with suspicion; unwilling to trust them alone. His face lit with an ugly smile. 

 "Mr. Carey's very bad to-night," he said; "he won't keep his bed and he's wandering about the house. If he found you by yourselves, he might——" 

 The young man, who had been staring at the fire, swung sharply on his heel. 

 "Get-to-hell-out-of-here!" he said. The watchman stepped into the hall and was cautiously closing the door when a man sprang lightly up the front steps. Through the inch crack left by the open door the trespassers heard the newcomers eager greeting. 

 "I can't get him right!"  he panted.  "He's snoring like a hog." 

 The watchman exclaimed savagely: 

 "He's fooling you."  He gasped.  "I didn't mor' nor slap him. Did you throw water on him?" 

 "I drowned him!" returned the other.  "He never winked. I tell You we gotta walk, and damn quick!" 

 "Walk!"  The watchman cursed him foully.  "How far could we walk? I'LL bring him to," he swore.  "He's scared of us, and he's shamming."  He gave a sudden start of alarm.  "That's it, he's shamming. You fool! You shouldn't have left him." 

 There was the swift patter of retreating footsteps, and then a sudden halt, and they heard the watchman command:  "Go back, and keep the other two till I come." 

 The next instant from the outside the door was softly closed upon them. 

 It had no more than shut when to the surprise of Miss Forbes the young man, with a delighted and vindictive chuckle, sprang to the desk and began to drum upon it with his fingers. It were as though he were practising upon a typewriter. 

 "He missed THESE," he muttered jubilantly. The girl leaned forward. Beneath his fingers she saw, flush with the table, a roll of little ivory buttons. She read the words "Stables," "Servants' hall."  She raised a pair of very beautiful and very bewildered eyes. 

 "But if he wanted the servants, why didn't the watchman do that?" she asked. 

 "Because he isn't a watchman," answered the 

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