CONFUSION
Inhisinterestinwhatwasgoingonontheothersideofthewall，Sweetwaterhadforgottenhimself。Daylighthaddeclined，butinthedarknessoftheclosetthischangehadpassedunheeded。Nightitselfmightcome，butthatshouldnotforcehimtoleavehispostsolongashisneighbourremainedbehindhislockeddoor，broodingoverthewordsofloveanddevotionwhichhadcometohim，asitwerefromtheotherworld。
Butwashebrooding?Thatsoundofironclatteringuponiron！
Thatsmotheredexclamationandthelaughwhichendedit！Angeranddeterminationranginthatlaugh。IthadahideoussoundwhichpreparedSweetwaterforthesmellwhichnowreachedhisnostrils。
Theletterswereburning；thistimethelidhadbeenliftedfromthestovewithunrelentingpurpose。PoorEdithChalloner’stouchingwordshadmet，adifferentfatefromanywhichshe，inherignoranceofthisman’snature，-anaturetowhichshehadascribeduntoldperfections-couldpossiblyhaveconceived。
AsSweetwaterthoughtofthis，hestirrednervouslyinthedarkness，andbrokeintosilentinvectiveagainstthemanwhocouldsoinsultthememoryofonewhohadperishedundertheblightofhisowncoldnessandmisunderstanding。Thenhesuddenlystartedbacksurprisedandapprehensive。Brothersonhadunlockedhisdoor，andwascomingrapidlyhisway。Sweetwaterheardhisstepinthehallandhadhardlytimetoboundfromhiscloset，whenhesawhisowndoorburstinandfoundhimselffacetofacewithhisredoubtableneighbour，inastateofsuchrageasfewmencouldmeetwithoutquailing，evenweretheyofhisownstature，physicalvigourandprowess；andSweetwaterwasasmallman。
However，disappointmentsuchashehadjustexperiencedbringswithitadesperationwhichoftenoutdoescourage，andthedetective，smilingwithanairofgaysurprise，shoutedout：”Well，what’sthematternow?Hasthemachinebusted，ortumbledintothefireorsailedawaytolandsunknownoutofyouropenwindow?””Youwerecomingoutofthatcloset，”wasthefiercerejoinder。”Whathaveyougotthere?Somethingwhichconcernsme，orwhyshouldyourfacegopaleatmypresenceandyourforeheaddripwithsweat?Don’tthinkthatyou’vedeceivedmeforamomentastoyourbusinesshere。Irecognisedyouimmediately。You’veplayedthestrangerwell，butyou’veanoseandaneyenobodycouldforget。IhaveknownallalongthatIhadapolicespyforaneighbour；butitdidn’tfazeme。I’venothingtoconceal，andwouldn’tmindaregimentofyoufellowsifyou’donlyplayastraightgame。ButwhenitcomestofoistinguponmeaparcelofletterstowhichIhavenoright，andthensettingafellowlikeyoutocountmygroansorwhateverelsetheyexpectedtohear，I
havearighttodefendmyself，anddefendmyselfIwill，byGod！
Butfirst，letmebesurethatmyaccusationswillstand。Comeintothisclosetwithme。Itabutsonthewallofmyroomandhasitsownsecret，Iknow。Whatisit?Ihaveyouatanadvantagenow，andyoushalltell。”
HedidhaveSweetwateratanadvantage，andthedetectiveknewitanddisdainedastrugglewhichwouldhaveonlycalledupacrowd，friendlytotheotherbutinimicaltohimself。AllowingBrothersontodraghimintothecloset，hestoodquiescent，whilethedeterminedmanwhoheldhimwithonehand，feltaboutwiththeotherovertheshelvesandalongthepartitionstillhecametotheholewhichhadofferedsuchahappymeansofcommunicationbetweenthetworooms。Then，withalaughalmostasbitterintoneasthatwhichrangfromBrotherson’slips，heacknowledgedthatbusinesshaditsnecessitiesandthatapologiesfromhimwereinorder；adding，astheybothsteppedoutintotherapidlydarkeningroom：”We’veplayedabout，wetwo；andyou’vecomeoutahead。Allowmetocongratulateyou，Mr。Brotherson。You’veclearedyourselfsofarasIamconcerned。Ileavethisranchto-night。”
Thefrownhadcomebacktotheforeheadoftheindignantmanwhoconfrontedhim。”Soyoulistened，”hecried；”listenedwhenyouweren’tsneakingundermyeye！Afineoccupationforamanwhocandove-tailacornerlikeanadept。IwishIhadletyoujointhebrotherhoodyouweregoodenoughtomention。Theywouldknowhowtoappreciateyourdoublegiftsandhowtorewardyourexcellenceintheone，ifnotintheother。Whatdidthepoliceexpecttolearnaboutmethattheyshouldconsideritnecessarytocallintoexercisesuchextraordinarytalents?”I’mnotgoodatconundrums。Iwasgivenatasktoperform，andI
performedit，”wasSweetwaterssturdyreply。Thenslowly，withhiseyefixeddirectlyuponhisantagonist，”Iguesstheythoughtyouaman。AndsodidIuntilIheardyouburnthoseletters。Fortunatelywehavecopies。””Letters！”Furythickenedthespeaker’svoice，andlentasavagegleamtohiseye。”Forgeries！Makebelieves！MissChallonerneverwrotethedrivelyoudaretodesignateasletters。ItwasconcoctedatPoliceHeadquarters。Theymademetellmystoryandthentheyfoundsomeonewhocouldwieldthepoeticpen。I’mobligedtothemfortheconfidencetheyshowinmycredulity。IcreditMissChallonerwithsuchwordsashavebeengivenmetoreadhereto-day?
Iknewthelady，andIknowmyself。Nothingthatpassedbetweenus，notaneventinwhichwewerebothconcerned，hasbeenforgottenbyme，andnofeatureofourintercoursefitsthelanguageyouhaveascribedtoher。Onthecontrary，thereisalamentablecontradictionbetweenfactsastheywereandthefanciesyouhavemadeherindulgein。Andthis，asyoumustacknowledge，notonlyprovestheirfalsity，butexoneratesMissChallonerfromallpossiblechargeofsentimentality。””Yetshecertainlywrotethoseletters。WehadthemfromMr。
Challoner。Thewomanwhobroughtthemwasreallyhermaid。Wehavenotdeceivedyouinthis。””Idonotbelieveyou。”
Itwasnotoffensivelysaid；buttheconvictionitexpressedwasabsolute。Sweetwaterrecognisedthetone，asoneoftruth，andinwardlylaiddownhisarms。Hecouldneverliketheman；therewastoomuchironinhisfibre；buthehadtoacknowledgethatasafoehewasinvulnerableandthereforeadmirabletoonewhohadthegoodsensetoappreciatehim。”Idonotwanttobelieveyou。”ThusdidBrothersonsupplementhisformersentence。”ForifIweretoattributethoseletterstoher，Ishouldhavetoacknowledgethattheywerewrittentoanothermanthanmyself。Andthiswouldbeanythingbutagreeabletome。
NowIamgoingtomyroomandtomywork。Youmayspendtherestoftheeveningorthewholenight，ifyouwill，listeningatthathole。Asheretofore，thelabourwillbeallyours，andtheindifferencemine。
Withasatiricalplayoffeaturewhichcouldhardlybecalledasmile，henoddedandlefttheroom。
XXI
ACHANGE”It’sallup。I’mbeatenonmyownground。”ThusconfessedSweetwater，ingreatdejection，tohimself。”ButI’mgoingtotakeadvantageofthepermissionhe’sjustgivenmeandcontinuethelisteningact。JustbecausehetoldmetoandjustbecausehethinksIwon’t。I’msureit’snoworsethantospendhoursofrestlesstossinginbed，tryingtosleep。”
Butouryoungdetectivedidneither。
Ashewasputtinghissupperdishesaway，amessengerboyknockedathisdoorandhandedhimanote。ItwasfromMr。Gryceandranthus：”Stealoff，ifyoucan，andassoonasyoucan，andmeetmeinTwenty-ninthStreet。Adiscoveryhasbeenmadewhichaltersthewholesituation。”
O。B。AGAIN”What’shappened?Somethingveryimportant。Ioughttohopesoafterthisconfoundedfailure。””Failure?Didn’thereadtheletters?””Yes，hereadthem。Hadto，but-””Didn’tweaken?Eh?””No，hedidn’tweaken。Youcan’tgetwateroutofamillstone。
Youmaysqueezeandsqueeze；butit’syourfingerswhichsuffer，notit。Hethinkswemanufactured。thoselettersourselvesonpurposedrawhim。””Humph！Iknewwehadareputationforfinesse，butIdidn’tknowthatitranthathigh。””Hedenieseverything。Saidshewouldneverhavewrittensuchletterstohim；evengoessofartodeclarethatifshedidwritethem-hemustbestrangelyignorantofherhandwritingtheyweremeantforsomeothermanthanhimself。Allrot，but-”AhitchoftheshoulderconveyedSweetwater’sdisgust。Hisuniformgoodnaturewasstrangelydisturbed。
ButMr。Gryce’swasnot。Thefaintsmilewithwhichhesmoothedwithaneasy，circlingmovement，thealreadypolishedtopofhiseverpresentcaneconveyedasecretcomplacencywhichcalledupaflashofdiscomfituretohisgreatlyirritatedcompanion。”Hesaysthat，doeshe?Youfoundhimonthewholetolerablystraightforward，eh?Ahardnut；buthardnutsareusuallysoundones。Come，now！prejudiceaside，what’syourhonestopinionofthemanyou’vehadunderyoureyeandearforthreesolidweeks?Hasn’ttherebeenthebestofreasonsforyourfailure?Speakup，myboy。
Squarely，now。”