up for you."

The detective's report, a little questioning of Lauriston, and Melky's
fervent protestations on Lauriston's behalf, served to satisfy the
authorities at the police-station, and Lauriston was allowed to go--
admonished by the inspector that he'd be wanted at the inquest, as the
most important witness. He went out into the street with Melky.

"Come and have a bit o' supper at Mrs. Goldmark's," suggested Melky. "I
shall have my hands full tonight at the poor old man's, but I ain't had
nothing since dinner."

Lauriston, however, excused himself. He wanted to go home and write
letters--at once. But he promised to look round at the pawnshop later in
the evening, to see if he could be of any use, and to give Melky a full
account of his finding of the old pawnbroker.

"Ah!" remarked Melky, as they pushed at the door of the eating-house. "And
ain't it going to be a nice job to find the man that scragged him?--I
don't think! But I'm going to take a hand at that game, mister!--let alone
the police."

Mrs. Goldmark was out. She had heard the news, said the waitress who was
left in charge, and had gone round to do what she could for Miss Zillah.
So Melky, deprived of the immediate opportunity of talk with Mrs.
Goldmark, ordered his supper, and while he ate and drank, cogitated and
reflected. And his thoughts ran chiefly on the platinum solitaire stud
which he had carefully bestowed in his vest pocket.

It was Melky's firm belief--already--that the stud had been dropped in