criminal or a detective?

Standing statue-like at the girls' door Jo Ann listened intently for his next words. "I was hot on their trail," the voice went on, "but had two flats, and that delayed me.... Yes, in the usual place."

Before she could realize that the conversation had ended, the door opened suddenly, and a tall, stalwart man wearing a broad-brimmed tan felt hat stepped out. On seeing Jo Ann he halted and shot a piercing glance at her from gray eyes so penetratingly keen that she felt as if they were cutting straight through her.

She flushed with embarrassment. It had been unpardonably rude to eavesdrop that way. What must that man think of her? Hurriedly she began knocking on the girls' door.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw that the man, after hesitating a fraction of a second, had gone on down the hall toward the elevator.

CHAPTER II

THE MYSTERY MAN

After she had knocked several times, Peggy called out sleepily, "Who's that?"

"Open the door. Hurry!"

"All right--I'll be there--in a jiffy."

In a few moments Peggy flung the door open, and Jo Ann stepped inside, her eyes still dilated with excitement.

"I've just heard the strangest--most mysterious thing!" she gasped.

"You would!" Peggy declared. "But that's nothing unusual for you. You're always hearing and seeing mysterious things."

"What was it?" Florence called from the bed.

"Well, just as I had reached your door and was about to knock, I heard a man in the room directly across the hall say in the most earnest voice imaginable, 'I'm afraid I'm going to lose my life before this is over.'"

Both girls stared wide-eyed at Jo Ann; then Peggy, recovering from her first shock, asked half doubtfully, "You're sure you didn't misunderstand him? Your imagination runs riot now and then. Perhaps you just thought you heard him say that."

Jo Ann shook her head vigorously. "No imagination 

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