not altogether at home with your ways over here. I have always
understood, however, that if you are in need of any special
information such as we should in England apply to the police for,
over here there is a quicker and more satisfactory method of
procedure."

"You've come a long way round," Mr. Skinner remarked, spitting
upon the floor, "but you're dead right."

"I am in need of some information," Mr. Sabin continued, "and
accordingly I called this morning on Mr.--"

Mr. Skinner held up his hand.

"All right," he said. "We don't mention names more than we can
help. Call him the boss."

"He assured me that the information I was in need of was easily to
be obtained, and gave me a card to you."

"Go right on," Mr. Skinner said. "What is it?"

"On Friday last," Mr. Sabin said, "at four o'clock, the Duchess of
Souspennier, whose picture I will presently show you, left the
Holland House Hotel for the New York, New Haven & Hartford Depot,
presumably for her home at Lenox, to which place her baggage had
already been checked. On the way she ordered the cabman to set her
down at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, which he did at a few minutes
past four. The Duchess has not returned home or been directly
heard from since. I wish to ascertain her movements since she