Midnight

in the suit-case. Not only that, but every garment therein which bore an identification mark wa

the name "Roland R. Warren." The tailor-made shirts and underwear bore the maker's name and Warren's initials. The handkerchiefs were Warren

love for the bizarre in crime. The very fact that the circumstances smacked of the impossible intrigued him. He narrowed his eyes

en!" Leverage grunted.

the same there ain

ed to the da

e just discovered, so

were chatter

'Cording to what I make out, that suit-cas

want to know is h

ok his he

oll, I couldn't

woman got into

ugh the waiting-room alone, car

ive it was th

here train was an accommodation, and folks that usually come in on it take street-cars and not a taxi. Well, the minute I seen a good-lookin',

ht it was

actly; but sort o

. Go a

e seemed in a sort of a hurry. She walked stra

r to be expect

parked along the curb on the right side of Atlantic Avenue-headin' north, that is-and I rolled up. She handed me the suit-case and told me to drive her to No. 981 East End Avenue. I stuck the suit-case right where you got it fro

u drove straight o

tward along East End Avenue, and I had to raise the windshield a bit because there

't stop a

Wait a min

he

as a freight, and travelin' kinder slow. I seen the lights of the caboose and stopped the car right close to t

tand still for

s,

out of the cab right there

n' like that. Besides, the train was makin' a noise; an' me not havin' my thoughts on nothin' but ho

as if that's where the shift must ha

if with the ague. Carroll, an enormous overcoat snuggled about his neck, his hands thrust deep into his pockets, his boyish face set with interest, seemed

up to us to find out whether the peopl

I haven't any doubt it wa

nk so,

tarted for the dark litt

s later Leve

in thunder I was. They almost dropped dead when I told 'em. No question about it, that address was a stall. This dame had somet

he met him by arr

Only thing is, wh

fraid. And now suppose we go back to town? I'll drive my car; I'l

s frozen motor. Leverage bulked beside him on the suit-case of the dead man. Th

case seemed fraught with unusual interest. Already it had developed an overplus of extraordinary circumst

he dead man, the mysterious disappearance of the handsomely dres

y the woman in the cab before reaching the railroad crossing, the thing must undoubtedly have been prearranged to the smallest fractio

rk on. Even the suit-case clue had vanished into thin

had examined out on East End Avenue was the one which the woman had carried from the train to the taxicab. T

lt before the ominous brown-stone building. Carroll parked his car at the rear, assigned some one to stand guard over the body,

the struggling furnace in its task of heating the spacious structure, Spike Walters seemed to lose much of the nervousness

t this ca

about

me to butt

if you didn't work on it, I'd brain you! Y

" grinned Carroll. "And

ence, which might explain the woman's possession of the dead man's belongings. He found nothing. It was evident that the grip had bee

He turned toward Spike Walters and laid a

believe your story all the way through. I think t

all righ

ugh, but you were the person found with the body, and w

too pleasant, but I g

rtable, and I hope we'll be able

uty, with instructions to see that the young taxi-driver was afforded every cou

to tha

all righ

lers-especially you, Mr. Car

schoolgirl. The door cl

faced

g is the b

it up

ou pl

s the body of the dead man was borne into the room and laid car

the co

ight also call in

Repor

publicity, right now, will be of inestimable help. Meanwhile l

t. Carroll bent to inspect the wound, and when he straightened his manner showed that he

rom mighty cl

ur

has scorched his cloth

e taxi

ssi

iver would

y would; bu

-e-

dy, examining every detail of figure and

mething abou

real money. Bachelor-lives alone. Has a valet, and all that kind of rot. Owns his car. Golfer-te

sin

. That's how I happen to know so much about him. A chap who's diff

a man-you'd hardly think he'd be

t the purse was stuffed with bills of large denomination-a very considerable sum of money. But apparently Ca

dea?" questio

an again," replied Carroll

w s

ng to take a t

ther man with an admixtur

you gue

thing. At least, it is pretty positiv

l me how

extended

drawing-room to New York,

s,

said quietly. "Warren had only one. It is clear, then, that the holder of

t," finished Leverage dryly. "Which