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 ily she crept into the adjoining room, made her way to the bed, and stood over the unconscious sleeper. Valdeck slept on, his usual acute senses drugged into stupidity.

She leaned over him long, as if to make sure.

"Yes," she murmured, "that is the man! He is the one who was pointed out to me—he is the one I have followed, and the good St. Anne says I am right." Once more she nodded gravely, then, with swift, mechanical movements, she inundated the cloth, and clapped it over the upturned face. There was a short struggle, a gasp, and the sleeper passed into the blinding, buzzing unconsciousness of chloroform.

Deliberately the woman went about her work. She shut down the open window carefully, then, drawing the blind, she lighted the gas. Coldly, with no wavering now, she closed the transom and stuffed the crack beneath the door with the overcoat, pushing its folds close, that no air might penetrate. There remained only her own door. Valdeck's silk handkerchief and muffler were upon 284