Page:Harold Macgrath--The girl in his house.djvu/113

 around the first corner. A detective, and watching the house every night! What could that possibly mean? Here was a mystery that must be investigated at once.

So he called upon the agency the following morning. He was kept waiting in the reception-room for nearly an hour, which ruffled his temper considerably. When at length he was shown into the chief's office he went at the subject rather undiplomatically.

"Mr. Armitage, this is none of your business," he was bluntly told.

"I believe I can make it my business."

"How?" imperturbably. "You no longer have any legal interest in that house."

Armitage thought for a moment. "Supposing I should tell you that I had?"

"Will you be good enough to explain?"

"I'll explain fully if I have your word that my explanation will not go beyond that door."

The chief twisted his cigar from one corner of his mouth to the other.

"Go ahead. A confidence in this office is inviolable."