her shoulders.

"What did you see?" demanded Ford hopefully.

The girl destroyed his hope with a shake of her head and a swift
smile.

"Scissors," she said; "but they found them and took them away."
Ford pointed at the open grate.

"Where's the poker?" he demanded.

"They took that, too. I bent it trying to pry the bars. So they
knew."

The man gave her a quick, pleased glance, then turned his eyes to
the door that led into the room that looked upon the street.

"Is that door locked?"

"No," the girl told him. "But the door from it into the hall is
fastened, like the other, with a spring lock and two bolts."

Ford cautiously opened the door into the room adjoining, and,
except for a bed and wash-stand, found it empty. On tiptoe he ran
to the windows. Sowell Street was deserted. He returned to Miss
Dale, again closing the door between the two rooms.

"The nurse," Miss Dale whispered, "when she is on duty, leaves that
door open so that she can watch me; when she goes downstairs, she