“She is familiar with the address.” “Then she has called on you before?” “Yes.” “At your rooms?” “Yes.” “Have you ever been down here before?” “No.” “I’ll be sure and see Miss Peters.” “Here’s a dollar for your trouble.” “Thanks.” Carter pocketed the money. “I can depend on you?” Darwin asked uneasily. “You can,” the detective replied, and he hardly was able to repress a smile. “Good night.” Darwin hurried away. Carter did not budge from the corner. That he had formed some new plan in his mind was evident, or he would have made a move to keep on the trail of his quarry. “He said the woman’s name was Peters--Lena Peters,” the detective muttered, a few minutes after Darwin had disappeared around the corner. “She has seen him a number of times. Can she be any relation to the man who died in Bellevue Hospital? If she is----” Carter stopped musing, as he saw a woman, who had hurried around the corner, enter the tenement. Instantly he started toward the house, and went in. The woman was halfway up the stairs. CHAPTER X. LENA’S STORY. Carter had entered the lower hall of the house without making any noise. The woman’s attention was not attracted toward him, so he stood back in the shadow and watched her. She reached the landing, and, stopping in front of the door of the back room, she inserted a key in the lock, opened the door and went in. Nick knocked on the door of the room. The woman opened the door. “What do you want?” she demanded, in surprise. “Is your name Lena Peters?” the detective asked. “It is.” “I want to talk with you.” Carter pushed his way into the room without ceremony, and closed the door. The woman’s face became flushed with anger. She stepped back from the detective, and her eyes flashed. “What do you want?” she demanded, with a string of oaths, and she pulled out of her pocket a small pistol. “Don’t get excited,” Carter quietly said, with a scornful smile. “Put up your pistol, Lena. I’m not going to harm you.” “Who are you?” “I will tell you in a few moments.” “You are a stranger to me.” “I guess not.” As Carter said this, he pulled off his disguise. Lena uttered a scream, and sank down into a chair. “Nick Carter!” she gasped, and the pistol fell from her grasp into her lap. “You recognize me now?” the detective said, with a smile, as he sat down. From this it will be seen that he and the woman had met before. After a pause, Carter remarked: “Let me see, Lena, it is several years since we have had the pleasure of meeting. You haven’t changed any since I last saw you.” “No,” Lena stammered. “At that time you were singing at the Empire, on the Bowery, if my memory does not play me false.” “Yes.” “A Western divine was robbed in the place of a large sum of money, and you were charged with the theft. It was a cowardly charge. I investigated the case----” “And you found out that I was innocent.” “Right.” “Only for you, I might have been sent to prison.” “Correct.” “I----”