The Ear in the Wall

ing out my suspicions to Ken

t. Kennedy answered the call himself, but the conversation was

as just found a detectaphone in his

news and for the moment it obscure

e. I knew him as a big, bullnecked fellow, taciturn to the point of surliness, owing his influence to his ability to "deli

y at his office," added Craig, jam

by the infectious excitement of Carton's message, dashed from our apa

r of the train, but so as not to be overheard, "that Dorgan always has kept

the secret suite in the fashionable restaurant I knew

t about the eavesdropping in time

e-sided conversation over the telephone, and the lightning change from the case

the machine," replied Kenn

ad?" I asked. "H

felt that the subway was no place in which to continue the

lence and hurried into Carton's office

elief, as if he were glad to have been able to turn t

ot exactly young, but of an age that is perhaps more interesting than youth, certainly more sophisticated. She, too,

rton quickly. "Both of them know as much about how experts use tho

waited for an

crecy, "Mrs. Ogleby, who is a friend of Mr. Murtha, Dorgan's right-hand ma

ation-it will be ruined if they connect my name with the case. As soon as I heard of it-I thought of you, Mr. Carton. I

ict Attorney, "I have told you half a dozen times

," she persisted excitedly. "Can'

th the air of one who almost

estly, "I will do all I can-on my wor

d looked at

overheard?" asked Crai

by's face

night which Mr. Dorgan gave at Gastron's. Mr. Murtha took

Kennedy. "Who

that was solely to protect herself against the scandal which she thought might att

or anything about it. Good heavens-it is bad enough as it is-to think that my name may be dragged into p

about the detectapho

nn

it was. I didn't think anyone outside was interested in it or in who was there or what went on. But, this morning, a-a

ly private affair. I asked Mr. Murtha and he told Mr. Dorgan. Mr. Dorgan at once guessed that there had been something queer. He looked about his rooms there, and, sure enough, they found the detectaphone concealed in the wall. I can't tell any more," she adde

er husband, Martin Ogleby, club-man and man about town, had a reputation none too savoury. But, man-like, I knew, he would co

ly, for some reason or other, the appeal she was making to him, "must I say aga

nour?" she asked, f

honour," he a

assumed that Carton must be the person to see, that h

she stood irresolute. Her lips quivered and tears stood in her eyes as she realized that, instead

low voice which we could not ove

ully took her arm and led her to a private entrance that opened from his office down the cor

just what it was all

e following

d Carton's face, as he returned to us alone a moment l

ton quickly. "No, I think that was

trument, really-did you?" a

ad. Why-the fact is, I don't know who did-no one seems to know, yet, evidently. But,"

thing, but nodd

Carton impressively,

Wall Street crow

rapidly. "Why, it was his stenographer that Mi

own suspicion, "because they aren't getting their share of the graft that Dorgan is passing out-probably are sore, and think that if t

impression. Hartley Langhorne, I knew, was a Wall Street broker and speculator who dealt in real estat

e theory. "In what shape is the reco

one, transcribed in typewriting, and loosely bound in a book of limp black leather. Oh," he concluded, "Dorgan would give almost anything to fi

as merely absorbing the ca

the window, "here's this record hidden away somewhere in the city. If I could only get it-I'd win

importance of the situation. For, as I have said, it was at the height of the political campai

rne is really in the inner r

not

, "can't you approach him or s

They don't want an open fight. It was just a piece of finesse on Langhorne's part. You may be sure of that. No, neither of them wants a fight. That's the last thing. They're both afraid. What Langhorne wanted was a line on

nued. "There's the record-somewhere-if I could only get it. Think of it, Kenn

ly, do you imagine?" asked

w scheme of city planning-with the able assistance of some theoretical reformers. That will be a big piece of

y among the men on the Star whom I knew, were notorious. The more I considered, the more possible phases of t

are hunting the book as anxiou

f our leading lawyers, financiers, and legislators there. He usually surrounds them with brilliant, clever women, as unscrupulous as himself, and

s better able to take care of herself than his

d out at the Bridge of Sighs that led fr

med meditatively. "Why, if it was only that I could

ehow or other in absolutely crushing opposition. I had run across him now and then in the course of my newspaper career and, aside from his

. For Murtha understood his people. He worked at politics every hour-whether it was patting the babies of the district on the head,

the other hand, held aloft and in the spotlight. Again and again, Kennedy and I in our excursions into scientific warfare on crime in the underworld had run squarely up agains

cause of the frankness with which he did what he sought to do. Neither Kennedy nor I could be accused of undue sympath

ean city and to prosecute the grafters. Dorgan wanted it in order to suppress and thus protect himself and Murtha. Mrs. Ogleby wanted it to save her go

ion of such pecul

Black Book!" exclaimed Carton finally,

too, ha

recollection of the many fights in which we had stood should

Carton had us e

d. "I knew you fello