my lofty diggings they won't be able to trace him. Not far from here there's a private hospital I know. It goes through from one street to the next. I know the doctor. We'll have the ambulance carry the patient there, but at the rear I'll have one of the office newspaper trucks. And after a little wait we'll shoot the stretcher into the truck. The police will not bother us. I've seen to that. I rather believe it falls in with some of my work. The main idea, of course, is to rid Miss Conover of any trouble."
"Just as you say," agreed the surgeon. "That's all I can do for the present. I'll run down to the entrance and wait for the nurse."
"Will he live?" asked Kitty.
"Of course he will. He is in good physical condition. Imagine he has simply been knocked out. Serious only if unattended. Your finding him probably saved him. Twelve hours will tell the story. May be on his feet inside a week. Still, it would be advisable to keep him in bed as long as possible. Fagged out, I should say, from that beard. I'll go down and wait for Miss Frances."
"And ring three times when you return," advised Cutty.
"All right. Did they try to strangle him or did he have something round his neck?"
"Hanged if I know."
"All out of the room now. I want it dark. Just
