The Red Seal

he staircase to the apartment which had been occupied jointly by Jimmie Turnbull and Philip Rochester. Kent had already selected the right key from among those on the bun

o get his breath from his run up the staircase, stepped into the living room and reached for the electric l

overturned as they fought in silent desperation. Kent would have given much for light. He strained his eyes to see his adversary, but the pitch darkness concealed all but the vaguest outline. As

e whole figure against which he pressed, quiver and relax

peering ahead, his hands e

, as well as his aching throat, testified to his encounter having been a reality and not a fantastic dream. His glance traveled this way and that about the room and rested longest on the opposite side of the room where he had pinned

d caused Kent to relax his hold, a turn of the knob of the door, which swung inward, a

n the light until the place was ablaze, but in spite of his minute search of closets and under beds and behind furniture he could find no trace of his late adversary. Kent sto

were securely fastened, he had found on his tour of inspection; the only one not locked was the oval, swinging window high up in the side wall of the bathroom; only a chil

ed, but how had the man realized so instantly that he was against a door in the pitch darkness? It certainly showed

likely than that he had mistaken him, Kent, for a burglar and sprung at him. But why had he disappeared without revealing his identity to Kent? Surely the s

rim seriousness. At his earnest solicitation and backed by Benjamin Clymer's endorsement of his plan, Colonel McIntyre had agreed to give him un

he public get the slightest inkling that the bank cashier was suspected of forgery and there would be the devil to pay. Kent

he leapt to his feet. Wasting no further time on speculation, he commenced a systematic search of the apartment, replacing each chair and table as well as the rugs which had been over-turned in his recent tussle, after which he

out his partner's bunch of keys, he soon found one that fitted and opened the drawers. He had half completed his task, without finding any clew to the missing securities, when he was interrupted by the sound of the opening of the front do

ngement of the room. "Pardon my unceremonious entrance, but I had no idea you we

p Rochester? It would seem so, for who else, after taking refuge elsewhere, would have telephoned

t turned to his companion. "Sorry I brought

e apartment just to see if any one really is concealed on the premises, Mr. Kent?" he asked, and

Ferguson." As he spoke he led the way to Rochester's bed

short-handed to-night. Let me know how the hunt turns

e bathroom door, then returned to his inspection of Rochester's tab

nced. "Some one put up a joke on Stuart

oyed by the question. "

e me a few minutes of your time, Mr. Kent?" he

the window which he had occupied before and

rguson dropped back and stretched himse

his companion. "Lots of the praise went to your partner, Mr. Rochester, but I know you did the work. Now, please let me finish," holding up a protesting hand. "I know you've carried Mr. Rochester in your firm; he's dead wood." Kent was silent.

my point," finished the detective. "But, Mr. K

gar case and handed it to Ferguson. "The matches are on t

reply at once; instead

cigar was drawing to his satisfaction, and as Kent nodded a silent affirma

es

have a

etective narrowly; what was he driving at? "On

ed to surprise Kent with the question, bu

with the colonel," he admitted slowly

are the man to give it to me. Listen, Mr. Kent, this Jimmie Turnbull masquerades as a burglar night before last at the McIn

," finished Kent, as

'll let that go for a minute. Now, when Miss McIntyr

ath," answered Kent quietly.

d his own question. "Because Miss McIntyre did not agree with Rochester that Turnbul

r of candor was unmistakable and F

McIntyre been

rbara was the younger twin and her s

ntyre called to see me about poor Turnbull, I would not have

ation confidential. Now, Mr. Kent, does it not strike you as odd that apparently the only man in Washington who really disli

an exaggerated view of the affair. Colonel McIntyre is a

ive. "I saw Mr. Clymer, president of Turnbull's bank this

lue; he had not permitted Colonel McIntyre's desire for immediate pub

no motive for such a crime

he shot a look at his questioner; the latter's clear-cut features and

n perpetrated," rapped out Kent. "C

mare's nest!" Ferg

rward-"You have hear

ed forward his chair unt

een a black shadow squatting ape-like on the window ledge. As Kent leaned over to rel

ter the departure of the McIntyre twins and Coroner Penfield, I went back to the court room and poked around the pris

s the detective did not unfold the

ped it as Dr. Stone and the deputy marshal carried him into

nose and sniffed several

r and went at once to Dr. McLane. He told me th

ent reflectively. "It is g

edy and not the disease which killed Tu

o know that the capsules contain only th

he thought he was taking only the regular one. Devil

estion with unmoved countenance, but with inward foreb

ed. "The first thing was to establish t

n at the handkerchief to which

discover th

ber of particles of capsules in the handkerchief, that at least two capsules-or double the

oment, Turnbull may have accidentally put two caps

oke impressively, "that wasn

xclaimed Kent. "Then, are you

e, Mr. Clymer, and the deputy marshal," Ferguson spoke with inc

hief, revealing as he did so, the small particles of capsules still clinging to the linen. But Kent hardly observed the capsu