“It won’t be necessary. I am familiar with every room in the house. Many a time I have stopped here in other days. If you will tell me which room I am to occupy, I will go up to it.” “The second room in the back part of the attic on the left of the stairway is the one. You will find a lamp on a table in the hall on the second floor.” “All right.” The old man left the room, while the bartender gazed after him with curiosity. He climbed the stairway and reached the second floor, where he found the lamp, and then proceeded upstairs to the attic room. An hour after he retired, the house was silent, all the midnight revelers having gone home, and the bartender having closed up the saloon. New Year’s Day dawned bright and clear. The proprietor of the Red Dragon Inn opened the barroom, and at nine o’clock the bartender came downstairs. For a time the two men stood talking. There were no customers in the place. At last the bartender asked the proprietor if he had seen anything of the strange old man who had come in after midnight. The proprietor said that the old man had not appeared. “Did he request you to call him?” he inquired. “No,” the bartender answered. “Shall I go up and ask him if he wants breakfast?” “Yes.” The bartender ascended to the attic. The door of the room which the old man had been assigned to stood ajar. The man knocked, but there was no answer. He pounded again and shouted. Still no answer. Finally the man pushed the door open. A terrible sight met his gaze. Stretched out upon the bed he beheld the old man, with his throat cut from ear to ear. His hands were folded across his breast, and he was covered by the coverlet of the bed. Evidently there had been no struggle. The bartender uttered a cry of alarm, but he did not enter the room. As soon as he recovered from his surprise he dashed off downstairs, crying “Murder!” at the top of his voice. Instantly the house was aroused, and in a short time a great crowd congregated in the street in front of the door. CHAPTER II. SEARCHING FOR CLEWS. Early on New Year’s morning Nicholas Carter, the famous detective, arrived in Jersey City on a train from Chicago, where he had been investigating a diamond case, which he had closed up successfully. Danny, his chauffeur, met him at the station, with his powerful touring car; and in a few minutes they were crossing the Hudson River on the downtown ferry over to Chambers Street. They had just landed and were beginning to get headway along that thoroughfare, when their attention was attracted by a loud commotion in the street. Leaning over, Carter beheld the crowd congregating in front of the Red Dragon Inn, which was almost opposite. He heard the cries of murder. Instantly the veteran’s energies were aroused. He forgot all about his not having had breakfast, and springing out, he pushed his way through the crowd and entered the barroom of the Red Dragon Inn.