The door was hurled open. At the same instant, the office boy who had opened it was thrust aside. Sidney Prale sprang into the private office and stood glaring at his cousin. Behind him was Murk, and behind Murk were Kate Gilbert and her maid. "Quite a gathering!" Farland said, grinning. "I'm glad that you are here. Kindly close and lock the door, Murk, with that young office gentleman on the outside!" Murk obeyed. George Lerton sprang to his feet. "What is the meaning of this intrusion?" he demanded. "Has my office been turned into a rendezvous for maniacs?" "Sit down!" Sidney Prale cried. He had not taken his eyes off Lerton, had not even turned to speak to Jim Farland, had not even wondered how Farland had escaped and come here. Lerton dropped back into his chair, wetting his thin lips, his eyes furtive now. "You miserable cur!" Sidney Prale went on, advancing toward his cousin. "I should handle this affair myself. I should have you in Honduras, and fasten you to a tree and beat you until you are senseless." "These insults----" "Are deserved, you beast!" Prale cried. "So, when I went away ten years ago, you sold out Mr. Griffin and put the blame for it on me, did you? You wrecked that good man's faith in me, turned influential men against me, had me persecuted when I returned." Jim Farland gave a shout of delight. "That right, Sid?" he cried, "Then I have the connecting link! So George Lerton has been causing you all this trouble, has he? I understand a lot more now. Lerton killed Rufus Shepley, also!" "It's a lie! You are trying to save Prale by accusing me!" Lerton cried. "Why, we've got you, you weak fool!" said Farland. "I knew you in that old farmhouse despite your mask. Your hands gave you away--I recognized them." "And he's the man who tried to bribe me!" Murk cried. "I can tell it by his hands, too!" "You tried to smash Prale's alibi," Jim Farland continued. "You had him followed that night and you sent those notes to the barber and the clothing merchant, with money in them." "And you betrayed yourself when you began using violence," Prale put in. "You were too vindictive. You showed that you had some good reason of your own for wanting to drive me away from New York quickly!" "Oh, we've got you!" Farland repeated. "You are as good as in the electric chair now!" George Lerton looked as if he might have been in it. He was breathing in gasps, and his face was white. His eyes held an expression of terror. "I guess--you've got me!" he said. "But I'll never--go to the chair!" Farland stepped across to him. "Get it off your chest!" he suggested. "I--I'll talk about it--yes!" George Lerton said. "I--I sold out Griffin. I wanted money, and I hated Griffin because he had put Sidney Prale over me. Then Sid had his trouble with the girl and ran away. I fixed things so it looked as if he had been the guilty one.