefencethathehadclimbed！

InaninstantthetoolsinJimmieDale”shandsdisappearedintotheirrespectivepocketsbeneathhisvest——andthesensitivefingersshottothedialonthesafe。

“Toobad，“mutteredJimmieDaleplaintivelytohimself。Icouldhavemadesuchanartisticjobofit——IswearIcouldhavecutCarruthers”profileintheholeinlessthannotime——toopenitlikethisisreallytakingthepooroldthingatadisadvantage。”

Hewasonhiskneesnow，oneearclosetothedial，listeningasthetumblersfell，whilethedelicatefingersspuntheknobunerringly——

theotherearstrainedtowardtherearofthepremises。

Cameafootstep——arayoflight——astumble——nearer——thenewcomerwasinsidetheplacenow，andmusthavefoundoutthatthebackdoorhadbeentamperedwith。Nearercamethesteps——stillnearer——andthenthesafedoorswungopenunderJimmieDale”shand，andJimmieDale，thathemightnotbecaughtlikearatinatrap，dartedfromtheoffice——buthehaddelayedalittletoolong。

Fromaroundtheclutteredpilesofjunkandmiscellanysweptthelight——fullonJimmieDale。Hesitationforthesmallestfractionofasecondwouldhavebeenfatal，buthesitationwassomethingthatinallhislifeJimmieDalehadneverknown。Quickasapantherinitsspring，heleapedfullatthelightandthemanbehindit。Theroughvoice，insurprisedexclamationatthesuddendiscoveryofthequarry，diedinagasp。

Therewasacrashasthetwomenmet——andtheotherreeledbackbeforetheimpact。OntohimJimmieDalesprang，andhishandsflewfortheother”sthroat。Itwasanofficerinuniform！JimmieDalehadfeltthebrassbuttonsastheylocked。InthedarknesstherewasaqueersmileonJimmieDale”stightlips。ItwasnodoubtTHE

officerwhomhehadpassedontheothersideofthestreet。

TheotherwasasmallermanthanJimmieDale，butpowerfulforhisbuild——andhefoughtnowwithallhisstrength。Thiswayandthatthetwomenreeled，staggered，swayed，pantingandgasping；andthen——theyhadlurchedbackclosetotheofficedoor——withasuddenswing，everymusclebroughtintoplayforasupremeeffort，JimmieDalehurledtheotherfromhim，sendingthemansprawlingbacktotheflooroftheoffice，andinthewinkingofaneyehadslammedshutthedoorandturnedthekey。

Therewasabull-likeroar，theshrillCHEEP-CHEEP-CHEEPofthepatrolman”swhistle，andashatteringcrashastheofficerflunghisbodyagainstthepartition——thenthebarkofarevolvershot，thetinkleofbreakingglass，asthemanfiredthroughtheofficewindow——andpastJimmieDale，speedingnowforthefrontdoor，abullethummedviciously。

OutonthestreetdashedJimmieDale，whippingthemaskfromhisface——andglancedlikeahawkaroundhim。Foralltheracket，theneighbourhoodhadnotyetbeenaroused——noonewasinsight。Fromjustoverheadcametherattleofadowntownelevatedtrain。Inahundred-yardsprint，JimmieDaleraceditahalfblocktothestation，toreupthesteps——andamomentlaterdroppednonchalantlyintoaseatandpulledaneveningnewspaperfromhispocket。

JimmieDalegotoffatthesecondstationdown，crossedthestreet，mountedthestepsoftheelevatedagain，andtookthenexttrainuptown。Hismovementsappearedtobesomewhaterratic——healightedatthestationnextabovetheonebywhichhehadmadehisescape。

Lookingdownthestreetitwastoodarktoseemuchofanything，butaconfusednoiseasofagatheringcrowdreachedhimfromwhatwasaboutthelocationofthesecondhandstore。Helistenedappreciativelyforamoment。

“Isn”titaperfectlylovelynight？“saidJimmieDaleamiablytohimself。“AndtothinkofthatcoprunningawaywiththeideathatIdidn”tseehimwhenhehidinadoorwayafterIpassedthecorner！

Well，well，strange——isn”tit？“

Withanotherglancedownthestreet，awhimsicalliftofhisshoulders，heheadedwestintothedilapidatedtenementquarterthathuddledforahandfulofblocksnearby，justsouthofWashingtonSquare。Itwasalittleafteroneo”clockinthemorningnowandthepedestrianswerecasual。JimmieDalereadthestreetsignsonthecornersashewentalong，turnedabruptlyintoanintersectingstreet，countedthetenementsfromthecornerashepassed，and——fortheeyeofanyonewhomightbewatching——openedthestreetdoorofoneofthemquiteasthoughhewereaccustomedandhadaperfectrighttodoso，andwentinside。

Itwasmurkyanddarkwithin；hot，unhealthy，withlingeringsmellsofgarlicandstalecooking。Hegropedforthestairsandstartedup。Heclimbedoneflight，thenanother——andonemoretothetop。

Here，treadingsoftly，hemadeanexaminationofthelandingwithaview，evidently，toobtaininganideaofthelocationandthenumberofdoorsthatopenedofffromit。

Hisselectionfellonthethirddoorfromtheheadofthestairs——

therewerefouralltold，twoapartmentsoftworoomseach。Hepausedforaninstanttoadjusttheblacksilkmask，triedthedoorquietly，founditunlocked，openeditwithasudden，quick，briskmovement——and，steppinginside，leanedwithhisbackagainstit。

“Good-morning，“saidJimmieDalepleasantly。

Itwasasqualidplace，amiserablehole，inwhichasingleflickering，yellowgasjetgavelight。Itwasalmostbareoffurniture；therewasnothingbutacoupleofcheapchairs，aricketytable——unpawnable。Aboy，hewashardlymorethanthat，perhapstwenty-two，fromapostureinwhichhewashuddledacrossthetablewithheadburiedinout-flungarms，sprangwithastartledcrytohisfeet。

“Good-morning，“saidJimmieDaleagain。“Yourname”sHagan，BertHagan——isn”tit？AndyouworkforIsaacBrolskyinthesecondhandshopoveronWestBroadway——don”tyou？“

Theboy”slipsquivered，andthegaunt，hollow，half-starvedface，white，ashen-whitenow，waspitiful。

“I——Iguessyougotme，“hefaltered“I——Isupposeyou”reaplain-

clothesman，thoughIneverknewdicksworemasks。”

“Theydon”tgenerally，“saidJimmieDalecoolly。“It”safadofmine——BertHagan。”

Thelad，hangingtothetable，turnedhisheadawayforamoment——

andtherewassilence。

PresentlyHaganspokeagain。“I”llgo，“hesaidnumbly。Iwon”tmakeanytrouble。Would——wouldyoumindnotspeakingloud？I——I

wouldn”tlikehertoknow。”

“Her？“saidJimmieDalesoftly。

Theboytiptoedacrosstheroom，openedaconnectingdooralittle，peeredinside，openeditalittlewider——andlookedoverhisshoulderatJimmieDale。

JimmieDalecrossedtotheboy，lookedinsidetheotherroom——andhisliptwitchedqueerly，asthesightsentaquick，hurtthrobthroughhisheart。Ayoungwoman，youngerthantheboy，layonatumble-downbed，aragofclothingoverher——herfacewithadeathlikepalloruponit，asshelayinwhatappearedtobeastupor。Shewasill，criticallyill；itneedednotrainedeyetodiscernafactalltooapparenttothemostcasualobserver。Thesqualor，theglaringpovertyhere，wasevenmorepitifullyinevidencethanintheotherroom——onlyhereuponachairbesidethebedwasaclusterofmedicinebottlesandalittleheapoffruit。

JimmieDaledrewbacksilentlyastheboyclosedthedoor。

Haganwalkedtothetableandpickeduphishat。

“I”m——I”mready，“hesaidbrokenly。“Let”sgo。”

“Justaminute，“saidJimmieDale。“Tellusaboutit。”

“Twon”ttakelong，“saidHagan，tryingtosmile。“She”smywife。

Thesicknesstookallwehad。I——Ikindergotbehindintherentandthings。Theyweregoingtofireusoutofhere——to-morrow。Andtherewasn”tanymoneyforthemedicine，and——andthethingsshehadtohave。Maybeyouwouldn”thavedoneit——butIdid。Icouldn”tseeherdyingthereforthewantofsomethingalittlemoney”dbuy——

and——andIcouldn”t“——hecaughthisvoiceinalittlesob”I

couldn”tseeherthrownoutonthestreetlikethat。”

“Andso，“saidJimmieDale，“insteadofputtingoldIsaac”scashinthesafethiseveningwhenyoulockedup，youputitinyourpocketinstead——eh？Didn”tyouknowyou”dgetcaught？“

“Whatdiditmatter？“saidtheboy。Hewastwirlinghismisshappenhatbetweenhisfingers。“Iknewthey”dknowitwasmeinthemorningwhenoldIsaacfounditgone，becausetherewasn”tanybodyelsetodoit。ButIpaidtherentforfourmonthsaheadto-night，andIfixeditso”sshe”dhavemedicineandthingstoeat。Iwasgoingtobeatitbeforedaylightmyself——I“——hebrushedhishandhurriedlyacrosshischeek”Ididn”twanttogo——toleavehertillIhadto。”

“Well，say“——therewaswondermentinJimmieDale”stones，andhisEnglishlapsedintoungrammatical，reassuringvernacular”ain”tthatqueer！Say，I”mnodetective。Gee，kid，didyouthinkIwas？

Say，listentothis！IcrackedoldIsaac”ssafehalfanhourago——

andIguesstherewon”tbeanyideagoingaroundthatyougotthemoneyandIpulledalemon。Say，Iain”tsuperstitious，butitlookslikeluckmeantyoutohaveanotherchance，don”tit？“

ThehatdroppedfromHagan”shandstothefloor，andheswayedalittle。

“You——youain”tadick！“hestammered。“Thenhow”dyouknowaboutmeandmynamewhenyoufoundthesafeempty？Whotoldyou？“

AwrygrimacespreadsuddenlyoverJimmieDale”sfacebeneaththemask，andheswallowedhard。JimmieDalewouldhavegivenagooddealtohavebeenabletoanswerthatquestionhimself。

“Oh，that！“saidJimmieDale。“That”seasy——Iknewyouworkedthere。Say，it”sthelimit，ain”tit？Talkaboutyourluckbeingin，whyallyou”vegottodoistosittightandkeepyourmouthshut，andyou”resafeasachurch。Onlysay，whatareyougoingtodoaboutthemoney，nowyou”vegotafourmonths”startandarekindoflandedonyourfeet？

“Do？“saidtheboy。“I”llpayitback，littlebylittle。Imeantto。Iain”tno”Hestoppedabruptly。

“Crook，“suppliedJimmieDalepleasantly。“Spititrightout，kid；

youwon”thurtmyfeelingsnone。Well，I”lltellyou——you”retalkingthewayIliketohearyou——youpaythatback，slideitinwithouthisknowingit，abitatatime，wheneveryoucan，andyou”llneverhearayipoutofme；butifyoudon”t，whyitkindoflooksasthoughIhavearighttocomedownyourstreetandgetmyshareorknowthereasonwhy——eh？“

“Thenyounevergetanyshare，“saidHagan，withacatchinhisvoice。“IpayitbackasfastasIcan。”

“Sure，“saidJimmieDale。“That”sright——that”swhatIsaid。Well，solong——Hagan。”AndJimmieDalehadopenedthedoorandslippedoutside。

Anhourlater，inhisdressingroominhishouseonRiversideDrive，JimmieDalewasremovinghiscoatasthetelephone，ahandinstrumentonthetable，rang。JimmieDaleglancedatit——andleisurelyproceededtoremovehisvest。Againthetelephonerang。

JimmieDaletookoffhiscurious，pocketedleatherbelt——asthetelephonerepeateditssummons。Hepickedoutthelittledrillhehadusedashortwhilebefore，andinspecteditcritically——feelingitspointwithhisthumb，asonemightfeelarazor”sblade。Againthetelephoneranginsistently。Hereachedlanguidlyforthereceiver，tookitoffitshook，andheldittohisear。

“Hello！“saidJimmieDale，withasleepyyawn。“Hello！Hello！Whythedeucedon”tyouyankamanoutofbedattwoo”clockinthemorningandhavedonewithit，and——eh？Oh，thatyou，Carruthers？“

“Yes，“cameCarruthers”voiceexcitedly。“Jimmie，listen——listen！

TheGraySeal”scometolife！He”sjustpulledabreakonWestBroadway！“

“GoodLord！“gaspedJimmieDale。“Youdon”tsay！“

CHAPTERII

BYPROXY

Themostpuzzlingbewildering，delightfulcrookintheannalsofcrime，“HermanCarruthers，theeditoroftheMORNINGNEWS-ARGUS，hadcalledtheGraySeal；andJimmieDalesmiledalittlegrimlynowasherecalledtheoccasionofaweekagoattheSt。JamesClubovertheirafter-dinnercoffee。Thatwasbeforehisseconddebut，withIsaacBrolsky”spoverty-strickenpremisesoveronWestBroadwayasasettingforthebreak。

SHEhadwritten：“Thingsarealittletoowarm，aren”tthey，Jimmie？

Let”sletthemcoolforayear。”Well，theyhadcooledforayear，andCarruthersasaresulthadbeencomplacentlysatisfiedinhisownmindthattheGraySealwasdead——untilthatbreakatIsaacBrolsky”soveronWestBroadway！

JimmieDale”ssmilewastingedwithwhimsicalitynow。Theonlyeffectoftheyear”sinactionhadbeentousherinhisrenewedactivitywithafurorcomparedtowhichallthathadgonebeforewasinsignificant。Wherethenewspapershadbeenmaudlin，theynowraved——ravedineditorialsandravedinheadlines。Itwasanimpossible，untenable，unbelievableconditionofaffairsthatthisGraySeal，forallhisincomparablecleverness，shouldflaunthiscrimesinthefacesofthecitizensofNewYork。Onecouldactuallyseetheeditorswrithingintheirswivelchairsastheirfierydenunciationsdrippedfromtheirpens！Whatwasthematterwiththepolice？Werethepolicechildren；or，worsestill，imbeciles——or，stillworseagain，wastheresomeone“higherup“whowasprofitingbythisrogue”swork？NewYorkwouldnotstandforit——NewYorkwouldmostdecidedlynot——andthesoonerthepolicerealisedthatfactthebetter！Ifthepolicewerehelpless，ortools，thecitizensofNewYorkwerenot，anditwastimethecitizenswerethoroughlyaroused。

Therewasaway，too，toarousethecitizens，thatwasbothgoodbusinessfromthenewspaperstandpoint，andefficaciousasamethod。

Carruthers，oftheMORNINGNEWS-ARGUS，hadinitiatedit。TheMORNINGNEWS-ARGUSofferedtwenty-fivethousanddollars”rewardforthecaptureoftheGraySeal！Otherpapersimmediatelyfollowedsuitinvaryingamounts。Theauthorities，Stateandmunicipal，goadedtodesperation，didlikewise，andthefivemillionmen，women，andchildrenofNewYorkwereautomaticallymetamorphosedintoembryonicsleuths。NewYorkwasaroused。

JimmieDale，aliastheGraySeal，memberoftheultra-exclusiveSt。

JamesClub，thelatterfactsufficientinitselftoguaranteehissocialstanding，graduateofHarvard，inheritorofhisdeceasedfather”simmensewealthamassedinthemanufactureofburglar-proofsafes，someofthemostingeniouspatentsonwhichwereduetoJimmieDalehimself，figuredwithapencilonthemarginofthenewspaperhehadbeenreading，usingthearmofthebig，luxurious，leather-upholsteredloungingchairasasupportforthepaper。Theresultofhiscalculationswaseighty-fivethousanddollars。

HebrushedthepaperontotheTurkishrug，doveintothepocketofhisdinnerjacketforhiscigarettes，andbegantosmokeashiseyesstrayedaroundtheroom，hisownparticulardeninhisfashionableRiversideDriveresidence。

Eighty-fivethousanddollars”reward！JimmieDaleblewmeditativeringsofcigarettesmokeatthefireplace。Whatwouldshesaytothat？Wouldshedecideitwas“toohot“again，andcallitoff？Itaddedquitealittlehazardtothegame——QUITEalittle！Ifheonlyknewwho“she“was！Itwasastrangepartnership——thestrangestpartnershipthathadeverexistedbetweentwohumanbeings。

Heturnedalittleinhischairasastepsoundedinthehallwaywithout——thatis，JimmieDalecaughtthesound，muffledthoughitwasbytheheavycarpet。Camethenaknockuponthedoor。

“Comein，“invitedJimmieDale。

ItwasoldJason，thebutler。Theoldmanwasvisiblyexcited，asheextendedasilvertrayonwhichlayaletter。

JimmieDale”shandreachedquicklyout，thelong，slimtaperingfingersclosedupontheenvelope——buthiseyeswereonJasonsignificantly，questioningly。

“Yes，MasterJim，“saidtheoldman，“Irecogniseditontheinstant，sir。Afterwhatyousaid，sir，lastweek，honouringme，I

mightsay，toacertainextentwithyourconfidence，thoughI”msureIdon”tknowwhatitallmeans，I”

“Whobroughtitthistime，Jason？“inquiredJimmieDalequietly。

“Nottheyoungperson，beggingyourpardon，nottheyounglady，sir。

Ashufferinabigautomobile。”Yourmasteratonce”hesays，andshovestheletterintomyhand，andwasoff。”

“Verygood，Jason，“saidJimmieDale。“Youmaygo。”

Thedoorclosed。Yes，itwasfromHER——itwasthesametextureofpaper，therewasthesamerare，hauntingfragranceclingingtoit。

Hetoretheenvelopeopen，andextractedafoldedsheetofpaper。

Whatwasitthistime？Tocallthepartnershipoffagainuntilthepresentfurorshouldhavesubsidedoncemore——ortheskilfullysketchedoutlineofanewadventure？Which？Heglancedatthefewlineswrittenonthesheet，andlungedforwardfromhischairtohisfeet。Itwasneitheronenortheother。Itwas——

JimmieDale”sfacewasset，andanangryredsurgeswepthischeeks。

Hislipsmoved，mutteringaudiblyfragmentsoftheletter，ashestaredatit。

“——incrediblethatyou——aheinousthing——actinstantly——thisisruin”

Foraninstant——arareoccurrenceinJimmieDale”slife——hestoodlikeamanstricken，stillstaringatthesheetinhishand。Thenmechanicallyhisfingerstorethepaperintolittlepieces，andthelittlepiecesintotinyshreds。Angerfled，andasickeningsenseofimpotentdismaytookitsplace；theredlefthischeecks，andinitssteadagraynesscame。

“Actinstantly！“Thewordsseemedtoleapathim，drumathisearswithconstantrepetition。Actinstantly！Buthow？How？Thenhisbrain——thatkeen，clear，masterbrain——sprangfromstunnedinactionintovirilityagain。Ofcourse——Carruthers！ItwasinCarruthers”

line。

Hesteppedtothedesk——andpausedwithhishandextendedtopickupthetelephone。HowexplaintoCarruthersthathe，JimmieDale，alreadyknewwhatCarruthersmightnotyethaveheardof，eventhoughCarrutherswouldnaturallybeamongthefirsttobeintouchwithsuchaffairs！No；thatwouldneverdo。Bettergettherehimselfatonceandtrustto——

Thetelephonerang。

JimmieDalewaiteduntilitrangagain，thenheliftedthereceiverfromthehook。

“Hello？“hesaid。

“Hello！Hello！Jimmie！“cameavoice。“ThisisCarruthers。Thatyou，Jimmie？“

“Yes，“saidJimmieDaleandsatdownlimplyinthedeskchair。

“It”stheGraySealagain。IpromisedyouI”dletyouinonthegroundfloornexttimeanythinghappened，socomeondownherequickifyouwanttoseesomeofhisworkatfirsthand。”

JimmieDaleflirtedabeadofsweatfromhisforehead。

“Carruthers，“saidJimmielanguidly，“younewspaperchapsmakemetiredwithyourGraySeal。I”mjustgoingtobed。”

“Bednothing！“splutteredCarruthers，fromtheotherendofthewire。“Comedown，Itellyou。It”sworthyourwhile——halfthepopulationofNewYorkwouldgivethetoesofftheirfeetforthechance。Comedown，youblastidiot！TheGraySealhasgonethelimitthistime——it”sMURDER。”

JimmieDale”sfacewashaggard。

“Oh！“hesaidpeevishly。“Soundsinteresting。Whereareyou？I

guessmaybeI”lljogalong。”

“Ishouldthinkyouwould！“snappedCarruthers。“YouknowthePalaceontheBowery？Yes？Well，meetmeonthecornerthereassoonasyoucan。Hustle！Good”

“Oh，Isay，Carruthers！“interposedJimmieDale。

“Yes？“demandedCarruthers。

“Thanksawfullyforlettingmeknow，oldman。”

“Don”tmentionit！“returnedCarrutherssarcastically。“Youalwayswereagratefulbeast，Jimmie。Hurryup！“

JimmieDalehungupthereceiverofthecity”phone，andtookdownthereceiverofanother，aprivate-houseinstallation，andrangtwiceforthegarage。

“Thelightcaratonce，Benson，“heorderedcurtly。“Atonce！“

JimmieDaleworkedquicklythen。Inhisdressingroom，hechangedfromdinnerclothestotweeds；spentasecondorsooverthecontentsofalockeddrawerinthedresser，fromwhichheselectedaverysmallbutserviceableautomatic，andaverysmallbuthighlypowerfulmagnifyingglasswhosecombinationoflittleroundlensesworkedonapivot，and，closedoveroneanother，wereofaboutthecompassofaquarterofadollar。

Inthreeminuteshewasoutsidethehouseandsteppingintothecar，justasitdrewupatthecurb。

“Benson，“hesaidterselytohischauffeur，“dropmeoneblockthissideofthePalaceontheBowery——andforgettherewaseveraspeedlawenacted。Understand？“

“Verygood，sir，“saidBenson，touchinghiscap。“I”lldomybest，sir。”

JimmieDale，inthetonneau，stretchedouthislegsunderthefrontseat，anddughishandsintohispockets——andinsidethepocketshishandswereclenchedandknottedfists。

Murder！AttimesithadoccurredtohimthattherewasapossibilitythatsomecrookoftheunderworldwouldattempttocoverhistracksandtakerefugefrompursuitbyfoistinghimselfontheauthoritiesastheGraySeal。Thatwasapossibility，ariskalwaystoberun。ButthatMURDERshouldbelaidtotheGraySeal”sdoor！

Anger，mercilessandunrestrained，surgedoverJimmieDale。

Therewasperilhere，liveandimminent。Supposethatsomedayheshouldbecaughtinsomelittleaffair，recognisedandidentifiedastheGraySeal，therewouldbethechargeofmurderhangingoverhim——

andtheelectricchairtoface！

Buttheperilwasnottheonlything。EvenworsetoJimmieDale”sartisticandsensitivetemperamentwasthevilification，theholdinguptoloathing，contumely，andabhorrenceofthename，thestainlessname，oftheGraySeal。ItWASstainless！Hehadguardeditjealously——asamanguardsthewoman”snameheloves。

Affairsthathadmystifiedanddriventhepolicedistractedwithimpotencetherehadbeen，manyofthem；andonthefaceofthem——

crimes。Butnoactevercommittedhadbeeninrealityacrime——

nonewithoutthehighestofmotives，therightingofsomeoutrageouswrong，theprotectionofsomepoorstumblingfellowhuman。

Thathadbeenhispartnershipwithher。How，bywhatamazingmeans，bywhatpowerthatsmackedalmostofthemiraculousshecameintouchwithallthesethingsandsuppliedhimwiththedataonwhichtoworkhedidnotknow——onlythat，thankstoher，therewerehappierheartsandhappierhomessincetheGraySealhadbeguntowork。“DearPhilanthropicCrook，“sheoftencalledhiminherletters。Andnow——itwasMURDER！

TakeCarruthers，forinstance。Foryears，asareporterbeforehehadrisentotheeditorialdesk，hehadbeenoneofthekeenestonthescentoftheGraySeal，butalwaysforthesakeofthegame——

alwaysfilledwithadmiration，ashesaidhimself，forthedaring，theoriginalityofthemostpuzzling，bewildering，delightfulcrookintheannalsofcrime。Carrutherswasbutanexample。CarruthersnowwouldhunttheGraySeallikeamaddog。TheGraySeal，toCarruthersandeveryoneelse，wouldbethevilestnameintheland——

asynonymformurder。

Onthecarflew——anduponJimmieDale”sface，asthoughchiselledinmarble，wasalookthatwasnotgoodtosee。Andamirthlesssmileset，frozen，onhislips。

“I”llgetthemanthatdidthis，“grittedJimmieDalebetweenhisteeth。“I”llGEThim！And，whenIgethim，I”llwringaconfessionfromhimifIhavetoswingforit！“

ThecarsweptfromBroadwayintoAstorPlace，ondowntheBowery，andpresentlystopped。

JimmieDalesteppedout。“Ishallnotwantyouanymore，Benson，“

hesaid。“Youmayreturnhome。”

JimmieDalestarteddowntheblock——anonchalantJimmieDalenow，ifanything，boredalittle。Nearthecorner，afigure，backturned，wasloungingattheedgeofthesidewalk。JimmieDaletouchedthemanonthearm。

“Hello，Carruthers！“hedrawled。

“Ah，Jimmie！“Carruthersturnedwithanexcitedsmile。“That”stheboy！You”vemademightyquicktime。”

“Well，youtoldmetohurry，“grumbledJimmieDale。“I”mdoingmybesttopleaseyouto-night。Camedowninmycar，andgotsummonedforthreefinesto-morrow。”

Carrutherslaughed。“Comeon，“hesaid；and，linkinghisarminJimmieDale”s，turnedthecorner，andheadedwestalongthecrossstreet。“Thisisgoingtomakeanoise，“hecontinued，agrimnotecreepingintohisvoice。“Thebiggestnoisethecityhaseverheard。ItakebackallIsaidabouttheGraySeal。I”dalwayspicturedhisclevernessasbeinginseparablewithatleastadecentsortofman，evenifhewasarogueandacriminal，butI”mthroughwiththat。He”sarotterandahoundoftherankestsort！Ididn”tthinktherewasanythingmorevulgarorbrutalthanmurder，buthe”sshownmethatthereis。Aguttersnipe”sgotmoredecency！Tomurderamanandthenboastfullylabelthecorpseis”

“Say，Carruthers，“saidJimmieDaleplaintively，suddenlyhangingback，“Isay，youknow，it”s——it”sallrightforyoutomessupinthissortofthing，it”syourbeastlybusiness，andI”mawfullydamnedthankfultoyouforgivingmealook-in，butisn”tit——er——

ratherINFRADIGforme？Abitmorbid，youknow，andallthatsortofthing。I”dneverheartheendofitattheclub——youknowwhattheSt。Jamesis。Couldn”tIbeMeridethStanleyAnnstruther，orsomethinglikethat，oneofyournewreporters，orsomethinglikethat，youknow？“

Carrutherschuckled。“Sure，Jimmie，“hesaid。“You”rethelatestadditiontothestaffoftheNEWS-ARGUS。Don”tworry；theincomparableJimmieDalewon”tfigurepubliclyinthis。”

“It”sawfullygoodofyou，“saidJimmiegratefully。“Ihavetohaveanotebookorsomething，don”tI？“

Carruthers，fromhispocket，handedhimone。“Thanks，“saidJimmieDale。

Alittlewayahead，acrowdhadcollectedonthesidewalkbeforeadoorway，andCarrutherspointedwithajerkofhishand。

“It”sinMoriarty”splace——agamblinghell，“heexplained。“I

haven”tgotthestorymyselfyet，thoughI”vebeeninside，andhadalookaround。InspectorClaytondiscoveredthecrime，andreporteditatheadquarters。Iwasatmydeskintheofficewhenthenewscame，and，asyouknowtheinterestI”vetakenintheGraySeal，I

decidedto”cover”itmyself。WhenIgothere，Claytonhadn”treturnedfromheadquarters，so，asyouseemedsokeenlyinterestedlastweek，Itelephonedyou。IfClayton”sbacknowwe”llgetthedetails。Clayton”sagoodfellowwiththe”press”andhewon”tholdanythingoutonus。Now，hereweare。Keepclosetome，andI”llpassyouin。”

Theyshoulderedthroughthecrowdanduptoanofficeratthedoor。

Theofficernodded，steppedaside，andCarruthers，withJimmieDalefollowing，enteredthehouse。

Theyclimbedoneflight，andthenanother。Thecard-rooms，thefaro，stud，androulettelayoutsweredeserted，saveforpolicemenhereandthereonguard。Carruthersledthewaytoaroomatthebackofthehall，whosedoorwasopenandfromwhichissuedahubbubofvoices——onevoiceroseabovetheothers，heavyandgratinglycomplacent。

“Clayton”sback，“observedCarruthers。

Theysteppedoverthethreshold，andtheheavyvoicegreetedthem。

“Ah，here”sCarruthersnow！H”areyou，Carruthers？Theytoldmeyou”dbeenhere，andwerecomingback，soI”vebeenkeepingtheboyswaitingbeforehandingoutthedope。You”vehadalookatthat——

eh？“Heflungoutafathandtowardthebed。

Thevoicesroseagain，alldirectedatCarruthersnow。

“Bubble”sburst，eh，Carruthers？Whataboutthe”PrinceofCrooks”？

Artistryincrime，wasn”tit，yousaid？“Theywerequotingfromhiseditorialsofbygonedays，ahalfdozenreportersofrivalpapers，grinningandjoshinghimgood-naturedly，seeminglyquiteunaffectedbywhatlaywithinarm”sreachofthemuponthebed。

Carrutherssmiledalittlewryly，shruggedhisshoulders——andpresentedJimmieDaletoInspectorClayton。

“Mr。Matthewson，anewmanofours——inspector。”

“Gladtoknowyou，Mr。Matthewson，“saidtheinspector。

JimmieDalefoundhishandgraspedbyanotherthatwasflabbyandunpleasantlymoist；andfoundhimselflookingintoafacethatwasred，withheavyrollsofunhealthyfatterminatinginadoublechinandathick，apoplecticneck——ahuge，roundface，withrat”seyes。

ClaytondroppedJimmieDale”shand，andwavedhisownintheair。

JimmieDaleremainedmodestlyontheoutsideofthecircleasthereportersgatheredaroundthepoliceinspector。

“Now，then，“saidClaytoncoarsely，“theguythat”scroakedthereisMetzer，JakeMetzer。Getthat？“

JimmieDale，scribblinghurriedlyinhisnotebooklikealltherest，turnedalittletowardthebed，andhislowerjawcreptoutthefractionofaninch。Bothgasjetsintheroomwereturnedonfull，givingamplelight。Amanfullydressed，amanofperhapsforty，layuponhisbackonthebed，onearmoutflungacrossthebedspread，theotherdangling，withfingersjusttouchingthefloor，theheadatanangleandoffthepillow。Itwasasthoughhehadbeencarriedtothebedandflunguponitafterthedeedhadbeencommitted。JimmieDale”seyesshiftedandswepttheroom。Yes，everythingwasindisorder，asthoughtherehadbeenastruggle——achairupturned，atablecantedagainstthewall，brokenpiecesofcrockeryfromthewashstandonthecarpet，and——

“Metzerwasastoolpigeon，see？“wentonClayton，“andhelivedhere。Moriartywasn”tontohim。MetzerstoodinthickwithawidercircleofcrooksthananyothersnitchinNewYork。”

JimmieDale，stillscribblingasClaytontalked，steppedtothebedandleanedoverthemurderedman。Themurderhadbeendonewithablackjackevidently——acoupleofblows。Theleftsideofthetemplewascrushedin。Rightinthemiddleoftheforehead，pastedthere，agray-colored，diamondshapedpapersealflaunteditself——thedeviceoftheGraySeal。InJimmieDale”hand，hiddenasheturnedhisback，thetinycombinationofpowerfullenseswasfocusedontheseal。

Claytonguffawed。“That”sright！“hecalledout。“Takeagoodlook。That”sabrightyoungmanyou”vegot，Carruthers。”

JimmieDalelookedupalittlesheepishly——andgotagrinfromtheassembledreporters，andascowlfromCarruthers。

Now，then，“continuedClayton，“here”sthefacts——asmuchof”emasIcanletyouboysprintatpresent。YouknowI”mstretchingapointtoletyouinhere——don”tforgetthatwhenyoucometowriteupthecase——honourwhere”shonour”sdue，youknow。Well，meandMetzertherewasgettingreadytoclosedownonabigpieceofgame，andIwasoverhereinthisroomtalkingtohimaboutitearlythisafternoon。Wehaditframedtogetourmanto-night——see？IleftMetzer，say，aboutthreeo”clock，andhewastoshowupoveratheadquarterswithanotherlittlebitofevidencewewantedateighto”clockto-night。”

JimmieDalewaslistening——toeveryword。Buthestoopednowagainoverthemurderedman”sheaddeliberately，thoughhefelttheinspector”srat”seyesuponhim——stooped，and，withhisfingernail，liftedbacktheright-handpointofthediamond-shapedsealwhereitborderedafaintthreadofbloodontheman”sforehead。

Therewasabull-likeroarfromtheinspector，andheburstthroughtheringofreporters，andgrabbedJimmieDalebytheshoulder。

“Hereyou，whatinhellareyoudoing！“hesplutteredangrily。

Embarrassedandconfused，JimmieDaledrewback，glancedaround，andsmiledagainalittlesheepishlyashiseyesrestedonthered-

flushedjowloftheinspector。

“I——Iwantedtoseehowitwasstuckon，“heexplainedinanely。

“Stuckon！“bellowedClayton。“I”llshowyouhowit”sSTUCKon，ifyoumonkeyaroundhere！Don”tyouknowanybetterthanthat！Wherewereyoudraggedupanyway？Thecoronerhasn”tbeenhereyet。

You”reahotcubofareporter，youare！“HeturnedtoCarruthers。

“Y”oughttogetoutprintedinstructionsfor”embeforeyouturn”emloose！“hesnapped。

Carruthers”facewasredwithmortification。Therewasagrin，expanded，onthefacesoftheothers。

“Standawayfromthatbed！“roaredClaytonatJimmieDale。“Andifyougonearitagain，I”llthrowyououtofherebodily！“

JimmieDaleedgedaway，and，eyeslowered，fumblednervouslywiththeleavesofhisnotebook。

Claytongrunted，glaredatJimmieDaleforaninstantviciously——andresumedhisstory。

“Iwassaying，“hesaid，“thatMetzerwastocometoheadquartersateighto”clockthisevening。Well，hedidn”tshowup。Thatlookedqueer。Itwasmightyimportantbusiness。Wewasafteroneofthebiggesthaulswe”deverpulledoff。Iwaitedtillnineo”clock，anhourago，andIwasgettingnervous。ThenIstartedoverheretofindoutwhatwasthematter。WhenIgothereIaskedMoriartyifhe”dseenMetzer。Moriartysaidhehadn”tsinceIwasherebefore。

HewasalittlesuspiciousthatIhadsomethingonMetzer——see？

Well，bypumpingMoriarty，headmittedthatMetzerhadhadavisitoraboutanhourafterIleft。”

“Whowasit？Knowwhathisnameis，inspector？“askedoneofthereportersquickly。

InspectorClaytonwinkedheavily。“Don”tbegreedyboys，“hegrinned。

“Youmeanyou”vegothim？“burstoutanotheroneofthemenexcitedly。

“Sure！Sure，I”vegothim。”InspectorClaytonwavedhisfathandairily。“OrIwillhavebeforemorning——butIain”tsayinganythingmoretillit”sover。”Hesmiledsignificantly。“Well，that”saboutall。You”vegotthedetailsrightaroundyou。IleftMoriartydownstairsandcameuphere，andfoundjustwhatyousee——Metzerlayingonthebedthere，andthegraysealstuckonhisforehead——

and“——heendedabruptly”I”llhavetheGraySealhimselfbehindthebarsbymorning。”

Achorusofejaculationsrosefromthereporters，whiletheirpencilsworkedfuriously。

ThenJimmieDaleappearedtohaveaninspiration。JimmieDaleturnedaleafinhisnotebookandbegantosketchrapidly，cockinghisheadnowononesidenowontheother。WithafewdeftstrokeshehadoutlinedthefigureofInspectorClayton。ThereporterbesideJimmieDaleleanedovertoinspectthework，andanotherdidlikewise。JimmieDaledrewinClayton”sfacemostexcellently，ifsomewhatflatteringly；andthen，withalittleflourishofpride，wroteunderthedrawing：“TheManWhoCapturedtheGraySeal。”

“That”sacrackinggoodsketch！“pronouncedthereporterathisside。“Lettheinspectorseeit。”

“Whatisit？“demandedClayton，scowling。

JimmieDalehandedhimthenotebookmodestly。

InspectorClaytontookit，lookedatit，lookedatJimmieDale；thenhisscowlrelaxedintoaself-sufficientandpleasedsmile，andhegruntedapprovingly。

“That”sthestufftoputover，“hesaid。“Mabbeyou”renotmuchofareporter，butyoucandraw。Y”reallright，sport——y”reallright。ForgetwhatIsaidtoyouawhileago。”

JimmieDalesmiledtoo——deprecatingly。Andputthenotebookinhispocket。

Anofficerenteredtheroomhurriedly，and，drawingClaytonaside，spokeinanundertone。AtriumphantandmaliciousgrinsettledonClayton”sfeatures，andhestartedwitharushforthedoor。

“Comearoundtoheadquartersintwohours，boys，“hecalledashewentout，“andI”llhavesomethingmoreforyou。”

Theroomcleared，thereporterstumblingdownstairstomakeforthenearesttelephonestogettheir“copy“intotheirrespectiveoffices。

Onthestreet，afewdoorsupfromthehousewheretheywerefreefromthecrowd，CarruthershaltedJimmieDale。

“Jimmie，“hesaidreproachfully，“youcertainlymadeamarkofusboth。Therewasn”tanyneedtoplaythe”cub”soegregiously。

However，I”llforgiveyouforthesakeofthesketch——handitover，Jimmie；I”mgoingtoreproduceitinthefirstedition。”

“Itwasn”tdrawnforreproduction，Carruthers——atleastnotyet，“

saidJimmieDalequietly。

Carruthersstaredathim。“Eh？“heaskedblankly。

“I”vetakenadisliketoClayton，“saidJimmieDalewhimsically。

“He”stoopatentlyafterfreeadvertising，andI”mnotgoingtohelpalonghisboost。Youcan”thaveit，oldman，solet”sthinkaboutsomethingelse。What”lltheydowiththatbitofpaperthat”sonthepoordevil”sforeheadupthere，forinstance。”

“Say，“saidCarruthers，“doesitstrikeyouthatyou”reactingqueer？Youhaven”tbeendrinking，haveyou，Jimmie？“

“What”lltheydowithit？“persistedJimmieDale。

“Well，“saidCarruthers，smilingalittletolerantly，“they”llphotographitandenlargethephotograph，andlabelit”ExhibitA”

or”ExhibitB”orsomethinglikethat——andfileitawayinthearchiveswiththefiftyormorejustlikeitthatarealreadyintheircollection。”

“That”swhatIthought，“observedJimmieDale。HetookCarruthersbythelapelofthecoat。“I”dlikeaphotographofthat。I”dlikeitsomuchthatI”vegottohaveit。Knowthechapthatdoesthatworkforthepolice？“

“Yes，“admittedCarruthers。

“Verygood！“saidJimmieDalecrisply，“Getanextraprintoftheenlargementfromhimthen——foraconsideration——whateverheasks——

I”llpayforit。”

“Butwhatfor？“demandedCarruthers。“Idon”tunderstand。”

“Because，“saidJimmieDaleveryseriously，“putitdowntoimaginationorwhateveryoulike，IthinkIsmellsomethingfishyhere。”

“YouWHAT！“exclaimedCarruthersinamazement。“You”renotjoking，areyou，Jimmie？“

JimmieDalelaughedshortly。“It”ssofarfromajoke，“hesaid，inalowtone，“thatIwantyourwordyou”llgetthatphotographintomyhandsbyto-morrowafternoon，nomatterwhattranspiresinthemeantime。Andlookhere，Carruthers，don”tthinkI”mplayingthesillythickhead，andtryingtomystifyyou。I”mnodetectiveoranythinglikethat。I”vejustgotanideathatapparentlyhasn”toccurredtoanyoneelse——and，ofcourse，Imaybeallwrong。IfI

am，I”mnotgoingtosayawordeventoyou，becauseitwouldn”tbeplayingfairwithsomeoneelse；ifI”mrighttheMORNINGNEWS-ARGUS

getsthebiggestscoopofthecentury。Willyougoinonthatbasis？“

Carruthersputouthishandimpulsively。“Ifyou”reinearnest，Jimmie——youbet！“

“Good！“returnedJimmieDale。“Thephotographbyto-morrowafternoonthen。Andnow”

“Andnow，“saidCaruthers，“I”vegottohurryovertotheofficeandgetawrite-upmanatwork。Willyoucomealong，ormeetmeatheadquarterslater？Claytonsaidintwohourshe”d”

“Neither，“saidJimmieDale。“I”mnotinterestedinheadquarters。

I”mgoinghome。”

“Well，allrightthen，“Carruthersreturned。“Youcanbankonmeforto-morrow。Good-night，Jimmie。”

“Good-night，oldman，“saidJimmieDale，and，turning，walkedbrisklytowardtheBowery。

ButJimmieDaledidnotgohome。HewalkeddowntheBoweryforthreeblocks，crossedtotheeastside，andturneddownacrossstreet。Twoblocksmorehewalkedinthisdirection，andhalfwaydownthenext。Herehepausedaninstant——thestreetwasdimlylighted，almostdark，deserted。JimmieDaleedgedclosetothehousesuntilhisshadowblendedwiththeshadowsofthewalls——andslippedsuddenlyintoapitch-blackareaway。