so sure about the others.”

Well, Minny’s evidence amounted to nothing, either, for though she told of several strangers who got on or off her car at various floors, she knew nothing about them, and they could not be traced.

The three Boyds were quizzed a little more and then old Joe Boyd, the father, and Minny were allowed to go back to their respective posts, but the Chief held Jenny for further grilling. He had a hope, I felt sure, that he could get from her some hint of Mr. Gately’s personal affairs. He had heard of the hatpin, and though he hadn’t yet mentioned it definitely, I knew he was satisfied it was not Miss Raynor’s, and he meant to put Jenny through a mild sort of third degree.

I was about to depart, for I knew I would not be invited to this session, and, too, I could learn the result later.

Then an officer came in, and after a whispered word to Chief Martin they beckoned to me.

“Do you know Amory Manning?” the Chief inquired.

“I met him yesterday for the first time,” I replied, “but I have known of him before.”

“Where does he live?”

“Up around Gramercy Park somewhere, I think.”

“That’s right, he does. Well, the man is missing.”

“Missing! Why, I saw him last night,—that is, yesterday afternoon, and he was all right then.”

“I’ve had men searching for him all the morning,” the Chief went on, “and he’s nowhere to be found. He wasn’t at his rooms at all last night.”

I harked back. I had last seen Manning getting off the Third Avenue car at Twenty-second Street,—just where he would naturally get off to go to his home.

I told this, and concluded, “he must have changed his mind, then, and gone somewhere else than to his rooms.”

“Yes, it looks that way,” agreed the Chief. “But where did he go? That’s the question. He can’t be found.”

CHAPTER VI Clews

CHAPTER VI

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