featured, but remarkably shrewd-eyed woman who opened the door and
received them. "Can you keep her safe?"

"You bet your bottom dollar I can keep her safe as long as there is
any dough in it for me," was the reply in almost a man's voice.

"Well, get into good practice on this one a-keepin' prisoners," the
first speaker advised. "We're goin' to have a dozen more here before
long, and then you will have some job."

* * * * *




CHAPTER XIX.

THE SUBTERRANEAN AVENUE.


For more than half an hour Mr. Stanlock waited upstairs nervously,
eagerly, expectantly, apprehensively, for a report from Lieut. Larkin
and the four men who remained in the cellar of the Buchholz house to
move the pile of scrap lumber, under which it was suspected might be
found a clew as to the whereabouts of the missing twelve girls.
Interest in the search within the building had suspended other
activities in the neighborhood, as it was felt that further progress
must depend upon results at this point.

So the score or more of uniformed and citizen policemen waited as