The Sheridan Road Mystery

at Morgan and went back to his chair. "I'll tell you my part of the sto

hing I am about to tell you, it will only be necessary for you to consult the Se

approximately twenty-four hours. I realized from the first that things had framed themselves in a peculiar way a

an, "and your appreciation sounds good

ends, and then I had word that they were appearing again in St. Louis. I made a quick jump to that city. Counterfeit five-dollar bills are comparatively easy to pass. A larger bill may attract attention, but five dollars is a commonly used unit. For that reason few people could r

che. Not exactly a definite description, but one which might help in connection with other things. Finally, I got a new clue from Detroit, which seemed to indicate that I would find the man there. It came to nothing, however, and when I returned to St. Louis I found that Atwood's wife had died in the meantime-that he had stored his furniture, and his daughter was living in

red, I recognized her one day, and then located her in this apartment building. Now experience had shown that this case was really a game of patience. So fa

rent this apartment. It gave me the advantage of not only being right in the building constantly, without attracting special attention, but as I was on the floor below the suspects, I had an excellent opportunity to keep an

to the real estate firm that rented me the apartment. That was why I posed as a ranch owner from Mexico, here in Chicago for the purpose of interesting certain financial interests in my property. That left out the entangling subject of references. Naturally, I did

y did you make those breaks about yo

just give the ladies a hint that a bachelor is in the house and immediately everyone focuses attention upon him. He is a poor, lonesome man, to be pitied, and e

thout disclosing my identity in any way. I knew positively that the flat over me was closed and empty. Then I was awakened suddenly in the night by a most suspicious disturbance. Naturally, I connected it immediately with the people I was watching. If I took an active interest in this trou

two o'clock, and I knew from observation that a patrolman was likely to be within a block or two of the house at that hour. On the other

first thought, and the most logical excuse, which came to my mind, was to tell the patrolman that the tenant of the flat was a personal friend of mine. This made it seem perfectly natural fo

thunder could you see my partner's footste

h la

I have laid my cards on the table. You can see the close connection that probably exists between the Atwood counterfeiting case and whatever took place i

that after your men left Tuesday morning, I did a little further investigating on my own accoun

that?" ask

OD ON THE DOORKNOB OF

n he started. Naturally, his professional pride was hurt, but the candid way in which Marsh had, to use his own words, laid his cards on the table, appealed to Morgan. He felt that this Government man was both broad-minded and efficient. He realized that there was surely more to gain by accepting Marsh's proposition, and working with him, than there would be if each worked alone, and very probably at cross purposes. The

t his pipe and tobacco pouch and lighting up. "Now

they will probably be of some value to you. Or in any event, of value to both of us in the general workin

d that may help us. Of course, in lining up my evidence, I separated the strong points against you from certain suspicious circumstances connected with the Atwoods. That

of the crime she had been awakened by a sharp sting in the arm, but had almost immediately gone to sleep again. Noticing the mark in the morning, she was under th

g to help her, or else somebody jabbed her without her knowledge. The first explanation is hardly likely, because sleeplessness is treated in other ways. Now that you tell me this man Atwood is a criminal, and that you found a bloodstain on the doorknob, I am convinced that someone g

ike the girl, and what I have just told you is one of the reasons why I have never attempted to arrest her and force a confession. I felt that all I could really do was to keep her under surveillance until such time as I could catch one of the real criminals getting in touch with her. The father and his gang have either simply been using her to a limited extent to pass their counterfeit notes, or else he has inc

on her, and disclosed my identity as a detective, so as far as I am concerned there is little that can be done in that directi

r a long time," replied Marsh, "but no such opportunity has as yet prese

d listened, as footsteps

taking fingerprint photographs. That was the next point I wa

ingerprints?

f two hands. Apparently not of muc

and told the plain-clothes man, who had been waiting outside, that everything was going smoothly and he could go back to the station. Returning to his chair, Morgan took up the subject of the clues he had disc

lso lose the duplicate. That cuff button may or may not be a clue. Of course, the tenant's initials do not coincide with the initial on that button, but it might have been dropped by a servant or a friend. As a matter of fact, that button m

ze that flattened bu

through the person fired at. That bullet is worth remembering, however, just

ng on this case at my house, somebody tried to listen outside my door. I was pretty sure this was so from the sounds I heard; and when I went to the doo

say that such an occurrence could be connected with any one of these. On the other hand, this case is very fresh, and you have been active

all outside Marsh's door. Both men sprang