Page:The Master of Mysteries (1912).djvu/73

 He had evidently expected the Master of Mysteries to announce the author of the crime at once; and therefore it was with an unwilling nod that he withdrew.

"I'd like to go up on the roof first," said Astro to the Italian merchant. "It was there, I believe, that the latest explosion occurred."

Gallino showed the way up to a trap-door in the rear, and left Valeska and her companion on the ruined roof.

"Ah, this is more like business!" he said. "Valeska, see what you can find around here that's interesting." Then he walked directly toward the blank wall of the adjoining building. This rose three stories above Gallino's roof, and against it lay a number of pieces of scantling, untouched by the explosion. Over these Astro bent in search, while Valeska, left to herself, inspected the hole that the dynamiter had torn in the middle front of the roof.

"Here we are!" came his voice enthusiastically a moment later. She ran over toward him in surprise, to find him gazing across at the buildings on the other side of the street. Between his thumb and forefinger he held a tiny object.

"I've got it!" he announced, and continued his inspection of the house across the way.

"Got what?" she asked.

"The whole secret, as far as that goes. But specifically, I've got what I came up here for. What did you come up for?"

"Because you did," she confessed. "And, too, on the chance of finding something."

"One doesn't solve mysteries that way, Valeska. There is no use looking for something unless you know