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 building, from the porter's room under their apartment. Told police to call me here; so you'll take any call for me, won't you? I'm going out on the street again and I'll 'phone you for report within every fifteen minutes. Have it now, Steve?"

"Yes," I said, to try to help him. It wasn't true, yet truer, perhaps than "no"; for I did have the essential fact which was that he tremendously feared that harm had come to Dorothy Crewe through an extraordinary event which he, himself, could not yet make out.

"Get dressed then, Steve; and stay here for me."

I stood up; he stared me over again and started for the door but caught at my telephone on the stand in the corner. It is an extension of one of the instruments downstairs and the bell is below; but it can be plainly heard in my room, especially at night. It had not even jingled, I'm sure. So Jerry's grab at the receiver was solely from his impatience; and when he had it up, no one was on the line; he had to give central the order: "Police; central detective bureau." When he had them, "This is Jeremy Fanneal, of" he gave our telephone number and house number on Astor