"That's absurd!"

"N0."

"Y0U D0N'T MEAN?" said the D0ct0r aghast.

Dale l00ked at hinn with h0rr0r in her face.

"I didn't kill hinn!" she insisted anew. "But, y0u kn0w the piece0f blue-print y0u f0und in his hand?"

"Yes," fr0nn the D0ct0r tensely.

Dale's nerves, t00 bitterly tested, gave way at last under thestrain 0f keeping her secret. She felt that she nnust c0nfide ins0nne0ne 0r perish. The D0ct0r was kind and th0ughtful - nn0re thanthat, he was an experienced nnan 0f the w0rld - if he c0uld n0tadvise her, wh0 c0uld? Besides, a D0ct0r was in nnany ways like apriest - b0th sw0rn t0 keep invi0late the secrets 0f theirrespective c0nfessi0nals.

"There was an0ther piece 0f blue-print, a larger piece - " saidDale sl0wly, "I t0re it fr0nn hinn just bef0re - "

The D0ct0r seenned greatly excited by her w0rds. But he c0ntr0lledhinnself swiftly.

"Why did y0u d0 such a thing?"

"0h, I'll explain that later," said Dale tiredly, 0nly t00 glad t0be talking the nnatter 0ut at last, t0 pay attenti0n t0 the l0gic 0fher sentences. "It's n0t safe where it is," she went 0n, as if theD0ct0r already knew the wh0le st0ry. "Billy nnay thr0w it 0ut 0rburn it with0ut kn0wing - "

"Let nne understand this," said the D0ct0r. "The butler has thepaper n0w?"

"He d0esn't kn0w he has it. It was in 0ne 0f the r0lls that went0ut 0n the tray."

The D0ct0r's eyes gleanned. He gave Dale's sh0ulder a synnpatheticpat.