“At all events,” said Chick, “if he’s going to take her anywhere else, Patsy and Ida will be on hand.” Arriving at the spot, they took a careful survey of the house and the place, and made the discovery that the double doors in the fence, which Chick and Patsy had observed, were slightly open. “Ready for the covered carriage to drive in,” remarked Chick. It was then after nine o’clock, and the two settled themselves for a wait until ten, the hour at which Lannigan had told Dempsey the covered carriage would reach there. A few minutes before ten the doors were swung open and, as Chick was quick to recognize, by Tom Driscoll. It was almost on the very hour that they saw a hearse approaching. As it turned the corner the horses were whipped up suddenly and they dashed through the gates, which were closed immediately after the hearse passed through. “Oho!” exclaimed Chick. “Now, what is the meaning of that?” “A part of your undertakers’ work to-day,” said Nick. “But what of it? What scheme is this?” “Nick,” said Chick, earnestly, “do you think they could have killed Ellison?” “And brought his body all the way over to Philadelphia?” said Nick. “That is hardly possible.” They stole up the street to a point opposite the gates. From that point, however, they could see nothing. A tree was immediately opposite the courtyard on the side of the street on which they stood. “Give me a back,” said Chick, in a whisper. “I’ll climb up and see if I can look over the fence.” Nick made a back for Chick, and in a moment Chick was up in the branches overlooking the fence. While he was there the gates were suddenly opened, and a flood of light shone out. The hearse came from the yard and was rapidly driven away. The gates were then immediately closed again. In a moment or two Chick slipped down from the tree. He said to Nick: “A box like those they put caskets in was brought in that hearse. It was heavy; it took six men to draw it by ropes from the pavement to the bridge. It was then carried into the rear room of that house in the rear, the lights of which you can see. “Then they brought out the box light, for they let it down easily and carried it into the stable.” “Something mysterious here,” said Nick. “Is it possible that they have brought Ellison over from New York in that box?” “Drugged, so as to be unconscious?” asked Chick. “It begins to look like that,” said Nick. “They could do it by perforating the casket with air holes.” He was silent a moment or two, deeply thinking. At last he said: “It must be so. They say they will have Ellison here to-night. Mrs. Ladew has been forced by Lannigan to meet him to-night. Ellison would hardly come over here willingly, and the chances of his escape, of being recognized or of alarming the public, would be too great for them to attempt to force him over. Chick, the only way in which they could get him over is to bring him unconscious and as a corpse.”