“Let them go?” repeated Chick and Patsy in the same breath. “Yes; it will be easy enough to get them when we want them. The chief thing is that I want Masson to think that he is right; that we are not paying any attention to the dog end of the case; and, to convince him, if we can, by our action that we have no suspicion as to him as the murderer.” “And then?” asked Chick, who was at a loss to follow his chief, who was laying out a plan so different from his usual course. “Then I shall have every step he takes shadowed and every move he makes watched.” “And yet you do not believe that Masson killed Ethel Romney?” “It will not do to say that, Chick. I have told you that I am more puzzled over this case than any I ever had to do with. I will admit to you that, starting with the suspicions of Mrs. Constant, and her reasons, all the indications are just as she suggests—that Ethel Romney was killed by Eric Masson, supposing her to be Blanche Constant. But when it is all done, I cannot make up my mind that he did do it. “Now, I propose to settle that question beyond dispute.” “Patsy,” said Chick, suddenly, “what sort of looking man is Eric Masson?” “About your height,” said Patsy, “brown beard and hair, straight nose, pretty high, eyes close together, so dark as to look black, set well back in his head, dresses very swell.” “Good!” exclaimed Chick. “Now, chief, a man of exactly that description appeared in front of that dressmaker’s place in Sixth Avenue, to which Ethel Romney went, just after Ethel was there the first time, and hung around there so long that three people had their attention attracted to him. “One of them saw the carriage drive up a second time, saw the lady it carried get out a second time, saw this man dart out of an adjoining doorway and follow her as she passed through into the place, speak to her, come out again and get into that carriage. “This same person saw the lady come out and attempt to enter the carriage, heard a little cry from her as she stepped in, and saw the man hurriedly close the door of the coach. “There is something for you to crack, chief.” “That is what you picked up this afternoon when you left me?” calmly asked Nick. “Yes.” “It confirms the stories of both Moran and Rawson. It makes the indications point all the stronger toward Masson. “Now, I’ll give you something stronger than that. Ten minutes after Ethel Romney drove away from home, Eric Masson called at the Constant residence, asking to see Mrs. Constant. “The servant who opened the door told him the lady had just driven away in her carriage. “The servant supposed she was telling the truth, for she had mistaken Ethel for Mrs. Constant. In response to the question as to whether Mrs. Constant had gone out for the evening, the servant replied she thought not, as she had heard Mrs. Constant was going to her dressmaker.” “Knowing all this you still have doubts, chief?” asked Chick.