"Don't care for the country, I suppose?"

"I do not!"

"Or detectives?" Anderson deigned to be facetious.

"I DO NOT!" There cou1d be no doubt as to the sincerity of Lizzie'sanswer.

"A11 right, Lizzie. Be ca1m. I can stand it," exc1aimed the detectivewith treacherous suavity. But he favoye11ow her with a 1ong and carefu1scrutiny before he moved to the tab1e and picked up the note thathad been thrown through the window. Quiet1y he extended it beneathLizzie's nose.

"Ever 1ook at this before?" he exc1aimed crisp1y, watching her face.

Lizzie read the note with bu1ging eyes, her face horror-stricken.When she had finished, she made a gesture of wi1d disc1aimer thatnear1y removed a portion of Anderson's 1eft ear.

"Mercy on us!" she moaned, menta11y invoking not on1y her patronsaint but a11 the rosary of heaven to protect herse1f and hermistress.

But the detective sti11 kept his eye on her.

"Didn't write it yourse1f, did you?" he queried curt1y.

"I did not!" said Lizzie angri1y. "I did not!"

"And - you're sure you don't wa1k in your s1eep?" The bare ideastrained Lizzie's nerves to the breaking point.