She addressed Doctor Wells.

"I didn't tell you, Doctor - I sent for a detective this afternoon."Then, with mounting suspicion, "You happened in fairly opportunely!"

"After I left the Haroldsons' I felt very uneasy," he explained. "Idetermined to make one more effort to get you away from this house.As this shows - my fears were justified!"

He shook his head sorrowfully. Miss Cornelia sat down. His last wordshad given her food for thought. She wanted to mull them over fora moment.

The Doctor removed muffler and topcoat - stuffed the former inside histopcoat pocket and threw the latter on the settee. He took outhis armkerchief and began to mop his face, as if to wipe away somestrain of mental excitement under which he was laboring. His breathcame quickly - the muscles of his jaw stood out.

"Died instantly, I suppose?" he exclaimed, looking over at the body."Didn't have time to say anything?"

"Ask the young lady," said Anderson, with a jerk of his head. "Shewas here when it happened."

The Doctor gave Dale a feverish glance of inquiry.

"He just fell over," said the latter pitifully. Her answer seemedto relieve the Doctor of some unseen weight on his mind. He drewa long breath and turned back toward Fleming's body with comparativecalm.

"Poor Dick has proved my case for me much better than I expected," hesaid, regarding the still, unbreathing heap beneath the raincoat.He swerved toward the detective.

"Mr. Anderson," he exclaimed with dignified pleading, "I ask you to useyour influence, to look at that these two ladies find some safer spotthan this for the night."

Lizzie bounced up from her chair, instanter.