"Not safe? What do you mean?"
"This is what I mean," said the peddler, sinking to his knees and adjusting the black patch carefully over his eye. "The whole burgh is in a state of excitement over the discovery of the murderer of Victoria Vane."
"He has been discovered then?"
"Wait. A squad of police went to your house this morning and hunted high and low for you. The papers say that August Bordine murdered the Ridgewood girl, and that he fled last night from the city to escape arrest. What do you think of that?"
"It's all false."
"I suppose so, but if you should fall into the hands of the officers just now, you wouldn't be given half chance for your life."
"But who started this yarn?"
Bordine was deeply interested, and he sat up now and forgot for the time his aching head and weakened body.
"It seems to be the murdered girl's brother who is engineering the search. He is determined that his sister's murderer shall be brought to justice."
"That is right of course."