head doubtfully over them for a time, he made a sudden move, and
sweeping them into the envelope from which he had taken them, he gave a
glance at his watch and passed quickly into the outer office, where he
paused before a line of waiting men. Beckoning to one who had followed
his movements with an interest which had not escaped the eye of this old
reader of human nature, he led the way back to his own room.

"You want a hand in this matter?" he said interrogatively, as the door
closed behind them and they found themselves alone.

"Oh, sir--" began the young man in a glow which made his more than plain
features interesting to contemplate, "I do not presume----"

"Enough!" interposed the other. "You have been here now for six months,
and have had no opportunity as yet for showing any special adaptability.
Now I propose to test your powers with something really difficult. Are
you up to it, Sweetwater? Do you know the city well enough to attempt to
find a needle in this very big haystack?"

"I should at least like to try," was the eager response. "If I succeed
it will be a bigger feather in my cap than if I had always lived in New
York. I have been spoiling for some such opportunity. See if I don't
make the effort judiciously, if only out of gratitude."

"Well, we shall see," remarked the old detective. "If it's difficulty
you long to encounter, you will be likely to have all you want of it.
Indeed, it is the impossible I ask. A woman is to be found of whom we
know nothing save that she wore when last seen a dress heavily
bespangled with black, and that she carried in her visit to Mr. Adams,
at the time of or before the murder, a parasol, of which I can procure