“What did he say?” asked Mr. Newton. “Said he didn’t care what it cost. Then he pulled off his gloves, and showed me the bluest pair of hands you ever saw. The moment I saw ’em I knew he was our man. But I didn’t say anything.” “Is he coming again?” asked Mr. Newton, anxiously. “This very evening,” replied Mr. Hosfer. “I used a weak solution of acid, and only took part of the stain off. I told him he would have to come back for three evenings, and he promised to be here about nine o’clock to-night!” “It’s almost that now,” observed Larry. “We’d better get out of the way.” “That’s so,” remarked Mr. Newton. “Now this is my plan. Have you some place where you can hide us, Mr. Hosfer?” “I guess so.” “Well, I want to follow Noddy when he goes from here. I think I can do it with better success than I did in the case of Peter. I must find out where he lives, since I am convinced he has the deed in his possession.” “You and Larry can go into the next room,” said the chemist. “You can hear everything that goes on in here, and when Noddy starts to leave, after I have treated him, you can be all ready to follow. He’ll never see you.” “That’s a good idea,” spoke Mr. Newton. “We’d better go in now. He may be along at any moment.” They had hardly entered the room opening off from the laboratory when there came a knock at the door, and Noddy entered. Through a crack in the portal Mr. Newton watched the blue-handed man. Noddy seemed ill at ease. He still wore his gloves, but he took them off soon after entering the laboratory. “Now we’ll try the second application,” Larry and Mr. Newton heard Mr. Hosfer say. “This will almost do the trick.” “I hope you’ll soon be done,” Noddy said. “I’m getting tired of wearing these gloves around. You see,” he volunteered, “I spilled some bluing on my hands as I was helping my wife with the wash, and it looks rather bad; that’s the reason I want to get rid of it.” “I’ll soon fix you,” remarked Mr. Hosfer, paying no attention to the explanation Noddy offered. The chemist applied several solutions to Noddy’s hands, and, under his treatment, the blue color faded somewhat. The chemist knew it could not be taken out entirely, but he did not consider it his place to tell the man so. It was a case of wits being matched against wits, and the chemist favored the side of justice. “That’s all I can do for you to-night,” Mr. Hosfer remarked at length, speaking in loud tones, so Mr. Newton, in the next room, could hear him. “Come to-morrow or next day.” “I wish you could finish with me,” remarked Noddy. “I want to get rid of this stain, and go away.” “I’m doing the best I can,” replied Mr. Hosfer. “Yours is a bad case.” “It’s a good deal worse than you think,” muttered the man. A few minutes later Noddy left the house. Mr. Newton was close after him, trailing him along the half-deserted streets. Larry had been left behind, with instructions to await the older reporter’s return.