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Rh before you," he said. "Sergeant Odell may want to see you later on to ask you for some information, but he will not disturb you if it is not absolutely necessary."

He led her down the hall to her own room, closed the door, and came back to the stair's head to find the detective carefully replacing the thumbtacks.

"That will do, I think," the latter observed. "Now, let us go down and have a look at that picture."

They descended again to the library. As they entered Nan rose, kissed her father on the forehead softly, and went from the room.

"You've been examining the stairs?" Richard Lorne asked, panting from the knife-thrusts of pain which darted through his hurt ribs at each breath.

"Yes, Dick. They were sawed through, just as we imagined," Titheredge replied. "If you won't be taken to bed just yet, lie still and don't try to talk; I'll keep you informed of everything that goes on. I suppose you know that Peters has disappeared?"

Lorne nodded.

"We'll make short work of him if he has had a hand in what has been going on," the attorney promised grimly. "I caught him in two direct lies this morning before I left the house, but I attributed them to the fact that the man was addled from fright. Let me see; you've had him three years, haven't you?"

"Four," came raspingly from the couch.

"Ah, yes, I remember. Ever have any reason to distrust him?"

"Never. What's that chap doing?"

Lorne had craned his neck as far as his painful position