Scarce had he done so when there came a knock on the door, which had not been locked.
Thinking that it might lead to some further discovery, Old King Brady slipped into a closet and remained on the watch through the crack of the door.
Again came the knocking, a little more insistent, and then the door opened and a young woman very stylishly dressed walked into the room.
A glance was sufficient to identify her as the original of the photograph the old detective had just been looking at.
She stood peering about as if expecting Dr. Garshaski to jump out at her from the closet or under the bed.
Then suddenly she made a rush for the chiffonier, seized the gilt frame, pulled Alice's picture out of it, spit on it, tore it to pieces, and stamped it under her feet, her eyes blazing with jealous rage and hate.
It was easy now to see that the girl--she was little more--was a Mexican-Chinese half-breed.
"Ah ha, my lady!" thought Old King Brady, "I see how the case stands! It's to be hoped that you speak English. You may prove a very valuable ally. I'm glad now that I came here."
The young woman gave a scream and made a bolt for the door.
"Stay, daughter! A word with you," the old detective said.
HEARD IN THE HOUSE OF THE SEVEN DELIGHTS.
Harry did not have long to wait before Ah Lung got up and came to him.
His brother Wun, making a few remarks in Chinese, excused himself and left.
"You will pardon me, Mr. Brady, for making it necessary for you to follow me here," said the merchant. "I wanted to find out whether the gods were propitious to our undertaking, as you would say. I have been so busy to-day that I got no chance until now."
"We shall win out in the end, but not without trouble."
"Yon believe in your joss sticks, I see, Mr. Lung?"
"Firmly; and why should I not? For untold ages my people have employed them to predict the future."
"Does it always come out true as they say?"
"By no means. Just about as often as what is told us by people in this world comes true."
"Listen! If you have a friend upon whom you rely, who you have known for years, and who has never lied to you, then you unhesitatingly believe him, do you not?"
"It is precisely the same with me. I believe that the movement of the joss sticks in my case is controlled by the spirit of my dead father. He never lied to me living. Why should he do so now that he has dropped the body and is living in the world of spirits?"