The detective did not go straight to the station, but stopped in a thicket of evergreens that bordered a fence not far from the little railroad house. From his hiding place he had a full view of the back of the building, and also of the window of the little store under which so many things had taken place the night before. As Nick lay down to await the arrival of the train, Chick crept up and laid a hand on his arm. “I saw you coming,” he said. “What’s new up at the house?” “The end of the case lies here,” said Nick. “We have done with the house end of the murder and the robbery.” “Well, you’ve got me guessing,” said Chick. “Did the maid show up?” asked Nick. “She’s hanging about in the shrubbery somewhere. Why should she do that?” “She’s afraid she’ll be arrested for doing the shooting, and for other things,” said Nick. “She do the shooting!” said Chick. “Impossible!” “Don’t form conclusions, yet,” said Nick. “It appears to me that you are doing that very thing,” said Chick. “The girl hasn’t seen you, has she?” asked Nick. “I think not. I have not been out in the open, and she has usually been between me and the station. She’s shy of being seen, I can tell you that.” “Now,” said Nick, “the train is coming. Move down to the front, keeping out of sight, and get where you can see the whole length of the line of cars. If a man gets off, you follow him, but keep out of sight. If I point to any person who gets on the train, jump aboard and arrest him before the arrival at New York.” “If the girl joins him?” asked Chick. “I presume that is what all this means.” “The girl will not join him,” was the reply. “She may try to, but she will not succeed.” “Who is this man?” asked Chick. Nick laughed. “To be honest with you,” he said, “I don’t know that there is any man. The girl may be waiting here to sneak away on the train, though it seems strange that she would wait until this hour, when early trains stop here. A girl met a man here last night, and she may meet him again to-night. It looks to me as if that girl was Bernice. We shall soon know if I have doped the case wrong. Here comes the train.” Chick glided through the shrubbery, and came out at the front of the locomotive, keeping under the headlight. By moving about a little he could see along both sides of the line of cars. Presently he saw a man step off the smoking-car platform, on the side opposite the station. He dodged the lighted windows and ducked away to the right, where a patch of bushes hid a view of the field beyond. Chick was not far behind him. He was wondering if Nick was prepared for this, but in a moment he understood. Bernice came out of the copse to meet the man, and a rustle of bushes off to the right told Chick that his chief was there, observing the interview.