THE CASE AND THE GIRL

 BY RANDALL PARRISH

 1922

CONTENTS

CHAPTER

 I THE LADY IN THE LIMOUSINE

 II A SUDDEN ENGAGEMENT

 III THE COOLIDGE HOME

 IV MISS COOLIDGE EXPLAINS

 V WEST WINS THE FIRST HAND

 VI UNTANGLING THREADS

 VII A VISIT TO THE INDIGENT

 VIII A NEW MISS COOLIDGE

 IX AN UNEXPECTED DISMISSAL

 X THE BODY OF A SUICIDE

 XI SUSPICION VERIFIED

 XII AGAINST A STONE WALL

 XIII 238 WRAY STREET

 XIV TRAPPED

 XV THE EDGE OF COMPROMISE

 XVI WEST MAKES HIS CHOICE

 XVII FACING DEATH

 XVIII UNDER COVER

 XIX THE COMING OF A MESSAGE

 XX WHAT THE TELEPHONE TOLD

 XXI THE YACHT "SEMINOLE"

 XXII KIDNAPPED

 XXIII THE FATE OF A PRISONER

 XXIV THE SINKING YACHT

 XXV FREE OF THE YACHT

 XXVI THE COMING OF DAWN

 XXVII LOVE BREAKS SILENCE

XXVIII AN ESCAPE FROM THE RAFT

 XXIX THE HOUSE IN THE BLUFFS

 XXX HOBART FORGETS AND TALKS

 XXXI McADAMS BLOWS IN

 XXXII A BRIDGE OF LOVE

THE CASE AND THE GIRL

CHAPTER I

THE LADY IN THE LIMOUSINE

West, still attired in khaki uniform, but wearing the red chevron ofhonourable discharge on his left sleeve, sat in the Club writing room, his feet comfortably elevated, endeavouring to extract some entertainmentfrom the evening paper. The news was not particularly interesting, however, and finally, obsessed with the feeling that it would soon betime for him to seriously contemplate the procuring of suitableemployment, the young man turned the sheet about rather idly, and ran hiseyes down the columns devoted to classified advertising. 

Half way down the first column, under the head of "miscellaneous, " hepaused and read a paragraph with some interest; then read it over again, emitting a soft whistle between his teeth. 

"Well, by Jove!" he said to himself slowly, "That doesn't sound so badeither; out of the ordinary, at least. Say, Thompson, " and he turned toa tall young fellow busily writing at the adjoining desk, and shoved thepaper under his eyes, pointing at the paragraph which had attractedattention, with one finger, "What do you make out of that, old man?"

The other, rather sober-faced, and slow of speech, read the advertisementword by word, with no change of expression. 

"Rot, " he said solemnly. "Either a joke, or some scheme on. Why?interested in it?"

"In a measure, yes. Sounds rather business-like to me. I've got a goodmind to answer, and take a chance. "

"You're a fool if you do, Matt, " decisively, and turning back to hiswriting. "That is some game being pulled off, and the first thing youknow, you'll be in bad. Likely as not it means blackmail. Besides thereis no address. "

"That's one thing I like about it, " retorted the other. "They are inearnest, and taking no chances of having their purpose guessed at. Thereis a way to reach them, if the one answering is sufficiently in earnest. By Jove, I don't see how any one can get in bad, merely by finding outwhat it all means. "

"Well, do as you please; you would anyhow. Only you have my advice. "

West read the item again. He had been eighteen months in France, and hisdischarge from the army had left him bored and dissatisfied with the dullroutine of civil life. He dreaded to get back into the harness of aprosaic existence; even his profession as a civil engineer had somewaylost its charm. He had tasted the joy of adventure, the thrill of danger, and it was still alluring. This advertisement promised a mystery whichstrangely attracted his imagination. 

_"Wanted: Young man of education and daring for service involving somepersonal peril. Good pay, and unusual reward if successful. May have toleave city. Purpose disclosed only in personal interview. "_

As Thompson had pointed out, this was not signed, nor any address given. 

West crossed over to an unoccupied desk, and wrote a reply, changing thewording several times, and finally making a clean copy. Thompson glancedacross at him, but said nothing. The answer read:

_"To Advertiser: Am 26; late captain of Engineers; University graduateadventurous disposition. Would be glad to consider your proposition. Address, Box 57, University Club. "_

He placed this in an envelope, called a Club messenger, and, handing theboy a sum of money, sent him over to the newspaper office. 

Two days elapsed before an answer appeared in his box; a small envelope, addressed in a lady's handwriting apparently, and mailed from one of thesub-postoffices. West tore it open rather eagerly, and read the contentswith surprise. The words within had been written by the same hand whichappeared upon the envelope, but the language used gave him no clue to thepurpose of the writer. The brief note read:

"Box 57 University Club. 

"Your answer to advertisement makes a good impression, and I am willingto put you to the further test of a personal meeting. If you are inearnest in this matter, and quite prepared to assume the necessary risk, you will be at the north-west corner of Spaulding Park at 5:30 to-morrowafternoon. Do not come in uniform, but it will be well to bring eveningclothes in a bag. Be sure of yourself, and be prompt. 

"Very truly yours, "The Advertiser. "

West read this over, again and again, smoking furiously, and endeavouringto weigh each word. He saw Thompson in the other room, but decided not tosubmit the epistle to his criticism. The letter sounded honest andsincere; the writer evidently had a purpose in view, and was selectingan agent with great care and secrecy. No hint as to what that object waswould be revealed blindly--he must be tried in every way first;thoroughly tested as to both character and courage. Undoubtedly steps hadalready been taken to do this. The delay in reply would have affordedopportunity for some investigation, as his address would give thenecessary clue to his identity. The request for evening clothes, however, rather reassured him; evidently his first plunge into this mystery wasnot to occur in any stratum of low society; no vast amount of personaldanger could be involved in such preliminaries. The truth was, the noteonly increased his former interest in the case, and his determination toprobe more deeply into its mystery. So the advertiser was a woman! Thisfact also stimulated his imagination, and rendered him the more eager. ByJove! he would see the thing through!

His decision was reached, yet West, although still young and adventurous, had received the rigorous training of the soldier, and learned lessons ofdiscretion. He would go, but would make every effort to protect himselfagainst any possible treachery. He had a room at the Club, and wrote aletter or two before proceeding to dress, arranging for their personaldelivery in case he failed to return at a designated time; carefullyexamined his service revolver, and deposited it in the pocket of thebusiness suit he decided to wear. Satisfied with these arrangements, hedressed rapidly, and then packed his bag, bearing it in his hand as hedeparted in ample time for the point of rendezvous. A cab took him to theplace designated, and he found himself alone in a rather desolate spot, with which he was in no way familiar. No doubt he had passed there againand again, as a boulevard extended along one side of the small park, yethis memory retained no clear recollection of the place. There were a fewsmall stores opposite, while the park itself was well kept, and populatedalmost entirely by nursemaids, judging from the number of baby carriagestrailing along the walks. Back of the curb were a few benches, but Westchose to remain outside, depositing his bag in plain view of any onepassing, and then walked back and forth somewhat nervously. He was thereseveral minutes ahead of time, and compared his watch by a clock in achurch tower a block away. He had no knowledge of how he was to beapproached, or identified, but his being requested to bring a bagcontaining evening clothes, somehow suggested riding, rather thanwalking, and consequently his eyes followed more or less intently theconstant stream of automobiles. 

He grew restless, and more doubtful as the moments slipped past. Surelyhe could not have mistaken the place of appointment or the hour? Heglanced at the scene to again reassure himself. No, that was impossible;the park name was plainly decipherable beside the entrance, and his watchcoincided exactly with the clock in the tower. He stood beside his bag, staring up and down the boulevard, permitting his eyes to occasionallywander to the scene within the enclosure. Nothing rewarded his scrutiny. Then suddenly, without slightest warning, a black limousine whirled inalongside the curb, and came to a stop immediately in front of where hewaited. The chauffeur, dressed in plain dark livery, stepped out, andthrew open the rear door, without asking so much as a question. Exceptthat the fellow stood there, looking directly toward him, his fingers onthe latch, expectantly, West would not have known that he was wanted. Yetit was all so obvious he could not question. Silently he picked up hisbag, and stepped forward. He saw no one within, but firm in the beliefthat the chauffeur must have his orders, he entered blindly, the doorclosing instantly behind him. The curtains were drawn, the interiorgloomy and indistinct, and the driver had resumed his seat, and startedthe motor, before West realized that he was not alone. In one corner ofthe wide back seat, drawn back from any possible observation fromwithout, sat a woman. 

At first glance he could only barely distinguish the outlines of herfigure, dimly discernable against the dark background of the upholstery, but, as his eyes accustomed themselves to the faint light, her featuresalso became dimly visible--enough so, at least, to convince him that shewas young. Neither spoke for some moments, while the automobile gatheredspeed, and West had an uncomfortable feeling that the lady was watchinghim with great intentness. Slightly embarrassed, and uncertain as to hisbest course of action, the young man remained silent, his eyes on theburly back of the chauffeur, revealed through the front glass. He couldonly quietly await her explanation of this strange situation. The delaywas not a long one. She laughed, nervously perhaps, yet with a sense ofhumour at the awkward position. 

"Quite melodramatic, is it not, Captain West?" she asked, in a decidedlypleasant voice. "I trust it appeals thoroughly to that disposition foradventure of which you wrote. I assure you I have arranged the detailsto the best of my ability. "

"Nothing more could be desired, I am sure, " he confessed, surprised ather tone, and glancing toward her. "I certainly am left completely in thedark, unable even to clearly distinguish my mysterious companion inadventure. "

"And there really is no longer any occasion for such concealment. " Shelifted the heavy curtain beside her, permitting the grey light to restupon her face. "I preferred not to be seen at the park for obviousreasons; but here, alone with you, such precaution is quiteunnecessary. We are to be either friends, or enemies, so frankness isthe best course. "

He saw the face of a young woman of twenty-four, or five, with dark eyesand hair, her cheeks flushed with health and excitement, her lipssmiling. It was a face of unusual attractiveness, not regular, perhaps, in any of its features, yet filled with character, and glowing with life. It was to him a totally unfamiliar countenance, but one which asinstantly awakened his interest. He liked the girl, and believed in her. 

"I can only thank you, " he said, rather lamely. "Although I do notunderstand now how we could ever become enemies. Surely, that is nota threat?"

"Oh, no, it is far too true. You have yet to learn what I require. Yetthat was very nicely said. I take it to mean your first impression of meis not unfavourable?"

"Very far from it. I am already deeply interested in my task. If I lackedan incentive before, you have furnished it. I am only too glad I was thefortunate volunteer. "

She laughed again softly, her eyes still on his face. 

"Really, I had not anticipated such a sincere compliment. No doubt youlearned these delightful speeches in France, " she answered, a very fainttinge of sarcasm in the words. "However, this is a very serious matter, Captain West, and really has nothing to do with my personal appearance. Iam, of course, being a woman, glad that I please you, but we mustconsider this particular affair from an entirely different standpoint. Iam seeking neither flirtation nor compliment; merely a trustworthy agent. First of all, it is necessary that you comprehend this. "

He bowed, impressed by her manner, and somewhat ashamed of hisimpetuousity. 

"I accept the reproof, " he said quietly, "and will endeavour henceforthnot to offend in any way. I am entirely at your service. "

"There is no offence; I merely thought it best there should be nomisunderstanding. Now, I am sure, we can proceed intelligently. Indeed, Iam going to frankly confess, I also like your appearance. This mutualliking ought to be half the battle. We have quite a ride before us yet;you may question me if you wish. "

CHAPTER II

A SUDDEN ENGAGEMENT

West gazed out through the window, wondering where they were. In hisinterest in his companion, he had until this moment, taken no note ofthings without, nor did his eyes rest now upon any familiar scene. Theywere swiftly, and noiselessly, passing blocks of respectable residences, none of these particularly distinguished. Her sudden invitation ratherstartled him. 

"You mean I am to question you freely. "

"Assuredly; while I am to remain quite as free in my answers. That isperfectly fair, is it not?"

"At least, it sounds so. Where am I being transported then? And why thedress-suit?"

His questions evidently amused, for her eyes sparkled. 

"Naturally that query comes first; and especially the dress-suit. Youhave the prejudices of your sex, I see, and without regret. I shallendeavour to reply catagorically, yet with reservations. We are going toa country home, where we dine, in company with a few guests. "

"I see; I am first of all to be projected into society. Are any of theseguests known to me?"

"God forbid; and I may even venture to predict that you will never careto know any of them again. You are to be present as my guest, and will sobe welcomed. "

"I feel the honour; but would it not be well under these circumstancesfor me to know more clearly whose guest I am? Suppose, for instance, Ihad to refer to our long friendship, it would be extremely awkward not toeven be able to mention your name. "

"My name! Why, of course, you do not know what it is. Well, really I amnot altogether certain that I do either. We will therefore compromise onthe one I am known by; which will be safer. Allow me, Captain West, topresent to you Miss Natalie Coolidge. "

She held out frankly a neatly gloved hand, which he as instantly took, and retained in his own, the girl making no immediate effort towithdraw it. 

"This is very kind of you, Miss Coolidge, " he acknowledged, adaptinghimself to her present mood. "But it seems there is no necessity for meto present myself. Apparently my identity is already known. "

"Otherwise you would not be among those present, " she admitted frankly. "You must surely realize that I needed, at least, to have someinformation relative to a man in whom I expected to confide. Tellingsecrets--especially family secrets--to strangers is not my specialty. "

"Then, I judge you have not accepted me blindly?"

"No, I have not, " earnestly, and now releasing her hand. "I do not thinkwe ever really know any one except through personal intercourse; but I doknow who you are, and something of what your life thus far has been. Itwas two days after I received your answer before I replied to it. Thistime was devoted exclusively to making me somewhat better acquainted withmy correspondent. "

"But how could you? I signed no name. "

She smiled, again quite at her ease. 

"The box number at the Club was amply sufficient. I have friends there;once possessed of your name and army rank, the department records atWashington furnished all further information. A Senator kindly attendedto that end, and was also able to supply a little additional gossipthrough one of his Southern colleagues. So you perceive, Captain, I amnot altogether reckless. Are you interested in learning what I know?"

"I am; both from records and gossip. Will you tell me?"

"Willingly, " and she checked the points off on her gloved fingers. "Youare Matthew West, the only son of Judge Robert Peel West, of Atlanta, Georgia. Your mother, who was of the well-known Bullock family, died whenyou were about fifteen, and her widowed sister has since been thehouse-keeper. You are a graduate of the university of Virginia, beingfourth in your class in Scholarship. Your engineering course wascompleted in Massachusetts, and you later became connected with the WyantContracting Company, of Chicago. You were here, however, only a verybrief time, making but few acquaintances, when the War broke out. Youimmediately entered the first officers' training school at Fort Sheridan, graduating with the rank of First Lieutenant, and were assigned to aregiment of Engineers, among the earliest to sail for France. While thereyou were wounded twice, and cited once for special gallantry in therescue of a seriously injured private. Your last wound caused your returnto the United States on a special mission, and also won you the rank ofCaptain. Since then you have been honourably discharged, but have madeno effort to resume professional work. You are twenty-six, and unmarried. Is there anything else you care to know?"

"I think not; really your agency has been most efficient. Could you tellme also if I have ever been in love?"

"In love! Really I made no inquiries, as that did not interest me in theleast. I am prepared to be confessed to, however, if you feel itnecessary. "

"I may have to confess later. Just now it might be better to let mattersremain as they are. And so this review satisfied you that I was reallythe man you sought?"

"No, it did not wholly satisfy, but it looked promising. You wereevidently courageous, and a gentleman. These qualities were essential;whether in other respects you measured up to my purpose, could only beascertained through a personal interview. There was no other way. "

"And now?" he persisted. 

"Still encouraging. I must admit, although the test is not yet complete. However, we are now approaching the end of our journey. Before we turn inI am going to ask a favour of you--call me Natalie. "

"Natalie; that will be easy. "

"And also forgive me if I fail in always addressing you formally asCaptain West. I presume your friends say Matt, do they not?"

"Some have that habit. "

"Then I claim also the privilege. "

She bewildered him, left him in wonderment as to what she would do next, but there was scarcely time in which to answer before the speedinglimousine turned abruptly into a private drive-way, curving gracefully tothe front of a rather imposing stone mansion, set well back from theroad. West caught a glimpse of a green lawn, a maze of stables at therear, and a tennis-court with several busily engaged players. Then theywere at the side entrance, and a servant, in the same unobtrusive liveryas the chauffeur, was quietly opening the door. He turned and helped hiscompanion to emerge. 

"Take the gentleman's bag to the Blue Room, Sexton, " she said calmly, "and then lay out his evening clothes. "

"Yes, miss. "

"I will be in the hall when you come down, Captain, but there isno hurry. "

West followed the servant up the softly carpeted stairs, finding theapartment assigned him not only extremely comfortable, but even elegantin its furnishing. He stood at the window looking down on the tenniscourt, while Sexton opened the bag, and spread out the requiredgarments on the bed. Evidently he was in a home of wealth andrefinement. The grounds outspread before his eyes were spacious andattractive; in the distance he even perceived an artificial lake withpaths winding enticingly along its shore, and through strips ofwoodland. Who could this strange girl be? this Natalie Coolidge? Andwhat could she possible desire of him? These questions remainedunanswered, yet continually tantalized. He could not even grasp herpersonality. In spite of her apparent friendliness, her irresistiblesmile, her lack of conventionality, there remained a certain reserveabout the young woman he felt quite unable to penetrate. Whatever gameshe was playing she kept the cards securely in her own hands. He wasnot yet admitted to her confidence. He stood there immersed in thesethoughts still, when Sexton spoke. 

"Shall I assist you, sir?"

"No; it will not be necessary. You have laid out everything?"

"Yes, sir. "

"Very well; that will do, at present. What is the hour for dinner?"

"Seven o'clock, sir. "

"I have ample time then. That will be all. " The man retired noiselessly, closing the door after him, and West began slowly to dress, rather amusedat the care he took, that all details should be as correct as possible. Unquestionably the girl interested him oddly. She was original, a newtype, and he made no effort to drive her from his imagination. He had notbeen long back from the war zone, his acquaintance in the city wasextremely limited, and consequently this girl, thus suddenly brought intohis life, had made a far greater impression than she might otherwise. Yetunder any conditions, she would have proven noticeable, and attractive. He endeavoured to analyse what constituted this peculiar attractiveness, but without arriving at any definite conclusion. She was young, ofcourse, and undeniably pretty, with eyes really remarkable, and a smilenot to be easily forgotten. She possessed a sense of humour, and had leftupon him a strong impression of frank sincerity. Yet in these qualitiesshe did not differ so greatly from others he had known. Perhaps mysteryhad much to do with her power of enticement--a continual wonderment as towhat she might do next. Then she was so self-poised, so confident ofherself, so naturally informed. All these things had their charm, and, coupled with her undoubted beauty, left his brain in a whirl. 

He was satisfactorily dressed at last, although obliged to switch on thelights before this was accomplished. The reflection of himself in thepier glass quite met his deliberate approval, and he glanced inquiringlyat his watch, rather eager to delve deeper into this adventure. It was afew moments of seven, and she would undoubtedly be waiting for him in thehall below. He descended the broad stairs, conscious of a thrill ofexpectancy; nor was he doomed to disappointment. 

Miss Coolidge met him in the dimly lighted vacancy of the hall, withsmiling eyes of welcome. They were mocking, puzzling eyes, the depths ofwhich he could not fathom--they perplexed, and invited at the sameinstant. She was in evening dress, a creamy satin, revealing whiteshoulders, and rounded, beautifully mounded arms, visible beneath foldsof filmy lace. If he had dreamed the girl attractive before in theplainness of street costume, he now beheld her in a new vision ofloveliness. His heart throbbed at the sight, every nerve tingling to theintimate tones of her voice. And she met him in a more delightful mood ofinformality than had found expression even during their afternoon ride. She was apparently in the highest spirits, eager to overstep allconventionality. 

"Again you please me, " she said, surveying him critically. "Really thisis too much, the wonderful way in which you meet every test. "

"You mean in clothes?"

"In everything, so far. Clothes--yes; do they not reveal the very soul ofa man? I hardly think I could ever have forgiven if you had come down notlooking the part you are to play. "

"Nor could I have forgiven myself, if I am to enjoy the pleasure oftaking you in to dinner. "

"That privilege is yours even without the asking. But, " quizzically, andglancing up frankly into his eyes, "You may not care when the time comes. For the great test arrives first. So, buck up, Captain, for you are goingto have the shock of your life. Whatever you do, even if you feel thatyou are about to faint, don't, for my sake, let your face show it. "

"But, " he protested, "give me some warning, some opportunity to preparefor such an emergency. "

"No, " she laughed gaily, "there is no time; it is ordained to fall uponyou like a thunder-bolt. They are all in there waiting for us now. Youwill offer me your arm. "

He accompanied her, amused, yet bewildered, through the wide archway intothe more brilliantly lighted drawing-room. It was a magnificentapartment, containing a half dozen people. The one nearest the entrancewas a man of middle age, exceedingly pompous and dignified, whoimmediately arose to his feet, expectantly. Miss Coolidge cordiallyextended her hand in greeting. 

"So glad to learn you could be out, Judge, " she said, the leastperceptible hesitancy in her voice. "Permit me to present Judge Cable, ofthe Supreme Court; Captain West, my fiancé. "

CHAPTER III

THE COOLIDGE HOME

For an instant West was absolutely helpless to assert himself. The calmassurance of the girl's voice in this unexpected introduction left hisbrain paralysed with bewilderment. Yet his features did not betray hiscondition, nor did he entirely lose control over himself. His fingers metthe outstretched hand of the Judge, and he seemed to gaze calmly into thelatter's searching eyes. Fortunately he was not compelled to speak, asCable voiced his own surprise fluently. 

"Well, well, " he exclaimed. "This is certainly startling, Natalie. I am, indeed, bereft of words, yet I congratulate you, sir. Captain--CaptainWest, I think was the name? You are then in the service, sir?"

"Discharged from the Engineers. "

"Ah, exactly. I can hardly adjust myself. Friends, come forward. I haveto make an announcement extraordinary. It seems this sly minx hasarranged a surprise for all of us. Perchance this was the purpose of ourlittle dinner party?"

"Oh, no, Judge, " protested Miss Coolidge, her cheeks flushed, yetotherwise perfectly cool and self-possessed. West ventured to glanceaside into her face, surprised at the quietness of her voice. "Really, this was unexpected, even to myself. I was not so much as aware thatCaptain West was in the city until a very short time ago. I am sure hewill bear me out in this statement. "

"I could not do otherwise, and be truthful, " West felt compelled toadmit. "The announcement was quite unexpected. "

"But what is this all about?" asked a female voice eagerly. "Remember wehave not heard, Judge Cable. "

"It is my pleasure then, " he said gallantly, bowing, and at onceinstituting himself as master of ceremonies, "to introduce to you, MissNatalie's fiancé, Captain West--Mrs. Lonsdale, Professor Scott, MissMargaret Willis, Colonel LeFranc, Mrs. Wilber Somers. Possibly there maybe no necessity of my presenting the next gentleman--Mr. PercivalCoolidge. "

"Oh, but there is, " the last mentioned interposed, a tall rather portlyman, with grey hair and moustache, "I must confess this is as much asurprise to me as to any one present. However, " he grasped West's handwith apparent cordiality, "I hasten to add my congratulations, and towish Natalie all the happiness possible. "

The group slowly broke up, the members still discussing the undoubtedsurprise of this announcement, Miss Coolidge talking animatedly with Mrs. Lonsdale, and seemingly having forgotten West's presence in the room. Hewas utterly unable to even catch her eye, and finally found himselfconfronting Colonel LeFranc and Percival Coolidge, the latter instantlyengaging him in conversation, evidently seeking more definiteinformation. 

"This engagement with my niece, " he said uneasily, "must have been rathersudden? Even your name is quite unfamiliar to me. "

"It was, indeed, " admitted West, who had now completely recoveredhis nerve, and even begun to enjoy the situation. "Since my returnfrom abroad. "

"You were with the army in France?"

"In an Engineer Regiment. I have been in America only two weeks. "

"Ah, indeed. And this is your home?"

Realizing that the elder Coolidge was diligently searching forinformation, West decided the best method would be a full confession. 

"Oh, no, " he said candidly, "I am from the South--Atlanta, Georgia. Myfather is a District Judge, Robert Peel West, quite widely known, and mymother belonged to the Bullock family. I am a graduate of the Universityof Virginia, and also of the Massachusetts Polytechnic. Before the war Iwas connected for a short time, with a well-known firm of Engineers inthis city, but, since my return, I have not resumed professional work. Having been wounded in France, I have felt entitled to a little restafter my return. "

"Quite interesting, I am sure, " Coolidge turned to the Colonel. "You areSouthern also, I believe?"

"Very much so, " was the quick response. "And I chance to know the nameof Judge West rather well. I congratulate your niece on her choice of alife companion. There is no better blood in Georgia. I would be verypleased to hear more of your father, Captain West. I have not met himfor several years. "

West, by this time, thoroughly impressed with the spirit of the occasion, passed the ensuing evening rather pleasantly, although obliged to bealways on his guard against any incautious remark, and keenly interestedin all that was occurring about him. He found the company rather pleasantand entertaining, although not quite able to gauge the real feelings ofMr. Percival Coolidge, who he imagined was not altogether satisfied withthe state of affairs just revealed. The gentleman was outwardly cordialenough, yet his manner continued distinctively reserved, and somewhatcold. West, however, attributed this largely to the nature of the man, and finally dismissed the thought from his mind altogether. The personwho continued to puzzle him most was Natalie Coolidge, nor was he able toapproach her in any way so as to obtain a whispered private word ofguidance. The girl unquestionably avoided him, easily able to accomplishthis by devoting her entire attention to the other guests. 

She appeared in excellent humour, and there was laughter, and brilliantconversation wherever she paused, but not once could he encounter herglance, or find her for a moment alone. Nor dare he ask questions ofthose he conversed with, so as to gain any fresh insight into thismystery. He ventured upon thin ice once or twice most carefully, but theinformation obtained was infinitesimal, although it bore to some extenton the problem confronting him. The Colonel innocently lifted the veilslightly, permitting him to learn that this was a week-end party, andthat Miss Coolidge was the mistress of the place, her parents having beendead for two years. Percival Coolidge, her father's brother, and amanufacturer in the city, was her guardian, and the affairs of the estatewere not yet entirely liquidated. West drew the impression that ColonelLeFranc possessed a rather low opinion of the uncle, although he wascareful to choose his words. Beyond this he apparently knew nothing ofthe family history, which he felt at liberty to communicate. As West hada delicacy in asking questions, the subject was pursued no further. 

He was assigned to escort Miss Willis, a tall willowy blonde, and quitetalkative, in to dinner, but her conversation ran largely to thetheatrical offerings in town, and he found it impossible to change hertrend of thought into other channels. The hostess sat nearly opposite, where she could easily overhear the young lady, whose voice was decidedlypenetrating, so West made no serious attempt to be otherwise thancomplacent. Once the smiling Natalie appealed to him, familiarlycalling him "Matt" across the table, and he responded with equalintimacy, yet her eyes avoided his, and it was plainly evident to hisself-consciousness, that her remark was merely part of the play. Moreand more her actions mystified and perplexed; he could not discover thekey to her hidden motive, or guess at her purpose in this masquerade. Nothing remained but for him to go quietly forward, playing the partassigned. He had pledged himself blindly to her, and could only wait forthe future to reveal the object of it all. Sometime he would succeed ingetting the girl alone once more, and then he would compel a fullconfession. 

But this was not destined to take place that evening. She coolly anddeliberately defeated every effort he made to get her alone, and yet thiswas accomplished in a manner so as not to attract the attention ofothers. Even Percival Coolidge, who, West felt, was watching them bothshrewdly, never suspected the quiet game of hide and seek being playedunder his very eyes. Nevertheless, it was this growing suspicion of theman which prevented West from indulging in more rigorous methods. As theevening progressed he became almost convinced that her principal objectwas to deceive this gentleman; that she really cared nothing for what theothers might think, or say. And she did her part to perfection, beingwith West often, although never alone, speaking to him intimately, andrequesting of him little acts of service most natural under thecircumstances. He played opposite her in a fourhanded game of bridge; heturned the leaves of her music when she sang, and her arm rested withinhis as they all stood on the porch watching the moon rise. It was all amasterpiece of acting, so exceedingly well done, as to finally convincethe young man that she was greatly in earnest as to its success. Shedesired Percival Coolidge to have no lingering doubt of her engagement. And, finding all opportunity of explanation denied him, he yielded to theinevitable, and, for the evening at least, silently accepted his fate. 

Nor did circumstances favour him when the company finally broke up, andretired for the night. He had thought this moment might be propitious, but she calmly outgeneraled him again, suddenly bidding the men remainand smoke as long as they pleased, and, disappearing herself up thestairway with Miss Willis, without so much as a glance backward, indicative of any lingering interest. West, convinced that her retirementwas final, and early wearying of the rather drowsy conversation abouthim, soon sought his own room. It was eleven o'clock of a bright, moonlight night, and, feeling in no degree sleepy, West seated himselfat the window to finish his cigar. He heard the others pass along thehall on their way to the rooms assigned them, and finally all becamequiet, even the servants apparently having retired. Outside was likewisenoiseless, the moon revealing the scene almost as clearly as though itwas day, yet leaving weird shadows to confuse the eye. Occasionally abelated motor car passed along the road, invisible because of the trees. Again and again his mind reviewed the strange events of the evening, unable to arrive at any definite conclusion. The harder he sought todelve into the mystery, the more obscure it became. The young womanherself thoroughly baffled him. If this was merely a test, it wascertainly a most unusual one, and he hoped he had met the requirements toher entire satisfaction. He already frankly acknowledged to himself, atleast, that she had become of personal interest to him. He fell apeculiar desire to be of service; but this desire was now permeated witha firm determination to know the whole truth. He would no longer remainignorant of her object, for what purpose he was being used. She musttrust him, and tell him frankly, if he was to continue to play a part. Hewould know whether this was tragedy or comedy, first of all. 

He had, indeed, reached some conclusions already. These might not becorrect, yet they were already implanted in his mind. The guests of thenight were mere puppets, having no real connection with the game beingplayed, utterly ignorant of what was going on behind the scenes. The onlyone present having any real part was Percival Coolidge, and West hadtaken an instinctive dislike to this man. Moreover, he had some reason tobelieve this feeling was warmly reciprocated; that the latter alreadysuspected and watched him. Only one explanation flashed into his mind toaccount for Miss Coolidge's unexpected announcement of an engagementbetween them--this would excuse any future intimacy; would enable them tomeet alone freely without arousing comment. She had deliberately chosenthis course to disarm suspicion, and had failed to warn him in advancethat she might test his nerve and discretion. This appealed to him as themost reasonable explanation of the situation. But beyond this vagueguess, it was impossible to delve. He possessed no facts, no knowledge;he could only keep faith in her, and wait the time of explanation. 

Tired by the uselessness of such thinking West finally sought the bed, and must have slept, although scarcely aware that he had closed his eyes. 

Some slight noise aroused him. The door leading into the hall, which hehad failed to lock, stood partially ajar, and his eyes caught the vagueglimpse of a figure gliding swiftly through the opening. With one boundhe was upon his feet, springing recklessly forward. The hall was dark, but for a patch of moonlight at the further end. Against this he caughtan instant, flitting glimpse of the intruder. It was a woman, yet evenas his eyes told him this, she seemed to vanish into thin air--the hallwas empty. 

CHAPTER IV

MISS COOLIDGE EXPLAINS

Vague and indistinct as was that fleeting vision in the moonlight, Westfelt no doubt as to the identity of his visitor--the woman was NatalieCoolidge. His one glimpse of her vanishing figure assured him of thisfact, and he drew back instantly, unwilling to follow. Where she had gonehe neither knew, nor cared. She had come to his room secretly, supposinghim asleep, and this surprising knowledge dominated his mind. What couldsuch an act mean? This was certainly a home of respectability, of wealth. The guests being entertained were evidence of that; yet this secretentrance into his private apartment at such an hour suggested theft, oreven some more desperate crime. There was mystery here, at least, amystery beyond his power of discernment. However, this recognition ratherhardened him to his task, than otherwise. He had been forced into thestrange environment, and now meant to penetrate its every secret. 

This time he locked the outer door carefully, and lay down on the bed, wondering if there would be any further developments. As he attempted tothink, he was listening eagerly for the slightest sound of movement inthe hall. There were none; the transom stood partially open, but no noisereached his ears from the outside; clearly enough the night prowler, assured that he was still awake, had decided to make no further effort. Doubtless she believed her escape had been unseen, or, at least, that shehad remained unrecognized in the gloom, and would now resort to someentirely different method for achieving her end, whatever it could be. Hecould only wait, and watch for the next move. Perhaps the morning wouldbring full explanation. With this conception in his mind, his head soughtthe pillow, and he lapsed into unconsciousness. 

The long training of army service caused West to awaken early, while thehouse was yet quiet, but with the dawn already red in the East. Hecrossed to the window, and looked out. It was a beautiful morning, thegreen lawn yet sparkling with dew; the estate was evidently a fine one, quite extensive and carefully attended to. To the right of the tenniscourt was a well arranged flower garden, criss-crossed by white paths, anornate summer-house in its centre, completely concealed by vines. Beyondthis, conspicuous against the green back-ground, West caught the flutterof a white skirt, realizing instantly that, early as the hour was, Natalie Coolidge was already up and about. He wondered if her presencemight not be an invitation for him? Perhaps she had deliberately chosenthis early hour, before the others awoke, to explain her strange conductof the previous evening? At least, here was an opportunity to see andtalk with her alone. 

He dressed swiftly, and slipped noiselessly down-stairs, unlocking thefront door, and emerging into the fresh air, without encountering anystray members of the household. Not even a servant was visible. He passedbeyond the vine draped arbour before she realized his approach, andstraightened up, a freshly cut rose in one gloved hand, the pruningshears in the other, welcoming him with a little laugh, her eyes full ofdemure mischief. 

"I rather suspected army discipline had not entirely worn off, " she saidpleasantly, "and that you might still prove to be an early riser. "

"And does this expectation account for your presence?"

"Not wholly; it has become a habit with me. I am always the first oneout in the morning, and it will be an hour yet before breakfast isserved. However, I promised to be very frank with you, did I not? Then Iwill begin now; this morning I really hoped I might see you for a momentbefore the others were stirring--we have so much to talk about. "

"It certainly seems so to me, " he responded honestly, yet not greatlyencouraged by the amusement in her eyes. "The night has been full ofsurprises. "

"During which you bore yourself exceedingly well. I have always read ofthe initiative of the American soldier, Captain, and in this case, youmet my every expectation. "

"Then I have passed the test?"

She hesitated, her eyes seeking his, and then falling before his gaze. 

"Yes, " she acknowledged slowly, "I can scarcely say anything else now;the--the affair has progressed so far already there is nothing to do butgo on with it. "

"Yet I remain wholly in the dark, " he protested. . "Surely you cannotexpect real service when given so blindly?"

"No, I do not. I mean to trust you fully. It is the only way; but do youstill truly wish to serve?"

"I am enlisted in the cause without reserve, " he insisted warmly. "WhileI learned but little last evening, that little was enough to convince methere is something strange under the surface. Your calling me to yourassistance is no joke--you actually need me. "

"I need some one on whose judgment and courage I can rely, " sheanswered earnestly, "and I believe now that you are the one. It israther an odd situation, Captain West, but the circumstances surelyjustify my action. Perhaps I shall have time to partly explain now. Letus slip into the concealment of this summer-house; no one can approachwithout being seen. "

It was dark and cool under the shadow of the vines, but, for a momentafter they were seated, neither spoke. West waited expectantly for hiscompanion to break the silence, and she seemingly found it difficult tobegin her story. The flush deepened on her cheeks, and her lips parted. 

"It really seems so ridiculous, " she explained at last desperately. "Almost like a dream of fancy, and I hardly know how to put the situationinto words. If I were ten years younger I would almost be convincedmyself that it was all imaginary, yet everything I tell you is true. Iwonder if you will believe me?"

"Do not question that. I realize fully your earnestness. "

"Yet I am going to test your credulity, just the same. But it would bevery foolish to venture as far as I have already, and then fail to go on. So I'll tell you just what I know, and--and then leave it there. Thatwill be the best way. Those people you met last evening have nothing todo with the story--none of them, at least, unless it may possibly bePercival Coolidge. I am rather afraid of him; I always have been. Ibelieve he knows what all this trouble means, but I do not dare goand talk with him about it. That is really what is the matter, Isuppose--there is no one I can talk to; they would only laugh at me. Ifyou do, I shall never forgive you. "

"I am not at all so inclined. Tell me the story from the very beginning. "

"Yes, I will. My father was Steven Coolidge, and was very wealthy. He didnot marry until late in life, and, I have reason to believe it was agreat disappointment to his brother Percival that a child was born. Perhaps I ought not to make such a statement, but much has occurred toimpress me with his dislike--"

"He is your guardian?"

"Yes; you learned that last night?"

"From the Colonel; he seemed to enjoy talking, and naturally, I wascurious. Has Percival Coolidge wealth of his own?"

"Only what my father left him, which was a considerable sum, and alimited interest in the business. He was very much dissatisfied with hisshare. Originally he was one of the two trustees in charge of the estate, but the other died, leaving him entirely in control. Before I was born hehad confidently expected to inherit everything. "

"The estate then is not settled?"

"Not until I am twenty-five; within a few days now. "

"And your mother?"

"She died at my birth. "

West leaned forward eagerly. "It is the estate then that troubles you?"he asked swiftly. "You imagine it has wasted?"

"No, not at all. They tell me it has increased in value. My father'slawyer assures me as to this. Percival Coolidge is a good business man, but something strange is going on behind the scenes. I cannot talk withthe lawyer about it; I can scarcely be sure myself. I--I am simply upagainst a mystery I am unable to solve. Everywhere I turn I run into ablank wall. "

"But I do not understand. "

"How could you expect to, when it is so utterly obscure to me? I seem tobe fighting against a ghost. "

"A ghost!"

"Yes; now don't laugh at me! Do you suppose I would ever have doneanything as reckless as advertising for help if I had not been actuallydesperate? Can you imagine a respectable girl performing so ridiculous anact, as putting her whole trust in a stranger, inviting him to her home, introducing him as her promised husband to her relatives and friends?Why, it almost proves me crazed, and, in a measure, I think I must be. But it is because I have exhausted all ordinary methods. I do not seem tobe opposing anything of flesh and blood; I am fighting against shadows. Icannot even explain my predicament to another. "

"You must try, " he insisted firmly, affected by her evident distress. "Imust be told everything if I am to be of any value. A half way confidencecan accomplish nothing. "

"But it sounds so foolish; I am being haunted! I know that, yet that isall I do know. "

"Haunted, in what way?"

"I do not even know that; but by a woman, I think--a woman who muststrangely resemble me. She pretends to be me--to my friends, to myservants, at my bank. I never see the creature, but I hear of her fromothers. She has actually drawn checks in my name, imitating my signature, and having them cashed by clerks who know me well. She has given ordersto my servants, and they protest that I gave them. She meets and talkswith my friends in places where I never go. I am sure she has actuallybeen in this house, and ridden in my car undiscovered. I am constantlyreported as being seen at restaurants and hotels where I have not been, and with parties I do not know. This has been going on for a month now. Iam unable to prove her an imposter, even to identify her. I haveendeavoured to discuss the situation with a few people, but they onlylaugh at the strange idea. No one will listen to me seriously. My lawyeractually believes I am demented. "

"And you conceived the thought that perhaps a total stranger might provemore sympathetic?"

"Yes, " she admitted. "If he was young and adventurous; provided Iinterested him at all. It would seem to offer me a chance; and then, ifunknown to the party impersonating me, such a one might learn the truthunsuspected. Do you believe me, Captain?"

"I have no reason to doubt what you say. What you describe is notimpossible, and there surely must be an adequate explanation for it. Imean to do my very best to uncover the mystery. You have thesefraudulent checks?"

"Yes; one was returned to me only yesterday. "

"I shall want them, together with one you drew yourself. Also the namesof the servants who have apparently been approached by this person, andthe circumstances. "

"Certainly. "

"You do not mind if I ask you one or two rather direct personalquestions?"

"Assuredly not. "

"What caused you to announce our engagement?"

She laughed, but from sudden embarrassment. 

"It was silly, wasn't it! Really I do not exactly know; a sudden impulse, and the words were spoken. It occurred to me that our intimacy could beaccounted for in no other way. "

"So I supposed. Well, there is no harm done, but now, you understand, wemust play out the game. "

"Play it out?"

"Surely; act natural, permit no suspicion to be aroused. Even if I shouldfeel impelled by duty, to kiss you, it is my privilege. "

"Why--why, you cannot mean that!"

"Oh, but I do. This is no threat that I shall insist on carrying thematter to such an extreme, yet I must insist on the right if it becomesnecessary. You would scarcely dare refuse, would you?"

"No, " she confessed, her eyes suddenly meeting his, "I--I suppose not;but--but is it necessary to discuss that now?"

"Perhaps not, only I must know. You will play the game?"

Her eyes fell, the breath pulsing between her lips. 

"I am not afraid, " she said rather proudly. "Yes, I will play the game. "

"Good! I knew you would. And now for the second question; why did youcome to my room last night?"

She stared at him incredulously, the flush fading from her cheeks. 

"Your room! I come to your room! Assuredly no; what can you mean?"

"Then it must be that I have already encountered the ghost, " he declaredsmilingly. "For the very counterpart of you certainly visited me. I had aclear view of her in the moon-light, but she vanished down the hall. Iwould have sworn she was you. "

"A woman?"

"Absolutely a woman; flesh and blood, no doubt as to that. "

"When was this?"

"After midnight. "

"It was not I, Captain West; please believe that--but hush; there comesPercival Coolidge!"

CHAPTER V

WEST WINS THE FIRST HAND

The newcomer stood at the edge of the front steps, and paused long enoughto light a cigarette before descending. His features were as clear cut asthough done in marble, and about as expressive. To all outwardappearances, the man was cold, emotionless, selfish egotism written onevery feature. For the first time, in the glare of the bright morninglight, West took stock of the fellow, and realized his true nature. Instinctively he felt that here was the particular antagonist he was tobe pitted against. Whatever might be the truth as to a strange woman, this man must be the controlling factor in any conspiracy. His companionmust have sensed the same fact, for she swiftly drew back beneath theshadow of the vines. 

"You meet him, " she whispered, "alone. I would rather he did not find ustogether. "

"But can you escape unseen?"

"Yes, under cover of the hedge. But be very careful what you say. "

She had vanished before he could interpose, slipping away so noiselessly, he was scarcely aware of her swift action. His eyes followed the moredeliberate movements of the man, who slowly descended the broad steps, pausing when once on the gravelled walk to glance curiously back at thehouse. West thought his interest centred on the open window of the roomhe had occupied, but this was merely a conjecture, for the delay was butfor a moment; shortly after Coolidge strolled on directly toward thesummer-house, the blue smoke of the cigarette marking his progress. Weststepped carelessly forth from the concealment of the vines, watchful forany change of expression on the face of the other. There was none, noteven a look of surprise, or a tightening of the lip. 

"Ah! Captain, " he said easily, tossing his stub aside, and drawing forthhis case for another. "Glorious air this morning; the advantage of earlyrising; you indulge, I presume?"

"An army habit, I mean to do away with later. Thanks. I suppose breakfastis not ready?"

"Hardly yet, " glancing about inquiringly. "My niece is usually out hereat this hour, which accounts for my venturing forth. She is not here?"

"Not now, although there are evidences that she has been, " indicatingthe gloves and pruning shears visible beside the walk. "We must havearrived too late. "

"So it seems. You came with the same purpose, no doubt?"

"If you mean the hope of encountering Natalie, your guess is correct. Shewould not give me a word last night, and has even overturned my plansthis morning. Does she play hide and seek with you also?"

"Does she! One never knows what she will do. But this last escapade isthe strangest of all. "

"You refer to our engagement?"

"Assuredly; I had no warning, no conception of such a thing. "

"Do you mean, sir, that she had never consulted you? never even mentionedme to you before?"

"Exactly. You are aware of who I am, I presume? the position I holdrelative to her property?"

"Certainly; you are her uncle and guardian. Under the terms of the willyou remain in full control until she is twenty-five, now almost at hand, except for an annual income payable to her monthly. Is not that thesituation?"

"You have apparently made very careful inquiry, " he commented with aperceptible sneer. "No doubt this was a matter of deep interest to you. "

"Of some interest, I confess, " acknowledged West, controlling his temper. "Although my information has not come from inquiry. Miss Natalie was kindenough to talk to me about her affairs, presupposing my interest in them. However, I assure you, I have no personal ambition along this line. "

"Indeed; not fortune-hunting then?"

"Far from it, " good humouredly, but keenly aware that he was touchingCoolidge. "My family is far from poverty stricken, and I have a very goodprofession. It is quite right you should know this. "

"What profession, may I ask?"

"Civil Engineer. "

"But not established, I imagine?"

"I had very good connections before the war. Since returning from France, I have made no effort to renew these, or seek others. I, of course, expect to do so later, and shall be in no way dependent upon MissCoolidge's fortune. "

"Although quite willing to share it, I presume?"

"I think you have insinuated that often enough, " returned West, at lastfully aroused by the insolent words and manner of the other. "Perhaps itmay be well for us to have a plain understanding without further delay, Mr. Percival Coolidge. My engagement to Miss Natalie may be sudden andunexpected--perhaps not altogether pleasant from your standpoint--yet ithardly warrants you in thus attributing to me mercenary motives. As amatter of fact, I was not aware until last evening that she was anheiress to considerable property. I knew nothing of her relationships. Iwill say, however, that now I feel perfectly justified in showing aninterest in her affairs. As I understand matters, you are her guardianunder the special provisions of your brother's will?"

"You are perfectly right, sir, and I should have been consulted previousto this engagement. " Coolidge said with dignity. "Even now it is subjectto my approval. "

"I think not. Your guardianship was merely a special provision of thewill, with reference to the estate. So I understand, at least. Attwenty-one, she became mistress of her own personal affairs, and nolonger needed to consult you. "

"I controlled her income. "

"Only the surplus; a certain sum was to be paid her each month until shewas twenty-five; then the entire estate came into her possession. Beyondthis you exercised no legal authority. "

"You seem well posted. "

"The lady herself informed me as to these facts. "

"Since yesterday?"

"Yes, since yesterday. "

"Where, may I ask?"

"In the summer-house here, a few moments ago. "

Coolidge gave utterance to an oath, which burst from his lips before itcould be wholly restrained. 

"Damn you! just what is your game?" he exclaimed roughly, forgetting hispose. "Are you trying to get your nose into my affairs?"

"Most certainly not, " returned West coolly, yet facing the other with asteady eye. "I can have no possible interest in your affairs. But I maybe led to investigate those of Miss Coolidge, if she should so request. It seems she possesses no one to represent her at present--not even thefamily lawyer. "

"What do you imply by that remark?"

"That she has gone to you, and to the attorney, who represents theestate, relative to some very strange occurrences of late, only to belaughed at. No effort has been made to relieve her anxiety. "

"You mean that fool story about some one else pretending to be her?"

"It cannot altogether be a fool story when this mysterious party passesforged checks at the bank. "

"There was only one; that means nothing; the girl isn't using good sense. So this is the stuff she is filling you up with? And you proposeinvestigating her wild imaginings, hey? By Gad, you are going to have aninteresting time. "

"I hope so; at least I am hoping to discover some truth. "

"Good. I wish you well, " and his tone was one of decided relief. "Youradventures ought to prove quite amusing. "

Coolidge laughed heartily, the whole affair apparently taking on a newaspect, now that he felt he comprehended the real purpose of the other. 

"Oh, by the way, West, you must pardon me if I send Sexton into your roomfor a valise I left there. You see I occupied that suite until you came. "

"Oh, indeed, " surprised, "I noticed no other grip there. "

"It is in the closet. That has always been my room whenever I visithere. I do not know why Natalie decided to change me this time--naturallywished to reserve the best for you, I presume. "

"Very kind of her, I am sure. There is Sexton now. "

"Which means breakfast is served. Shall we go in?"

The two men walked slowly up the gravelled path, leading to the sidedoor. West's thoughts were busy with this new discovery. Had heinadvertently stumbled upon a clue? So he had occupied the room usuallyreserved for Percival Coolidge. Perhaps here was the explanation of thecoming of his strange visitor. If so, then it was already clearly evidentthat whatever the plot might be, this fellow had a hand in it. Westglanced aside at the face of his unconscious companion, deciding quicklyto venture a chance shot. 

"Were you expecting a caller last night?" he asked calmly. 

Coolidge wheeled about, startled out of his self-control. 

"A caller! Of course not. What put that in your head?"

"Because I had one, in that room you say you always occupied. Thevisitor vanished as soon as I was seen, and the thought occurred to mejust now that you might have been the one sought. "

"Perfectly absurd, West. You must have had a night-mare. What did shelook like?"

"Oh, I only had a glimpse in the moon-light; resembled a ghost more thananything else. "

"And just about what it was, " with a laugh of relief. "Some dream youbetter forget about. Come along; they are waiting on us. "

They passed up the steps together; and into the pleasant breakfast room, where the remainder of the company were already gathered. Coolidge wasagain perfectly at his ease, genially greeting the guests, and hadapparently already dismissed the incident from his mind. Evidently evenWest did not consider it of any serious importance; he had clearly enoughnot recognized the intruder, and either decided the whole affair a freakof imagination, or else, at the worst, some midnight escapade of aservant. But West's mind had in reality settled on a point which Coolidgeoverlooked. He had gained the very information desired. He had carefullyrefrained from even suggesting the sex of his mysterious visitor. Percival Coolidge knew, without being told, that the caller was a woman. Then he also knew who that woman was. 

CHAPTER VI

UNTANGLING THREADS

The morning meal proved delightfully informal, Natalie gracefullypresiding, and apparently in the highest spirits. West found his placereserved on her right with Miss Willis next, and, between the two, waskept extremely busy. The Colonel sat directly across the table, withPercival Coolidge just beyond the hostess. No intimation of anythingwrong burdened those present, the single servant silently performing hisduties to the constant laughing chatter of those about the table. EvenCoolidge, somewhat distant at first, yielded finally to the prevailinghumour, and joined freely in the conversation. This turned at last to theplans for the day, revealing a variety of desires, which Natalie arrangedto gratify. The Colonel and two of the ladies expressed an inclination toattend church, the limousine being offered them for the purpose. Othersdecided on a match with the racquets, while Coolidge, rather to thesurprise of the lady, suggested that Natalie accompany him into the cityon a special errand of mercy. At first, amid the ceaseless clatter oftongues, West was unable to grasp the nature of his plea, or her reply, but finally overheard enough to arouse his personal interest, especiallywhen his own name was mentioned in the discussion. 

"I was not aware you ever concerned yourself in such matters, " she saidsoberly. "Is this a particular case?"

"Decidedly so; the man before he died, was in my employ, but I did notlearn until late yesterday of the condition in which his family was left. I understand something must be done for them at once. You are alwaysinterested in such cases, so I supposed you would accompany me gladly. Itis extremely disagreeable duty for me. "

"It must be attended to today?"

"The case is very urgent I am told. "

"But how can I leave my guests--especially Captain West?"

West leaned forward. 

"Do not hesitate on my account. I can easily amuse myself; or, if thereis room, and it is not disagreeable to Mr. Coolidge, I might enjoy beingof the party. "

"Why, of course, " she coincided eagerly. "Why couldn't he come along?There will be plenty of room if I operate the car. It is a case ofdestitution of which Uncle Percival has just learned--a widow and threechildren actually suffering. Surely it can do no harm for Captain West toaccompany us?"

Coolidge exhibited no enthusiasm over the proposition; indeed West felthis response almost discourteous, yet this very suspicion aroused hisown desire to make one of the party. The fellow evidently disliked himinstinctively, and would exert every influence possible to discredithim in the eyes of Natalie. The suggestion even came that this suddencall to charity might prove only an effort on Coolidge's part to getthe girl alone where she could be plainly talked to. The man was notpleased with this new proposal, that was evident enough; but the nieceunquestionably desired him to accept the invitation. Not only her lips, but equally her eyes, pressed the matter, and West experienced nohesitancy in saying yes. 

"Why, of course I will go, " he returned heartily, "and I will be readywhenever you are. "

"About half an hour then. "

He retired to the room upstairs, partly for the purpose of exchanginghis coat, but also half tempted to make a hasty examination of thevalise which Coolidge had thoughtlessly left overnight in the closet. The conception had already taken strong hold on his mind that hisvisitor of the evening before had been the mysterious impersonator ofNatalie Coolidge; and that she had come there with some deliberatepurpose--no-doubt a secret conference with Percival. If her resemblanceto the mistress of the house was as remarkable as he had been led tobelieve, her entrance to the place would be comparatively easy ofaccomplishment, and the danger of discovery correspondingly small. Itnever occurred to him to question Natalie's story. To be sure there weredetails he found it difficult to fully accept as true, but the girlcertainly believed all she had told him. She denied earnestly havingbeen the one invading his room, and he believed her implicitly; yet theperson who had visited him was so closely her image as to make it stillseem almost an impossibility that she could be a separate individual. Nothing less than Natalie's own word would have brought conviction. Andthis person had supposed she was visiting the apartment occupied byPercival Coolidge. This was the only satisfactory explanation of herpresence there; whether she came that night for the first time, or as asupplement to other similar visits, it was unquestionably Coolidgewhom she sought. 

For what purpose? To West's mind only one object appeared probable. Theman was too far advanced in life--certainly much above sixty from hisappearance--to be involved in a love affair with so young and attractivea woman. Moreover in such a case she would scarcely seek him out here inthis private home, where he was merely a transient guest; he would neverventure to use a place like this as a rendezvous. That was unthinkable. Some other purpose, demanding immediate attention, must furnish thereason for her venturing to enter this house at such an hour, and comingdirectly to the room where she supposed Coolidge to be sleeping. ToWest's mind there could be but one answer. The two were mutually involvedin a conspiracy of some nature, undoubtedly connected with theapproaching settlement of the Coolidge estate. This girl, so strangelyresembling Natalie, had in some way been discovered by the schemingguardian, who was now using her for his own selfish ends. The plot hadbeen carefully perfected, and the time must now be near for execution. This girl had been selected, and trained to act a part--the part ofNatalie Coolidge. Her ability to deceive had been tested in variousways. Now the moment approached when they were ready to play out the realgame. Yet the nature of that game was in no way apparent. He could onlykeep quiet, and wait for some further development, even appearindifferent, while he secretly watched every suspicious movement ofPercival Coolidge. 

It was not at all probable the satchel contained any incriminatingevidence, yet the temptation was strong to obtain, if possible, a hastyglance at the contents. But for this he was already too late, scarcelyreaching the room indeed, before Sexton appeared, announcing his mission. West, perched on the arm of a chair, smoking, and watched the man bringforth the valise, and start toward the door. 

"Coolidge tells me he usually occupied this room, " he ventured curiously, "How did it happen I was put in here?"

Sexton paused, and faced about respectfully. 

"It was upon orders from Miss Natalie, sir. But she did not mention thechange in time to remove the bag. The truth is, I forgot, sir, that itwas here. "

"Oh, I see; this is not the grip he usually travels with then?"

"No, sir; this was sent down in advance, sir. Mr. Percival Coolidge ishere quite frequently. "

"Naturally. As I understand he has no home of his own?"

"No, sir; he was never married, sir. In the city he stops at one ofthe big hotels. Of late he quite frequently spends the end of the weekout here, sir. Of course he is deeply interested in the prosperity ofthe estate. "

"As the guardian of Miss Natalie, you mean?"

"Just so, sir. "

"How long have you been here, Sexton?"

"Sixteen years, sir. "

"You knew Miss Natalie's father then, and must enjoy the place toremain so long?"

"It has been very pleasant, sir, until the last month or so, "regretfully, yet evidently glad of the opportunity to talk, lingeringwith one hand on the knob of the door. "Since then things haven't beenjust the same. "

"In what way?"

"Well, I don't exactly know, sir. Miss Natalie seems to change her mind, an' we never can please her. That's the trouble mostly. Last night Iwaited up until you all went to bed, an' then locked the house, the wayshe told me to. But that didn't suit her at all, for she stopped me onthe stairs, an' made me go back an' leave the side door unlocked--justsaid she'd attend to that herself. "

"Miss Natalie told you? You are sure, Sexton?"

"Oh, it was her, sir; there was a light burning in the hall, an' she wasall dressed up as though she was goin' out. 'Taint the first time, either. I ain't got no right to say anything, but it puzzles me what shewants to go out for at that time o' night. And I thought maybe I ought tospeak to Mr. Percival Coolidge about it. "

"No. I wouldn't, Sexton, " said West quietly. "It would likely enough onlyget you into trouble. Probably she cannot sleep well, and so walks in thegarden. Anyway this is none of our business, my man. Where are MissNatalie's apartments?"

"In the other wing, sir; the first door beyond the head of the stairs. "

"And the door you were asked to leave open?"

"At the farther end of the hall. "

As West made no further effort to continue the conversation, but began tocarelessly roll a cigarette, Sexton slipped silently through the opening, the valise in his hand, and closed the door behind him. West touched amatch to the cigarette, scarcely aware of the action. 

This attempt to dig information out of a servant was not a pleasantexperience, yet he felt that in this case it was fully justified. To besure he had gained little, yet that little helped to clear away the fog, and sustain the girl's theory that she was being impersonated by anothereven to her own servants. If West had retained any lingering doubt as towhat had occurred the previous night, this doubt had entirely vanished inthe face of Sexton's testimony. His visitor, and the one who had orderedthe servant to leave the side door unlocked, had been the same--notNatalie Coolidge, but strangely resembling her. Whoever she was, she knewthe house well, and possessed some means of entrance. Whatever else herpurpose might be, one object was clearly connected with the presencethere of Percival. She had sought his room, fleeing immediately ondiscovering it to be occupied by another. Very well! this meant that healready had two distinct lines of investigation opened to him--the woman, and the man. The first was like pursuing a shadow, but Coolidge was realenough. He determined to keep in touch with the fellow, confident that hewould thus be eventually led to a discovery of his companion. Beyond allquestion, they were involved in the same scheme of conspiracy. West haddeliberately arrived at this conclusion, rather pleased at his success, when a gentle knock sounded at the door. 

"What is it?"

"Sexton, sir. Miss Natalie has the car at the door, and is waiting foryou. "

"All right. I will be down immediately. "

CHAPTER VII

A VISIT TO THE INDIGENT

The guests had either retired to their rooms, or were wandering aboutthe spacious grounds; at least none were in evidence when West emergedon to the side terrace, where Miss Natalie and Percival Coolidgewaited. The car was an electric runabout, the single broad seat amplefor the three, and West found himself next to the girl who took charge. Few words were exchanged until they turned into the main high-way, headed toward the city. Even then conversation scarcely touched on thespecial object of their trip. Indeed, Coolidge seemed inclined to avoidthe subject entirely, turning the conversation into other channelswhenever the matter was broached. This was so persistently done as toarouse West's notice, but Natalie appeared indifferent, interested onlyin her guidance of the car. It was not a long ride, the point soughtbeing a short submerged street in the southwestern section of thecity. To West this district was entirely unknown, even the street namesbeing unfamiliar, but he learned through the conversation of the othersthat they were in the neighbourhood of some of the Coolidge factories, many of the surrounding houses being the homes of employees. Percivalcalled his attention to a few of these, more substantial than theothers, as evidence of the wages paid in their establishments, and alsoexpatiated to some extent upon the benevolent oversight shown theirworkmen. The girl, however, remained quiet, her attention concentratedupon the street. 

Indeed it needed to be if they were to escape accident, for the streetstraversed were, on this Sunday morning, evidently filled from curb tocurb with children engaged in all manner of games, with their eldersmassed on the steps in front of the houses, watching them apathetically. The runabout felt its way cautiously forward through the jostling throngof screaming youngsters, and finally turned into Arch Street, only twoblocks in length, with low, two storied, wooden cottages on either side. Percival, plainly nervous at the surroundings, indicated the placesought in the middle of the first block, and Natalie ran the car upagainst the curb. 

"Is this the place?" she asked doubtfully, eyeing the ratherdisreputable cottage, which seemed deserted. "I have never beenhere before. What a mass of kids! Do they always play like that inthe street?"

Coolidge unfastened the door, and stepped out. 

"Yes, it's all right, " he answered sharply. "You might wait here, West;we'll only be gone a few minutes. Come along, Natalie, "

The girl hesitated, evidently not altogether satisfied. 

"Is it necessary that I go in?" she asked. 

"That was why I asked you to come, " impatiently. "Because you understandthese matters, and, being a woman, can judge better what steps should betaken. Come; it will only require a few moments--West won't mind. "

"Certainly not, " the younger man said heartily, "I shall be verycomfortable; don't bother about me. "

He had a distinct impression that Coolidge did not desire his company anyfurther, yet this suspicion aroused no resentment. This was a matter withwhich he was in no way concerned, and the only interest he felt wasstrictly impersonal. His eyes followed the two as they advanced up theboard walk to the front door of the cottage, and he felt a measure ofsurprise at seeing Coolidge calmly open the door without knocking. Bothdisappeared amidst the darkness within, and he dismissed the whole affairfrom his mind almost instantly. Sinking comfortably back in the seat, hisgaze centred on the maze of children playing in the street. Their anticsamused him for some time, but, at last, he began wondering at the delayof those within, and his mind drifted to the peculiar conditions withwhich he was confronted. Over and over again he reviewed the facts toldhim, and compared these with his own observations. That something waswrong was beyond doubt; he could no longer question this, but nosatisfactory clue to the mystery had yet presented itself. If someconspiracy was on foot against Natalie, what could be its object? and whowere directly involved? There was apparently no way to settle this, except to wait patiently for some move on the part of the others. Anyattempt at guessing would only lead him astray. Seemingly, PercivalCoolidge was the only person who could be directly interested shouldmisfortune occur to his niece; he was the guardian of her inheritance, and responsible for what remained of her father's estate. Undoubtedly healso was the next heir at law. His interest in the matter was thereforeeasily figured out. Yet there was nothing to prove that the fellow was avillain at heart, or had any reason to attempt desperate methods. Themere fact that some other woman amused herself in pretending to beNatalie proved nothing criminally wrong. It might be a mere lark, with novicious object in view. Indeed, but for the deep interest West alreadyfelt in the girl herself, he would have dismissed this angle of theproblem entirely from consideration. It seemed far too melodramatic andimprobable to be taken seriously, although, from mere curiosity, hepurposed to round up this masquerader, and satisfy himself as to why shewas thus publicly impersonating the girl. Yet this appeared a matter ofminor importance, his real task being to learn the condition of theSteven Coolidge estate, and whether or not, Percival had administered itjustly. Once satisfied upon that point, he would know better what furthersteps to take. His whole mind had unconsciously centred upon a distrustof the man. He believed him to be a sneaking scoundrel, at presentengaged in seeking some means for gaining possession of the trust fundsleft in his care. And yet, West had to confess to himself that thisbelief was largely founded upon prejudice--confidence in Natalie, and apersonal dislike of the man himself. He possessed no proof of thefellow's perfidy, nor had he even determined in his own mind the means tobe employed for learning the truth. He had nothing to build upon but thestatement of the girl, which was extremely vague in detail, and largelymere suspicion. The more thoroughly he analyzed the situation the morecomplicated it became, and the less confident he felt regarding an earlysolution. If Coolidge was engaged in some criminal scheme the man wascertainly shrewd enough to carefully cover his trail. It was no suddentemptation to which he had yielded, but a deeply laid plan, formed, perhaps, as long ago as his brother's death, and now just coming to ahead. Even the books of the estate might have been so carefullymanipulated as to leave no clue. Besides West possessed no authority bywhich to examine the books, or even question the bankers in whose handsthe funds were supposed to be. The only immediate hope of striking atrail apparently lay in his discovery of the strange woman who wasimpersonating Natalie Coolidge, and learning her object in carrying onsuch a masquerade. Of course, even that might lead nowhere in particular, as she might be merely amusing herself, and have no connection withPercival whatever; yet such an investigation offered a chance not to beneglected. 

His glance took in the surroundings, but with no conception that theywould have any direct bearing upon the mystery he was endeavouring tosolve. It was a block of irregular houses, a tenement on the corner, adirty looking brick, the other houses of wood, mostly two stories inheight, rather disreputable in appearance, but the one before which themachine waited, was a frame cottage, well back from the street, andrather respectable in appearance, although it must have been some yearssince last painted. Its original white was dingy, and the tightlyclosed blinds gave an appearance of desertion. The door was shut. Thechimney indicated no sign of smoke, the front yard gave every evidenceof long neglect. 

An urchin, chasing a ball, plunged recklessly beneath the auto, emergingwith the sphere in his grimy fist. West stopped him with a question. 

"Who lives in there?"

"I do' know. "

"You don't know? Live 'round here, don't you?"

"Sure; but these folks just come in. They ain't got no kids. G'wn; whatyer asking me fer? Here ye are, Micky!"

"Wait a minute. Here's a dime for you. You say these people justmoved in?"

"Yep. "

"When?"

"Couple days maybe. Shucks, mister, I do' know. Hooligans moved out 'bouta week ago, an' then, a while after that, these guys moved in. I ain'tseen nobody round, but a sorter middlin' ol' woman. Maybe Micky knows whothey be--he lives in that next house. Hey, Micky; here's a guy wants toask you som'thin'!"

But Micky refused to be interested, beyond a derisive wiggling of hisfingers at his nose, and West, having abstracted all the informationpossible, made no further effort. The knowledge thus obtained as to thepresent occupants of the cottage did not exactly coincide with the storyCoolidge had told. He had spoken of a widow with three children indestitute circumstances following the father's death. The boy assertedthere were no children in the family. And they had just moved in, withina very few days, during which time the neighbourhood had only glimpsed a"middling old" woman. It was strange at least, adding distinctly to thepuzzle of the whole affair. West grew nervous, wondering why the twoshould remain so long within, out of sight and hearing. If this wasmerely a charitable visit, it surely did not need require such a lengthof time. He had been waiting now for three-quarters of an hour. He openedthe door of the car, and stepped out upon the curb, almost tempted toinvestigate the cause of delay. As he stood there undecided, the twoemerged from the cottage, and descended the steps together. Through theopened door he caught no glimpse of any one within, yet some unseen handclosed it quickly behind them. 

CHAPTER VIII

A NEW MISS COOLIDGE

They came down the narrow board walk together, Percival carefully holdingthe lady's arm to prevent her tripping over the loosened planks, butneither exchanging a word. The man was smiling, the fingers of one handtoying with the curl of his moustache, but Natalie appeared somewhatsobered by her visit, and West noticed that she had tied a light veilover her face, which slightly shadowed her features. It was only as theyreached the curb that she spoke, her voice rather low and listless. 

"Would you mind driving the car back?" she asked Coolidge. "Really I feelquite unnerved. "

"No wonder, " he returned sympathetically, "I have never witnessed asadder case; the conditions were even worse than I imagined. I shouldnever have brought you with me, my dear. "

"Oh, I am not sorry I came; but it has been a lesson to me. I do notthink before I ever realized what such poverty meant. "

The words trembled from her lips, and were spoken slowly as thoughchosen with care. "The sad plight of the children particularlyappealed to me. "

"There are children then?" West questioned, as Coolidge assisted herinto the car. The latter cast a swift glance of inquiry into the youngerman's face. 

"Children!" he exclaimed, "Of course; we spoke of them on the way down. "

"I know; that was what made me wonder when one of the lads playing outhere in the street said there were no kids in the cottage. "

"Oh, I see, " a bit sarcastically. "So you have been amusing yourselfquestioning the neighbours, have you?"

"To a very small extent, " West confessed, keeping his temper. "One of theplayers chased a stray ball under the automobile, and I asked him aquestion or two. The cottage appeared so deserted, and you were absentfor such a length of time, I became somewhat curious. "

"And what did he tell you?"

"Only that the occupants had moved in within a few days, and that he hadseen no kids about; no one in fact but a middling old woman. "

"Did he mention any names?"

"No; I didn't ask. It was nothing to me. "

"I should say it was not. So the kid told you there were no children, did he? Well, you heard what Natalie said just now--which are you goingto believe?"

"The lady, of course, " smilingly. "Surely this is no matter toquarrel over. "

"No, Captain West, " she broke in, leaning forward in the seat, andspeaking again in the peculiar strained voice. "The boy was merelymistaken. He had not seen the children because they were kept closely inthe house. They were turned out of their former home, and have absolutelynothing; no furniture even; only straw to sleep on. It was most pitiful. "

"Do not think of it any longer, Natalie, " Coolidge insisted rathergruffly. "They are all right now. I shall telephone for a doctor as soonas we get back, and attend to the rent the first thing tomorrow. "

"I know, Uncle, but I cannot forget so easily. Do you know anything aboutpoverty, Captain West?"

"Nothing very direct. Of course, in a way I have occasionally come incontact with suffering of that nature. I have been hungry enough inthe army, but usually I have experienced little need. I regret, " headded apologetically, "that what I said was taken as criticism. I hadno such meaning. "

"Criticism!" Coolidge turned the car around as he spoke. "Be as free withthat as you please; what I object to is your intruding at everyopportunity. It looks as though you were trying to find out something--isthat your game?"

"Not at all. I naturally spoke to the kid, and the only topic whichoccurred to me at the moment concerned the people you were visiting. Isee no occasion for any misunderstanding. "

"And there is none, " she asserted cordially, her eyes meeting his ownfrankly. "So let's drop the subject, and enjoy our ride. I am not goingto have the whole day spoiled because of these people. They are all rightnow. What is that big building over there?"

Coolidge emitted some answer, but devoted his attention to running thecar, his jaw set. It was clear enough that West's explanation was notaltogether satisfactory, and his dislike for the younger man had in noway lessened. The young woman, however, easily regained her vivacity, anddevoted herself to making the ride homeward as pleasant as possible. Westfound her unusually entertaining, with a deep sense of humor he had notbefore suspected, and an occasional lapse into slang which rathersurprised him. He had previously entertained the thought that she wasrather conventional and not particularly easy to approach, but thisconception vanished quickly in a free flow of conversation, to whichCoolidge apparently paid small attention. Indeed, there were moments whenher extreme frankness of speech rather surprised West, even her voicestriking strangely upon his ears, but the happy laugh, and swift glanceof the eyes reassured him. No doubt she was playing a part for thebenefit of Percival Coolidge in which he must co-operate. Later all wouldbe explained, and made clear. This belief encouraged him to keep up hisend of the conversation, ignoring Coolidge entirely, and devoting hisattention exclusively to her. 

The returning ride seemed very brief, and, almost before West realizedit, the car whirled in through the Coolidge gate, and came to a stop atthe door. Coolidge by this time had recovered from his spell ofill-nature, or else chose to so appear, and the party separatedpleasantly. Natalie disappeared somewhere within, while the two menstrolled out to the tennis court where the guests were enjoying aspirited game. All met again at lunch, and then separated, some to motorover to the lake, the others amusing themselves as they saw fit. BothCoolidge and Natalie vanished, while West, finding himself alone, chose abook from the library, and, solaced by a cigar, sought a shady nook onthe porch. 

The book, however, was but a mark for his thoughts, which continuallyrevolved about the strange surroundings in which he found himself. He wasapparently making no progress, was no nearer a solution of the mysteryconfronting him. Thus far, at least, no direct clue had presented itself. Numerous things had occurred to strengthen suspicion, and to increaseinterest in the quest. But beyond this--nothing. He liked the girl andwas completely enlisted in her service. He disliked Percival, and wasconvinced the fellow was planning evil. Several incidents had alreadystrengthened this belief; yet there was nothing positive upon which tobuild; no path of adventure for him to follow. To speculate was easyenough, but real facts eluded him. 

Yet, in spite of this feeling of failure, West's reflections centred moreupon the young woman than upon the particular problem which he had tosolve. The ride back from the city had revealed a phase of her characterhe had never observed before--she had shown herself vivacious, light ofspeech, a bit slangy and audacious. He was not altogether sure that thisnew revealment quite pleased him, and yet it possessed a certain charm. He had before learned to think of her as rather quiet and reserved, andnow must change his whole conception. It was difficult to adjust his mindat once to the different standard. He found himself wondering why she hadafforded him glimpses of her nature so strangely unlike. What could haveoccurred within the cottage to thus make so suddenly manifest this newside to her character? The change in her only served to increase themystery, and, he confessed, his admiration also. Her very freedomevidenced to his mind that he was really accepted, had been taken into anew intimacy; no longer to be held and treated as an interloper, astranger employed for a purpose. She had deliberately cast aside theconventional, and become natural in his presence--free to speak and actas the spirit moved. This was a victory, and he chose to interpret it asproof that she already really liked and trusted him. Actuated by thisfeeling, she no longer deemed it necessary to dissemble in his presence. It was a long step in advance. 

He had arrived at this very pleasant conclusion, when Sexton appeared inthe door, evidently looking for some one. The man espied him there inthe shadow of the vines, and came forward. 

"Miss Coolidge requests your presence, sir, for a few moments, " hesaid gravely. 

"Why, certainly; did she say where, Sexton?"

"In the library, sir; she is waiting there now. "

West hesitated an instant. There was a question he was eager to ask, butimmediately thought better of it. Interviewing servants was not in hisline, and there were other ways of learning the truth. 

"Very well, " he said quietly. "I will join her at once. Thank you, Sexton, " and disappeared into the cool, darkened hall. 

CHAPTER IX

AN UNEXPECTED DISMISSAL

The shades had been drawn closely to exclude the sun, and, for a momentafter he first crossed the threshold of the library, West was unable todistinguish any occupant. He heard Sexton silently close the door behindhim, but it was not until she moved slightly that he was able toperceive her presence directly across from where he stood. Her voicebroke the silence. 

"You will find a seat next to the window, Captain, " she said quietly. "Itwas very good of you to come. "

"The pleasure was mine, " he replied. "Only I am blinded coming in herefrom the bright sunshine without. "

"I have had a touch of headache--nervous, no doubt, from the visit thismorning--and so ordered Sexton to draw the shades. Your eyes will soonaccustom themselves to the lack of light. I see you quite well. "

"Oh, I am all right now, " and he sank into the vacant chair, facing her, expectantly. "You wished to speak with me, the servant said. "

"Yes, " she leaned back against the couch on which she rested, with facenow clearly revealed, one hand nervously twirling a fan. "Although it isnot easy for me to transform into words exactly what I mean. This is avery strange situation in which we find ourselves, Captain West. "

"I have felt so, " he admitted, surprised at this beginning. "Yet I mustconfess, I am now becoming quite reconciled. "

She sat up suddenly, with eyes searching his face. 

"What do you mean by that?"

"Perhaps I ought not to say, " he answered boldly. "Yet circumstancesseemingly justify frankness between us. I mean that I feel far moredeeply interested in the final outcome of this affair today than I didyesterday--it means more to me. "

"Indeed! Why?"

"Largely, I imagine, because I am privileged to know you much better. That naturally makes a difference. "

"Does it indeed? You imply then an increased interest in myself as anindividual brings with it a greater desire to serve me?"

"Assuredly, yes. "

"Then you render my task doubly hard, " she said soberly, yet with acertain hardness in the tone. "I had not suspected any personal sidewhatever. You were a total stranger to me, Captain West, and I employedyou in this matter merely in a business way, as--as--a detective. Surelyyou understood this clearly?"

"In a measure that is quite true, " feeling the sharp sting of her words. "Yet the comparison is hardly fair, is it? I am not a detective in thesense with which you employ the term. No question of pay even has beendiscussed between us. The appeal to my services was from an entirelydifferent stand-point. More, you even investigated rather carefully mysocial and financial standing before taking me into your confidence, oradmitting me to your home. Is this not true?"

"Undoubtedly. I had reason to wish assurance in these matters. I had topresent you to my friends. "

"Yet this very knowledge of my social position placed me on a totallydifferent plane from that of a detective picked up at some agency. Youknew I was not serving you for pay. "

"Did I?"

"I should hope you did, " his voice hardening slightly. 

"But for what other end did you volunteer your services?"

"Perhaps that is not so easily explained. It was a spirit of adventurewhich first led me to answer your advertisement, I presume. At least, Ican give it no other name. Then, when we met, you appealed to mepersonally; I felt a desire to further our acquaintance and--well, yourstory aroused my interest. "

"Is that all?"

"It might have been had not you chosen methods of procedure which led meto other thoughts. "

She laughed. 

"Oh, I see! All this has happened because I introduced you to the othersas my fiancé. Why, that is positively funny. Didn't you know that wasonly a part of the game being played?"

"Yes, " he said, ignoring the humour of it, and feeling oddly sober, "Iunderstood, and was playing, the same as you. Only both of us, I think, forget an important fact. "

"What, please?"

"That we were young, socially on a level, and that you were anexceedingly charming young woman. "

She laughed again, yet this time with more restraint. 

"That is quite ridiculous, Captain West. Surely, you are not actuallymaking love to me?"

"No, I am not. I am merely facing the situation very frankly. It would beuseless for me to claim lack of interest in you. From our very firstmeeting, you have appealed to me strongly--more so than any other womanof my acquaintance. Then, perhaps, the peculiarity of our relationship, with the trust you seemed to impose in me, tended to deepen thatinterest. I confess I began to care for you--as a woman. "

"Really you are quite flattering. I never dreamed I possessed suchmarvellous powers. " She remained silent a moment, her eyes shaded bytheir long lashes; then uplifted them again to his face. "This makes itall the more necessary that I now speak plainly, " she went on at length. "That I should explain to you it has all been a mistake. That was why Iasked you to come here now. "

"All a mistake! Not the trouble you were in surely?"

"Yes. I must have dreamed most of it, I think. I have just had a longconfidential talk with Percival Coolidge, and we understand each otherperfectly. Everything has been explained. So there is no necessity forour pretending any longer. "

West rose to his feet, comprehending her full meaning, yet unwilling toyield his position without further explanation. 

"Your words are certainly plain enough, " he said slowly, "yet I trust Imay be pardoned if I ask a question or so. "

"Is it necessary?"

"Perhaps not, but I feel my curiosity is justified. You told me a ratherremarkable story and requested my aid in the solving of a strangemystery. Now you abruptly dismiss me from that service. Do you mean themystery is already solved without my further assistance?"

"I am convinced there was no mystery; that it was only imagination, Captain West. My calling you was a mistake. "

"Percival Coolidge assures you of this?"

"Positively; we have discussed it from every angle, and all that appearedmysterious has been made clear. "

"There is no one else impersonating you?"

"No. "

"The checks at the bank; the strange person using your name; all thesewere myths?"

She laughed. 

"Of course. I really believed all I said to you at the time, buteverything has been explained since, and I realize how very foolish Ihave been. Uncle Percival has been very nice about it. He simply didn'tunderstand before how worried I was. "

"No doubt. You sent for me then merely to say I was dismissed?"

"Yes. "

"And you told Coolidge, of course, how I came to be here?"

"Yes. "

"And the others? What will they think?"

"Why, that can make no difference. They can be told that you weresuddenly called away. Let them suppose we had a quarrel, and that ourengagement is broken, " and she laughed again, evidently vastly amusedat the idea. 

"But you, personally?" he insisted. 

She sobered instantly, also rising, and facing him. 

"Captain West, let us be sensible. I invited you here for a certainpurpose. You were employed as much as any of my other servants. Is thata sufficient answer?"

"It certainly is. I will depart at once. "

"Thank you. The limousine will be at the door. You will return to theClub, I presume?"

"Temporarily, until other arrangements are made. "

He bowed and left her standing there in the shadows, the expression ofher face veiled, but there seemed no response, no softening in therigid attitude of her figure. She did not care; was only interested inhis immediate departure. The change had occurred with such abruptness, West was unable as yet to realize its full significance, but, with noattempt to combat her decision, left the room, closing the door behindhim. In that moment his mood changed. The dismissal had been so curt, his pride rose in rebellion. Finding Sexton in the front hall, headdressed him crisply. 

"My bag will be ready in ten minutes. "

"Yes, sir; you are going away, sir?"

"Immediately. A call to return to the city at once. "

"I am very sorry, sir, " he said respectfully, yet in a tone of suchearnestness, as to cause West to glance toward him sharply. For aninstant it was upon the lips of the younger man to ask a question, butSexton turned away, and it remained unasked. Promptly at the timementioned came the servant's soft rap on the door. 

"I came for the bag, sir. "

West handed it over with a glance at the rather expressionless face. 

"You said you regretted to see me leave, Sexton, " he remarked jovially. "I presume you meant nothing in particular by that remark?"

"Oh, no, sir, " standing motionless, bag in hand. "Only you have been verykind, sir, and--and--of course, it is none of my business, but I hopethere is no quarrel, sir?"

"Quarrel! With Miss Natalie, you mean? Why should you suspect that?"

"I--I spoke, sir, very thoughtlessly, sir, " he stammered. "You willpardon me, sir. "

"Yes, but you must have had a reason, Sexton?"

"Only that she has seemed very much out of humour, sir, since her trip totown, " he explained rather lamely. "I have never known her to be so hardto please, sir. I'm sure something is wrong, but that is no reason why Ishould say what I did, sir. "

CHAPTER X

THE BODY OF A SUICIDE

As the car whirled West down the circling driveway, the only sign oflife visible about the house was the motionless figure of Sexton on thesteps. If either Miss Natalie, or Percival Coolidge, took interest enoughin the proceedings to witness his departure, they chose to remaincarefully concealed within. His glance searched the front of the mansionvainly; no window revealed an occupant. From behind where the guests wereat play, sounded a distant murmur of voices, and laughter, but the houseitself expressed only calm indifference. There was no pretence even atspeeding the parting guest. He had simply been dismissed, turned out, decently enough, perhaps, considering his status, yet with a certainmeasure of contempt which rankled nevertheless. 

The young man could not altogether reconcile this style of treatment withhis preconceived conception of Miss Natalie Coolidge. He had been toodeeply impressed by her to easily relinquish his previously formedopinion of her character. This latest action did not at all coincide withher former open friendliness. He had not gone to her as a servant, norhad she in any way treated him as such. What could account for soremarkable a change? Even if she had felt his present usefulness wasended; that she had made a mistake in ever admitting him to herconfidence, the dismissal could have been much more pleasantly achieved. She could still have exhibited friendliness, and an interest in hisdeparture. Her words and manner had been extremely abrupt, and herexplanation far from satisfactory. 

Perhaps it was the influence of Percival Coolidge which accounted for thesudden change in the girl. This explanation seemed probable. The man hadin some way regained her confidence, and then, through trickery, hadsucceeded in poisoning her mind. There was no doubt he would do this, ifpossible, and the probability was that he had finally discovered a way. From the very first, West had felt the antagonism of the other; there hadnever been any love lost between them. Coolidge disliked himinstinctively, and made no effort to conceal his feelings; he resentedthe intimacy between him and Natalie, naturally enough, and would useevery means possible to get the younger man completely out of the house. No doubt he looked upon him as dangerous. But why? There could only beone answer to this query. His own dishonesty; his secret knowledge ofsome trickery relative to the funds of the estate. He had convinced thegirl of his honesty, but, more than ever, West believed the fellow arascal. His very helplessness to intervene rendered him the moreconvinced. 

These thoughts flitted through his mind, yet not consecutively, as thecar left the grounds, and turned on to the main road, leading citywards. They were still skirting the Coolidge estate, although the house behindwas concealed by shrubbery. The road descending into a ravine spanned bya concrete bridge, and a rather dense growth of trees shut out thesurrounding landscape. Nothing moving was in sight. Suddenly, just asthey cleared the bridge, and began to mount the opposite grade, therecame a sharp report, sounding so close at hand the chauffeur clamped onhis brake, and glanced anxiously over the side of the car. 

"Blow-out, wasn't it, sir?"

"No, " said West shortly, staring himself out into the thicket of trees attheir left. "It was a shot fired over there; a revolver I should say. Wait a second, Sanders, until I see what has happened. "

It was largely curiosity which led him to leave the car. The veryconviction that it was a revolver which had been discharged brought adesire to learn the cause of the shot. The sound of either a rifle or ashot-gun in that lonely spot would have been instantly dismissed asnatural enough, but a pistol was different. That was no place for such aweapon. It somehow had a grimly sinister sound. Led forward by a dimpath, he plunged down the sharp incline of the hill, and pressed his waythrough the thick fringe of trees beyond. Behind these ran a wire fence, guarding a stretch of meadow, the high, uncut grass waving in the wind. Nothing was in sight except this ripening field of clover sweeping upwardto the summit of an encircling ridge. The silence was profound; theloneliness absolute. 

It was this fact which startled West from curiosity into suspicion. Surely there had been a shot fired--a revolver shot--almost on the veryspot where he stood. He could not doubt the evidence of his own ears. Yetwho had fired? For what purpose? and how had the party disappeared socompletely during that narrow margin of time? There was no place where aman could hide unless he lay flat in the clover; and what occasion wouldany one have to thus seek concealment? Even if the shooter knew of thepassing automobile, or heard his approach through the trees, there couldbe no reasonable cause for concealment. Determined now to learn exactlywhat had happened, West pressed his passage forward through the vines ofthe fence, and emerged into the field beyond. A half dozen yards and hefound the clover trampled, as though a man had passed that way. The trailled into a shallow depression, past a rather large boulder, near whichthe trampling of the grass was even more plainly revealed, as though thestranger had remained here for some time, had even seated himself, andthen, abruptly ended a few yards away. Evidently the fellow had turnedback at this point, and retraced his steps. 

West, now thoroughly puzzled, and already convinced that some mysteryhovered over the place, began to circle through the untrampled clover, but without any defined purpose. All at once, at the lower end of thegully he came, unexpectedly, upon another trail, this one well marked, apparently frequently used, which led straight across the field, andterminated at a small gate leading through the wire fence. Evidentlyhere was a short cut to the road, well known to the servants on theestate, and possibly others. The discovery, however, told nothingfurther than this, and contenting himself with another glance about theunchanged field of rustling clover, West proceeded along the course ofthe path, intending to thus rejoin the automobile, waiting his returnbehind the trees. 

Within a few steps of the gate, which was closed, he came to a sudden, horrified pause, staring ahead at a strange something huddled in thepath. It was a shapeless thing, bearing no resemblance to a human being, until he advanced closer; then he recognized the form of a man, curled upas a dog sleeps, face down hidden by his arm, and limbs drawn up, as ifin a sudden spasm of agony. A hat was in the path beyond, where it hadfallen, and a revolver lay glittering in the sunlight a few feet away. There was nothing familiar about either figure or clothing, yetunquestionably there lay the body of a suicide. The single shot they hadheard, the tell-tale revolver close to the dead man's hand, were clearevidence of what had occurred. 

The unexpectedness of this discovery, the peculiar position of the deadman, the loneliness of that deserted field in which he lay, shocked Westand, for a moment left him strangely hesitant. Who was the man? Whatcould have led up to the pitiful tragedy? Yet he advanced step by stepnearer to the hideous object in the path. The man had been shot directlybehind the right ear, killed instantly, no doubt, as the deadly bulletcrashed through the brain. West lifted the arm which concealed the face, already shrinking from the suspicion, which had begun to assail him. Thenhe knew who the dead man was--Percival Coolidge. 

CHAPTER XI

SUSPICION VERIFIED

Affairs progressed far too rapidly for some hours for West to reflectseriously over this experience. He could only act swiftly, answerquestions, and do all in his power to assist others. The real meaning ofthe tragedy he made no effort to solve; for the time being, at least, hemust leave that to others. 

He stood guard beside the body until servants came and bore it to thehouse, but made no effort to follow. Instead he gave his address toSexton, and continued his journey into the city. After what had passedbetween them he had no desire to again encounter Miss Natalie; and underthese circumstances, actually shrank from meeting her. Just what thisman's death might mean to the girl he could not safely conjecture, yetdeep down in his own heart, he felt convinced that this act ofself-destruction would later prove to be a confession of guilt. Yet, bethat as it may, he was already definitely ruled out of the matter. Not, unless she personally sent for him, could he ever venture to go to heragain in any capacity. To his mind this decision was final. 

He was called for the inquest and gave his testimony. The hearing wasbrief, and the facts ascertained so clear, there remained no doubt in theminds of any one, but what this was a case of suicide. No particularattempt was made to probe into the cause, the personal affairs of thedead man being left for later investigation. West saw Natalie at theinquest for the very few moments she was upon the stand, but their eyesdid not meet, nor did the girl give any evidence of recognition. She waspale, yet calm, answering the questions asked her quietly. Thesepertained entirely to her last meeting with Coolidge, and had no directbearing on the verdict. The moment she was released she retired from theroom; and West merely lingered long enough to learn the decision of thejury. Somehow the impression the young woman had left upon him in thosefew moments was not a pleasant one. He could not clearly analyse thisresult, yet she was either acting a part to conceal her true emotions, orelse she was really indifferent. 

It was not until the following day that reason began to reassert itself, and he succeeded in marshalling the facts of the case more clearly inhis own mind. He even began to doubt and question his own testimony, yet, before he reached any real conclusion, one of the Club servantsapproached his chair. 

"Captain West, there is a man out here asking to see you. "

"A man! Where?"

"I had him wait in the anteroom, sir. He would give no name, and seems tobe of the working class; so I thought I better tell you first, sir. "

"Very well, Mapes. I'll soon find out what he wants. "

It was Sexton, twirling his hat nervously in his hands, and stillstanding irresolutely in the middle of the floor. As sight of West hetook a hasty step forward, eager to explain the cause of his presence. 

"You'll pardon me, sir, " he burst forth in apology. "But I must seeyou, sir. "

"That's quite all right, Sexton. You have some message?"

"Not--not from any one else, sir. It's just my own business, but--but Ithought you would help me, sir. "

"Certainly; only too glad. Let's step in here where we can talk quietly. "

He pointed the way into a private card room, closing the door behindhis visitor. 

"Take the seat over there, Sexton. You came in to see me from Fairlawn?"

"No, sir, I didn't. The fact is, I'm not out there any longer. "

"Not there! What do you mean?"

"I've been discharged, sir, with two other servants, since the funeralyesterday. "

"Discharged! Why I understood you had been employed there for years. "

"Several years, sir. "

"And now discharged! By whom? Not Miss Natalie surely?"

"Yes, sir. She didn't give no reason; just said we were not wanted anylonger. That's one reason why I came here to see you, sir. "

"But I hardly know how I can be of help. I have no house of my own, and--well, the truth of the matter is, Sexton, just at present I am noton very good terms with the young lady myself. "

"I know that, sir, " more confidently. "And it isn't a position I amseeking, at all. I have quite a tidy bit of money laid away, and couldget plenty of work. That's not the point, sir. Why should Miss Natalietell me to go like that? It isn't a bit like her, sir; she ain't seemednatural at all lately, and I tell you there's something wrong goin' onout there. I'm sure o' that, sir. "

"Sure of what?"

"Well, for one thing, it's my opinion that Percival Coolidge never killedhimself, sir. "

West sat up stiffly, as though struck a blow. These words startled him;drove his own mind into sudden activity. 

"What makes you think that, Sexton?" he questioned slowly. 

"Well, there's more than one thing, " as though glad to have made theplunge, and anxious to justify himself. "But first of all that wasn't hisrevolver they found lying beside him. He always had one in his valise, an' it's there now, or was when I looked to see. "

"You didn't tell that to the coroner. "

"No, sir; he never put me on the stand. Besides I didn't know about itthen. After I thought about it, I told Miss Natalie, sir. "

"Oh, you did! and what did she say?"

"She didn't think that proved anything; that he probably had the other inhis pocket. "

"This was before you were dismissed?"

"Yes, sir; the evening before, sir. "

West whistled gravely, his gaze on the other's face. 

"And is that all, Sexton?" he asked finally. "Is there any other reasonwhy you doubt Coolidge killed himself?"

"Did you notice where he was shot, sir?"

"Behind the right ear; the wound was plainly visible. "

"Not very easy for a man to do himself, sir. "

"No, but possible, nevertheless. The coroner was satisfied on thatpoint. "

"Yes, sir, but the coroner overlooked one thing, sir. He was sure it wasa suicide case, and wanted to get done with it in a hurry. I andSimmons, sir, washed the body to get it ready for burial, an' I combedthe hair down over the bullet wound. There wasn't no powder marks on theskin, an' not a hair was singed, sir. That's what makes me say he neverkilled himself. "

West sat silent and motionless, looking straight at the man opposite, endeavouring to decide on a course of action. Someway in the depth of hisearnestness, Sexton no longer appeared a servant. He was a man, voicing aman's heart. West realized the change instinctively; here was anintelligent loyal fellow, to be met frankly, and for the time being, atleast, on the ground of equality. It would be useless to try to eithermislead, or deceive. 

"Sexton, " he began finally, "this is a pretty serious charge you make, my man, but since I have been thinking things over, I confess somesuspicious circumstances have arisen in my own mind. Of course I wasnot aware of these facts you have just related, but they fit in nicelywith some observations of my own. The truth is, " he confessed frankly, "I did not tell all I knew to the coroner's jury. I meant to do so, butthe right questions were not asked me, and certain details slipped mymemory until too late. Do you recall a boulder of rock out in thatclover field?"

"Yes, sir, to the right of the path; it is mostly hidden now bythe growth. "

"Entirely concealed a few yards away. Well, when I crawled through thefence after hearing that shot fired, I saw nothing, and heard nothing. Ihad advanced into the field several rods when I came upon the trail ofsome one leading directly north. It was not a path; merely evidence thata single person had passed that way. I followed, and came to thisboulder. Here there was every proof visible that the previous party hadremained for some time, seated and lying on the ground under protectionof the stone. The occupancy was a recent one. Then evidently, whoever itwas, had advanced to the right in the general direction of the gatethrough the fence, near where Coolidge's body was found. The marks ofadvance did not lead that far, or even to the marked path through thefield. They ended on a little rise, some ten yards from the boulder, where the fellow apparently turned about, and retraced his steps. "

"How far was that from the gate into the road, sir?" he askedbreathlessly. 

"Within easy shooting distance for a revolver of that calibre, I shouldsay. Any good marksman could have rung the bell. "

"And you saw no one?"

"No; not a sign; the fact is I failed at the time to put two and twotogether. The thought of a possible murder never occurred to me. It wasonly afterwards that I began to appreciate what all this might mean, andnow what you have said has driven it home. "

"You think it was murder then, sir?"

"Yes, I do, " replied West gravely. "It has all the marks, but whocommitted the crime? What was the motive? It will never do for us to makesuch a charge, after the coroner's verdict, without positive proof. "

"No, sir. "

"And you know of nothing which might clear this up?"

"No, sir; I've been with the Coolidges, sir, ever since Miss Natalie wasa little girl, and I ain't heard of any trouble that ought to end inmurder, sir. "

"How old was Miss Coolidge when her father died?"

"She must have been seventeen, sir. "

"And since then Percival Coolidge had full charge of the estate?"

"Practically, yes, sir; there was another trustee, but he died; and then, as I understand, Miss Natalie had some funds of her own. "

West took a cigar from his pocket, and lit it. Although not altogetherclear in his own mind, he had begun to see light. For a moment he smokedin silence in an endeavour to figure out his own duty, while Sexton, nervously clinching and unclinching his hands, watched and waited. 

CHAPTER XII

AGAINST A STONE WALL

Was this discovery anything to him? What difference could it make whetherPercival Coolidge had died by his own hand, or been treacherously shotfrom ambush? How would it benefit Natalie Coolidge to have the truthrevealed? And, if it would benefit her, why should he devote his time andlabour to such an effort? She had cast him off, thrown him aside; heraffairs had no further interest for him. Let her lawyer take care ofthem. These were West's first thoughts. 

All true, yet this state of mind brought no satisfaction. He wasinterested; he could not escape his first impressions of the girl, ordrive from him a desire to serve her, whether she wished it, or not. She might, indeed, be in equal danger from an assassin. He could notdetermine this until he learned the cause of the slaying of Percival. Then, on the other hand, suppose some one else's suspicions were alsoaroused. Who would they naturally look to as guilty of this horriblecrime? There was but one answer--Natalie Coolidge. She was seeminglythe only person to directly benefit by this sudden death. All theseconsiderations urged him on, overcame his doubt and indecision. Thenhe desired to learn the truth himself. His eyes rested on Sexton'sanxious face. 

"I've been thinking it over, " he admitted quietly, "and I guess it is upto you and me to find out what this means. "

"Yes, sir, " hesitatingly. "You--you don't think it was MissNatalie, sir?"

"No, I do not, Sexton. I have my own reasons for saying that. Yetnaturally she is the one to be first suspected. Do you know anything?"

"Only that I am sure she was in the garden, sir, when the shot was fired. I saw her there just after you drove away. "

"That is conclusive then, so far as her personal actions are concerned. But there is an odd angle to this matter, and I might as well explain itto you first as last. Perhaps you can help figure the oddness out. I wasnot engaged to Miss Natalie, Sexton; I was not even a friend. I came tothe house, employed to perform a certain task. She introduced me as herfiancé merely to explain my presence there, and make the way clear. Itwas the impulse of a moment. "

"You don't say, sir! What, may I ask, was it you was expected to do?"

"To discover who was masquerading in this city under her name. "

"Was there some one, sir?"

"So she told me; we went into that rather thoroughly. She claimed it hadbeen going on for some months; checks had been cashed at the bank; evenher servants had been approached by some one so closely resembling her asto deceive them; and she had been reported at various places she nevervisited. She was very much exercised over it. "

"And she engaged you just to find this other woman?"

"Yes; her lawyer and Percival Coolidge only laughed at her story. "

"But you believed it, sir?"

"Well, perhaps not at first altogether. It seemed too strange andimpossible. I thought something must have got on her nerves and causedher to imagine things. But the first night I remained out there gave me ashock. I do not know whether I left my door unlocked, or whether apass-key was used, but I woke up suddenly to discover a woman in theroom. I only had a glimpse of her, for she slipped out instantly, anddisappeared down the hall; but it was moonlight and I would have swornthe intruder was Miss Natalie. I asked her the next day. "

"And she denied being there?"

"Absolutely, and convinced me it was true. There is no doubt in my mind, Sexton, but what she really is being impersonated by some one whoresembles her most remarkably. Who this person is I have not the remotestidea; nor what her real object can be. Just at this moment, I am inclinedto believe it has something to do with the Coolidge estate--a criminalscheme of some kind, and that Percival Coolidge had connection with it. "

"I can hardly believe that, sir. "

"No doubt you find it difficult. You told me yourself that had alwaysbeen his room, the one I occupied. "

"Yes, sir. "

"That woman knew it; she came there to consult with him. " He stoppedsuddenly. "By Gad! Sexton, maybe she came there to kill him. I hadn'tthought of that. "

"It is too much for me, sir, " the other said soberly. "I don't know whyany one should want to kill him. But there's got to be a reasonsomewhere. Where was it the three of you went on Sunday in the runabout, Captain West?"

"To a house over in the factory district; some charity case that Coolidgewas interested in--the widow of one of his employees, I believe. "

"Did you see the people?"

"No, I didn't go in; waited outside in the car; it was no affair of mine. Why?" he asked in surprise. 

"Because, sir, Miss Natalie seemed like a different person when she gotback. Not in looks, or nothing like that I don't mean, but in the way shetalked and acted. Nothing suited her all the rest of the day. You knowhow she was to you, sir. Well she was just that snappy with all of us, even after we brought the body back to the house. And she wouldn't lookat him, sir, not even after he was dressed proper and laid out. She justwent off up stairs, and stayed there; had a bit of toast an' tea, an'that's all. "

"I hardly believe, " said West thoughtfully, "you can attribute her stateof mind to anything that occurred on that trip. Indeed she was in highspirits all the way home. "

"I can't help that, sir, " Sexton insisted blindly. "It was something thathappened yesterday what set her wrong, an' if I was you, sir, I'd findout what happened in that house first of all. Could you find the place?"

"Yes, I think so. I'll look it up, although I don't have much faith inyour theory. " He glanced at his watch. "I'll go out there now. You comeback here about five, and we will talk over any discoveries I may make. "

"And what shall I do, sir?"

Both were standing, West with hand on the knob of the door. The light inhis eyes hardened. 

"Nothing occurs to me now, Sexton, unless you can find an excuse toreturn to Fairlawn, after something you have forgotten, let us say. If wecan learn what Miss Natalie proposes doing it might furnish a clue. "

"Very well, sir, and I am to be here at five o'clock?"

"Yes, at five; I will leave word with the doorman to show you in atonce. "

West picked up a taxi-cab for the trip, bidding the chauffeur to drive toa certain section of the city, and then up and down the various streetsuntil told to stop. He had no idea that his quest would reveal anythingof importance relative to the death of Coolidge, yet no bettersuggestion occurred to him and he felt that he must do something. Hisconversation with Sexton had greatly strengthened his conviction thatthis was a murder, and he had determined to ferret out the truth ifpossible. Yet, thus far there was nothing to build upon, no clue, nomotive, no suspicion as to who had perpetrated the deed. He simply faceda blank wall, in which no entrance was apparent, yet there must be one, if he was only fortunate enough to stumble upon it. Deep down in hisheart West was conscious that he possessed a motive in this search farmore worthy than mere curiosity. That motive was Natalie Coolidge. Hesmiled at the thought, yet confessed it true. In spite of her curtdismissal, his memory of the girl centred about those earlier hours oftheir acquaintance. Something mysterious had occurred to make her changeso quickly, and he was unwilling to condemn her before learning the realreason. This murder must have some relation to the Coolidge estate; hecould conceive of no other motive for such a cold-blooded affair; andhence its solving must prove of vital importance to her and her future. Now, when the verdict of the coroner's jury had been suicide, and whenonly he, and the servant Sexton suspected otherwise, it was of theutmost importance that they endeavour to unravel the crime. For hersake he could do no less, thus serving and protecting her to the best ofhis ability. 

The chauffeur drove slowly up and down obscure streets for half an hourbefore West recognized familiar surroundings, and motioned for him todraw up against the curb. He had discovered the place sought, but fromthe street it exhibited no signs of occupancy, nor did any knocking atthe front door bring response from within. He circled the building, finding an uncurtained window at the rear, which merely revealed anunfurnished room. Every door was locked, but, as he passed along theother side to regain the taxi, a man emerged from the next house, andhailed him. 

"Say, what're yer snoopin' round there for? Lookin' for somebody?"

"Yes, the parties who were here Sunday. What's become of them. "

"Hobart, you mean?"

"Is that his name? I met him down town, and he told me to come here, "West explained rapidly. "We had a deal on. "

"Oh, yer did, hey, " leaning his arms on the fence. "Well, Jim Hobart wasthe name he giv' me. That's my house, which is why I happen to knowwhat his name was. Something queer about that fellar, I reckon, but'tain't none o' my business. You ain't a detective, or nothin' likethat, are yer?"

"Nothing at all like that, " West laughed, although interested. "Why? Didyou think the police might be after him?"

"Not for anything I know about, only he skipped out mighty sudden. Paidme a month rent, and only stayed there three days. That looks sorterqueer. Then Sunday that fellar what committed suicide out south--I readabout in the papers--came to see him in a car. I got a boy workin' in hisfactory; that's how I come to know who the guy was. The next nightHobart, an' them with him, just naturally skipped out. So I didn't knowbut what the police might want him for something. "

"I don't know anything about that. I just called on a private matter. Where did he go to?"

"Hell, man, I didn't even know he was goin'. "

"Who did he have with him here--a family?"

"A woman 'bout his age I should say, an' a younger one. I didn't see 'emonly from the window; didn't get no sight o' the girl's face at all, butcould tell the way she walked she was young. They didn't have nothin'with 'em; that's all my stuff in the house there. "

Feeling the uselessness of trying to learn anything more, West thankedhim, and returned to the taxi. 

"Back to the Club, " he ordered briefly, and settled into his seat tothink. 

CHAPTER XIII

238 WRAY STREET

The information thus gained had been small enough, yet sufficient tostimulate his belief that he was at least upon the right trail. Thesudden departure of this man Hobart, and the fact that no young childrenwere in the family, were important items to consider. Coolidge then hadnot visited this cottage to aid a widow and orphans. There had been someother object in his call. The girl must have known and understood thereal purpose; that was why they both acquiesced so readily to hisremaining outside in the car. It was part of their mutual plan to thusleave him in ignorance. Yet they had made a mistake in taking him alongat all. This error alone gave him now an opportunity to unravel theriddle. But did it? What did he know? Merely that Coolidge had not goneto this house on an errand of charity; that the occupant called himself, temporarily, perhaps, Jim Hobart; that his family consisted of twowomen, undescribed except as to age; and that all three had mysteriouslydisappeared together. He might take it for granted that thisdisappearance was caused by the death of Coolidge, but, they had left notrail, no inkling as to where they had gone. He might suspect this suddenvanishing had direct connection with the crime he was endeavouring tosolve, but he possessed absolutely no proof, and, apparently, any furthermovement on his part was completely blocked. 

More puzzled than ever, although now fully convinced that murder had beencommitted, West could do nothing but wait the reappearance of Sexton. Thelatter arrived promptly on time, but, much to West's disappointment, merely nodded his head negatively to the general inquiry as to whether ornot he had made any discoveries. The early hour enabled the host tosecure a secluded table in the dining room, but there was no effort atconversation until after the meal had been ordered. Then West told hisstory. The retelling of these incidents of the afternoon, coupled withSexton's evident interest in the narrative, and the questions the manasked, caused the discoveries made to assume a greater importance thanbefore. His listener seemed to sense the situation clearly. 

"It wasn't no mistake, your goin' out there, sir, " he said, confidently. "What we know now gives us something to work on anyhow, an' it's justwhat I thought--that trip Sunday led up to this killin', an' somethinghappened while they was in there to stir Miss Natalie all up. Now we gotto find this fellow--what did you say his name was, sir?"

"Hobart--Jim Hobart; that is he was known by that name there. "

"And you say he has simply dropped out o' sight?"

"That's true; never left a clue behind him. "

"Well, sir, I'm not quite so sure about that. You listen to me, sir. Iwalked out to Fairlawn from the car-line, an' come in across the fieldsto the house. I didn't have no good excuse for goin' back there, sir, an'was sorter afraid to meet up with Miss Natalie. She might have thought Iwas just spyin' 'round. But I didn't have no need for being afraid, forit seems she'd driven into town about noon, an' hadn't got back. Therewasn't nobody but the servant around the place, sir. Do you rememberLizzie, the second maid--sorter full face, an' light hair?"

West nodded, wondering what all this might be leading to. 

"Well, she an' I always hit it off together, an' I talked with her quitea bit. She's goin' to quit too, because of something what happened, so itwas safe enough to question her. She told me, sir, that Miss Natalie hada telephone call this morning that took her into the city. Lizzie shewent to the 'phone when it rang, an' it was a man's voice. He wouldn'tleave no message, but insisted on speaking to Miss Natalie. Lizzie had tocall her down from upstairs. "

"Did the girl overhear the conversation?"

"Not so as to make very much out of it, sir. She was sorterinterested, the man's voice being strange, and hung around in the halllistening, but about all she could make out was what Miss Nataliesaid. It seemed like he was givin' her some kind of address, which shedidn't exactly understand, an' so she repeated it after him two orthree times to be sure. "

"What was the address?"

"238 Ray Street, sir. "

"You are certain of that?"

"That was what Lizzie said; she was pretty positive, sir; an' then aboutan hour later, Miss Natalie ordered her car, an' drove into town. "

"Alone?"

"Yes, sir; it was the electric she took. "

West remained silent, tapping with his knife on the table. This mightprove important, and he could not afford to ignore the information. Whileto his mind it was hardly likely Hobart had called the girl, yet thepossibility remained. 

"I never heard of a Ray Street, " he said at length, "but of course, theremay be one. Oh, Charlie, " he stopped a waiter passing. "Bring me up aCity directory, will you. You will find one in the office down stairs. Tell the Secretary Captain West wishes it and will return it at once. "

The first course had been served when the man returned with the book, placing it on a chair next West, who immediately deserted his soup toinspect the volume. 

"Ray Street, " he said doubtfully, fingering the pages. "There is no suchstreet here, Sexton. Are you sure you got that right?"

"That's what she said, sir; I made her say it over twice. "

"Ray Street; wonder if it could be spelled with a W? By Jove, itis--Wray! Here we have it, only five blocks long, extending from Conwayto Grogan. Rather tough section I should judge. "

"I don't know, sir. I never heard of any of those streets before. How doyou get there?"

"By car you mean? Well, let's see on the map. Oh yes, that's plainenough; Milwaukee Avenue to Gans, and then walk east three blocks. Itwouldn't do any harm to take a look around there either. Perhaps that iswhere Hobart went; he might have been the one calling Natalie. Rather awild guess, but it will give us something to do. What number was it?"

"238, sir. "

"Good; we'll try our luck after we finish dinner; there will be a coupleof hours of daylight yet. Are you game, Sexton?"

"Quite so, sir. "

The sinking sun was still above the sky-line of the buildings fronting onMilwaukee Avenue, when the two men alighted at the intersection of GansStreet. West hardly took the adventure seriously, being more influencedby curiosity than any other motive, but Sexton was deeply in earnest, infull faith they were upon the right trail. Doubtful as he was, West hadneglected no precautions. The map assured him that they were invading adisorderly section of the city, where to be well-dressed would onlyinvite suspicion, and might lead to trouble. To avoid this possibility, he had donned his most shabby suit, and wore a cap largely concealing hisface. In one pocket of his jacket within easy reach lay hidden hisservice revolver loaded, and he had induced Sexton to accept a smallerweapon in case of emergency. 

Gans Street was not inviting, the saloon on the corner being flanked byseveral small factories. The brick side-walk was in bad condition, andlittered with junk of all kinds, while the road-way was entirely uncaredfor, and deeply rutted from heavy traffic. Half way down the block, was atannery, closed now for the night, but with its odour yet permeating theentire atmosphere. Altogether, the scene was desolate and disagreeableenough, but the street was deserted of pedestrians, the factory doorstightly closed for the night. 

The two men pressed their way through along the narrow passage, findingless obstruction as they advanced, the second block being composedentirely of houses, largely of the tenement type, and apparentlyprincipally populated by children. Wray Street, once attained, was of anentirely different character, being lined with homes, usually humbleenough outwardly, yet the throughfare was clean, and the small yards hadgenerally an appearance of neatness in marked contrast to itssurroundings. 238 was a three story brick, on the corner, the secondstory evidently utilized for living purposes, and the ground flooroccupied as a saloon. The upper story exhibited no signs of occupancy, the windows unwashed, and two of them boarded up. The saloon possessed afairly respectable appearance, the lettering across the front windowproclaiming it as "Mike's Place, " and seemed to be doing some business, several entering and departing by way of its hospitable door, while thetwo lingered in uncertainty opposite. Standing there idly however did notappeal to West. 

"Well, let's go over, " he said impatiently. "There is nothing to belearned here. "

It was an ordinary bar-room, and their entrance apparently aroused nospecial interest. Besides the man behind the bar, a rather rough lookingforeigner, a Pole in West's judgment, three customers were in the place, two with feet upon the rail talking with the drink dispenser, and, one ata small table moodily contemplating a half emptied stein of beer. Therewere three other tables in the room, and the Captain with a swift glanceabout, drew out a chair and sat down, his action being imitated bySexton. The bar-tender came forward around the end of the bar, while theman nearest shifted his position slightly so as to look them over, conversation instantly ceasing. Something indefinable in the fellow'sattitude, and steady stare, gave West a feeling of hostility, which wasnot dispelled by the gruff greeting of the bar-tender. 

"Well, what is it you fellers want?"

"A stein apiece, and a sandwich--you serve them, don't you?"

"Sure; ham or beef?"

"Ham. "

There was no cordiality, no welcome in either manner or speech. It wasplainly evident the proprietor of the saloon felt no enthusiasm over hisunknown customers. The eyes of the two men met understandingly, but thefew words exchanged between them were entirely foreign to the situation. Mike came back with the beer and sandwiches, pausing this time to wipeoff the table, as an excuse for speech. 

"You guys live 'round here?" he asked gruffly, "Don't remember everseein' yer in here before. "

"No, " returned West indifferently, looking directly into the hard face. "I'm a smoke inspector, an' we just dropped in on our way back to theoffice. Why?"

"Oh, nuthin'; only we don't get much trade outside the neighbourhood. Iwish ter hell ye'd get after that tannery; can't hardly breathe heresometimes. "

"That's what we were looking after; had some complaints lately. "

"Sure, I been kickin' 'bout it for a month. You fellers have anotherbeer on me. "

He walked back toward the bar, pausing an instant to whisper a word tothe taller man who still stood there staring moodily at the table. Whathe said apparently determined action, for the fellow addressed, crossedthe room to where West and Sexton sat, deliberately pulled up a vacantchair, and joined them. 

"Bring me another, Mike, " he ordered. "That is, if these gents don'tobject to my joining 'em awhile. "

CHAPTER XIV

TRAPPED

West smiled pleasantly, glad the man had taken the initiative, thusnaturally opening up a way for asking certain questions. Whatever his ownimmediate object might be in thus scraping an acquaintance made nodifference. It would doubtless develop in time, but meanwhile here wasthe opportunity sought to discuss the affairs of the neighbourhood. Yetthe subject must be approached with due caution. The very indifference ofthe bar-tender coupled with the evident desire of this hanger-on to forman acquaintance, served to reveal the real nature of "Mike's Place. "Plainly enough strangers were viewed with suspicion, and this was noordinary saloon, catering to whatever trade drifted within its doors. More than likely it was rather a thieves' hang-out, ever suspicious ofthe activity of the police. 

Yet this fellow bore no outward semblance to the common conception of theunder-world. Nor did his actions or words exhibit any motive other thanordinary good-fellowship. He was well dressed, easy of manner, with anexceptionally intelligent face, blue eyes meeting West's gaze frankly, acarefully trimmed moustache, with white teeth good humouredly showingwhen he smiled, and threads of grey in his hair. His very appearanceinvited confidence and comradeship, while his outspoken words increasedthis impression. 

"Excuse my butting in, " he explained genially. "But it's damn dull aroundhere tonight. Nobody to talk with but a couple o' bums. You see I don'tbelong around here; just dropped in for a bit of business with Mike. "

"I see, " admitted West, puzzled, and wondering how far he dared venture. "You can get lonelier in a big city than anywhere else. "

"You bet you can. I like some one I can talk to; some guy with ideas. Yousee I run a broker's office down town, an' its pretty blame slow around adump like this--you get me?"

"Sure; this seems to be a pretty quiet place. "

"Quiet! Hell! it isn't always so quiet. I've dropped in here when it waslively enough, believe me. But tonight it's the limit. Fact is I come upfor a little excitement, as much as anything else, but must have struckan off night. You're a smoke inspector, Mike says?"

West nodded. 

"Know Fred Karvan, I suppose?"

"Oh, yes; friend of yours?"

"Used to be; we were kids together down on the southside. He's got apretty soft job now; stands in strong with the City Hall, they tell me. Mean to drop in and see him some of these days. "

"You'll find him a mighty good fellow, " asserted West to whom the namewas entirely unfamiliar. 

"Well, I'm not so sure about that. He's got pretty stiff the last fewyears they tell me. But then you work under him, and ought to know. Headof your department, isn't he?"

"Yes, but I only meet him in a business way, of course. "

"Sure; but that is the way you get to know them best. Been a soldier, haven't you?"

"Yes, but what made you think that?" in some surprise at the unexpectedquery. The man laughed, lighting a cigar carelessly. 

"Oh, it has not been so long since, that the evidence is obliterated. I've got a habit of noticing things. The way you sit, and square yourshoulders told me you'd been in uniform; besides you're the right age. Get across to France?"

"Had over a year there, " wondering what the fellow could be anglingafter. "You didn't get in?"

"No; I was over the limit. I was thinking you might be interested inlooking over a collection of war relics Mike has got stowed away heresomewhere. He had two boys over there, and I reckon they must have put inmost of their time gathering up souvenirs. Anyhow they brought back thegreatest collection of war junk I've ever seen. Say, Mike, what did youdo with those war relics the boys sent home?"

The fellow addressed leaned over the bar, his face glowing withsudden interest. 

"They vas in the back-room, all spread out. Why you ask? The gentlemenwould see them, what?"

"Yes; this one was a soldier himself. Maybe he can tell more about themthan the boys could. How is it? You fellows like to see the things?"

West hesitated for just an instant, his eyes turning unconsciously towardSexton, who had not spoken. He felt no suspicion, merely a vague doubt asto what this invitation might conceal. Yet it had all been naturalenough, and promised an opportunity for him to learn something more ofthe place. An accident might reveal the very discovery he was eagerlyseeking. Besides there could be no danger; both he and Sexton were armed, and apparently the invitation was innocently extended. To refuse toaccept would be churlish. 

"Certainly, " he said at last, quaffing the last of his beer andrising to his feet. "It will be nothing new to me, I imagine, butwe'll have a look. "

The other man, who had been leaning against the bar, had disappeared, while the fellow at the table had seemingly fallen asleep. Mike cameforward with a bunch of keys in his hand. 

"I keep dot room locked, " he exclaimed gruffly, "for some beoples run offwith all dings they get their fingers on. Hey, you, Carl, " and he roughlyshook the sleeper into semi-consciousness, "wake up, and see to the barawhile. I've got some business. Whoever comes, you keep themhere--understand. All right, gents. "

The three stood close behind him as Mike inserted the key, and opened thedoor. It was already growing dusk without, and the tightly closed room, with shade drawn at the single window, was so dark that West couldscarcely discern its shape and contents. Mike, without hesitation, stepped within, his great bulk blotting out whatever view there was. 

"Come right in, gents, " he insisted. "Von minute, an' I turn onthe light. "

West never understood why he responded so recklessly to this invitation, and advanced without hesitation. He had no suspicion of any trick, noconception of being in any danger. He stepped in directly behind theleader, and Sexton followed. An instant later, the door closed, with thesharp click of a night latch, and Mike flashed on the light. As he didso, he wheeled about, and shot one mighty clinched fist straight intoWest's face. This was done so suddenly, so unexpectedly, the manattacked found no opportunity to even throw up a hand in self-defence. The giant Pole flung his whole weight into the crashing blow, and theex-soldier went down as though struck by a pole-ax. For an instant, herealized that Sexton was in a fierce struggle; that his assailant stoodpoised above him ready to land again if he moved; then consciousnessleft him entirely. 

He woke up, sitting in a chair, his hands bound to the arms with stripsof cloth. For a moment everything about seemed tinged with yellow, thevarious objects in sight vague and shapeless. It hurt him to move hishead, and his mind functioned dully. He could not think, or bring back tomemory a recollection of what had occurred. Yet slowly the mist clearedand the objects about him assumed natural form. He was in a room of somesize--not the one in which he had been attacked he felt sure--fitted upwith a long table, and a number of chairs. There was no other furniture;the walls were bare, and only a small rag rug partially covered thefloor. At first he perceived no other occupants; only as, painfully, hefinally twisted his head to the right, his eyes distinguished two menseated against the wall. The sight of their faces restored instantly hismemory of what had occurred. The Pole rested back, with feet on the tableand eyes closed, but the other--the younger man--was watching himclosely, an unlighted cigar gripped in his teeth. 

"So, you've come out of it, " the latter said unpleasantly. "I'd begun tothink Mike had handed you a real knock-out that time. Ready to answer afew questions?"

West, his brain clearing rapidly, sat up straighter in the chair, determined to play out his part the best he could. 

"Perfectly ready, " he replied struggling to control his voice. "Only Ishould like to know what all this means? Why attack me?"

"You'll find that out soon enough, Captain; but first I'll do thequestioning. "

"Not until I know one thing, at least--what has become of the man whowas with me?"

"Well, I might as well tell you, " carelessly. "He got hurt; the foolcompelled me to hit him with a gat; so he's out of it, and you might aswell come through clean--that guy isn't going to help you any. "

"You mean you killed him?"

"Well, he's out of the game; that's enough. And as for you, your bestplay right now is to talk up straight. " He laughed sneeringly, "Unlessyou want to call up your friend Karvan, at the City Hall, you know. Hell, but you was easy!"

"Easy?"

"That's what I said. I knew you all right when you first blew in, only Iwasn't quite sure. Just had a glimpse of you once before. I naturallyguessed your smoke-inspector stunt was a sham. So, I ran that Fred Karvanstuff in on you. You ate it up, which gave you clean away, for I neverknew any guy of that name. Do you see the point, Captain West?"

"Yes, I see all that plainly enough, but it does not explain the attackon me. You evidently know my name, and this assault has beendeliberately made. Why? What have you against me? I have never seeneither of you before. "

"Perhaps I'll tell you when you explain. What brought you into thisneighbourhood. Hunting some one, wasn't you?"

"Not exactly. "

"Oh, don't lie; that will bring you nothing, West. You were sticking yournose into a private matter which does not concern you in any way. That'sright, isn't it? Very well, you've had your lesson, and now it is simplyup to you to either drop this thing, or else take another. It's up to youhow far we go. Now listen. I believe it was merely curiosity that broughtyou here. That's true, isn't it?"

"Largely, yes. "

"You suspected something, and wanted to find out if it was so. Well, youcame into a bad neighbourhood. We are not nice to your kind around here. What really caused your seeking me?"

"I do not know that I did, " West answered honestly. "In fact I haven'tthe slightest idea who you are. "

The other laughed. 

"So you are as green as that. Then I'll give you the information. Myname is Hobart, Jim Hobart. I am the guy you were looking for?"

"Yes, " West admitted, seeing no reason to refuse an answer. 

"I thought so, although darned if I know how you ever located me here. However, the sooner we come to some understanding, the better. What doyou know about me?"

"Nothing. "

"Is that so! You knew my name when I spoke it. It was the Coolidge matterthat sent you hunting me. Oh, hell, you might as well cough up, West, forI've got your number. You thought the girl was here, didn't you?"

"I had reason to believe she came here. "

"I see; how did you gain that news?"

"A conversation by telephone was overheard. "

"Now we are getting down to facts. And this comprises your entireinformation, doesn't it? Let's check up. You connected me with the casebecause you were with the uncle and her on their call Sunday. Youdiscovered in some way that I had since disappeared from thatneighbourhood. Then you accidentally got on to this telephone call, anddecided to run me down. Some cute little detective, I'll say. But what'sthe object? What is it you are trying to connect me up with? Whatpossible cause can you have for butting in on this affair?"

"I told you before; merely curiosity. "

"And who was the guy with you?"

"An old servant of the Coolidge family. "

"It was mere curiosity in his case also, I presume?"

"So far as I know, yes. "

Hobart smiled, showing his teeth cruelly. 

"West, " he said slowly, "you are a damned good liar, but I am about tospike your gun. Go on out Mike, and send in the first witness. "

CHAPTER XV

THE EDGE OF COMPROMISE

The two men sat silently watching each other, Hobart pretending acarelessness he was far from feeling, uncertain as to West's realpurpose. The latter realized now the true seriousness of his position, yet this only increased his belief in the reality of the crime. Previously his mind had harboured doubts, but the very fact that Hobartwould resort to such desperate methods was ample proof of hisapprehension of danger. If Percival Coolidge had committed suicide, thisfellow would surely have nothing to fear; he could safely ignore anyefforts to trap him; indeed would possess no suspicions along that line. It was his own guilty conscience which drove him to desperation. Coolidgehad been murdered, and this man was either guilty of the crime, or elseknew the one who was, and had personal reasons for protecting the party. 

These thoughts took possession of his mind and were convincing. He nolonger questioned but what he was on the track of crime, yet his thoughtat that moment concentrated more vividly on his own personal peril. Howcould he escape? What was he about to be confronted with? Nothing aroundhim afforded inspiration. He was bound helplessly; Sexton haddisappeared, whether dead or a prisoner, he did not know; the walls ofthe room exhibited no signs of weakness, while Hobart eyed his everymovement coldly, evidently enjoying his predicament. Apparently the mancomprehended the nature of his thought. 

"Perfectly useless, West, " he said carelessly. "This place wasconstructed for the purpose, and you are not the only one who has testedits strength. You will get out when I say so, and not before. "

"Do you intend to say so?"

"Well, that depends, " shrewdly. "Not if your release means my takingany chances. But frankly, I do not believe it will. So far as I can seeyou possess no particular interest in this matter--only the attractiona young fellow always feels in a pretty woman. Have I got that dopedout right?"

"To an extent at least. "

"Yes, to a very large extent. Of course, curiosity also played a part, while everybody possesses a sneaking desire to do a detective act. MissCoolidge filled you up with a lot of bunk; she was good looking, and youfell for it. Certain things happened that you failed to understand, soyou rather naturally jumped to the conclusion that some crime was beingconcocted. That was what brought you here. Now I take it that, ordinarily, you are a man of some sense. Consequently I mean to try toget you to drop the whole affair, as being none of your business. If youagree to this, I accept your pledge, the door opens, and you go free;otherwise--" he waved his hand expressively. 

"Otherwise what?" asked West quietly. 

"I will see that you are removed from all temptation; my plans are tooimportant to be interfered with by a meddlesome fool. "

"But you can scarcely expect me to give such a promise?"

"Well, I don't know about that. It doesn't pay to be too obstinate. Youhave been in the army, I understand; then you are aware there is a harshside to life, a way to make or break men. All right, now I've got thepower; I can keep you locked up here; I could even kill you if necessary. You are utterly helpless. There is an argument worth your consideration. But I will give you yet another which may have even more weight. "

"What?"

The door opened quietly, and then closed, leaving Natalie Coolidgestanding there in the light, her eyes slightly frowning as she lookedsilently at the two men. 

"The lady, of course, " explained Hobart, rising to his feet, "you will, at least, be gentleman enough to accept her word!"

She waited, seemingly unable to quite grasp the situation, or realize thepart she was called upon to perform, but as West failed to respond, finally asked a question. 

"What is it, Jim? You sent for me?"

"Yes, as a last resort. You recognize this man?"

"Of course, " indifferently; "what is he doing here?"

Hobart laughed. 

"It seems the fellow hasn't taken his dismissal very seriously, Natalie, "he explained, "and remains very much interested in your affairs. Thatcovers the principal known facts in the case. "

"You mean he followed me here?"

"He was on the trail, but just for what particular purpose I have failedto learn; the lad is a bit close mouthed, but it looks to me as though hewas in love with you. "

The girl smiled, tossing her head as she stepped forward. 

"In love with me, " she echoed. "That is a joke, yet I had some suchsuspicion when I told him to quit the job. He acted like a fool then, andbegan to question me as though he had a right. It was that being engagedbusiness most likely. "

"Sure; he thought he had you copped, fortune and all, and it looks to melike he needs another jolt to put the idea entirely out of his head. Thatis what I brought you in for. I'll explain first just how it happened. This army guy blew in here before dark, along with another fellow, Sexton, who used to be a servant out at Fairlawn--you know him?"

"Yes; he was discharged yesterday. "

"I was standing by the bar talking with Issy, and I was sure I knew thislad's face. I was stumped a bit at first where I had seen him; then allat once it came to me--he was the guy sitting out there alone in theautomobile over on Arch Street. I knew then what he was over here for, and got to talking with him. He give himself away the first thing, andthat is why we got him up in this dump. "

"How did he know I was here?"

"Some of your precious help out there heard you talk to me over the'phone, and passed it on. "

"And what does he want? What do these men want?"

"Well Sexton don't want much of anything--he's knocked out; the fool madea fight, and had to be hit; and, as to this bird, I rather think he wasjust naturally nosing around out of curiosity, and because he was stuckon you. I don't figure he is anything to be afraid of, but I am not goingto have the fellow gum-shoeing around. I'll take his word to get out, andstay out; otherwise he and I are going to have a little seance of ourown. That's all there is about it. "

West had said nothing, watching the others, and waiting to choose somecourse of action. His mind was confused, uncertain, yet he foundencouragement in Hobart's statement of the case. The fellow felt noserious fear of him; had no suspicion as yet that anyone believedPercival Coolidge murdered. The probability was that not even the girldreamed of such a thing. Whatever her connection might be with this man, she must be innocent of so foul a crime. If he could only speak to heralone; bring to her the truth; reveal to her the real character of thisman Hobart, there would be no doubt of the result. In spite of thestrange situation he yet retained faith in the girl; she had beendeceived, led astray in some manner, but his first impression of her truenature still controlled his thought. He could only believe her a victimof scheming villains, driven by circumstances to play a part utterlyforeign to her character. His only hope of learning the facts from herown lips, or of re-establishing her faith in him, lay in a moment'sconversation alone. His mind instantly leaped to this conclusion, and hiseyes met her own. They were wide-open, full of curiosity yet not unkind. He spoke swiftly. 

"That sounds fair enough, Hobart, " he said quietly, taking the chance asthough it was the most natural thing in the world. "I am not huntingtrouble in any way, or seeking to butt in where I am not wanted. Yourguess as to my purpose in coming here is about right. I had no otherobject but to be of some service to this young lady. If I can talk withher a moment alone, and thus assure myself as to her wishes, I'll giveyou any pledge you want, and forget all about the affair. Is thatsatisfactory?"

"Alone, you said? You want to see her alone?"

"Absolutely; no other arrangement will answer. I want her to talkfreely; to answer my questions with no interference. "

Hobart glanced toward his companion inquiringly, evidently inclined todeny the request. 

"Hell, you don't want much, " he said rather gruffly. "What do you thinkabout this proposition, Natalie?"

The girl smiled, her eyes still on West's face. 

"Fair enough, " she admitted as though the whole matter was a joke. "Theman can do me no harm, and I am willing enough to be interviewed. Itlooks like the easiest way out. "

His mood changed, influenced, no doubt, by her confidence in the result. 

"All right, if you say so. It is my guess you are equal to the job. Howmuch time do you want, West?"

"Ten or fifteen minutes. I want to get down to the bottom of this thing. "

"Oh, you do, hey? Modest as ever, I see. Well, here's luck to you. Youneedn't be afraid of the guy, Natalie; we got his gat before we broughthim up here, and if he makes any break, I'll be out in the hall ready totake a hand. You're still for it?"

"Yes, " indifferently, seating herself on a convenient chair. "We mightas well talk it out now as any time. You go on, Jim, and leave it to me. "

Hobart was not entirely satisfied, hesitating as he lit a fresh cigar, his keen eyes watchful of them both. However, it was plain to be seen thegirl had made her decision, and he evidently knew her well enough torealize the uselessness of revolt. 

"All right, then, " he replied finally, turning to the door. "Suityourself, only watch your step. Anyhow, I'll be within calling distance, if this guy gets gay. "

"Don't worry about that, " a flash of anger in her eyes. "I am no baby, Jim Hobart. Go on now, and leave Captain West to me. "

He closed the door behind him, and the two were alone in the room. Nosound reached them from without, not even an echo of Hobart's footstepsin the hall. West looked across at the girl, who sat motionless, her eyesshaded by long lashes, and ringless fingers clasped in her lap. Sheappeared indifferent, uninterested, scarcely aware of his presence. Hewondered if Hobart was listening at the door; what had become of Mike, and whether Sexton was alive or dead. For the moment he could scarcelymake himself realize the true situation. His silence served to arouse herinterest, for she suddenly lifted her head and looked at him. 

"Well, " she said soberly. "You have something to ask?"

"Much--yes; but first, are we alone?"

"Certainly--why?"

"This man Hobart, you are sure he is not listening at the door?"

She glanced about; then laughed. 

"Little good that would do him; there is no key-hole, no chance for soundto penetrate. We are quite alone, Captain, and you are perfectly free tosay whatever you please. "

"But even then, is this wholly fair?"

"What do you mean?"

"I came here, " he explained earnestly, "with no bad intention; no desireto injure any one, Miss Coolidge; my only thought the possibility ofbeing of some service to you. "

"That is very interesting, I am sure. I am quite grateful. "

"Then I am going to ask you a favour. Release my hands and feet. You neednot be afraid; I give my pledge to make no attempt at escape while we aretogether. Will you do this?"

CHAPTER XVI

WEST MAKES HIS CHOICE

The girl neither answered, nor hesitated, but crossed the room swiftly, her hands seeking the lashings about his wrists. Her movement thrilledhim, and his blood leaped at the soft touch of her fingers. 

"Really, I did not realize you were tied into the chair, " she exclaimedindignantly. "Hobart is a fool to do such a thing. Why, what has causedhim to become so frightened? Tell me, Captain West, how all thisoccurred?"

"You know nothing?"

"Only what has been said since I entered the room. Mike simply told methey had a man here who Hobart thought was a detective, and he wanted meto come in a moment. I came, and found you. Now, please, what does itall mean?"

She slipped back to her seat again, her eyes on his face, as he arose andstretched his limbs to restore circulation. To his quick glance her faceexpressed only sympathy, and innocent interest. Any doubt he may havefelt as to the sincerity of the girl vanished instantly; whatever ofcrime was concealed here, she had no suspicion. He could tell her thewhole story without fear. 

"I'll try and explain, Miss Natalie, " he began rather lamely, "althoughperhaps, you may not wholly understand the motives which have promptedme. This, of course, is really no business of mine, and the only thingthat has involved me is the deep interest I have felt in you. "

"In me! why that is rather interesting. It was to serve me youcame here?"

"At least I thought so. Shall I make it more definite? No doubt you areaware that you are an unusually pretty woman. Well, at least, I think sofor one, and our first meeting, with its subsequent adventures, wasromantic enough to shake me out of a commonplace existence. In fact, Ibecame quite deeply interested in you. "

"Why really, Captain, " she interrupted, slightly puzzled. "I perhaps donot fully comprehend to what you refer. Do you mean there was somethingbetween us? Some special intimacy?"

"Oh, no; not that; probably no dream of what was occurring in your mind. Yet the circumstances of our meeting were peculiar; they rendered a verybrief acquaintance into what promised to become a real friendship. "

"How do you mean?"

"Surely you cannot have forgotten so soon, " he exclaimed in surprise ather attitude, seating himself once more and facing her determinedly. "Icame to you in response to a strange advertisement; you trusted me socompletely as to introduce me to your friends as your fiancé, and laterconfided to me the special trouble you were in. I pledged you myassistance, and it was surely very natural that, under thesecircumstances, I as a young man, should have become rather deeplyinterested--"

"In both the case, and the girl. "

"Yes; so much so, indeed, that even when I was rather harshly dismissed, I could not accept it without a protest. I had grown to feel that thiswas not a mere business arrangement between us. Do you understand now?"

"I can see it from your stand-point. But nevertheless, I am surprised, Captain West. You--you mean you actually fell in love with me?"

"I felt a very, very deep interest in you, " he admitted gravely, "agreater interest than I have ever felt in any other woman. That is mysole excuse for becoming involved in your affairs. I could not bear tosee you make a mistake it might be in my power to prevent. "

"What mistake?"

"Well, first of all, trusting in this man Hobart. "

She laughed, her eyes glancing up quickly into his face. 

"And why now, please? Remember your confession; I may think this onlyjealousy. "

"You are not so silly as that, " earnestly. "Moreover, I may as well beperfectly frank. I did confess an interest in you, and in a measure, Istill feel eager to serve you in every possible way; but you havechanged so greatly, Miss Natalie, that my confidence in you has beenseverely tried. "

"You no longer believe?"

"I hardly know; I fail utterly to understand you of late; you seem anentirely different girl. For one thing, you have deliberatelydeceived me. "

"Indeed! in what?"

"In your visit to Arch Street with Percival Coolidge. That was no missionof charity to a poor widow and children. "

"What then?"

"An arranged conference with this fellow Hobart. He rented that cottagefor no other purpose, and left it the next day. You made a mistake whenyou took me along. "

She straightened up slightly in the chair, yet spoke ratherindifferently, her voice cold. 

"No doubt I did, " she said tersely. "Indeed I have already discovered, Captain West, that I made an even greater mistake when I first took youinto my service. You have proven altogether too inquisitive. Now I willbe plain with you. Whatever need I once supposed I had for your servicesended with the explanation I received in that Arch Street cottage. I toldyou so very distinctly after our return home. You recall that interview, no doubt?"

He bowed, waiting for her to go on. 

"You were then and there dismissed from my service. That should have beensufficient. I knew nothing of your silly feeling of personal interest inme; nor did I realize any occasion for discussing with you the reasonscausing me to change my plans. You were my employee, and I dischargedyou; that was all. It is true Percival Coolidge took me to that cottageto have certain mysterious things explained, and they were explained tomy complete satisfaction. "

"By Hobart?"

"Yes. "

"You knew the fellow before?"

She hesitated slightly, although there was no perceptible change in theanswering voice. 

"For several years; he was in my father's employ; the--the whole troubleoriginated in a joke, and--and was quite amusing, once I understood. Ofcourse, after that, I had no further need for you. Why did you persist inannoying me?"

West hesitated an instant, his mind struggling with the situation. Wasshe honest, truthful, in this statement? Could he say anything whichwould change her viewpoint? She must have been deceived by these men, yethow could he expose them so she would comprehend? He was so littlecertain of the facts himself, that he had nothing but suspicion to offer. 

"Why do you not answer, Captain West?"

The girl's eyes were clear, insistent, a little amused; they somehowaroused his determination. 

"I will endeavour to make you understood, Miss Natalie, " he explainedslowly. "I would not have you feel that I deliberately pushed myself intothis affair. When I left Fairlawn after your dismissal, I had no thoughtof ever seeing you again. I have already told you the interest I had feltin you up to that time, but your abruptness during our last interview, left me angry, and with no inclination to seek your presence again. Youcan scarcely blame me for such a feeling?"

"No, " she confessed. "I--I was so excited and nervous I was notvery nice. "

"You certainly hurt me. I departed with a sense of wrong rankling, and nodesire to come back. But fate intervened. You know, perhaps, that Ioverheard the shot which ended the life of Percival Coolidge, and I wasthe first to discover his dead body. This made no particular impressionon me at the time. I supposed it a case of suicide, and so bore witnessat the inquest. The whole matter would have ended there; but the next dayyou discharged Sexton also, and the man sought me out at the Club. "

She leaned forward, her lips parted, a new light in her eyes. 

"He told you something? He made you suspicious?" she asked breathlessly. 

"He caused me to see the affair from a somewhat different point ofview--a point of view which, I confess, revived my interest in you. Ibegan to believe you had been deceived, and your treatment of me arosethrough a misunderstanding; I thought you a victim, and that I would be acad if I failed to stand by you. We put this and that together, carriedout some investigations quietly, and arrived at a definite conclusion. "

"What investigations?"

"In the field where the body was found first, " West went on steadily, butno longer looking at her, "tracing the different tracks through theclover. Then I looked up that cottage in Arch Street, and thus learnedabout Hobart. Somehow he seemed to fit into the picture, and yourmysterious visit there made me anxious to interview the man. He had leftno address however, just faded out of sight suddenly, which increasedsuspicion. Then, when we were completely baffled, Sexton learned aboutyour conversation over the telephone. "

"How? Was he at the house?"

"Yes; he went out at my suggestion. "

"And heard me repeat this number?"

"It makes no difference how he got the information; we knew you werecoming here this afternoon, and jumped at the conclusion that you weregoing to meet Hobart for some reason. "

"Very bright, I am sure, " and there was a tone of relief in her voice. "And that is your whole story, I suppose? What does it amount to?"

"Not very much, perhaps. "

"And the two of you came out here seeking to learn my business, to pryinto my personal affairs. That was not a very gentlemanly act, CaptainWest, and I hardly see how you can justify yourself. "

"I had two purposes, " he insisted, "either of which justify. I felt ita duty to locate this man Hobart; and also to warn you of the dangeryou were in. "

"Warn me!" she laughed scornfully. "That is ridiculous enough surely. Ihave a perfectly good reason for being here, but I am not accountable toyou in any way for my movements. A duty you say--a duty to locate thisman? A duty to whom?"

"To the State, if no one else, " he answered gravely. "Percival Coolidgedid not commit suicide; he was murdered. "

"Murdered!" she came to her feet with utterance of the word. "You cannotthink that!"

"I know it, Miss Natalie; the evidence is beyond question; he wasmurdered in cold blood. "

"But by whom? for what purpose?"

"These points are not yet determined; I am only sure of the crime. "

"Yes, but--but you suspect Jim Hobart. Isn't that true? You came hereseeking him--yes, and me. You even think I know how this death occurred. You--you connect it with my fortune. "

"No, Miss Natalie, " he protested stoutly, moved by her agitation. "Thecause is a mystery, and who did it equally mysterious. The evidence thusfar unearthed is all circumstantial. "

"Then why did you come out here searching for Hobart?"

"Because of his strange meeting with Percival Coolidge the very day ofhis death; because his sudden disappearance furnished the only clue. "

"And that is all the knowledge you possess, absolutely all?"

"Yes; I am no more than groping in the dark. My main object in coming wasto put you on your guard. "

"You have repeated these suspicions to no one else? The Police?"

"To no one. Only Sexton and I have even talked the matter over. We areboth too loyal to you to ever say a word which might be to your injury. "

She suddenly held out her hand, and he took it, conscious of the firmclasp of her fingers. 

"I thank you, Captain West, " she said sincerely, "and believe yourpurpose was honourable. You have told me frankly all you suspect, anddoubtless you have reasons. You have simply made a mistake, that is all. Percival Coolidge was not murdered; he killed himself because he hadmuddled my affairs, and knew he was about to be discovered. You have gotupon a wrong trail. Will you accept my word for this, and drop the wholematter here?"

West was almost convinced, but not quite; the explanation had not beensufficiently explicit. 

"This man Hobart--who is he? What connection does he have withyour affairs?"

She hesitated slightly, yet her eyes did not fall, or her apparentcordiality change. 

"Mr. Hobart, " she explained, "I have known for years. I told you beforehe was once in my father's employ. Now he is a private detective, andwas employed on my case, before I advertised for you. I thought then hewas not accomplishing anything, but at our interview Sunday, all wascleared up. "

"In the presence of Percival Coolidge?"

"Yes; he was given a week in which to straighten matters. That was why hekilled himself. "

"But why is it necessary for you to meet Hobart in a place like this--averitable thieves' den?"

She shrugged her shoulders, releasing his hand. 

"He has not completed his work, and does not think it best for us to beseen together. I know him so well I am not at all afraid, even here. Isthat all, Captain West?"

"It seems to explain everything, " he admitted, yet far from satisfied. 

"And you will drop the whole affair?" she asked anxiously. 

"If I say yes--what?"

"You will be released from here of course, and the whole misunderstandingforgotten. "

"And otherwise?"

"I have no means of knowing what the men intend to do. They will acceptyour pledge, I am sure. "

"Possibly, but I am not so sure I will consent to give such a pledge. "

"Then you do not accept my word; do not believe what I have told you?"

"Not that exactly, Miss Natalie; I could have faith in your word, exceptthat I believe you to be mistaken, deceived. Hobart is not square; he isusing you for his own ends. Under these conditions, I would be a cowardto give such a promise, and leave you helpless in this man's power. "

"You intend then to refuse?"

"I do; I'll fight it out. "

She stared at him, scarcely believing her own ears, her lips parted, alook of angry fright in her eyes. 

"You are a fool, Captain West, " she burst forth at last, unable to holdback the words. "I have done my best for you, and you spurn that. Nowlook out. "

She stepped backward, still fronting him, and, with hand behind her, rapped sharply on the panel of the door. 

CHAPTER XVII

FACING DEATH

The change in the girl was so pronounced, her action so impetuous, as toleave West startled and silent. The thought came to him instantly thatshe was not the innocent victim he had supposed. Her words, and movementsexpressed disappointment, rather than regret. She was angry at hischoice, ready to withdraw from him all sympathy, all assistance. Her pleahad failed, and the woman had become a tigress. Then she must have beenendeavouring to deceive him; as deeply interested as these others--ingetting him safely off the trail of this crime. It was a hard lesson, onethat instantly turned all his theories upside down, but the truth came tohim with blinding, sickening force--she was as guilty as Hobart; theywere both working to the same end, endeavouring to get him safely out ofthe way. They would accomplish this with lies if possible, if not thenwith force. It was for no other purpose he had been granted thisinterview alone--in the hope that he might thus be deceived by her. Nowhe saw through the trick. 

These thoughts swept West's brain in a sudden flash of revelation, buthe had no chance to act; to denounce her, to make a single movement, before the door opened swiftly, and Hobart slipped eagerly into theroom. The first glance the fellow had of the prisoner, standing erectand unbound, must have deceived him into believing the girl hadsucceeded in her quest. 

"So you've set him free, " he exclaimed. "The fellow has come to hissenses, has he?"

"No, he has not, " she snapped with temper darkening her eyes. "I was notafraid of him, so I let him loose, but he's made me no promise. Now it isup to you; I'm done. "

She slipped out through the opening, and Hobart leaned against the door, pushing it shut behind her, his scowling eyes watching West intently. 

"So, that is how it stands, is it, my man?" he growled threateningly. "You even refuse to accept the word of the lady, do you?"

"Those are very nearly the facts, " West replied steadily. "Then I toldher I thought she must be mistaken; now I believe she was sent here forno other purpose but to deceive me. If I ever had any doubt of a crime, it has vanished since this interview. "

"What crime?"

"Murder; the killing of Percival Coolidge. Is that plain enough, Hobart?I want you to understand. I am fighting this case from now on in theopen; it is going to be man to man. "

"What the hell do you mean, you cur?"

"I'll tell you, " went on West coldly, determined now to so anger thefellow as to bring the whole matter to a climax, reckless of theconsequences. "I charge you with murder. I haven't the proof, but I'llget it; I do not know the object, but I'll find out. "

"You fool! you'll never get away from here. My God, you must be crazy!"

"Never was saner in all my life, Hobart. I am a soldier, and am taking asoldier's chance. Now listen. I feel no particular interest in the deathof Percival Coolidge. In my judgment the world is just as well off withhim dead as alive. But what this means to Natalie Coolidge is anothermatter entirely. "

"She told you--"

"Yes, she told me--a lie. That is what hurts; what makes me ready to takeany chance to put you where you belong. You have lied to her, deceivedher, made her your accomplice in crime. I'm fighting for a woman, becauseshe has got no one else to fight for her. "

"Oh, I see; in love, hey--with her, or her money?"

"With neither so far as I know, " frankly. "She is a woman helpless inyour hands; that is sufficient. "

"But, hell, she hasn't any use for you--didn't she tell you so?"

"Quite plainly--yes. But that is no excuse for any man to play thecoward. I am not afraid of you, Hobart, or your gang. You got me beforeby treachery; I was not looking for trouble. But now I am. I am goingthrough that door, and if you try to stop me you are going to get hurt. "

The fellow grinned, one hand thrust into the outer pocket of his coat, his eyes narrowed into ugly slits. 

"You think so! You haven't a weapon on you, West, and if you take astep, I'll put you out of commission. I know how to handle your kind, you big bluffer. What I want to know is what you have got in your head, for, believe me, I don't take any stock in this woman stuff. Are youafter the coin?"

"What coin?"

"Well, maybe a slice of old Coolidge's boodle. There's enough of it forall hands to have a dip. How does that hit you?"

"Sounds interesting at least, " admitted West, so earnestly as to attractthe other's attention. "But let's talk it over among ourselves--who islistening there?"

Hobart glanced behind at the nearly closed door. It was for only a secondhe was off guard, yet that was enough. With one leap forward, Weststruck, his clinched fist smashing against the side of the fellow's jaw. It was a wicked, vicious blow, with all the propelling force of the bodybehind it, and Hobart went down stunned, crashing the door tightly shutas he fell. Once he strove blindly to reach his feet, tugging madly atthe weapon in his pocket, but West, feeling no mercy, and wide awake tothe fact that any shooting would mean a call for help, struck again, sending his groggy opponent flat, and unconscious. It was all the swiftwork of a minute, and there had been no noise to arouse alarm. Hobart hadnot even cried out; the only audible sounds being the sharp click of thedoor, and the dull thud of a falling body. 

West emptied the man's pockets, slipping two revolvers into his own; thenstood for an instant motionless, staring down into the white upturnedface. He had followed the impulse of the moment; had struck savagely;knowing it was his only chance. Thus far he had done well; but what next?He was conscious of but one thought, one purpose--to escape from thishouse, unpledged and still free to act. Yet how could this beaccomplished? He had no plan, no knowledge even of his surroundings, ofwhat lay beyond the walls of this room. His eyes swept the bare interior, seeing nothing to inspire hope. Hobart had said this room was practicallya prison, and it looked it--the walls bare, and unbroken, and a roughsingle cot. All possibility of egress lay in the closed door, and anarrow window high up in the opposite wall, also tightly shut, and shadedby a heavy curtain. 

His hand tried the door cautiously; the knob turned easily enough, butthere was no yielding to his pressure. The lock was evidently on theoutside, and he could discover no key-hole, no possibility of operatingit from within. Then, besides in all probability, a guard would be postedoutside in the hall, waiting for some signal from Hobart. West glancedagain at the recumbent figure, bending over to make sure of hiscondition, then, gripping a chair, silently crossed the room. 

There was not a minute to lose. He knew that he must choose quicklywhatever course he pursued. Any instant Hobart might recoverconsciousness, and gain assistance by a rap on the door; indeed hisconfederates without might not wait for the signal. The silence within, the length of time, might arouse suspicion. The only chance lay inimmediate action. Standing on the chair West found the window had beensecurely nailed into place, but this had been done so long ago, it wasquite possible for him to work the nails loose, yet it required all hisstrength to press up the warped sash sufficiently far to enable him togain a view outside. It was not encouraging. Evidently he was upon thethird floor, at the rear of the building, looking down into a clutteredup back yard. His eyes could scarcely distinguish what was below, as theonly glimmer of light came from a far distant street lamp at the end ofan alley, the faint rays creeping in through holes in the fence. Yet oneblack shadow seemed to promise the sloping roof of a shed directly below;but even with that to break his fall, it was a desperate leap. 

He stared into those uncertain depths, endeavouring to measure thedistance, deceived by the shifting shadows, afraid of what lay hiddenbelow. For the moment he forgot all that was behind him, his whole mindconcentrated on the perils of so mad a leap into the dark. The awakeningcame suddenly, the chair jerked from beneath his feet, his body hurledbackward. He fell, gripping at the window seat, so that he was flungagainst the support of a side wall, able to retain his feet, but not towholly ward off a vicious blow, which left him staggering. Half blinded, West leaped forward to grapple with the assailant, but was too late. Hobart rushed back out of reach of his arms, and rapped sharply on thedoor panel. It opened instantly, and big Mike, closely followed byanother man, pushed forward into the room. West was trapped, helpless;one man pitted against three. He backed slowly away, brushing tack thedishevelled hair from his eyes, watching them warily, every animalinstinct on the alert. 

Mike took one comprehensive glance at the scene, at the overturned chair, the half-open window, the trapped man crouching motionless against thefurther wall. The meaning of it all was plain, and his bar-room traininggave quick insight as to the part he was to play. He spoke gruffly outinto the dark of the hall behind him, an order to some one concealedthere; then shut the door tightly, and faced West, his head lowered likea bull about to charge. West understood; he was locked in to fight itout--three against one. Hobart was nearest to him, his face swollen andred, his eyes ugly slits, with teeth snarling between thin lips. Thefellow laughed sneeringly, as their glances met. 

"Now we'll take care of you, Captain, " he taunted. "Never mind his guns, Mike; there's not a load in either of them. Give the guy what he islooking for. Come on you terriers!"

But West did not wait. There was only one chance, and he took it--tocarry the fighting to them. He had no doubt of the emptiness of his guns, and hurled one straight at Hobart's head, leaping forward with the otherclutched in his hand straight at Mike, who had scarcely time to fling upone hand in defence. The thrown weapon missed its mark by a narrow inch, striking the wall behind, and falling clattering to the floor, but theother broke through the big saloon-keeper's guard, and sent him reelingto his knees, a gush of blood reddening his hair. Again and again Weststruck him, driving him prone to the floor before the other two draggedhim away, wrestled the weapon from his hand, and closed with him in adesperate death grapple. 

What followed he never could relate. He was mad with fury of the fight. A mere animal defending life with every means at hand, caring nothing foreither wound or hurt so that he won out in the end. Mike was out of it, but the two grappling him fought like wild cats, rough barroom fighters, resorting to any tactics to disable their opponent. Yet it was this thatsaved him. Crazed as he was, madly as his brain whirled in the fiercestruggle, his long training held supreme--he knew how to fight, remembered instinctively every trick and guard. Again and again hisclinched fist reached its mark, and slowly he broke away from clutchinghands, and regained his feet. It was a terrific struggle, but luck, aswell as skill, was with him. The next he knew, out of the red ruck, wasthat he had Hobart by the throat, jammed against the wall, with fingersclinched in the throat. Then he saw the other coming, a dim, shapelessthing, that he kicked at viciously. The boot must have landed, for he wassuddenly free to strike the purple face fronting him, and fling thehelpless rocking body in a huddled mass on the floor. 

By God, it was over with; he had won breathing space, a chance to seewhat was about him. Yet that was all. The fellow he had kicked wasalready up, doubled from the pain of the blow, but with mad eyesglaring at him. Hobart had struggled to his knees, cursing fiercely ashe swept the blood out of his eyes. They would both be on him again in aminute, more desperate than ever, and the door was locked--there was nochance there. The window! Ay! there was the window. Death either way, yet a chance; and he was man enough to take it. He leaped on the chair, and clambered up; he heard Hobart swear, and felt the grip of a hand onhis dangling leg; kicked himself free, and was on the ledge. He neverlooked below, or took time to poise for the leap. Heedless, desperate, scarcely realizing what he was doing, he flung his body out over theedge, and fell. 

CHAPTER XVIII

UNDER COVER

The shed roof was below, and he struck it, fortunately feet first, butthe sharp slant of the boards sent him hurtling forward over the edgeinto a miscellaneous pile of boxes beneath, his body finally resting onthe hard ground. He lay there dazed, the breath knocked entirely out ofhim, bruised, and scarcely certain whether he was dead or alive. For themoment, he seemed to have lost all consciousness, unable to realize evenwhat had occurred in that upper room, or to comprehend the necessity ofimmediate flight. All about him was intense darkness, and, after thecrash of his fall, no sound broke the silence. He could see nothing, hearnothing to arouse his faculties; his flesh quivered with pain, althoughhe felt sure no bones were fractured, for he could move both arms andlimbs freely, while after the first shock, his mind returned to activity, dominated by the single conviction that he must get away from therebefore those men could get down stairs. 

But how? He retained no strength, no ability to use his limbs sufficientto carry him away from the neighbourhood swiftly. He felt paralysed, numb, even his brain functioning strangely, the danger of his helplesscondition its only incentive to action. He endeavoured to rise, rollingpartially over in the effort which failed, but the movement, slight as itwas, left one hand dangling over an excavation at his right. His fingersexplored the edge of this opening cautiously, revealing a cellar-way, leading down into the basement. The opening was black, silent, mysterious, yet it was a hiding place. If he could manage to roll downthose steps into those depths below, he might hide there unseen, until heregained strength, until the first effort at pursuit had been abandoned. Then there might be a chance for escape. 

West grasped the idea clearly enough. Those fellows would be thereswiftly. If they found him gone they would have no doubt but what helanded safely, and had made a get-away. They would search, of course, perhaps out into the alley, hoping he might have been injured, but it washardly probable they would think to explore the cellar. Even if they did, he could surely creep into some dark corner where he might escapeobservation. Anyway, crippled as he was, this offered the one and onlychance. He could not argue and debate; he must act. 

He rolled over, and lowered himself down into the opening, locating thehalf-dozen broken and rotted steps with his feet. He made no attempt tostand, but simply slid down, finding a partially closed door at thebottom, the passage-way blocked by a litter, the exact nature of whichcould not be determined in the darkness. With some difficulty, and morethan ever conscious of his weakness, and the pain of bruises, he managedto crawl over this pile of debris, and crouch down finally in the intenseblackness within. He felt like a trapped rat, still gasping for breath, his body quivering from exertion. 

Yet his retreat had been none too rapid. The silence above was broken bythe creak of an opening door, the sound of excited voices, and a suddengleam of light, finding entrance through the open cellar-way. Weststartled, crept back into a corner, every nerve alert at approachingperil. He recognized Hobart's voice, as the fellow plunged down the stepsfrom the first floor out into the yard. 

"To hell, of course he's here!" he stormed. "My God, man, he dived outhead first; I saw him. He'll be dead as a door nail now. Come on withthat lantern, Turner. Where in thunder is the ladder--does any one know?"

"You think he lies on the roof?"

"Why not? That's where he must have struck, ain't it, Shorty? I don'tknow though; it is so steep he'd most likely roll off. Here, you, let metake the glim. There's nothing here in these boxes. Ah, there's theladder; climb up, Shorty, and see if the guy is stuck anywhere on theroof. Go on! What are you afraid of; if he's there, he's a stiff allright, believe me. "

Turner's voice, hoarse and rumbling, came back from above. 

"There ain't nuthin' up here, Jim. Damn me, if I don't believe the cussgot clean away. Gee, but he was sure a nervy guy all right. "

"Nervy? Crazy, you mean. But he never took that fall without bustingsomething. The bird is lying about here somewhere. You make sure he ain'tup there, Shorty. "

"Well, he ain't; I kin see every inch o' this roof. Perhaps he fell inbetween them barrels down there. "

The two evidently searched thoroughly, the rays of the lantern dancingwildly about, while Hobart savagely cursed his companion, and reiteratedhis belief that no man could ever take that plunge, and escape unhurt. 

"It couldn't be done, I tell you; maybe he could crawl, but that would beall. Why he went down head first; I saw him go out the window, and thatdrop would daze a cat. Say, Shorty, maybe the stiff dropped down intothis cellar-way. Let's take a look. "

The light streamed in through the narrow opening, and some onescrambled cautiously down the rotted steps. West, drawing himselfsecurely back behind the protection of his barrel, saw the lanternthrust forward, and a face behind it peering in the shadows. The fellowdid not advance into the room, but Hobart did, pressing his way roughlypast, and standing there full in the glow of light, staring about intothe dim shadows. He evidently saw nothing to arouse suspicion, for hisvoice was angry with disgust. 

"Not a damn sign here, Shorty. It looks like the fellow maybe did getaway. But it beats me how. There ain't no place now for us to look butthe alley. "

"An' if he ain't there?"

"Then we'll hop this dump mighty sudden, I'm telling you. We'll slip outand leave Mike to explain how he got his coco cracked. With that guyloose, it won't be healthy for me hanging around here. "

"He ain't got the goods on you, has he?"

"No, he ain't got the goods, but he is dead wise to some things, and hedidn't get out of that shindy up stairs without getting hurt. He'll besore all right, and will raise all the hell he can. It's safer to keepout of the way. "

"An' what about that other buck, Hobart? It won't do to have him pickedup, if this guy gets the harness bulls to take a look around here. "

"That ain't his style, Shorty; he won't spiel anything to the cops aboutthis row. He's an ex-soldier, a Captain, and he's nuts on the girl. That's why he dipped into this mess--trying to save her--see? Maybe hewon't be so keen now, after the song and dance she gave him up stairs. I'm half inclined to think the guy will drop out entirely, damn glad toget off alive, now he believes she is as rotten as the rest of us. But Iain't sure--maybe he is the kind that sticks. That's why I don't take anychances just now. Things ain't quite ripe for a get away--see?"

"Sure; she gave him some straight stuff, hey?"

"She certainly did; she's as smart as she is good looking. It somehowdon't strike me this guy is going to bother her any more. I'm figuringthat he's out of it. "

"But his partner?"

"Oh, we'll leave him somewhere propped up against a door. Likely he'llnever know what happened to him, or where. He ain't nothing to be afraidof--just a butler with a cracked head. It's the other guy who has got thebrains. Come on; let's take a look out in the alley. "

Their shadows vanished up the stairs, the glow of light disappearing, andleaving the cellar in impenetrable darkness. West did not venture tomove, however, content to wait until thoroughly assured the way forescape was clear. He had not learned much from this conversation, exceptto increase his conviction that a serious crime was being consummated. The full nature of this conspiracy was as obscure as ever; rendered evenmore doubtful indeed by the active participation of Natalie Coolidge. This was what puzzled and confused him the most. He could no longerquestion her direct interest in the affair, or her willingness to assistin overcoming his efforts. Even without the free testimony of the menthis fact was sufficiently clear. She had deliberately lied to him, attempted deceit, and then, when he refused to yield to her efforts, hadso reported to Hobart, and left him to his fate. It was manifestlyimpossible for him to believe in her any longer. Yet what could it allmean? How could she hope to benefit by such an association? Why could shethus shield the murderers of Percival Coolidge? What possible objectcould there be in the commission of this crime, except to gain possessionof her own fortune? It was all mystery to his mind; a new unanswerablequestion arising wherever he looked. 

What strange influence could this man Hobart exercise over the girl? ToWest's judgment he was in no way the sort of man to appeal to NatalieCoolidge. He was of a low, cunning order, with some degree of outwardpolish, to be sure, yet inherently tough, and exhibiting marks of abirth-right which indelibly stamped him of a social class far below herown. Surely, she could not love the fellow, yet unquestionably hepossessed a mysterious power over her, difficult to explain through anyother hypothesis. If West had not known the young woman under differentconditions, he might have accepted this theory, and dismissed the wholematter from mind. But it was the haunting memory of that earlier NatalieCoolidge, the mistress of Fairlawn, which would not permit his completesurrender. She had seemed all that his dream of womanhood called for. Unconsciously, he had given her his heart, and he could not tear theremembrance from mind. There was something wrong, terribly wrong; what itwas he had no means of knowing, yet, there in the dark, he determined hewould know, would never be content until he learned the whole truth. Allhis hope, all his future, depended on the answer. 

Hobart and Turner were absent for some little while; the sound of theirvoices ceased, but the distant flicker of the lantern enabled West totrace their progress up the alley, and then back again. They returned inno pleasant humour, convinced that their expected victim had escapedsafely, but made no further effort to search the yard. Hobart said enoughto make it plain that his immediate project was to disappear, leavingMike to his own devices. With this point settled the two tramped heavilyup the stairs, and disappeared within. West, confident at last, that theway was left clear, wriggled out from his place of concealment behind thebarrel, and stood erect. He felt stronger now, and in less pain, convinced that his injuries were in no degree serious. He could move hislimbs freely and his mind was active. The darkness was so intense he hadto grope his way forward, anxious to make no noise which might betrayhis presence. No doubt the basement could be reached in some way from thefloor above, and any unusual sound below might easily attract attention. 

In the intensity of the gloom, his sense of direction failed, taking himsomewhat further back before he finally located the exact position ofthose outer steps. Then as he turned abruptly, his foot came in contactwith an obstacle on the floor. For an instant he could not determine whatit was; then, with a thrill of horror, he realized the presence of ahuman body. There was no sound, no movement, and West drew back fromcontact with the object, shrinking in horror. Then he gripped himselfsternly--whoever, whatever this was, he must know. Alive or dead he mustdetermine the truth. He bent over, feeling with his hands in thedarkness. Good God, the flesh was warm; it was no cold corpse he touched, but a living human being; ay! tied like a mummy, unable to move hand orfoot. Then, as suddenly, his groping fingers, eager enough now, discovered the cause of silence--the man was gagged, cruelly gagged, helpless to utter a sound. 

CHAPTER XIX

THE COMING OF A MESSAGE

The situation once realized, West worked rapidly. If this bound man wasSexton, the quicker he could be released the better. Hobart had alreadyrevealed his plans, and might appear at any moment for the purpose ofexecuting them. If escape was to be achieved, it must be accomplished atonce. In the darkness his fingers could do nothing with the knot, but thesharp blade of a knife quickly severed the twisted cloth, and the gag wasinstantly removed from between the clinched teeth. The man moaned, breathing heavily, but made no other sound while West slashed at thecords lashing his limbs, finally freeing them entirely. Not until thishad been accomplished did he pause long enough to ask questions. 

"There; that's the last. Now who are you--Sexton?"

"Yes, sir, " weakly, and in a mere whisper, "an' I know yer voice, sir. Thank God, yer found me, sir. "

"It was a bit of luck; but we'll talk that over later. Now we've got toget out of here. Can you walk?"

"I don't know, sir; after a fashion, maybe. I'm mighty stiff andnumb, sir. Oh, Lord, but that hurts; give me a hand, an' perhaps Ican make it. "

"Take it easy; work your legs up and down like that; good, that willrestore the circulation. How long have you been lying here?"

"I don't know, sir, " his voice strengthening. "I must have been hit, theway my head aches. The first thing I knew after I went into that roomwith you, I was lyin' here in the dark. I couldn't move or speak, sir, an' it was so black, I kind of got it into my head maybe I was dead andburied. If it hadn't been for my hearing things--voices talking, and allthat--I guess I would have gone clear batty. Maybe I didn't geteverything straight, sir, but one o' them fellows was Hobart, wasn't he?"

"Yes; we walked right into his trap. The fellow who came over to thetable and talked to us was Jim Hobart. He knew me at first sight itseems, and easily guessed what we were there for. "

"And was Miss Coolidge here too, sir?"

"Yes, she was; I had a talk with her that has mixed me all up, Sexton. She seems to be hand in glove with these fellows. But how did you suspectshe was here?"

"I heard her voice, sir; up there somewhere, sir, soon after I come tomy senses. She and some man went along outside. Sounded like he wasmakin' her go with him. I couldn't get much of what was said, but hesure talked awful rough, an' she seemed to be pleadin' with him. Theywasn't there but just a minute, an' then, a little later, I heard anautomobile start up. "

"You have no idea how long ago this was?"

"No, I ain't, sir. I been lyin' here about half dead, I guess, an' Idon't seem to have known anything after that, until those fellows comedown here with the lantern. Were they hunting after you?"

"Yes; I outwitted them up stairs, and jumped from a window. But that isenough talk now; we'll go over the whole affair when we are safely awayfrom this place. How is it? do you think you can navigate?"

Sexton responded by getting slowly to his feet. He trembled, and was souncertain, as he attempted to grope forward, that West grasped himfirmly, helping him slowly toward the foot of the steps. Even thiseffort, however, helped the man to recover somewhat the use of hisnumbed limbs, while his breathing became much easier. The two crept upthe stairs cautiously, and surveyed the cluttered up yard as best theymight in the dim light of the distant street lamp. It appeared entirelydeserted, nor was there any evidence that the building above wasoccupied. No doubt lights were burning within, but if so the shades musthave been drawn closely, allowing no reflection to escape. No betteropportunity for evading notice could be hoped for, and West, alert now toevery chance, made instant decision. 

"They are all inside. Creep along behind that pile of lumber to where yousee the hole in the fence. I'll be just behind you. That's the way. "

The narrow alley was much lighter, yet still dark enough to conceal theirmovements, as they clung close to the deeper shadows. Except for an oldcart it was unoccupied, the surface covered with ashes, so packed as toleave no trace of wheels. Ahead of them at the end of the block, glowedthe only street lamp visible. Sexton, by now largely recovered from hislate experiences, broke into a run, with West following closely behind. Both were eager to escape from the immediate neighbourhood unseen. Suddenly Sexton stumbled, but arose almost instantly to his feet again, grasping something which gleamed like silver in his hand. 

"Not hurt, are you?" asked West anxiously. 

"No; what's this I found?"

The other took it impatiently. 

"What is it? Why a small pocket knife, of course. Come on, man, don'tstand mooning there. " He slipped the article carelessly into his pocket. "Let's get out into the open while the road is clear. "

"Where are you going?" Sexton panted, endeavouring to keep beside him. "Have you anything planned out?"

"Not very much; Milwaukee Avenue first. There is sure to be an all-nightrestaurant somewhere in sight. Telephone for a taxi, don't dare to risk astreet car, we both look too tough. "

"Suppose they will follow us?"

"Hardly; they will have no idea which way we went, or how long we'll havebeen gone. All Hobart will think about now will be getting out of sighthimself. Once we turn off this street, we'll be safe enough. "

It was considerably past midnight when the two men finally reached theUniversity Club; they had lunched at an all-night restaurant, washed andmade themselves as presentable as possible, yet were hardly recognizableas they entered the Club lobby. Neither possessed a hat; Sexton was inhis shirt sleeves, while West's coat clung to him in rags. Withoutwaiting to explain anything to the servant in charge, except to statebriefly that Sexton would be his guest for the night, the Captain hurriedinto the waiting elevator, and accompanied by his companion, ascended tohis apartment above. 

The reaction from the excitement of the evening left Sexton dull anddrowsy once he felt secure from any possible danger. His only desire wasto lie quiet, and forget. Stretched out on a comfortable lounge, he fellasleep almost instantly, making no effort even to remove his clothes. West was of a different temperament, his mind far too active to findsleep possible. His only desire was to think, plan, decide upon somefuture course of action. With mind busy, forgetful of the very presenceof his companion, he indulged in a bath, again dressed himself, and, lighting a cigar, settled back into an easy chair to fight the whole outalone with himself. 

The adventures of the night had greatly changed his conception of thisaffair in which he had become so strangely involved. The mysteryconfronting him appeared more difficult of solution than ever. His firstvague theory of the case had already gone completely to smash. Questionafter question rose before him which remained unanswered. He was morethoroughly convinced than ever that Percival Coolidge had been murdered;that the act had been committed either by Hobart himself, or under hisdirection. He possessed no proof, however, nor could he figure out amotive for the crime. Who was this Jim Hobart? That was one of the firstthings to be learned. Was he in any way personally interested in thefortune left by Stephen Coolidge? Or did he hold any special relationshipwith the murdered man? How could he expect to profit by the sudden deathof Percival? More important still, what peculiar influence did the fellowexert over the girl? Here was by far the deeper mystery, the one thattroubled him most. The others seemed possible of explanation, but thesudden change in Natalie Coolidge was beyond all understanding. 

Except in face, form, dress, outward appearance, she no longer seemed toWest as being the same woman he had formerly known. His original interestin her had vanished; he had learned to distrust and doubt her sincerityand truth. Beyond all question she was openly playing an important partin this tragedy under Hobart's direction, but for the life of him hecould not figure out to what end. Still the very mystery of it had itsfascination. While he felt no longer any special desire to serve her, tofurther risk his life in her cause, yet he experienced a fiercedetermination to learn what all this really meant; to uncover the objectthese conspirators had in view. Although he imagined love no longerspurred him on, his real interest in the affair became even more intense, with an aroused desire to read the riddle. He convinced himself that fromhenceforth this was to be his only object--not the girl, nor anyattraction she once had for him, but a stern determination to solve thiscrime, and bring its perpetrators to justice. If she was involved itcould not be helped, she would have to suffer with the rest; his own dutywas clear. 

Yet how could he begin action? What clue did he possess which could befollowed? Practically none. Before morning, that saloon on Wray Streetwould unquestionably be deserted, except perhaps by its proprietor, andMike would simply deny everything. A search of the place would beuseless, for Hobart would be too sly a fox to leave any trail. Twopossibilities remained; the police might have some record of the fellow, might know his favourite haunts, even be able to locate his next probablehiding place. If not, the only hope remaining would seem to be NatalieCoolidge. She would undoubtedly return to Fairlawn; was probably therealready, and, by shadowing her, the whereabouts of Hobart would surely berevealed either sooner or later. 

But possibly there was a quicker way to learn their purpose than bythus seeking to find either. If it was the Coolidge fortune which wasat stake, why not endeavour to learn in whose trust it was being held, and what steps were being taken to safe-guard it? This investigationought not to be particularly difficult, even though he possessed noauthority; he could explain the nature of his interest to an attorney, and be advised how to proceed. Determined to take all three steps thefirst thing next day, West rested back comfortably in the chair, already half asleep. One hand rested in his pocket, and as his fingersfumbled some object there, he suddenly recalled the knife Sexton hadfound in the alley. 

He drew the article forth curiously, and looked at it under the glow ofthe electric light--it was a small silver handled pen-knife, such as alady might carry, a rather strange thing to be discovered in a dirt alleyback of Wray Street. The incongruity struck him forcibly, and he sat up, wide awake once more, seeking for some mark of identification on thepolished handle. There was none, not an inscription of any kind, but henoted that the single slender blade did not fit closely down into itsplace. He opened it idly to learn the cause--beneath appeared the whitegleam of tightly folded paper. 

CHAPTER XX

WHAT THE TELEPHONE TOLD

All West's indifference vanished instantly. He had to pry the paper out, so closely had it been wedged in beneath the closed knife blade, and itrequired a moment in which to straighten it out so that the writing wasdiscernable. Even then the marks were so faint, and minute, he could notreally decipher them until he made use of a magnifying glass lying on thedesk. A woman's hand, using a pencil, had hastily inscribed the words ona scrap of common paper, apparently torn from some book--the inspirationof an instant, perhaps, a sudden hope born of desperation. He fairly hadto dig the words out, letter by letter, copying them on an old envelopeuntil he had the message complete: "_Please notify police to searchSeminole quick_. "

West read this over, word by word, again and again. What did it mean? Didit mean anything? Had it any possible connection with the case in whichhe was interested? There was no signature, nothing to guide him; yet insome way the plea sounded real, was a cry of distress, an appeal forhelp. It could be given no other meaning, yet how long had it been lyingthere in the alley? Not any great length of time surely, for the polishedsilver was far too conspicuous to escape notice. It must have beendropped during the night, within a very short time of its discovery. Butwhat did the words signify? "_Notify police_" was clear enough, but"_search Seminole_" meant absolutely nothing. What was "Seminole"--anapartment house? A hotel? A saloon? Perhaps the police would know;evidently the writer so believed, or she would never have used the namewith such confidence. A familiar name to her, she assumed that the policewould have no difficulty in instantly locating the place meant. The hastewith which the message had apparently been written, its short, sharpwords, bespoke urgent need, the consciousness of imminent peril. Plainlythe writer had used the only means at hand in a hurried desperate effortto gain assistance. 

"The police. " The request had been for the police; then why not appeal tothe police? Why not take the note now directly to headquarters, and letthem help solve its mystery? At first West hesitated, yet a moment'sthought convinced him this would be the logical course to pursue. Hecould accomplish nothing alone, unguided. His appealing to the policeneed not necessarily involve any disclosure relative to the Coolidgematter. He had found this note accidentally in an alley in the northwestsection of the city; his being there need require no special explanation;he did not understand its meaning, but it was quite evidently a policematter, and consequently he placed it in their hands. That all soundednatural enough. Besides at this hour of the night there was no otherplace to which he could go for information. 

He looked at Sexton, who was sleeping soundly, and decided not to awakenthe man. He had no use for his services just now; the City Hall was onlya few blocks away, and he might not be out more than an hour himself. Hewould leave a note so that if by any chance he should be delayed, Sextonwould understand what had occurred. He scratched this off hastily, placedit in a conspicuous place, and swiftly departed, after extinguishing thelight. He was no longer conscious of fatigue, or the pain of bruises, hismind eager to learn the meaning of this new discovery. 

It had been a quiet night at the City Hall Station, and West encounteredno difficulty in reaching the presence of the lieutenant in charge. Thelatter gazed at his caller curiously over an early edition of the morningpaper, as the officer who had opened the door to the inner office, saidrather doubtfully. 

"This guy wants to see you personally, sir; he wouldn't talk to noone else. "

"All right, Slavin; shut the door, and I'll hear what he has to say. Whatis it, my man?"

West explained swiftly and clearly, his manner of speech, as well as hisstatement as to who he was, evidently making a favourable impression onhis listener, who interrupted the brief narrative with severalrespectfully asked questions. He look the note, spread it out on thedesk, and studied it carefully. 

"Looks genuine enough, " he commented at last, "but not very clear. Idon't know any place in this town called Seminole. Wait a minute though;perhaps one of the boys may have an idea. "

He pressed a button on top of the desk, and in response to the summons, aside door opened, and a main in plain clothes entered. 

"You rang, sir?"

"Yes, McAdams; this gentleman here--"

"Captain West, as I am a sinner!" he exclaimed. "Gee! but I am glad tosee you again, old man! Say. By Gad! you don't remember me. "

"Oh, but I certainly do, Mac, " and West grasped the extended handheartily. "It's a devil of a surprise, that's all. Saw you last at Brest, the day you sailed for home. So this was your job, Sergeant?"

"Been with the department ever since I was a kid. Put me in plain clothessince I came back. Lieutenant, this is Captain West, over across the pondwith the Engineers; we were buddies for about two months. What waswanted, sir?"

"Well, Captain West has just been telling me a rather peculiar story, andwanted some information I thought perhaps you could give; you know theold town right now better than I do. First of all, do you recall anycrook by the name of Hobart--Jim Hobart?"

"Hobart? Hobart? no, not off hand, I don't. How old a man is he, Captain?"

"Middle-aged, anyway; an active fellow enough, but his hair isquite grey. "

"Do you know where he hangs out?"

"The last I saw of him was in a saloon known as Mike's Place over onWray Street. "

"Off Milwaukee; yes, I know. Mike is a big Pole, but has never had anyserious trouble so far as I know. However, being there is no specialrecommendation to a guy, but I don't believe this man Hobart has beenpulled since I've been on the force. And you don't recall the name, Lieutenant?"

"No; but he might be an old timer come back. Look him up in the index, Mac. That will soon tell you whether we have got any such mug, or not. "

McAdams drew out a thick volume from a near-by cabinet, and ran hisfingers swiftly down a long column of names, indexed under the letter"H. " Suddenly he stopped, with an exclamation. 

"The lad is here all right--Government offence, fifteen years ago, thirdarrest; mugged number 28113. Let's look him up, and see if he is the sameman. Come over here, Captain. "

"Is that the fellow?" he asked. 

West studied the face seriously. 

"Yes, I believe it is, Mac, " he said at length. "He looks much older now, but those are his features all right. What was his game?"

"'Con' mostly, according to the record; only one conviction though, twoyears in Detroit for using the mails to defraud. Oh, yes, here issomething different, 'assault with intent to kill'--indeterminatesentence to Joliet for that. Nothing heard of him since. So he is back, and at the old game again. Do you want him brought in, Captain?"

"No, not yet. I haven't anything against the man now but a suspicion. Iwanted to learn his record, that's all. This inquiry was only incidental. What I'm really interested in just at present is something I picked up inthe alley back of Mike's Place three or four hours ago. It's a note in awoman's hand-writing, and when I found it, it was hidden in a smallsilver pen-knife, such as a lady might carry. I thought it might havesome connection with the case I'm trying to catch this fellow Hobart in. "

"There is a woman in it, then?"

"Yes; but I haven't got things hitched up sufficiently to talk about it. The note itself is blind. "

"In what respect?"

"Well, here it is. Can you make it out? I'll read it for you--'_Pleasenotify police to search Seminole quick_. '"

"No signature?"

"None. "

"But that is plain enough, isn't it?"

"Yes, if you know what she means by Seminole; what is it? a street? anapartment house? a saloon? Do you know of anything under that name?"

McAdams stood motionless thinking. 

"No, by thunder, I don't, " he admitted reluctantly. "There is no streetof that name in the city. There used to be a shady hotel over on OntarioStreet called 'The Seminole, ' but that was torn down ten years ago. Inever heard of any other--did you, Dave?"

"No, " answered the lieutenant slowly, sucking away at a cigar. "I justbeen looking over the directory, and I don't find nothing. Maybe it's thename of a boat--seems to me I've heard some such name before, but I don'tjust recollect where. "

"A boat! Well, that's a straw anyway, and worth looking up. " Mac pickedup the telephone. "Who is on at the Harbour Master's office this timeof night?"

"Winchell, usually, and he'll have a record there. "

The detective jiggled the receiver impatiently. 

"Yes, this is police headquarters calling. Give me the Harbour Master'soffice, please--I said the Harbour office. Oh, is this you, Dan? BobMcAdams speaking. Do you know of any boat on the lakes called the_Seminole_? What's that? A lumber schooner at Escanaba? Never makes thisport, you say? And you don't know of any other by that name? Sure, I'llhold the wire; look it up. "

"Not a very promising lead, " he said over his shoulder, "but Dan willhave the dope for us in a minute. "

He suddenly straightened up, the receiver at his ear. 

"I didn't quite get that, Dan. A medium sized yacht, you say? Where isit? Oh, at the Jackson Park lagoon. I see; and who did you say owned it?What's that? I didn't quite catch the name--Coolidge? What Coolidge?Exactly; the fellow who killed himself out south. Hold the wire. "

He swung about to face West, the receiver still at his ear. 

"This mean anything to you?"

"It surely does, " eagerly. "The girl I spoke of was Natalie Coolidge. Byall the gods, we are on the right track. "

"All right, Dan, " resuming his conversation. "What's that? Coolidge hadthe boat up the river a few weeks ago trying to sell it. That's how youhappened to remember the name--I see. Say, is there any one out atJackson Park I could talk to at this hour? Who? Oh, yes, the LifeSaving Station. Sure: somebody will be on duty there. Thanks, oldman--good night. "

He hung the receiver up on the hook, and reached for the telephonedirectory. 

"Some luck, I say. Jackson Park--oh, yes, here it is. All right, Central;sure, that is the proper number. This is the City Hall PoliceHeadquarters again; hustle it up, please. Hullo, Jackson Park Life SavingStation? Good; this is McAdams speaking from the City Detective Bureau. Is there a yacht out there in the lagoon called the Seminole? belongs toa man named Coolidge; medium sized boat, with gas engine. Yes; what'sthat? Not there now; went out into the lake about two hours ago. The hellit did! Who was aboard? do you know? Say that again; oh, you wasn't onwatch when she sailed; your partner said what? Three men and a woman. Allright, yes, I got it. Say now, listen; this is a police matter, so keepyour eyes open. It will be daylight pretty soon, and if you get sight ofthat boat, call up the City Hall Station at once. Do you get me?"

He wheeled about, smiling whimsically. 

"It's on again, off again, Flannigan. We had it, and we have it not. Dave I am getting interested; I feel the lure of the chase. What sayyou? Can you spare me for a day or two? You can? good enough; we'll combthe lakes until we find out who is sailing aboard the _Seminole_. You'rewith me, old man?"

West extended his hand silently, and the fingers of the two clasped in amutual pledge. 

CHAPTER XXI

THE YACHT "SEMINOLE"

There was little to do but wait impatiently for some further message ofguidance. McAdams dispatched a few telegrams to nearby lake ports, andbriefly outlined certain plans of action for the morrow, provided nothingfurther was heard from the missing boat; these included a possible visitto Fairlawn, and a city-wide search for Hobart, who both men decidedcould not be included among the party on the yacht. West told his newassistant the entire story in detail, and Mac's interest in ferreting outthe matter became intense. It was the kind of case which fascinated himwith its mystery, but no theory he could spin born from long policeexperience, seemed to exactly fit all the revealed facts. The greatpuzzle revolved about the strange actions of the girl; her part in theaffair presenting an unsolvable riddle. They must have talked for anhour, discussing the situation frankly from every angle, yet arriving atno definite conclusion. The sky in the east was red with dawn when bothmen fell fast asleep in their chairs, still waiting. 

It was nine o'clock, and still no word. The two had eaten a hastybreakfast in a restaurant across the street, discussing the situationagain thoroughly, but to no more satisfactory result. It seemedimpossible to reconcile certain facts. If the silver knife, with its callfor help, had indeed been dropped by Natalie Coolidge, and she was beingheld a prisoner in the hands of villains on board the _Seminole_, why hadshe acted toward West as she did in that house on Wray Street? To allappearances there she had been hand in glove with the conspirators, willing even to connive at the Captain's murder if necessary to thesuccess of their crime. Only one theory was possible; that the girl wasunder constraint, driven to her strange act by personal fear. She dare donothing else, terrorized by the threats of Hobart, and her own sense ofutter helplessness in his power. This, and this only, must be the answerto the riddle. 

McAdams, unable to remain quiet, departed to get his police searchstarted in an attempt to discover Hobart in his new hiding place. Thefellow could not be on the yacht, as that had sailed from Jackson Port atfar too early an hour for him to have possibly made one of the party. Hewould still be in the city then, securely concealed in some dive of theunderworld, perfecting his plans, whatever they might be, and, perhaps, arranging to join those on the boat later. The detective even thoughtthis unlikely, his theory being that Hobart merely desired to get thegirl safely out of the way for a length of time sufficient to enable himto complete his nefarious scheme. He argued that Natalie was in no realdanger; she would be held no doubt, kept out of sight as long as wasnecessary, but otherwise left uninjured. This was no strong-arm crime, but a high class confidence game, and the important thing was to quicklylay hands on Hobart. With him once in the toils, the whole conspiracywould instantly collapse. With this end in view, McAdams took up theman's trail, leaving West to stand guard over the telephone. 

The latter called up Sexton, and hurried him out to Fairlawn, withinstructions to find out all he could from the servants there relativeto any late developments. He expected no important revelation from thispoint, as Natalie could not have returned home, yet there might havebeen a telephone communication, or some other occurrence of interest tofurnish a clue. Sexton was instructed to report the result of hisinvestigation at the earliest moment possible. This accomplished, nothing remained for West to do, but sit down and wait for somethingelse to happen. 

The delay was shorter than he anticipated. There was a sharp ringing ofthe bell, the police operator responding quickly. 

"Police Headquarters. What's wanted? McAdams; no he is not in justnow. Who is calling him? Harbour Master's office; all right; hold thewire a minute. "

He turned his head around. 

"Must be your case, Captain; better hear what they have to say. "

West grasped the receiver eagerly. 

"Is this the Seminole matter?" he asked swiftly. "Certainly, Iunderstand about it. What's that. Oh, Winchell told you to call up ifyou learned anything. Of course; what is it? Yes, I hear; just found hertied up at north side of Municipal Pier. What's the trouble? Engineworking bad, and had to come in, hey? All right--thanks; I'll gostraight over and see them. "

This was great luck, yet there was very little he could hope toaccomplish alone, without the help and authority of McAdams. Even if thevessel had been stolen--which was probably not true--he possessed nopower of arrest. All he could hope to do would be to keep the fellows insight until Mac showed up, and, if possible, prevent them from puttingout into the lake again. Even in that he needs must be cautious not to beseen by any of the gang who might recognize him. An alarm, proving theywere being followed, would doubtless send them scattering instantly. Ifthey were to be trapped, no suspicion could be aroused. 

West thought of all these things as a taxi bore him across the city tothe pier, and acted accordingly. The open air restaurant accorded himevery reasonable opportunity for concealment, while affording ample viewof whatever was going on. It was a bright, sunshiny day, the waters ofthe lake a deep blue. No crowd was present, yet enough people were at thetables, or lounging about the pier, to make his presence unnoticeable. The pleasure boat for Lincoln Park, a band aboard, and with a barkerindustriously busy, was close by, surrounded by a bevy of women andchildren. Beyond these, on the same side, snuggled close against thecement wall, lay the yacht. West ordered a drink, and sat down at a tablewithin easy view, although partially concealed himself by a pillarsupporting the roof. 

The _Seminole_ was a much larger boat than he had anticipated seeing, yet he could not doubt her being the vessel sought. The name was plainlystencilled on the bow, as well as upon the dingy towing astern. Her decklay almost even with the promenade, and he was able to trace her linesclearly from where he sat. The craft had evidently been constructed forcomfort as well as speed. He noted two short masts unrigged, a bridgeforward of the wheel-house, together with a decidedly commodious cabinaft. The deck space between was clear, except for the hatchway leadingdown to the engine. The planking was clean, as though newly scrubbed, while every handrail glistened in the sun. The cabin appeared tightlyclosed, even the windows being heavily draped. Some mechanics wereevidently working below; there was a sound of hammering, and occasionallya fellow in overalls appeared at the hatch opening. No one wearing anysemblance of a yacht uniform was visible, although four or five menlounged about the deck, or close at hand on the pier, apparentlyconnected with the vessel. Two were well-dressed, rather gentlemanlyappearing fellows, the others of a decidedly rougher class, althoughbearing no outward marks of being sea-men. While an air of carelessnesswas assumed by all these, yet West, watching them closely, felt thatthey were very much on their guard, anxiously waiting an opportunity todepart. No face among the party had any familiarity; he had encounterednone of them at Mike's Place the evening before. Satisfied as to this, heleft the table, and strolled out on to the promenade, joining the crowdwatching the Lincoln Park boat get underway. So far as he could observethis movement attracted no attention, although a moment later his eyesplainly caught a bit of drapery drawn slightly aside at one of the cabinwindows of the _Seminole_, and, he felt convinced, the quick gesture of awoman's hand. 

There was a woman on board then! This certainty of knowledge by evidenceof his own eyes, set his blood leaping. Whatever the purposes of thesepeople he was again upon the right trail. The uplifted curtain wasimmediately lowered, and, if any signal had thus been conveyed, there wasno other evidence visible. A little later one of the two better dressedfellows loafing on the pier, a rather heavily built man, with closelyclipped red moustache, and a scar over one eye, slowly crossed the deck, and entered the cabin. He came forth again a moment later, asked somequestion of the workmen below and then clambered back carelessly overthe rail, joining his companion on the pier. 

"A half hour yet; it was quite a job the boy's had, but they are makingtime. Come over here a minute. "

They walked forward, out of earshot from where West sat on a bench in thesun. He watched the fellows closely, yet without neglecting the boat, butthey neither glanced toward him, or seemed aware of his existence. Convinced that they felt no suspicion, but were merely exercisingordinary precaution not to be overheard, the watcher soon banished allfear of them from his mind. His whole thought centred on the earlyarrival of McAdams. Until the detective came, there was nothing he coulddo but sit there quietly and wait. But what if the necessary repairs werecompleted, and the _Seminole_ sailed before Mac got there? The fellowcalled Joe had mentioned half an hour, and he probably meant that was thetime set by the mechanics for completing their job on the engine. Beyonddoubt, the intention was to depart immediately. Was there any means inhis power by which this could be prevented? The only suggestion whichcame to him was the picking of a quarrel in some way, with the two menashore. The boat would never depart unless they were aboard, as theywere evidently the leaders of the gang, yet this would be a mostdesperate expedient, to be resorted to only when all other effort hadfailed. The two were husky chaps, and he would probably be the one tosuffer most in such an encounter. Besides it would put them on theirguard, and possibly avail nothing. Why not speak to the fellowspleasantly, and naturally? They had no reason to be suspicious of him; hewas but one of many others lounging idly about the pier. His curiositywould seem reasonable enough, and he might thus gain some clue as totheir destination. Then, even if they did sail before Mac appeared, theycould be safely intercepted in time for a rescue. Indeed, suchinformation, if it could be gained, would give opportunity to planeffective action. 

Circumstances seemed to work to this end, the two men strollingcarelessly back toward where he sat, pausing within a few feet of him, all their attention apparently riveted upon the yacht. 

"Had some hard luck?" he ventured. "Engine give out?"

The red-moustached one glanced about, his eyes surveying the speakerindifferently. 

"Broke a piston, and had to be towed in, " he replied carelessly, "We'llbe off again presently. "

"Nice day for a sail. "

"Sure is. "

The very indifference of the fellow led West to take a chance. 

"Some nice boat you've got there. The Coolidge yacht, isn't it? Haven'tseen it out lately. "

"Are you a yachtsman?"

"A bit of an amateur, yes; have a cat-boat I play with some. Belong tothe Columbia Club. "

"Off Grant Park; this boat quarters in the Jackson lagoon. We left therelast night. You knew Coolidge?"

"No, never met him; recognized the boat though. Has it been sold?"

"Not yet. It wasn't his anyway; belonged to the estate. I'm one of thetrustees; that's how I've got the use of it--see? Ever looked it over?"

West shook his head. 

"No, but I wouldn't mind; she's a dandy. "

"She sure is; better inside than out to my notion. Come aboard; we've gottime enough. Not thinking of buying a yacht, are you?"

"Well, I might, if the price is not too steep. I've got the fever allright; what I lack maybe, is money. It costs a lot to run a yacht. "

"Oh, I don't know. We operate this with three men as a crew. That's notso bad. Come along with us, Mark; we'll take a look at the cabin first, and then go forward. "

The three men stepped over the low rail, and moved aft across the deck, the leader talking fluently, and pointing out various things of interest. His only object apparently was to arouse in West a desire to purchase. The other man never spoke, and the latter gave no thought to hispresence. He had been rarely fortunate so far, and was looking for anopportunity to question his guide on the purpose of their voyage. Hewould wait until later; until the examination had been completed, perhaps, when they believed him a possible purchaser. Joe opened thecabin door, and West stepped inside, the interior darkened by drawncurtains. The dusk was confusing, and he stood still after the firststep, hearing the latch click behind him. 

CHAPTER XXII

KIDNAPPED

A hand gripped his shoulder as though in a vise, and swung him around;the muzzle of an automatic confronted him, and behind it the threateningeyes of Joe glared directly into his own. 

"Not a move, you damned spy, " a voice said coldly. "Now, Mark, frisk thecuss, and be lively about it. Had a gun, hey; I thought so. Give it tome. Now get the cord over there and give him a turn or two. A very goodjob, old boy; the fellow is safe enough, I should say. "

He turned his eyes away, searching the cabin, confident that West wassufficiently secured. 

"Come on out, Mary, " he said sharply. "Who is this guy, anyhow?"

A woman came forward through the shadows. West had a glimpse of her face, but the features were unfamiliar. A woman of forty, perhaps, stillattractive in appearance, with dark hair and bold black eyes that methis own defiantly. He was puzzled, doubtful as to what it all meant. Sothis was the woman he had seen on board; not Natalie Coolidge at all. There had been a mistake of some kind; but if so, why had these peoplegiven him this sort of reception aboard? These thoughts swept his mind ina flash, as the woman peered forward to see his features more clearly. For a moment she said nothing, and Joe broke out impatiently. 

"He's the lad, ain't he?" he asked. "We ain't gone an' picked up thewrong guy?"

"No; he's the bird all right. I never lamped him but once before myself. I heard his name then, but forgot it. He's her friend, there ain't nodoubt o' that, Joe, and it ain't likely he's hanging around here just forfun, is it? My idea was it would be safer to take him in. "

"Sure; what's yer name, young fellow?"

Concealment was useless; they evidently had him correctly spotted; to liewould do no good. 

"Matthew West. "

"That's the name, " the woman exclaimed eagerly. "He is a soldier--aCaptain, or something like that. Jim told me about him; he's the samefellow who was snooping about Mike's Place last night, before wepulled out. "

"Is that so? How the hell did you get out of there?"

"We had a little trouble, " West admitted, "but they let me go. "

"Yes, they did! I know better than that; Hobart don't do businessthat way. I reckon we've played his game all right taking you in. Well, you don't get out of here so easy, let me tell you. How'd youcome to get onto us?"

"That's my business. "

"Oh, is it? Well, we'll make it ours from now on. There is one thingpretty sure--you were here playing a lone hand. So it don't make muchdifference what yer idea was. We'll take the bird along with us, Mary;then he'll be out of temptation. "

The woman nodded. 

"Jim will know what to do with him, " she said. "All we got to do is keephim safe. "

"I'll attend to that; come on, Mark, let's throw the damn sneak into thatleft-hand stateroom. He'll stay there all right. Aw, take hold; don't beafraid of hurting the fellow. "

They roughed him forward, but West made no attempt to resist; his handswere bound, and he was helpless. The woman threw open the narrow door, and he was bundled unceremoniously across the threshold, and thrownheavily to the floor. He struggled partially upright, protesting againstbeing left in that helpless condition, but the red-moustached man onlylaughed, shutting the door tightly, and locking it. The single port holewas covered by heavy drapery, the stateroom in total darkness. Throughthe door panels he could hear a voice speaking. 

"He's better off that way until we get out of here. You stay here, Mary, till I can attend to him myself. Those fellows ought to have that enginefixed by this time. Mark and I better go up on deck awhile. "

"But, Joe, do you think they have caught on to us?" she asked anxiously. 

"No, I don't; this guy wouldn't be snooping about alone if they had. Heain't no fly cop, and just happened to be loafin' here--that's my guess. He knew this was the Coolidge Yacht, and that set him to askingquestions. That guy don't look to me like he was the kind to be afraidof. All we got to do is hold him here until Jim decides what he's up to. I don't want to hurt him none, unless I have to. Everything else allright, I suppose?"

"Sure; quiet as a mouse; asleep, I guess. "

"That's good; well you stay here until I come back. Want a gun?"

She did not answer so as to be heard, but West could distinguish themovement of feet in the outer cabin, and then the closing of a door. Undoubtedly the two men had gone on deck, leaving the woman there alone. His feet were not tied, and he could sit up, although the hands weretightly bound behind him. With eyes accustoming themselves to the gloom, he could discern something of his surroundings. He was in the ordinarystateroom of a small yacht, with barely space in which to move aboutcomfortably. Two bunks were at one side, with a metal stand at their footfor washing purposes. A rug covered the floor, the beds were made, and astool, screwed to the deck, occupied a position just below the porthole. A few hooks were in evidence on the opposite wall; but no garmentsdangled from them to tell of previous occupancy. Indeed the place wasscrupulously clean, as though unused for some time. 

West made his way to the port, pushed aside the curtain with hisshoulders and looked out. The smallness of the opening made any hope ofescape in that way impossible; nor could he expect to attract theattention of any one ashore. His view was limited to the east and north, a wide expanse of blue water, the only thing in sight being the pleasureboat bound for Lincoln Park, already little more than a black dot in thedistance. Convinced of his complete helplessness, he sat down on thestool to consider the situation. 

He had been a fool; there was no doubt as to that; the only thing now washow he could best retrieve his folly. He had walked blindly into a trap, suspecting nothing, confidently relying on his own smartness, believinghimself unknown. Now he must find his way out. It angered him to realizehow easily it had been accomplished; not so much as a blow struck; noopportunity even for him to cry out an alarm--only that dark cabin, andthe threatening revolver shoved against his cheek. He wondered whereMcAdams was; perhaps hunting him even then on the pier; and Sexton, whathad he succeeded in discovering out at Fairlawn? That Natalie Coolidgehad returned home, no doubt. At least he no longer believed she was withthis yachting party--evidently there was but one woman on board. Yet, whether she was there or not, it was clear enough from what he had heardthat this sudden voyage of the _Seminole_ had some direct connection withthe mystery he was endeavouring to solve. That was why he had beendecoyed aboard, and made prisoner--to keep him silent; to get himsecurely out of the way. Yet this knowledge revealed nothing as to whattheir real purpose was. 

What did they intend doing with him now that he was in their hands? Joehad declared his fate would be left with Hobart. Then it must be thatthey had a rendezvous arranged somewhere with that arch-conspirator, somehidden spot along the lake shore where they were to meet shortly, anddivide the spoils, or make further plans. Hobart unquestionably was theleader of the gang; but who was the woman? She had evidently been inMike's Place the night before, and had a glimpse of his face. She musthave left with that party in the automobile, yet she surely was not theone who had dropped that note begging the police to search this vessel. 

What then had become of the other? If she was being held prisoner, it wasnot at all probable she had been left somewhere ashore; apparently shehad reason to know where she was being taken--to the _Seminole_;otherwise she would never have written as she did. She must haveoverheard their plans, before she hastily scratched off the notedesperately; and yet those plans might have been changed. However, if so, why were these people--accomplices of Hobart no doubt--fleeing in theyacht, seeking to conceal their identity in an effort to disappear? Whatwere they fleeing from? Why were they so fearful of discovery by thepolice? What would cause them to kidnap him, merely on suspicion that hewas a friend of Natalie Coolidge? The very act was proof positive of thedesperation of their crime. It could be accounted for on no other theory. 

West paced the narrow space, his brain whirling, as he attempted toreason the affair out, his own helplessness becoming more and moreapparent. What could he do? There was but one answer--absolutely nothingas he was then situated. He could only wait for some movement on thepart of the others; his fate was out of his own hands; he had been afool, and must pay the price. The cords about his wrists chafed and hurtwith each movement. The metal wash-stand gave him an inspiration; itsupper strip was thin, and somewhat jagged along the edge; possibly itmight be utilized to sever the strands. It was better to try theexperiment than remain thus helplessly bound. With hands free he couldat least defend himself. 

He made the effort, doubtfully at first, but hope came as the sharp edgebegan to tear at the rope. It was slow work, awkward, requiring all thestrength of his arms, yet he felt sure of progress. He could feel thestrands yield little by little, and redoubled his efforts. It hurt, therope lacerating his wrists, and occasionally the jagged steel cut intothe flesh cruelly, but the thought of freedom outweighed the pain, and hepersevered manfully. At last, exercising all his muscle, the last frayedstrand snapped. His wrists were bleeding, and the hands numb, but thesevered cord lay on the floor and he again had the free use of his arms. The sudden freedom brought new hope and courage. He listened at the door, testing the knob cautiously. There was no yielding, and for the moment nosound reached him from without. The woman was doubtless there on guard, and any effort he might make to break down the door would only bring thewhole gang upon him. Unarmed, he could not hope to fight them all. As hestood there, hesitating, unable to determine what to attempt, he becameaware of a throbbing under foot, increasing in intensity. West knewinstantly what it meant--they were testing out the engine; if all workedwell, the boat would cast off. 

He sprang back to the port and stared out, eagerly hoping that, as theyswept out into the lake, he might find some opportunity to communicatewith some one on the pier. Perhaps by this time Mac would have arrived, and be watching their departure, unable to intervene, as he had nowarrant for arrest, or any definite knowledge that the yacht was beingused for a criminal purpose. He had not long to wait. Hurrying stepsechoed along the deck; a voice shouted out some order, and the end of aloosened rope dropped splashing into the water astern; the boat trembledto the pulsations of the engine, and West realized that it was at firstslowly, then more swiftly, slipping away into the broad water. Already hecould perceive the white wake astern, and, an instant later, as the turnto the right widened, he had a glimpse of the pier, already separatedfrom him by a broad expanse of trembling water. Above the noise his voicewould scarcely reach that distance. A crowd of people stood therewatching, clinging along the edge of the promenade--McAdams was not amongthem. It would be useless to strive to attract their attention; not oneamong them would comprehend; even if they did, not one of them couldhelp. He still stood there, gazing back at the fast receding pier, gradually becoming blurred in the distance, but hopelessly. He knew nowhe must face his fate alone. 

CHAPTER XXIII

THE FATE OF A PRISONER

The _Seminole_ headed straight out into the lake, its course evidently alittle to the north of east. The steady throb of the engine exhibited nolack of power, the snowy wake behind telling of rapid progress. There wasa distinct swell to the water, increasing as they advanced, but notenough to seriously retard speed, the sharp bow of the yacht cuttingthrough the waves like the blade of a knife, the broken water churningalong the sides. West clung to his perch, peering out through the openport, watching the fast disappearing shore line in the giant curve fromthe Municipal Pier northward to Lincoln Park. In spite of the brightnessoverhead, there must have been fog in the air, for that distant viewquickly became obscure and then as suddenly vanished altogether. Thereremained no sign of land in sight; only the seemingly limitless expanseof blue water, not so much as a trail of smoke breaking the encirclingrim of the sky. 

Except for the occasional tread of feet on the deck above, and the faintcall of a voice giving orders, the yacht seemed deserted, moving unguidedacross the waste of waters. No sound of movement or speech reached West'sears from the cabin, and he settled down into moody forgetfulness, stillstaring dully out through the open port. What was to be, would be, butthere was nothing for him to do but wait for those who held him prisoner, to act. He was still seated there, listless, incapable even of furtherthought, when the door was suddenly unlocked. He had barely time to ariseto his feet, when the man with the red moustache stepped within, facinghim, as he pushed tightly shut the door behind. The fellow's eyes saw thesevered rope on the floor, and he smiled, kicking the strands asidecontemptuously. 

"Smart enough for that, were you?" he asked. "Well, I would have takenthem off myself, if I had thought about it. How did you manage? Oh, Isee; rather a bright trick, old man. Feeling pretty fit, are you?"

West did not answer at once; this fellow had come with an object in mind, and his only desire was to baffle him. It was to be a contest of wits, and helpless as the prisoner was physically, he had no intention ofplaying into the other's hands. 

"I might be, if I knew what all this meant, " he said at last. "Haven'tyou got hold of the wrong party?"

The man laughed, standing where he blocked all passage. 

"I might have been convinced that I had an hour ago, " he answered coldly. "But since then I find I've made rather a good bet. I have the honour ofaddressing Captain West, I believe?"

"You have the name correct; there is no reason why I should deny that. Unfortunately, I do not know with whom I am conversing. "

"Quite easily remedied. I am Joe Hogan, commonly called 'Red' Hogan. Themoniker means nothing to you. "

"I never heard it before. "

"I thought not, which merely proves you are not a 'fly-cop, ' only ameasly busy-body sticking your nose into some one else's business. Well, we know how to take care of your kind, and this is likely to prove thelast case you'll dabble in for a while, my man. "

"What does that mean--a threat?"

"Never mind what it means; it is a straight tip. Now listen, West--Captain West I believe is the proper term of address--and you willunderstand better. When I got you in here I had no real knowledge as towho you were. I merely took a chance on what Mary had to say, and shetwigged you at once. She's smart, that woman; never forgets a face. Shesure did a good job this time. But after you were locked in safe, andnobody knew what had happened, and you certainly handled easily enough, Islipped ashore into the restaurant and called up Jim Hobart on the wire. Did he give me your pedigree? He did. Jim was about the happiest guy inthe town when he learned we had you bottled. Raised hell last night, didn't you? All right, my friend, you are going to pay the piper today. What got you into this muss, anyhow? You are no relation to the Coolidgegirl, are you?"

"None whatever; merely a friend. "

"Friend, hey! Well, she's a good looker; so this friendship stuff iseasily accounted for. Friend, hell!" he laughed. "You must have it bad toput on all these stunts for sweet friendship's sake. You wouldn't evenquit when she told you to. "

"I believed she was compelled to say what she did to me, " replied Westquietly. "That she was in Hobart's power, afraid of her life. There wasno other explanation of her strange action possible. "

"Is that so?"

"I am willing to listen to such an explanation, Hogan, and if satisfiedshe really wishes me to keep out of the affair, I will. "

"And if not?"

"Then I am going to fight in her cause to the very end of things. Youcannot frighten me; your only chance to influence my action is to makethings clear. I confess I have been fighting in the dark, not evencomprehending your purpose. I do know that the main stake your gang isafter is the Coolidge fortune; that, in order to get hold of it, you areobliged to keep control over Miss Natalie. But I can conceive no reasonwhy she should assist in the conspiracy. She certainly cannot bebenefited by having her own fortune stolen. This is what puzzles me, butit hasn't changed my loyalty to her. I still believe in her, and feelthat she is simply a victim of circumstances beyond her control. Am Ifrank enough?"

"Sure; it all means you intend to remain a blunder-headed fool defendinga girl who does not desire any defence--a Don Quixote tilting atwind-mills. That is your choice, is it?"

"Unless you care to explain clearly just how Miss Natalie's interests arebeing protected. "

"Which I am not at liberty to do at present. She is satisfied, and haspractically told you so, according to Jim Hobart. If you will not accepther word, there is no use of my saying anything about the matter. Besides, West, frankly I don't give a damn what you think. We've got yousafe enough, where you can't do anything, even if you want to--so, whyworry? Twenty-four hours more will finish our little job, and, until thattime is up, you'll remain right here; after that we don't care where inhell you go, or what you do--the game will have been played. "

The man's tone, and air of confidence was impressive; beyond doubthe felt that the cards were all in his hands. West drew in hisbreath sharply. 

"Apparently you are right, " he said quietly. "May I ask a question ortwo?"

"Fire away; I'll answer as I please. "

"Who is the woman on board?"

"Mary, you mean? Hobart's wife. "

"She came from the place on Wray Street last night in an auto?"

"Yes; I brought her along myself. "

"Alone?"

"There were two of us, Mark and I--why? what are you driving at?"

"Just putting some broken threads together. Then Natalie Coolidge is noton this yacht?"

"I should say not. What would we be doing with her out here?"

"Where is she then?"

"Oh, I begin to see what brought you aboard so easily, West. You thoughtwe had the lady kidnapped, and was sailing off with her. Some stunt that. What put the idea in your head?"

West hesitated a moment, but decided a truthful answer would do no harm. 

"I knew an automobile had driven out of the alley back of Mike's Place;and that a woman was in it. When I got away a little later, I picked up amessage--a note which had been dropped. It was written in a woman's handbut unsigned--"

"The little cat! She dropped it?"

"It seems so. You forgot yourself that time. So she was with you, wasshe?"

"I don't know what you mean. I told you who were with me. Go on; what didthe note say?"

"It was only a request for the police to search the _Seminole_ at once. "

"Oh, that's the way the wind blows. But you preferred to tackle the jobyourself. I am certainly obliged to you, West. "

"You have no reason to be. I took that note to the police, and they areon the case. They are combing the city right now for Hobart, and if theyget him, this bubble of yours is likely to be pricked. "

"Hell, they won't get him. There isn't a fly-cop in Chicago who couldlocate Jim in a week, and as for Natalie, believe me she is quite able totake care of herself. "

"But where is she?"

"At home, of course, if you must know--'Fairlawn, ' isn't that the name ofthe place? We left her there on our way to Jackson Park. "

"Then the girl was with you?"

"Spilled the beans, didn't I? That comes from talking too much. However, there is no harm done. Sure she left with us, but we droppedher out at Fairlawn. It was her machine we were riding in. Say, you'vequestioned me about enough, so let up. Listen now--you will stay inthis stateroom until we get ready to let you out. Don't try any funnybusiness either, for if you do, you are going to get hurt. There is aguard outside in the cabin, and we are not afraid to shoot out here onthe lake. Nobody knows where you are, West; so if you want to live, keep quiet--that's my advice. "

He started back, one hand on the knob of the door, but West stopped him. 

"Do you mind telling me where we are bound?" he questioned. 

Hogan smiled, but the smile was not altogether a pleasant one. 

"You will have to wait, and find that out for yourself, Captain. Myorders are not to talk. "

"From Hobart?"

"Sure; Jim is engineering this deal, and whatever he says goes, for he'sthe guy who has his hands on the dough--see?"

He slipped out, closing and locking the door behind him. West, morethoroughly confused than ever over the situation in which he foundhimself, paced the brief length of the narrow stateroom, and then pausedto stare moodily out of the port. His eyes rested on the same wideexpanse of water, no longer brightened by the glow of the sun. A mass ofclouds veiled the sky, while a floating bank of fog obscured the horizon, limiting the scope of his vision. Everything appeared grey and desolate, and the restless surge of waves were crested with foam. It was hard tojudge just where the sun was, yet he had an impression the vessel hadveered to the north, and was proceeding straight up the lake, alreadywell out of sight from either shore. 

He had learned little of the slightest value; merely that Natalie hadbeen of the party leaving in the automobile the night before. She, undoubtedly, had been the one who had dropped the note. Then, in spite ofall they said about her, in spite of what she had told him, she wasactually a prisoner, desperately begging for assistance to escape. As tothe other things Hogan had told him, the probability was they were mostlylies. West did not believe the girl had returned to 'Fairlawn, ' the storydid not sound natural. If she had written that note, these fellows wouldnever trust her alone, where she could communicate with friends. Theymight venture to send her in to talk with him, knowing her every word wasoverheard, but surely they would never be reckless enough to leave herfree to act as she pleased. That was unthinkable. Besides why should theyhave taken this yacht, and sailed it out secretly in the night unless shewas hidden away aboard? The only conceivable object would be to thus keepher safely beyond sight and hearing. And that would be a reason whyHobart's wife should also be on board--to look after the girl. The longerhe thought it all over, the more thoroughly was he convinced they wereboth prisoners on the same vessel. Yet what could he do? There was noanswer forthcoming; no possibility of breaking forth from that room wasapparent; he was unarmed, helpless. If he did succeed in breaking throughthe door, he would only encounter an armed guard, and pit himself againstfive or six men, criminals probably, who would count his death a smallmatter compared to their own safety. He sank down, with head in hishands, totally unnerved--it was his fate to attempt nothing; only to waiton fortune. 

Mark brought in food, merely opening the door slightly, and sliding thetray in on the floor. No words were exchanged, nor was the tray removeduntil just at twilight, when the fellow appeared again on a similarmission. It became dark, but no light was furnished. Outside the cloudshad thickened, and a heavy swell was tossing the vessel about ratherroughly. Seemingly the engine was merely endeavouring to maintainhead-way, with no port in immediate prospect; they were steeringaimlessly into the promise of a stormy night. No sound reached him fromthe cabin, and finally, worn out mentally and physically, West flunghimself on the lower bunk, and lay there motionless, staring up into theintense darkness. 

CHAPTER XXIV

THE SINKING YACHT

Lying there motionless, yet wide awake, his senses alert, every slightestsound and movement made clearer the situation. He could feel the labouredefforts of the vessel, the slap of waves against the side, the rush ofwater astern. Occasionally the echo of a voice reached him from the deckabove, and once footsteps were audible almost over his head. The enginestrokes were regular, but slow, the vibrations shaking the boat in itssturdy battling against the forces of the sea. The _Seminole_ rolledheavily, yet there was nothing at all alarming in her actions, and Westfelt no premonition of illness, or fear as to the sea-worthiness of thelittle craft. Whoever was handling her was evidently a seaman, quitecapable of conquering a storm of this magnitude. No noise came to himfrom the cabin, yet he had no thought it could be deserted. Hogan wouldcertainly retain a guard there, and probably others--with no duties ofseamanship weighing on them--would seek refuge there from the wind-sweptdeck above. No doubt the fellows had a skipper, as neither Hogan, nor theman Mark, bore any resemblance to a lake sailor. Quite possibly theentire crew were innocent of what was actually transpiring aboard, andequally indifferent, so long as their wages were satisfactory. Yet it waseven more probable that they had been selected for this special servicebecause of lack of ordinary scruples; men who would never question solong as the pay was adequate for the danger involved. It seemed to Westthe wind and sea were slowly decreasing in violence; there was less noiseand turmoil. The movement of the vessel began to lull him intoforgetfulness, his vigilance relapsed, his mind drifting in thought. Heendeavoured to arouse himself, to keep awake, but finally fatigueconquered, and he sank into a deep sleep. He had no knowledge of how longthis slumber lasted, or what suddenly awakened him, so startled at themoment that he sat up in the berth, staring into the blackness. Was it adream, or a reality? Had some one spoken? He could neither see nor hearanything; the boat seemed to be motionless, not even throbbing now to thebeat of the engine--the silence was uncanny. It seemed to him his ownheart had stopped, so still it was, and he felt a cold perspirationbreak out on his flesh. Something was wrong, must be wrong. Where werethey--at anchor in some harbour? or helplessly adrift on the lake? Thesea must have gone down; waves no longer dashed against the side, andthere was no shriek of wind overhead; the yacht rocked gently, as thoughthe swell of the sea no longer buffeted her; there was no sound of actionon the deck above. Then he heard a voice again, outside, reaching himthis time plainly through the open port. 

"All set, Mapes, " it said sharply. "Come on down. You finished the job?"

"Ay, ay, sir, " the answer gruff, but with a tinge of excitement in thetone. "She's fixed all right. Hold hard, now, mate. "

West, thoroughly aroused, realizing instantly the importance of thisnew move, and as quickly suspecting its purpose, leaped to theport-hole, and, endeavoured to gain a glimpse without. The night wasstill intensely black, the sky overcast and starless, the only glimmerof light the reflecting of foam tipped surges. If land was near itremained invisible, nor could he even be sure of the close proximity ofa boat. There seemed to be a smudge there at the left, a black, lumpingshadow, shapeless against the background of sea; yet he could not besure. Even as he gazed at it doubtfully, the dim object disappeared, fading away like a mirage. No sound reached him to cause the vision toseem real--no voice, no creak of oars, no flap of a sail; yet somethingtold him that mysterious shadow was a boat, a boat filled with men, creeping away silently into the night, fleeing from the yacht, andvanishing into the darkness. 

My God, what could such action mean? Why were these fellows deserting the_Seminole_, leaving him helpless aboard, locked into that stateroom? Wasthe yacht disabled? sinking? and had they merely forgotten him in theirown eagerness to escape? Were they in mid-lake? or close to some point ofland? Had every one gone, leaving the vessel totally abandoned, a wreckbuffeted by the surges, doomed to go down, unseen, its final fateunknown? Unknown! The word rising to his brain was the answer. There wasthe crest of the plot. What could be easier, or safer, than this ending?Who would ever know the truth? Who could ever prove anything, even ifthey suspected? And who was there to suspect?

No one had reason to believe he was aboard the _Seminole_; not evenMcAdams. If it was to their interest to get him permanently out of theway--if Hobart had so decided--what simpler method could be found thanthe sinking of the yacht? The very crew might be innocent of thepurpose, dupes of the conspiracy; they might even be unaware of hispresence aboard, and deceived by Hogan into the belief that the vesselhad opened a seam, and must sink shortly, would take to the boat withoutsuspecting any one was left behind. They could so testify in all honestyif any question ever arose. The very simplicity of the scheme meantsafety; yet the possibility of such cold blooded murder had never beforeoccurred to him. Unknown! without a trace left; only a boat crew landingsomewhere on the coast at dawn, and scattering to the four winds. It wasa plot infernal. 

West stopped, his hands clinched, his heart seeming to stop its pulsing. But if Natalie Coolidge was also prisoner on board, what of her? Wasn'tthat the very thing most probable? Of course it was; how foolish he hadbeen. These men, recklessly criminal, as they were, would never sacrificethe yacht, and risk their own lives, merely to put him out of the way. Hewas not important enough for that; he was but an incident. It was anaccident which had made him a prisoner. While this was--must be--acarefully arranged plan. The girl then must be the real victim; his ownplight arose merely because he chanced to be there, and the villains darenot leave him alive to tell the story. 

The certainty of this acted like an electric shock. He had not feltseriously alarmed before as to his own fate. He had only been consciousof a deep anger, a mad determination to make Hogan pay. If the _Seminole_was sinking, and beyond doubt this was the intention of those deserters, it was going down slowly, so slowly there would be ample time for escape. He was not asleep, but wide awake, and far from paralyzed by the danger. He was not the sort to give up while there was any hope left. Surely theguard in the cabin would have departed with the others, leaving him freeto act. He could smash his way out through that door, and find somethingon deck to construct a raft from. This was Lake Michigan, not the ocean, and not many hours would pass before he was picked up. Vessels wereconstantly passing, and daylight would bring rescue. 

But now the task became difficult. He must find the girl, and serve her. To his surprise, his heart beat rapidly in contemplation of the task. Surely she must welcome his coming to her assistance now. She would bealone, free to reveal the truth of all this strange mix-up of affairs;perhaps the old trust, the old confidence between them would be renewed. At least in the midst of such peril, alone on the sinking yacht, facingpossible death together, he would again discover the real NatalieCoolidge. The hope instantly inspired action. Every minute might meanlife or death; the work must be accomplished now, if ever. The _Seminole_was evidently deserted, the boat containing the fleeing crew already farenough away to be beyond sound of any noise he might make. He alreadyfelt the wallowing of the deck beneath his feet, a dead, dull feeling, evidence enough that the deserted vessel was slowly, but surely goingdown. The condition could not last long; faster and faster the waterwould seep into her hold, until suddenly, without warning, perhaps, shemust go down like a stone. 

All these thoughts flashed across his mind almost in an instant; therewas no hesitancy, no waste of time. His eager eyes searched the narrowconfines of the stateroom for some possible weapon with which to assailthe door. The stout stool alone seemed available. Swinging this over hisshoulder, hampered by the narrowness of space, he struck again and again, with all his strength, the upper panel splintering beneath the thirdcrashing blow. He could see nothing, but felt with his fingers along thejagged ends of the shattered wood, and redoubled his efforts, strikingwildly, but with effect, until suddenly the lock gave, and the door burstopen. He was in the main cabin, which was unlit and deserted. Standingthere confused in the grim silence, unable for the instant to determinehow to advance in the dark, he could hear the rapid beating of his ownheart, and the continuous lap of waves outside. God! how sodden the deckfelt under foot; what a sickening swell hurled the craft, and suchstillness! If the girl was aboard why did she not cry out? Surely shemust have heard that noise, the rain of blows, the crunch of wood. 

He stood, crouched, listening intently for something to guide him in theright direction. And yet, even if Natalie had heard, what reason wouldthe girl have to suspect the truth? Likely enough she was sound asleep, completely worn out, and with no knowledge of what had occurred on board. It was only the sound of that voice speaking loudly in the boat alongsidewhich had aroused him. She had no reason to suspect desertion, nooccasion to believe any other prisoner than herself was aboard. The noiseof crashing wood, even if it awoke her, would have no special meaning toher mind, only perhaps to add to her terror. He must act alone; there wasno other way. If he could only have a light of some kind, and not becompelled to grope blindly about in that intense darkness. 

He stepped cautiously forward, with hands outstretched, swaying to thesudden roll of the sinking hulk underneath his feet. He struck a piece offurniture, a bench bolted to the deck, and then his groping fingers camein sudden contact with the cabin wall, which he followed, circling to theleft. In this manner he succeeded in finally locating the door openingout on to the deck, and had grasped the knob, when a deep moan from theblack void behind caused him to become suddenly erect, his heart beatinglike a trip-hammer. No other sound followed, no repetition, and yet therecould be no mistaking what he had heard. It was a groan, a human groan, emanating from a spot but a few feet away. He took a single step in thatdirection; then hesitated, fearful of some trap; in the silence as hestood there poised, he could faintly distinguish the sound of some onebreathing unnaturally. 

"Who is there? Who moaned just now?" he asked, struggling to controlhis voice. 

"I did, " the answer was a mere husky whisper out of the darkness. "Masters, the watchman; but who are you? I don't know your voice. "

"It makes no difference; are you hurt? Where are you? How can Iget a light?"

"Yes, sir; I'm about done for I guess; you're over by the door, ain'tyou? There's a hangin' lantern just up above, if you've got a match withyou. Say, that looks good; I didn't hardly know but I was dead, it was soblack. But I never saw you before; how did you get aboard here?"

The flame of the match caught the wick, and flared up, throwing a dimillumination over the cabin interior. West drew down the glass, before heventured to glance in the direction of the voice. A man lay facing him, curled up on the deck, his hair, matted with blood, hanging over eyesthat were burning with fever. He made no attempt to rise, apparently wasunable to move, and a dark, bloody stain covered the deck. West sprangforward, and lifted the head on his arm. 

"You are hurt--badly?" he exclaimed. "What can I do for you?"

"Nuthin', I reckon, " still in that same strained whisper. "I'm donefor; no doubt of it. That guy got me. You ain't one o' that murderin'gang, are you?"

"No; I was a prisoner on board; I came here to help a girl. "

"A girl! Miss Coolidge you mean, sir?"

"Yes, Natalie Coolidge; do you know anything about her? Where she is?"

"Sure, I know; the damn whelps left her here; that was their dirty game, sir. 'Twas because I tried to unlock her door that Hogan slugged me. Theboat's goin' down, ain't it? I know'd it was; I heard the skunks talkabout what they was goin' to do, an' then I tried to get her out, sir. "

"You were the watchman?"

"Yes, sir; down in the lagoon at Jackson Park. These fellows come off tothe yacht about midnight, an' they had Miss Coolidge with 'em. That'swhat fooled me, sir, an' I let 'em get aboard, thinkin' it must be allright. After that I couldn't do nuthin'--there was six to one, an' that'Red' Hogan had a gun in his mitt. They hustled me down into the cabin. Ididn't even know she was a prisoner until they locked her into astateroom; then I got wise, but it was too late. "

"And she is there yet, Masters? What room is it?"

"The last one to the right, sir. Don't you mind about me; I'm done for, but maybe there's a chance for you two. "

CHAPTER XXV

FREE OF THE YACHT

The man was evidently dying. West, from his experience on Europeanbattle-fields, felt assured the end was indeed close at hand. His faceunder the flitting rays of the swinging light was ghastly and drawn, hiswords were barely audible, and painfully uttered, while, as the armsupporting his head was withdrawn, he sank back heavily into his formerposition, and his eyes instantly closed. Only as West bent lower could hedetermine the surety of his breathing still. 

There was nothing to be done for Masters; no occasion for lingering therehelplessly. The yacht was sinking under their feet, going down slowly, but surely, and the end could not be far off. The very movement of thevessel sickened him, brought to him a sensation of fear. Moreover he knewthe truth now, and saw clearly his duty. The watchman had not told much, but it was sufficient to verify all his former suspicions. These fellowshe fought were desperate criminals, playing for high stakes, conspiringto even commit murder to achieve their object--which could be nothingless than gaining possession of the Coolidge fortune. To that end theyhad coolly planned the sinking of the _Seminole_ in mid-lake, with thehelpless girl locked securely in her cabin. It was a cowardly, diabolicalcrime, and yet, no doubt, they had figured it as the safest method ofcompletely disposing of her. And, but for the accident of his presence onboard, and his having been awakened by that incautious voice, the foulplot would probably have proven successful. They had already got safelyaway, leaving her behind a prisoner, her only possible rescuer thiswatchman wounded unto death. The yacht was sinking in the dark, goingsteadily down in those night shrouded waters. Who would ever know? Themain body of the crew, perhaps, never even dreamed of her presenceaboard. There was no evidence, nothing to convict the men really guilty. Here was the scheme of a master-mind in crime. West weaved his way acrossthe rolling deck of the cabin to the stateroom door Masters had pointedout as the one sheltering the girl. There was no sound from within, norwould the knob yield to his grasp. It was locked, the key gone. Therewas no time to wait and hunt for that missing piece of metal doubtlesssafely hidden in Hogan's pocket, or else thrown overboard; he must breaka way in; but first he must explain to her, so as to spare her the suddenfright of such an assault. He rapped sharply on the panel, pausing aninstant for a response. None came, and he knocked again more roughly. 

"Miss Coolidge: you are there, are you not?"

"Yes; who is that?" almost a cry of delight in the voice. "You--you havea voice I know. "

"I am Matthew West; but do not ask questions now. The yacht is goingdown, and I must break this door in to release you. Stand back while Ismash the boards. You hear and understand?"

"Yes--yes: I am safely away; have no fear. "

The light revealed the weapon he required just beyond where Masterslay--a heavy hatchet, still stained with blood, probably the veryinstrument with which the watchman had been brutally struck down. Thatmade no difference now, and West snatched it up, and began to splinterthe wood with well directed blows. He worked madly, feverishly, unable tojudge there in the cabin whether he had a minute, or an hour, in which toeffect their rescue. All he knew was that every second was worth saving, and with this impulse driving him, swung the sharp blade with all hisstrength and skill, gouging out great splinters of wood, and finallyforcing the lock to yield. He sprang eagerly through the opening, thehatchet still in his grasp, and faced her. 

She stood there looking straight at him, seemingly unable even yet towholly realize the marvellous truth of his presence. The light from theswinging lamp in the big cabin beyond, streamed in through the shattereddoorway, and revealed her face, pale, but unafraid, the eyes wide-open, the lips parted. An instant both paused, and then she cried out insudden relief. 

"Oh, it is really you, Captain West. I know now. What has happened? Howdid you come to be here?"

"Not now, " he insisted. "Don't ask me now. Just come as quick as you can. Do you not realize the boat is sinking, going down under our very feet?For all I know it may take the plunge before we can reach the deck. Thereis no time for anything but action. Quick; let me take your hand. "

She obeyed without a word, and he pressed her before him out through thedoor into the more brightly lighted cabin. Her eyes opened in horror atthe sight of Masters, and she drew back trembling against West's arm. 

"Who--who is that? A dead man?"

"I fear so; wait just a second until I learn; if he still lives we cannotleave him here. "

West bent over the motionless figure; the flesh was no longer warm; andhe could detect no breath. Satisfied, he regained his feet. 

"It is all over with, " he said gravely. "He is beyond human aid. "

"But--but, please, who is he?" she insisted, clinging to his arm. "SurelyI have seen the man before; what has happened?"

"He was the watchman on the yacht--Masters he said his name was, " Westexplained impatiently. "He was still alive when I first came, and told mewhere you were confined. He tried to serve you when the others left, andwas struck down by Hogan. "

"The others left! Is the boat deserted? Are we here all alone?"

"Yes; the villains left us both locked into state-rooms to die. Theydeserted the yacht, expecting it to sink, and take us both down with it. The craft is near foundering now, and our only hope is to obtain theopen deck at once. Do not question any more, but do just as I say. Youtrust me, do you not?"

"Trust you! of course I do. "

"Then let's talk afterwards. All I can think about now is how best tosave your life. "

She permitted him to draw her through the door on to the black, deserteddeck. For the first moment, as they hesitated there, little could beperceived other than vague shadows. The sky was overcast, but the windlight, yet with sufficient swell to the water to cause the yacht towallow uncomfortably. West, bracing himself to the sudden plunging, managed to reach the rail. He drew back, sick at heart at the sight ofthe waves lapping the side almost on a level with the sloping deck onwhich he stood. The sight brought home to him as never before the dreardeadly peril in which they were. It was already a matter of minutes; anysecond indeed that labouring hulk might take the fatal plunge. Theknowledge brought back all his soldier instincts of command, his roughinsistence. He would find some means of rescue; he must! He was backinstantly, grasping her arm. 

"Quick, " he cried. "You knew this yacht; what small boats did she carry?"

"Only the one; the other was so warped it had been taken ashore. "

"Only one! Those fellows put off in that. There was nothing else to savelife aboard?"

"There are life-belts here; see, hung to the front of the cabin. Was thatwhat you meant?"

"Yes, and no. " He snatched one from the hook, and hastily strapped itabout her. "These may help, but we shall need more. Was there nolife-raft? My God! there must surely be something of that kind. "

"Yes, there is; I remember now. It is forward there, near the engine-roomhatch. Percival Coolidge explained to me how it worked once. But--but Idon't believe just the two of us could ever launch it over the rail. "

"We will, because we must--it is our only hope. I'll take the other belt;now come. We haven't an instant to waste--the water is even now almostlevel with the deck; any second we may be awash, and go down like astone. Hold on tight to me. "

The deck was already sloping to port in a dangerous degree, and West wascompelled to cling to the rail, as they slowly made passage forwardthrough the darkness. Their eyes had by then adapted themselves to thenight, so as to distinguish larger objects, and, as there was no litterto encounter, as in the case of a ship wrecked by storm, the twoprogressed safely as far as the engine-hatch. Neither spoke, but Weststill clasped the hatchet, peering anxiously about for some signs of thelife-raft. He located it at last, securely fastened to the side of thedeck house, and, leaving the girl to hold herself upright as best shecould, began to hack it loose. It was quite an affair, cork-lined, andevidently capable of sustaining considerable weight when once launched inthe water, but cumbersome and hard to handle on deck, more particularlybecause of its awkward form. 

Fortunately it hung to the port side with a rather steep slant to therail, which was not high. The waters of the lake, threatening to engulfthem with every sodden roll of the vessel, were almost within reach of anoutstretched hand, while occasionally a wave danced along the bulwark, and scattered its spray over the deck. West, working with feverishimpatience, realized suddenly that his companion had deserted the placewhere he had left her and was also tugging and slashing at the lashingsof the raft. These finally yielded to their blind attack. Without theexchange of a word the two grasped the sides and shoved the thing harddown against the port rail. 

"Wait now, " he cried exultantly. "Stay behind, and brace yourself againstthe hatch-cover. I'll get underneath and lift. Once on the rail the twoof us must shove it free overboard. Here, keep a grip on this line, sothe raft can't float away. "

She understood instantly, and, with a single swift glance at her dimlyrevealed figure, West straightened up, bearing the full weight on hisshoulders, every muscle strained to the utmost, as he thus pressed itover inch by inch across the wooden barrier. Twice he stopped, breathless, trembling in every limb, seemingly unable to exert anotherpound of strength. Perspiration dripped from his face, his teeth clinchedin desperate determination. At the second pause, she was beside him, pressing her way in also beneath the sagging burden. He felt the pressureof her body. 

"No, no; I can make it alone, " he panted indignantly. 

"Not so well as we both can, working together. I am strong, Captain West. Try it again now, and see. "

Suddenly the great unwieldy mass moved, slid forward, poised itself aninstant on the rounded rail. The yacht rolled sharply to port, flingingboth on to the deck together, but sending the raft crunching overboard, clear of the side. West grasped her, and dragged her to her feet. His onethought was that they were actually going down, but, even as he held herin his arms, ready to leap out into the black water, the shudderingvessel, with a last despairing effort, partially righted herself, andstaggered on. 

"The rope, " he questioned. "Did you lose grip on the rope?"

"No, it is here. I can feel the jerk of the raft. "

"Thank God for that; let's pull it closer to the side. We can't wait totake anything with us; even if I knew where provision and blankets were, I could never find them in this darkness. I would not dare leave you tosearch; another dip like that must be the very last. Here, let me holdyou up; can you see the raft?"

"Yes; I'm sure it is just below; why I could almost touch it. "

"Can you jump to it from the rail? It is either that, or the water. Areyou afraid to try?"

"Afraid--no. Hold me; yes; that way, but--but what are you going to do?"

"Follow, of course; but I shall take to the water. There are no oarshere. Nothing to use as a substitute for them. I'll have to swim, andpush that old ark as far away as possible. When the yacht goes down, thesuction is liable to swamp us, if we are close in. "

"But I can swim, Captain West. "

"I am glad to know that; but now you do just as I say. There is nonecessity for both of us getting wet through. Are you ready?"

She poised herself, held steady by the grip of his hands, her eyes on thedark outline of the floating raft. There was no hesitancy, noquestioning. 

"Say when, " he said sharply. 

"Now. "

She sprang outward, and came down, sinking to her knees, and clingingfast, as the raft bobbed up and down under her sudden weight, dippinguntil the water rolled completely over it. 

CHAPTER XXVI

THE COMING OF DAWN

West leaned far out, and stared off at the faint blotch made by the raftagainst the water surface. He could perceive little except a bare, shapeless outline. 

"Did you make it? Are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm safe enough; but wet just the same; the thing bobbed under. "

"It will hold us up though, don't you think?"

"Why, of course, it will float; it is supposed to support four people. Itrides dry enough now. But--but, Captain West, I want you to come. "

"I'm coming; I'll throw my shoes and coat over there to you first. To berid of them will make swimming easier. Watch out now--good! Now draw inthe line; we may need it. Got it all right? Very well; here goes. "

He made the plunge, coming up to the surface close beside the raft, theedge of which he quickly grasped with his hands. The girl remainedmotionless, barely perceptible through the gloom, but with anxious eyesmarking his every movement. The frail support beneath her rose and fellon the swell of the waters, occasionally dipping beneath the surface. Beyond, a grim, black, threatening shadow, wallowed the wreck. West swamsteadily, urging the unwieldy raft away from the menacing side of thevessel, driven by the necessity of escaping the inevitable suction whenshe went down. It was a hard, slow push, the square sides of the raftoffering every obstacle to progress. Yet the waves and wind helpedsomewhat, the raft being lighter than the water-sogged _Seminole_, sothat gradually the distance widened, until there extended a considerablewaste of water between the two. Exhausted by his exertion, and breathinghard, West glanced back over his shoulder at the dimmer shadow of theyacht, now barely revealed against the clouded sky. The bulk of it seemedscarcely visible in any defined form above the level of the sea--the endmust be almost at hand. 

Satisfied that they were far enough away for safety, he clamberedcautiously upon the platform, the girl as carefully making room for himon the few dry planks. The raft tossed dizzily under the strain, but hemade it at last, the water draining from his soaked clothing, his fleshshivering at the touch of the cool night air. He sat up, his limbsbraced to hold him erect, glancing aside at her, wondering at hercontinued silence. Even in the darkness she must have known his eyes weresearching her face. 

"You are cold, " she said, doubtfully. "Here is your coat, and I have keptit dry--no, really, I do not need it; I am quite warmly dressed. "

He threw the garment over his wet shoulders, gratefully, and the two satthere very close together, staring back at the labouring _Seminole_. There was nothing to say, nothing to do; for the moment at least theywere safe, and perhaps morning would bring rescue. Suddenly Weststraightened up, aroused by a new interest--surely that last wave wententirely over the yacht's rail; he could see the white gleam of spray asit broke; and, yes, there was another! Unconsciously his hand reachedout and clasped that of his companion. She made no effort to draw away, and they sat there in awed silence, watching this weird tragedy of thesea, with bodies braced to meet the bobbing of the unwieldy supportbeneath them. 

At first the labouring vessel seemed to hold its own, fightingdesperately to remain afloat, a mere shadow above the surface. Then, almost without warning, the end came. She went down bow first, the sternlifting until West could discern the dark outlines of the screw, and thendropped like a stone, vanishing almost instantly. One moment she wasthere; the next had disappeared, the black waters closing over. There wasbut little evidence of what occurred; only a deeper swell, tossing theraft giddily about for a moment, and causing West to tighten his grip onthe girl's hand. She gave utterance to a half-smothered cry, and her bodydropped forward as though she would hide the scene from her eyes. 

"That is the last of the _Seminole_" West said, feeling the necessity ofstrengthening her. "But it is nothing to frighten you. We are safeenough here. "

"Oh, it is not that, " she explained hastily, lifting her head, and facinghim. "I--I do not think I am frightened. I have not broken down before, but--but I thought then of that dead man lying there all alone in thedark cabin. It seemed so terrible when the yacht sank. Please do not findfault with me. "

"That was not why I spoke. But you must keep your nerve; we may be afloatfor hours yet before we are picked up. "

"You are sure we will be?"

"The probability is altogether in our favour, " he insisted, as much toencourage himself as her. "This is Lake Michigan in summer time, andboats are plying everywhere. We shall surely be sighted by something whendaylight returns. There is no sign of a storm brewing, and all we need donow is hold on. "

She was silent a moment, with head again bent forward. 

"What do you suppose became of the men who deserted the yacht?" sheasked, her voice natural and quiet. 

"Ashore, perhaps, by this time. "

"Then we cannot be far away from land?"

"I have no means of knowing. Probably not, if they relied upon oars. "

"Why should they? There was a mast and sails stowed in the boat; theywere always kept there for an emergency. " She lifted her eyes, and staredabout into the gloom. "Do you suppose, Captain West, they could haveremained nearby to make sure the yacht sank?"

"No, I do not, " he said firmly. "I thought of that once myself; but it isnot at all probable. They were too certain they had done a good job, andtoo eager to get away safely. Hogan never deemed it possible for us toget away alive. As it was, the escape was almost a miracle. "

"A miracle!" softly. "Perhaps so, yet I know who accomplished it. I owemy life to you, Captain West, " she paused doubtfully, and then went onimpulsively. "Won't you explain to me now what it all means? How you cameto be here? and--and why those men sought in this way to kill me?"

"You do not know?"

"Only in the vaguest way; is it my fortune? I have been held prisoner;lied to, and yet nothing has been made clear. This man who went down inthe cabin--you said he died trying to save me?"

"Yes; he endeavoured to release you from the stateroom, and was caught byHogan. In the struggle he received a death wound. "

"I heard them fight. This Hogan then was the leader?"

"Of those on board--yes. But he is only the tool of others. This devilishconspiracy has been plotted for a long while. There must be a dozeninvolved in it, one way or another, but, as near as I can learn, thechief devil, the brains of the gang, is the fellow named Hobart. Have youknown him--long?"

She hesitated, and West glanced aside wonderingly. Would she venture todeny her knowledge of the man?

"No, " she said at last doubtfully, "not unless his other name was Jim. There was a fellow they called Jim. He was my jailer after that womanlocked me into a room. "

"A woman? The same one who was with you on the yacht?"

"Yes. "

"Where was this?"

"Why surely you must know. In that cottage where we stopped with PercivalCoolidge. "

He drew a deep breath, more thoroughly puzzled than ever. What could beher purpose to make so bold an effort to deceive? Did she imagine for amoment that he could be made to believe she had been continuously heldprisoner since that Sunday morning? It was preposterous. Why, he had seenher again and again with his own eyes; had talked with her, and so hadSexton. His heart sank, but he determined to go on, and learn how far shewould carry this strange tale. Perhaps out of the welter he could discernsome truth. 

"The fellow's name is Jim, all right, Jim Hobart. I've looked him up inthe police records. He is a confidence man, with one charge of assaultwith attempt to kill against him. Nothing lately, however; it seems hedisappeared about ten years ago, and has just drifted back. The womanpasses as his wife. You knew nothing of all this?"

"No; I only saw the man twice; he was very rough then, and swore when Iquestioned him. "

"And the woman?"

"She would not talk either; only once she told me that PercivalCoolidge had committed suicide. That made me wonder, for I believedhe had something to do with my being held there. What did he say whenhe returned to the auto without me? What explanation did he make formy absence?"

"Explanation! He needed none; you came out of the cottage with him. "

"I? What do you mean?"

"But I saw you with my own eyes, talked with you, and all three of usdrove back to 'Fairlawn' together. My God, Miss Natalie, have you lostyour mind? Do you even deny dismissing me from your service?"

She gazed at him through the gloom, utterly unable to comprehend. 

"I must have, if what you say is true, " she admitted, "For I certainlyhave no such recollection. "

"You remember nothing of going back with us to 'Fairlawn'?"

"Absolutely nothing. "

"Or of a conversation had with me later in the library?"

"No, Captain West. "

He stared off into the black night, his lips pressed closely together. Could this be false? Could she sit there calmly, in the midst of suchperil as surrounded them, and still deliberately endeavour to deceive?

"And you knew nothing of the death of Percival Coolidge, except what wastold you by that woman?"

"She brought me a newspaper which I read; that was all I knew. "

"And in that house on Wray Street where I met you again last night. Isuppose you were not there either?"

"Wray Street? I do not know; I was at some place with a saloon on theground floor. I could not tell you where it was. "

"That is where it was--Wray Street, on the northwest side, a thieves'rendezvous. And you talked with me there; tried to get me to quitfollowing you. You surely haven't forgotten that already?"

She dropped her face wearily into her hands, and her voicesounded listless. 

"I--I almost believe you are the crazy one, Captain West. I swear I havenever knowingly met, or spoken to you since we drove to that cottage onSunday. I cannot believe what you say. "

"Yet it is true, every word true"; he asserted stoutly. "Why else shouldI be here? You returned with us to 'Fairlawn, ' and we chatted togetherpleasantly all the way. Later you seemed to change, and discharged merather rudely. Then Percival Coolidge was killed--shot down by anassassin, not a suicide. I know because I found the body. You were at theinquest, and testified. I saw you with my own eyes. The next day youdischarged Sexton, and later he learned, and reported to me, that someone called you on the phone from Wray Street, and wanted you to come overthere at once. "

"Was that why you went there?"

"Yes; I felt something was wrong; the killing of Percival Coolidge hadaroused my suspicions; and I sought to learn who those people were youhad visited in the cottage. They were gone, and only for this telephonecall, I should have lost the trail entirely. I found you there, and thisfellow Hobart with you. "

"But, Captain West, I never saw you; I never left the room in the thirdstory where I was locked in, except when they took me away in a machineto the yacht. "

"You dropped a note in the alley, enclosed in a silver knife?"

"Yes, I did. I dared not hope it would be found, but I took the chance. Did you find it?"

"Sexton did, and that was what brought me here. "

"But it is all so strange, " she exclaimed despairingly. "How could I havedone all these things, been in all these places, and yet know nothingabout it? Could I have been drugged? or influenced in some way by thosepeople? I have read there is such a power--where one person can makeanother obey absolutely, with no knowledge of what he is doing; what dothey call that?"

"Hypnotism. I have seen it cut some odd capers; but I do not believe youwere either hypnotized or drugged. Good God; why did I not think of thissolution before? I must have been blind; that was not you; I can recall ahundred little things now to convince me. "

"What is it you mean?"

"Another woman played your part; a woman most wonderfully like you, evento the voice. There is no other solution of the problem. And that revealsthe plan of robbery--to get you out of the way, and then have her takethe fortune. Who would ever suspect such a fraud?"

She sat silent, motionless, apparently unable at once to grasp all themeaning in his words. It seemed unbelievable, and her gaze was straightout across the black waters, one hand clinging firmly to offset therocking of the frail raft. Then she pointed away into the distance. 

"See, there is light over there, " she exclaimed eagerly. "That must bethe east, and it is morning. "

CHAPTER XXVII

LOVE BREAKS SILENCE

West was so immersed in his own thoughts, awakened by these newdevelopments, he apparently did not hear what the girl said. She reachedout and pressed his arm. 

"Do you not see, Captain West? Daylight is coming; it is much lighterover there. "

He lifted his head, and looked where she pointed. A dull, grey lighttopped the waters, and the sky above held a faint tinge of crimson. Thewan glow accented the loneliness, and for the moment left him depressed. Was there ever a more sombre scene than was presented by that waste oftumbling waves, stretching to the horizon, arched over by a clouded sky?It grew clearer, more distinct, yet remained the same dead expanse ofrestless water, on which they tossed helplessly and alone. Nothing brokethe grimness of it, not even a bird in the air, or a leaping fish;complete desolation met the eye in every direction, a threatening, menacing dreariness amid which each approaching swell seemed about tosweep them to destruction. The wind increased slightly with the dawn, buffeting the frail raft to which they clung desperately, and showeringthem with spray, while, as the light became stronger, they searchedvainly for any sign of ship, or shadow of land. Nothing appeared withinrange of vision to break the drear monotony of grey sea and sky. Neitherfelt any desire to speak; they could only stare out silently across thedesolation of waters, feeling their helplessness and peril. This then wasthe morning they had struggled forward to--this green, grey monster, whose dripping jaws showered wet foam over them; this terriblenothingness which promised death. 

Her head sank forward into her hands, as though she would thus shut outthe whole weird picture, and West, aroused by the slight movement, glanced quickly aside. The sight of her distress gave him instant masteryover his own depression. His hand sought her own, where it gripped forsupport, and closed over it warmly. 

"It cannot be as bad as it seems, " he insisted, trying to say the wordscheerfully. "I know these waters, and they are never long deserted. Luckwill change surely; perhaps within the hour we shall be picked up, andcan laugh at all this experience. "

She lifted her head, and their eyes met frankly. 

"I am not afraid, " she protested. "Not physically, at least. Truly I havenot felt fear since you joined me, Captain West. Before that I was alone, and was frightened because I could not in the least understand why I wasbeing held a prisoner, or what my fate was to be. Now all I must meet isthe danger of the sea, with you to share the peril with me. "

"But you are very tired?"

"Perhaps so, yet I have not thought about that. There are other things;you do not believe in me. "

"Why say that?" he asked, in astonishment. "There is no question of thekind between us now. "

"Truly, is there not? There has been, however; I know from the way youspoke. What was it you believed of me--that--that I was part of thisconspiracy?"

"I do not know what I believed, if I actually believed anything, MissNatalie, " he explained rather lamely. "I cannot make the situationaltogether clear even to myself. You see I kept meeting and talking withyou--or I thought I did--and yet never found you to be the same. I wasall at sea, unable to get anything straight. One moment I was convincedof your innocence; the next something occurred to make you appear guilty, a co-conspirator with Jim Hobart. Under the circumstances, you cannotcondemn me justly. "

"Condemn! I do not. How could I? You must have kept faith in menevertheless, or you would never be here now. That is what seemsmarvellous to me--that you actually cared enough to believe. "

"I realize now that I have, " he said gravely. "Through it all I have kepta very large measure of faith in you. "

"Why should that faith have survived?" she questioned persistently, asthough doubt would not wholly leave her mind, "we had no time to reallyknow each other; only a few hours at the most, and even then you musthave deemed me a strange girl to ask of you what I did. Surely there wasnever a madder story told than the one I told you, and I couldn't haveproven an item of it. "

"Yet it has shown itself true, " he interrupted. 

"You actually believe then that there is another woman--a counterfeitof myself?"

"It is the only theory feasible; you have convinced me of that. "

"Yet this does not answer my question altogether. You are convinced now, perhaps, because you accept my word, but how have you kept faith in mewhen you believed just as strongly that it was actually I who met andtalked with you? I who was playing in the game with the man Hobart?"

"Will you believe what I say?"

"Implicitly. "

"Perhaps it sounds like a fairy tale, " he spoke frankly, his eyes seekingher own, all their surroundings forgotten in the eagerness of the moment, "but I will tell you the exact truth. Before this misunderstandingoccurred you had confided in me, trusted me, although I was a strangerand I believed absolutely in your story. I had that basis to rest on. Inaddition to this, those few hours I passed at 'Fairlawn' served toconfirm my faith. I got hold of various odds and ends of evidence whichconvinced me that something was wrong--that you were actually beingconspired against. I even gained a suspicion that Percival Coolidge wasthe actual leader of the conspiracy. "

"Percival Coolidge! but why? What could he gain by such a crime?"

"I have not found the answer yet, but my conviction remainsstrong--stronger, indeed, than ever since our talk last night. You couldnever have been made prisoner in that cottage without his connivance; hemust have lured you there for that particular purpose, so that this othergirl could take your place without danger of discovery. It was a neattrick, so well done as to even deceive me. The reason for Percival'sparticipation is only a guess, but my theory is the fellow had so juggledyour fortune, and the time for final accounting was so near, he had totake a desperate chance in order to save himself. "

"You mean the opportunity came, and he could not resist?"

"Perhaps so, and perhaps it was his own deliberate plan. That remains tobe discovered. My own theory is that when Hobart learned what PercivalCoolidge proposed doing, his own criminal tendencies told him that herewas some easy money. The girl was undoubtedly wholly under his control;some denizen of the underworld probably. She had already played her partsufficiently well to convince Hobart of success. Why then, shouldn't hehave this money instead of Percival? There was no reason except thatPercival was in the way. That was why he was killed. "

"By Hobart?"

"He may not have fired the shot, but I have no doubt he inspired it; andthe job was so expertly done the coroner called it suicide. The way wasopen; you were a prisoner, and the false Natalie Coolidge safelyinstalled as mistress of 'Fairlawn. ' No one apparently suspectedanything wrong. "

"And, " she questioned breathlessly, "the man meant to murder me also?"

"Not at that time in my judgment, " West answered thoughtfully. "Such anadditional crime was not a part of the original plan. There was noapparent necessity. Your estate was about to be settled finally, andgiven over to your control in accordance with the terms of your father'swill. Hobart must have known all this from Percival Coolidge, and exactlywhat steps must be taken to secure it. Once the money, and otherproperty, were delivered to the fake Natalie, the cashing in and get awaywould be easy; even the identity of the thieves would be concealed. Killing you was not at all necessary to the success of their scheme. "

"But they did try to kill me. "

"Yes, later, by the sinking of the yacht. Probably I am largelyresponsible for that. "

"You?"

"Yes; the persistency with which I stuck to the trail. They becamefrightened. My appearance in Wray Street must have been quite a shock, and when I succeeded in escaping from their trap there, Hobart veryevidently lost his head completely. He did not dare risk my ever findingyou. The knowledge that I was free, perhaps in communication with thepolice, led to your night trip to the _Seminole_, and the secret sinkingof the yacht. He had gone too far by then to hesitate at another murder. "

She waited breathlessly for him to go on, her eyes on the tumbling wasteof water. He remained quiet, motionless, and she turned toward himexpectantly. 

"I--I think I understand now, " she admitted, "how all this occurred; butwhy--why were you so persistent? There--there must have been a reasonmore impelling than a vague suspicion?"

"There was--the most compelling impulse in the world. "

"You mean faith in me?"

"Even more than that; love for you. Natalie, listen; what I have to saymay sound strange, cruel even under such conditions as now surround us, but you force me to say them. I love you, have loved you all the time, without fully realizing exactly what it meant. There have been times whenI have doubted you, when I could not wholly escape the evidence that youwere also concerned personally in this fraud. I have endeavoured towithdraw from the case, to forget, and blot everything from memory. Butsomething stronger than will prevented; I could not desert you; could notbelieve you were wilfully wrong. You understand what I mean. "

"Yes, " the words barely reaching him. "It was the other girl; sheundermined your faith. "

"That is the truth; yet how could it be, do you suppose? My very loveshould have enabled me to detect the difference. I can see now, thinkingback, where the fraud was even apparent--in mood, temper, action--and yetat the time these made no such impression. Even Sexton never questionedher identity; in face, figure, dress the resemblance was absolutelyperfect. Good heavens, but she is an actress!"

She touched his arm with her hand, and under the slight pressure helooked aside at her. 

"You know now, " she said softly, "and I know. All this is passed and gonebetween us. We are here alone, the sport of the waves, and I have noreason to be other than frank. I believe in you, Matthew West; in yourhonesty and manhood. You say you love me?"

"With all my heart and soul; it seems to me now I have always lovedyou--you came to me, the lady of my dreams. "

Her eyes were wet with unshed tears, yet she smiled back into his face, her voice trembling as she answered. 

"And I, " she said slowly, "have had no thought but of you since ourmorning in the garden together. How far away that seems. "

"You mean you love me?"

"Yes; I love you; there is no word stronger, but I would speak it--isthat not enough?"

He held her in his arms, in spite of the trembling raft, tossed by theswell of the sea, and crushed her against him in the ardent strain ofpassion. An instant she held her head back, her eyes gazing straight intohis; then, with sigh of content, yielded, and their lips met, and clung. 

The very silence aroused them, startled both into a swift realization ofthat dreary waste in which they floated helplessly alone, a drifting chipon the face of the waters. Her eyes swept the crest of the waves, and shewithdrew herself partially from his arms. 

"Why, we must be crazed to dream of happiness here, " she exclaimed. "Wasthere ever before so strange a confession of love? I am trying to bebrave--but--but that is too much; that waste of green water, with thegrey sky overhead. There is no ending to it--just death mocking us inevery wave. Oh, Matthew, can this be all? Only this little moment, andthen--the end?"

He held her hands tightly, his heart throbbing, but his courage andhope high. 

"No, dear, " he whispered eagerly. "Don't think that for a moment. We havepassed through too much to dream of such an ending now. There will beships--there must be. Look! what is that, yonder against the sky-line? Itis, sweet-heart; it is the smoke of a steamer. "

CHAPTER XXIII

AN ESCAPE FROM THE RAFT

They watched with sinking hearts, West rising to his knees, and shadinghis eyes with his hand, as that thin spiral of smoke crept along thehorizon, and finally disappeared into the north. The raft rode so low inthe water that no glimpse of the distant steamer could be perceived, and, when the last faint vestige of smoke vanished, neither said a word, butsat there silent, with clasped hands. The bitterness of disappointmentwore away slowly, and as the uneventful hours left them in the samehelpless condition, they fell again into fitful conversation, merely tothus bolster up courage, and lead their minds to other thoughts. It wasmaddening to sit there motionless and stare off across the desolatewater, seeing nothing but those white-crested surges sweeping constantlytoward them, and to feel the continuous leap and drop of the frail raft, which alone kept them afloat. 

The hours went by monotonously, with scarcely an occurrence to break thedreariness or bring a ray of hope. The clouds obscured the sky, yetoccasionally through some narrow rift, came a glimpse of the sun, as itrose to the zenith, and then began sinking into the west. The air wassoft, the breeze dying down, and the height of the waves decreasing; theraft floated more easily, and it no longer became necessary for them tocling tightly to the supports to prevent being flung overboard. But therecame out of the void no promise of rescue; the sea remained desolate anduntraversed, and finally a mist hung over the water, narrowing thehorizon. During the day they saw smoke but always far to the east, andquickly disappearing. Once West felt assured his eyes caught the glimmerof a white sail to the southward, but it was too far away for him to besure. At best, it was but a momentary vision, fading almost instantlyagainst the grey curtain of sky. He had scarcely attempted to point itout to Natalie when it completely vanished. 

Their effort to talk to each other ceased gradually; there was so littlethey could say in the presence of the growing peril surrounding them. They had become the helpless sport of the waves, unable to act, think orplan, surrounded by horror, and aimlessly drifting toward the gloom ofanother night. Wearied beyond all power of resistance, the girl sanklower and lower until she finally lay outstretched in utter abandonment. West thrust his coat beneath her head, securely binding her to the raftby the rope's end, and sat beside her dejectedly, staring forth into thesurrounding smother. She did not speak, and finally her eyes closed. Undoubtedly she slept, but he made every effort to remain awake and onwatch, rubbing his heavy eyes, and struggling madly to overcome thedrowsiness which assailed him. How long he won, he will never know; thesun was in the west, a red ball of fire showing dimly through the cloud, and all about the same dancing expanse of sea, drear, and dead. The raftrose and fell, rose and fell, so monotonously as to lull hisconsciousness imperceptibly; his head drooped forward, and with fingersstill automatically gripped for support, he fell sound asleep also. 

The raft drifted aimlessly on, the waves lapping its sides, and tossingit about as though in wanton play. The currents and the wind held it intheir relentless grip, and bore it steadily forward, surging along thegrey surface of the sea. The girl lay quiet, her face upturned, unconscious now of her dread surroundings; and the man swayed above her, his head bent upon his breast, both sleeping the sleep of sheerexhaustion. Out of the dim mist shrouding the eastern sky the vagueoutline of a distant steamer revealed itself for a moment, the smoke fromits stacks adding to the gathering gloom. It was but a vision fadingswiftly away into silence. No throb of the engines awoke the unconscioussleepers; no eye on the speeding deck saw the low-lying raft, or itsoccupants. The vessel vanished as suddenly as it had appeared, leavingnothing but a trackless waste of sea. The two slept on. 

It was the startled cry of Natalie that roused West, and brought hisdrooping head, upright. She was sitting up, still held safely by the coilof rope, and pointing excitedly behind him. 

"Oh, see there! Look where I point--isn't that land?"

The raft rocked as he swung his body hastily about, and gazed intently inthe direction indicated. Land! of course it was land; land already soclose at hand, his eyes could trace its conformation--the narrow strip ofsand beach, the sharp bluff beyond, the fringe of trees crowning thesummit. He rubbed his eyes, scarcely able to credit his sight, halfbelieving it a mirage. Yet the view remained unchanged; it was land, abit of the west shore, a short promontory running out into the laketoward which the raft, impelled by some hidden current, was steadilydrifting. His arm clapped the girl in sudden ecstasy. 

"Yes, it's land, thank God!" he exclaimed thoughtfully. "We are floatingashore, Natalie--saved in spite of ourselves. Why, we could not have beenso far out in the lake after all. That must be why all those vesselspassed to the east of us. I ought to have thought of that before; thosevillains would never have deserted the yacht in mid-lake, and taken tothe boat. They must have known they could make shore easily. "

Her glance searched the face of the bluff, which with each moment wasbecoming more distinctly visible. 

"You don't suppose they landed here, do you?"

"Not very likely; even if they did they are not here now. They would havemade it before daylight this morning. All the time we have been driftingout there they had to get away in. There is no danger that Hogan isanywhere along this shore now. "

"You think he and--and those others have all gone?"

"Yes; why should they hang around here? The last idea in their headswould be the possibility of our ever drifting in alive. Hogan has goneback to Chicago to make a report to Hobart, and the rest have scatteredlike a covey of partridges. Not one of them has a thought but that wewent down in the _Seminole_. Now they'll pull off their graft, and pullit quick. "

"And what will you do?"

"Get safely ashore first. It will be dark in less than an hour; but weare too far out yet to venture swimming. We shall have to hang tight tothe raft a while yet, and drift; the current is carrying us all right. Doyou see any sign of life over there--houses, or smoke?"

"No; I have been looking; the whole shore-line appears utterly deserted. Have you any idea where we can be?"

"Not the slightest; only this is certainly the west shore; there is nosuch abandoned spot anywhere between Chicago and Milwaukee, and we mustbe much farther north. They had plenty of time to put the yacht quite aways up shore before they sank her. "

"Hogan must have known where he was. "

"Unquestionably; it was all planned out; he knew exactly where heintended to land, and how long it would take them to reach there afterthey left the yacht. "

"Perhaps, " she suggested hesitatingly, "the gang had some rendezvous uphere in these north-woods, a place where they could hide. "

West shook his head negatively. 

"No, I don't think that; they may know the country, and how best to getaway quickly. But those fellows are city thieves--Hobart and Hogananyway--and would feel far safer back in their haunts in Chicago. Thereis no place like a big city to hide in, and besides, even if they havegot the money already, --which I doubt--there has been no chance to divideit, and 'Red' would never let Hobart get away without paying him hisshare. They are not loitering around here, Natalie, waiting for ghosts toappear; they are back in town hours ago. "

"But what can we do?"

"Get ashore first, of course, and discover the quickest way to return tothe city. None of this shore is deserted, and we'll find houses backbehind that fringe of woods. I figure we have a big advantage. We knowtheir real game now, and they are so sure we are both dead, they'lloperate in the open--walk right into a trap. By this time McAdams musthave discovered some clue as to the whereabouts of Hobart. With him underarrest, and our story told, some of these fellows will confess, and itwill all be over with. "

"But suppose they have already succeeded in their purpose?"

"That can hardly be possible, Natalie. There hasn't been time yet. Certain legal forms must be complied with. You could only draw alimited amount. "

"Until I reached a certain age; after which there was no restriction. Iattained that age yesterday. "

"And they are aware of it, no doubt. Yet there must be some legalauthorization necessary which may cause delay. The sooner we reachChicago, the better. It is twilight already--the sun has gone down behindthe bluff, but it will require an hour yet for this raft to drift intoshallow water. You swim, you told me?"

"Yes, very well indeed. "

"Shall we risk it then together? It is not far to the end of thepoint yonder. "

She looked where he pointed and smiled, glancing back into hisquestioning eyes. 

"Why, that involves no danger at all. I will do anything to get off thisraft. But if we are going to have light we must start at once. "

The two slipped silently over the edge of the dipping raft, and struckout for the nearest point of land, West loitering slightly behind, afraidlest she might be hampered, and perhaps dragged down by her water-soakedclothes. A few strokes reassured him as to this, as she struck outvigorously, her every motion exhibiting trained skill. She glanced backat him, and smiled at his precaution; then faced resolutely toward thedistant shore, swimming easily. He followed closely, timing his strokesto her own, confident, yet watchful still, while behind them, now but adim speck in the grey sea, wallowed the deserted raft. 

The distance was greater than it had seemed, the twilight deceiving theireyes, while their clothing had a tendency to retard progress. Weakened bylack of food, and buffetted by cross currents, both were decidedlyexhausted by the time their lowering feet finally touched bottom. Nataliestaggered, faint and dizzy from the exertion, but West grasped her in hisarms before she could fall, and carried her across the sand beach to thefoot of the cliff. She laughed as he laid her gently down in the softsand, putting up her arms to him like a child, and drawing his face downuntil their lips met. 

"Oh, " she exclaimed breathlessly, "That was glorious, but I hardly hadenough strength left to make it. It--it was an awfully long way. "

"There are currents off shore, " he explained. "That was what made theswimming so difficult. You are all right now. "

"Yes; at least I think so, " she sat up. "Why, it is almost dark already. I cannot see the old raft at all. I--I wish it would come ashore; it gaveyou to me, Matt. "

"And you are not sorry, even now, safe here on shore?"

"Sorry! Why I am the happiest girl in all the world this minute. I canhardly think about that money at all, or those scoundrels trying to robme. I am here with you, and you love me--what more can I ask? Is thatsilly, dear?"

He laughed, and kissed her, neither giving a thought to their drippinggarments, or a regret for the hardships they had passed through. Theywere there alone, safe, together--all else for the moment mattered not. 

"Yes, I love you, Natalie, dear, " he answered. "So it is not silly atall. But we must seek shelter and food. Are you strong enough now toclimb the bluff? See, there is a ravine leading up yonder, where thefooting is easier. "

She nodded her readiness to try, too happy for words, and hand in handthey toiled their way upward through the gloom. 

CHAPTER XXIX

THE HOUSE IN THE BLUFFS

The cleft in the bluff was both narrow and steep, but it gave thempassage. At the upper end Natalie's reserve strength suddenly desertedher, and she sank down on the grass, labouring for breath, feeling unableto advance a step farther. The days and nights of excitement, coupledwith lack of food and sleep, had left her physically weakened; nowsuddenly, even her will and courage both gave away. 

"No, it is nothing, " she explained in a whisper. "I am just completelytired out, I guess. You go on, Matt, and find some place of shelter. Leave me to lie here; I'll not move, and you can find me easily. All Iwant now is to rest a few moments. Afraid! no I'll not be afraid. Why, what is there to fear? this is a civilized country, isn't it? I'lljust sit where I am now until you come back--only--only don't go veryfar away. "

She held out her hand, and endeavoured to smile. 

"Desert me! Of course you are not, dear. I am bidding you go. I shallnot mind being left here alone. I am so tired. "

They were at the summit of the bluff, looking out over the lake, now amere darker blot. They could hear the dash of waves below them along theedge of sand. But in the opposite direction rose a somewhat higher ridgeon which trees grew, completely excluding the view beyond. Between thebranches the distant sky still retained a purple tinge from the sinkingsun, leaving the impression that it was much lighter up there. West feltthe importance of gaining a view inland before the closing down of nightobscured everything, and therefore reluctantly left her alone there whilehe made his way to the top of the ridge. Once there he could look acrossthe promontory of land, down into a little cove on the opposite side. Itwas well sheltered, and already wrapped in gloomy shadows, yet his eyesdetected the outline of a boat of some size drawn up on the sandy beach. Beyond the dim certainty of what it was he could perceive nothing withwhich to identify the craft, and deeming it some fishing boat, gave itspresence there no further heed. 

Glancing back to assure himself that Natalie was still safe where he hadleft her, he picked his way swiftly forward through the thick fringe offorest trees, until he came to the western edge of the wood, and couldview the country beyond in the last spectral glow of the dying day. Itwas a wild, broken country thus revealed to his gaze, a land of ridgesand ravines, rugged and picturesque, but exhibiting no evidence of roads, or inhabitants. Its very roughness of outline, and its sterile soil, explained the barrenness and desolation--a no-man's land, impossible ofcultivation, it remained neglected and unused. At first he was sure ofthis, his heart sinking at the deserted landscape. They must plungeblindly forward in the dark over that rough, trackless country, seekingsome possible shelter beyond. Weakened and exhausted as they both werethe task seemed almost an impossible one. Then his eyes caught a thinspiral of smoke rising from out a narrow valley almost directly beneathwhere he stood, the depths of which were totally concealed from sight. Ashe stared at this, uncertain of its reality, a single spark of lightwinked out at him through the darkness. There was certainly a habitationof some kind hidden away down there--a fisherman's hut likely--but itwould at least afford temporary shelter for the night; and there must bea road or path of some kind leading from it to the nearest village. Ifhe could only leave Natalie there in safe hands, in the security of ahome, however humble, food would give him strength to push on alone. Theone thought in his mind now was to telegraph McAdams, so as to circumventthe plans of those rascals in Chicago. This must be done, and it must bedone at the earliest moment possible. Perhaps the fisherman might possessa horse, or would carry the necessary message into town himself. Westturned and hastened back through the woods, clambering down the slope ofthe ridge in darkness to the spot where he had left the girl. For themoment he could not distinguish her presence in the gloom, and, fearinghe might have gone astray, called her name aloud. 

"Yes, " she answered. "I am here; to your right. I am, standing up. Haveyou discovered anything?"

"There is a house of some kind over yonder in a hollow just beyond theridge--more than likely a fisherman's hut, as there is a boat of somekind beached in the cove the other side of this promontory. We will haveto stumble along through the dark. Do you think you can make it?"

"Of course, I can, " and she placed her hand confidingly in his. "I am allright now; really I am; I guess all I needed was to get my breath. Do wego up here--the way you came back?"

"I presume so; I know no other passage, and found no path. "

"But, " she urged. "If there is a boat on the beach, isn't it likely therewould be a trail from there to this fisherman's hut?"

"Why, of course; it was stupid of me not to think of this before. Thesooner we start, the quicker we shall arrive. I want most of all totelegraph McAdams. "

"Who?"

"McAdams, the detective I told you about in Chicago, an old army buddy ofmine. He'll have Hobart located by this time, no doubt, and will put thescrews on him when he learns what has happened to us. "

"I see, " she agreed softly, "and if he does know the whole story we neednot be so crazy to get back. He will attend to everything. "

"Yes; we can wait up here until morning at least; you need a night'srest, and no wonder. "

He grasped her arm, helping her to clamber up the steep bank, suddenlybecoming aware that the sleeve felt dry. 

"Why, Natalie, your clothes seem to have all dried off already; mine aresoaked through, " he exclaimed in surprise. "What necromancy is this?"

She laughed, a faint tinge of mockery in the sound. 

"No mystery whatever; only a difference in texture, I imagine. This lightstuff dries quickly, exposed to the air. Did you think you had hold ofthe wrong girl?"

The tone of her voice stung slightly, causing him to make a sober answer. 

"That would, of course, be improbable, but I have been so completelydeceived, even by daylight, that I dare not affirm that it would proveimpossible. Your counterfeit is certainly a wizard. "

"She must be. But as she is miles away from here, you might let thesuspicion rest. Is this where we go down?"

She led the way, the action awakening no question in his mind. If hethought at all about her thus assuming the initiative, the suspicion wasdismissed with the idea that probably her eyes were more keen to discoverthe best path. In this she was certainly successful, and he contentedhimself by following her closely. The night was already dark, the wayirregular and confusing. She was but a dim shadow, advancingconfidently, and now and then in their descent, he reached out andtouched her to make sure of her presence. This action seemed to irritatefor she turned once, and objected shortly. 

"Oh, don't do that, please; it startles me. My nerves are all on edge. "

"Of course they are, dear, " he confessed apologetically. "I should haveknown better. It was so dark I almost thought you had slipped away. Theboat I told you about must be close at hand. "

"The boat; oh, yes, but it can be of no use to us now. Feel here withyour feet; I am sure this must be a path that I am in, and it can leadnowhere except to that house you saw. "

"Can you follow it?"

"I think so; it seems to go straight up through the ravine; see, you cantrace the bluff against the sky, and there is the opening just ahead ofus. You may take my arm again now, " she added graciously, "and then therewill be no danger of either getting lost. "

He gladly did as she suggested, yet, strangely enough, continued to feeldissatisfied. Vaguely he felt that in some almost imperceptible mannershe had changed her mood. He could not base his thoughts on a singleword, or action, yet he felt the difference--this was not the Natalie ofthe raft. She was too irritable; too sharp of speech. But then, no doubt, she was tired, worn out, her nerves broken; indeed he found it hard tocontrol himself, and he must not blame her for exhibiting weakness underthe strain. So he drove the thought from him, clinging close to her arm, and vaguely wondering how she was able to trace the path so easily. Theyseemed to progress through an impenetrable wall of blackness, and yet theway had been cleared of obstacles, and was reasonably smooth. The slopeupward was quite gradual, and the summit led directly into the mouth of asmall valley. By this time even West could recognize that they wereproceeding along a well used path, and he was not surprised when sheannounced the presence of the house before them, pointing out the dimshadow through the gloom. Otherwise his eyes might have failed todistinguish the outlines, but under her guidance he could make out enoughof its general form to assure him that they were approaching no merefisherman's shack. 

"That is no hut, " he exclaimed in surprise. "It looks more like amansion. "

"And why not?" pleasantly enough. "I have always heard these bluffs werefilled with summer homes. Unfortunately this one appears to be deserted. But we must go on, and try to discover some inhabitant. "

There was no light to guide them, yet the path was easily followed, through what apparently was an orchard, then through the gate of a rusticfence to a broad carriage drive, circling past the front door. All wassilence, desolation; no window exhibited a gleam of radiance, nor did asound greet them from any direction. They paused an instant before thefront door, uncertain how to proceed. 

"But there must be some one about here, " West insisted. "For this wasthe house I saw from the ridge, and there was a light burning then inone of the windows, and there was a wisp of smoke rising from a chimney. Perhaps the shutters are all closed, or, early as it is, the people mayhave retired. "

She stepped boldly forward, and placed her hand on the knob of the door. 

"Why, " she whispered, excitedly. "It is unlocked; see, I can open it. Perhaps something is wrong here. What shall we do?"

"Knock first; then if there is no response, we can feel our way aboutinside. My matches are all wet. "

She rapped sharply on the wood; waited for some reply, and then calledout. Not a sound reached them from within. The situation was strange, nerve-racking, and she shrank back as though frightened before the blacksilence confronting her. West, his teeth clinched, stepped in through theopen door, determined to learn the secret of that mysterious interior. With hands outstretched he felt his way forward, by sense of touch aloneassuring himself that he traversed a hall, carpeted, his extended armsbarely reaching from wall to wall. He encountered no furniture, and musthave advanced some two yards, before his groping disclosed the presenceof a closed door on the left. He had located the knob, when the outerdoor suddenly closed, as though blown shut by a draught of wind, and, atthe same instant, his eyes were blinded by a dazzling outburst of light. 

This came with such startling, unexpected brilliancy that West staggeredback as though struck. For the instant he was positively blind; then hedimly perceived a man standing before him--a man who, little by little, became more clearly defined, recognizable, suddenly exhibiting thefeatures of Jim Hobart, sarcastically grinning into his face. 

"You are evidently a cat of nine lives, West, " he said sneeringly. "Butthis ought to be the last of them. "

CHAPTER XXX

HOBART FORGETS AND TALKS

For a moment West lost all control over himself. He was too completelydazed for either words or action; could only stare into that mockingcountenance confronting him, endeavouring to sense what had reallyoccurred. He was undoubtedly trapped again, but how had the trick beenaccomplished? What devilish freak of ill luck had thus thrown them oncemore into the merciless hands of this ruffian? How could it have happenedso perfectly? The boat on the sand in the cove yonder; perhaps that wasthe key to the situation. Those fellows who had left the _Seminole_ tosink behind them, knew where they were when they deserted the yacht; theylanded at the nearest point along shore, where they had a rendezvousalready arranged for. Then what? The helpless raft had naturally driftedin the same direction, blown by the steady east wind, until gripped bythe land current, and thus finally driven into this opening on thecoast. His mind had grasped this view, this explanation, before he evenventured to turn his head, and glance at the girl. She stood leaning backagainst the closed door as though on guard, her uncovered hair ruffled, ascornful, defiant look in her eyes, the smile on her lips revealing thegleam of white teeth. In spite of a wonderful resemblance, a mysteriouscounterfeit in both features and expression, West knew now this was notNatalie Coolidge. Her dress, the way in which her hair was done, thesneering curl of her red mouth, were alike instantly convincing. He hadpermitted himself to be tricked again by the jade; the smart of the woundangered him beyond control. 

"You are not Miss Coolidge, " he insisted hotly. "Then who are you?"

She laughed, evidently enjoying the scene, confident of her owncleverness. 

"Oh, so even Captain West has at last penetrated the disguise. No, I amnot the lady you mention, if you must know. "

"Then who are you?"

She glanced toward Hobart, as though questioning, and the man answeredthe look gruffly. 

"Tell him if you want to, Del, " he said, with an oath. "It will never dothe guy any good. He's played his last hand in this game; he'll neverget away from me again. Spit it out. "

"All right, " with a mocking curtsey. "I've got an idea I'd like to tellhim; it is too good a joke to keep, and this fellow has certainly been aneasy mark. You never did catch on to me until I got into the wrongclothes, did you, old dear? Lord, but I could have had you making love tome, if I'd only have said the word--out there on the hills in the dark, hey! I sure wanted to laugh; but that tender tone of yours told me whatyou were up to; what sent you trailing us around the country--you wasplumb nutty after this Natalie Coolidge. That's the straight goods, isn'tit, Mister Captain West?"

"I care very much for Miss Coolidge, if that is what you mean. "

"Sure you do; and you've put up a game fight for her too, my boy. I'd like it in you if I wasn't on the other side. But you see wecan't be easy on you just because of that. Sentiment and romance isone thing, while business is another. You and I don't belong in thesame worlds--see? You can't rightly blame me because I was borndifferent, can you?"

"Perhaps not; what would you make me believe?"

"I thought I'd put it that way so you'd understand, that's all. There'sa difference in people, ain't there. I'm just as good looking as thisNatalie Coolidge, ain't I? Sure I am; you can't even tell us apart whenwe are dressed up alike. I could come in here, and have you make love tome inside of twenty minutes. But we ain't a bit alike for all that. She'sa lady, and I'm a crook--that's the difference. She's been brought upwith all the money she wants, while I've had to hustle for every pennysince I was a kid. Now life don't ever look the same to any two peoplelike that. "

"No, " West admitted, beginning to realize her defence. "It is hardlyprobable it would. "

"That's why I'm in this case, " she went on, apparently unheeding hisinterruption. "I was brought up a thief, and I don't know anything else. I never did care much, but in this Coolidge matter, I've got just as muchright to all that kale as she has--so naturally I'm going after it. "

"As much right, you say? Why, who are you?"

She stood up straight, and looked at him, her eyes burning. 

"Me!" scornfully, "Why I am Delia Hobart--'Diamond Del, ' they call me. "

"Yes, but that is not what you mean; that gives you no such right as youclaim. You are Hobart's daughter then?"

"I didn't say so, Mister Captain West. I told you my moniker, that's all. Jim here brought me up, but he ain't no father to me, and his wife ain'tmy mother. It took me a while to find that out, but I got the thingstraight at last. I saw then just what those two were driving at; first Ididn't take no particular interest in the scheme; then I got to thinkinguntil finally I hated that soft, downy thing; damn her, she'd robbed me, and I had a right to my share even if I had to steal it. "

"What soft, downy thing?"

"Natalie Coolidge! Bah, I went out to see her once. Jim took me andwe hid in the garden; and when I came back I was raving mad. Lord, why should that little idiot have everything while half the time Iwas hungry?"

"You mean you envied her?"

"Envied, hell! Didn't I have a right? Wasn't she my twin sister? Didn'tshe have it all, and I nothing?"

He gasped for breath at this sudden revelation. Then he laughed, convinced it could not be possible. 

"Who told you that?"

"Why, don't you believe it? Has she never said a word about it to you?"

"Certainly not. I am sure she possesses no knowledge of ever having had asister. Moreover, I do not believe it is true. If you had proof of suchrelationship, why didn't you go to her, and openly claim your share?"

"Go to her! me? Do you hear that Jim? Isn't he the cute little fixer?Why, of course, she knew it; there was nothing doing on the divide. It'sall straight enough, only we couldn't quite prove it by law; anyhow thatis what they told me--so we got at it from another direction. "

She seemed so convinced, so earnest in her statement that West inperplexity turned to glance at Hobart. 

"Do you make this claim also?" he asked. 

"What claim?"

"That this girl is a twin sister to Natalie Coolidge? Why, it ispreposterous. "

"Is it? Damned if I think so. Now look here, West; I don't know just whatthe Coolidge girl has been told; maybe she never even heard she had atwin sister. If they ever told her that she had, then they must have toldher also that the sister died in infancy. Anyhow, that's how it stands onthe records. There were just two people who knew different--do you getme? One of them is dead, but one of them is still alive. "

"Which one is dead?"

"Percival Coolidge; he knew too much and got gay; he planned to cop thewhole boodle. The fact is he started the whole scheme, soon as he learnedwho Del was, and planned it all out. He was up against it hard just thenfor money; he'd lost all his own, and couldn't get hold of Natalie'sbecause the old family lawyer watched things so close. "

"But if this girl was really entitled to a part of it, why not claimit by law?"

"We talked about that, but the chance didn't look good. Everything showedthe second child died; hospital records, doctor's certificate; therewasn't a link in the chain we could break. Percival wouldn't go on thestand, and there wasn't much he could swear to if he did. "

"But who was the other witness--the living one?"

"The nurse; she made the exchange of the dead baby for the living one. Itwas easily done as the child was really sick. "

"But for what object--revenge?"

"She was poor, and yielded to temptation. Percival Coolidge paid her tomake the exchange. I have never been able to learn what his originalpurpose was, but she thinks he believed the stolen child was a boy, andthat later, through him, the Coolidge money might be controlled. Howeverthe woman lost her nerve, and disappeared with the infant. She brought itup as her own in the west, where she married again. I am her secondhusband, and that is how I learned the truth. "

"The woman on the yacht?"

"Yes, you saw her. The child was brought up in our life; I figured onthis coup for years, and finally when all was ready, we came back eastagain. I had a plan, but I wasn't quite sure it would work until I couldsee the two girls together. After that it was like taking candy from akid. Hell, you are the only one who has even piped off the game. "

West looked closely at the man, who was thus coolly boasting of hisexploits, and then at the silent girl, whose eyes sullenly gave backtheir challenge. What did it all mean? Why were they calmly telling himthese things? Was it merely the egotism of crime, pride of achievement?or did Hobart hope in some way to thus win his assistance, or at leasthis silence?

"Why do you tell all this to me, Hobart?" he asked shortly. "You do notexpect me to play with you in the game, do you?"

"You!" the fellow laughed coarsely. "We don't care what you do, you youngfool. Del started this talking, and I let her go on. Then, when shestopped, I thought you might as well learn the rest of it. The fact is, West, we're fixed now so whatever you know won't hurt us any. We have asgood as got the swag; and, to make it absolutely safe, we've got both youand the girl. I'll say this for you, old man, you've sure put up a gamefight. I don't know how the hell you ever got out of that yacht alive, orever happened to drift in here. It was nothing but bull luck that gave usa glimpse of you tossing round on that raft--but after that it was deadeasy. Del here is some actorine. "

"Yes, " she broke in, "but I came near falling down this time. I forgotthey had been in the water, and my dress was dry as a bone--say, Ithought he'd tripped me sure. "

"You say you've got the swag?"

"All but in our hands; nobody can get it away from us. The court orderwas issued today; the entire estate placed, in accordance with the termsof the will, in the possession of Natalie Coolidge. Once the properreceipt is signed, all monies can be checked out by her. That aboutsettles it, doesn't it? Tomorrow Del and I will go down to the city, andturn the trick, and after that there is nothing left but the get-away. "

It was a cold blooded proposition, but neither face exhibited anyregret; both were intoxicated by success; untroubled by any scruplesof conscience. West felt the utter uselessness of an attempt to appealto either. 

"Where is Natalie Coolidge?" he asked, his own determination hardening. "What do you propose doing with her?"

Hobart's teeth exhibited themselves in a sardonic grin. 

"That is our business, but you can bet she'll not interfere. "

"And a similar answer, I presume, will apply also to my case?"

"It will. Don't make the mistake, West, of believing we are damn fools. Idon't know just why I've blowed all this to you, but it ain't going tohelp you any, you can be sure of that. In fact your knowing how the thingwas worked is liable to make things a blame sight harder in your case. Wewon't do no more talking; so go on in through that door. "

The fellow's demeanour had entirely changed; he was no longer pretendingto geniality, and his words were almost brutal. Apparently, all at once, it had dawned sharply upon him that they had made a mistake--had boastedfar too freely. Any slip now, after what had been said, would wreck theship. West faced him watchfully, fully aware of the desperate situation, instinctively feeling that this might be his last chance. 

"In there, you say?" indicating the closed door. 

"Yes; move!"

He did; with one swift leap forward, the whole impetus of his body behindthe blow, West drove his fist straight into the face confronting him. Thefellow reeled, clutched feebly at the smooth wall for support, droppedhelplessly forward, and fell headlong, with face hidden in outstretchedarms. The assailant sprang back, and turned, in a mad determination tocrash his way out through the locked door behind, but as suddenly stoppedstartled by the vision of a levelled revolver pointed at his head. 

"Not a move, " the girl said icily. "Take one step, and I'll kill you. "

Hobart lifted his head groggily, and pushed himself half-way up onhis knees. 

"Don't shoot unless he makes you, Del, " he ordered grimly. "We don't wantthat kind of row here. " He dragged himself painfully to the side door, and pressed it open. 

"Hey you!" he cried. "Come on out here. Now then, rough-house this guy!"

CHAPTER XXXI

McADAMS BLOWS IN

It was a real fight; they all knew that when it was finished. But it wasthree to one, with Hobart blocking the only open door, and egging themon, and the excited girl, backed into a corner out of the way, therevolver still gripped in her hand, ready for any emergency. Thenarrowness of the hall alone afforded West a chance, as the wallsprotected him, and compelled direct attack from in front. Yet thisadvantage only served to delay the ending. He recognized two of thefellows--"Red" Hogan and Mark--while the third man was a wiry littlebar-room scrapper, who smashed fiercely in through his guard, and finallygot a grip on his throat which could not be wrenched loose. The otherspounded him unmercifully, driving his head back against the wall. Hogansmashed him twice, crashing through his weak attempt at defence, and withthe second vicious drive, West went down for the count, lying motionlesson the floor, scarcely conscious that he was still living. 

Yet in a dazed, helpless way, he was aware of what was occurring abouthim; he could hear voices, feel the thud of a brutal kick. Some onedragged him out from the mess, and turned his face up to the light; buthe lay there barely breathing; his eyes tightly closed. 

"It's a knock-out all right, " Hogan declared. "That guy is good for anhour in dream-land. What's the dope?"

"We got to keep him here, that's all; and there's goin' to be no get-awaythis time. "

"How'd he do it before, Jim? did he tell you?"

"Not a damned word; I was fool enough to do all the talking. But thisfellow is too slick to take any more chances with. "

"Do you want him croaked?"

"No, I don't--not now. What the hell's the use? It would only make thingsharder. We're ready to make our get-away, ain't we? After tomorrow allhell can't get onto our trail. This guy's life wouldn't help us none, sofar as I can see. "

"Getting squeamish, ain't you?"

"No, I'm not. I've got as much reason to hate the fellow as you have, 'Red. ' He certainly swiped me one. Before we had the swag copped, I waswilling enough to put him out of the running. That was business. You suredid a fine job then, damn you; now I don't think it is your time to howl. Listen here, will you? From all I learn, this bird amounts to something;he ain't just a dago to be bumped off, and nobody care what's become ofhim. This guy has got friends. It won't help us any to be hunted afterfor murder on top of this other job. If we cop the kale, that's all we'reafter. Is that right, Del?"

The girl seemed to come forward, and face them defiantly. 

"Sure it's right. I never was for the strong arm stuff, Hogan. This is mygraft, anyhow, and not one of you stiffs gets a penny of it unless Isplit with you. This fellow isn't going to be slugged--that's flat. It isonly because he's fell in love with the Coolidge girl that he is here, and once we've skipped out, I don't wish the guy any bad luck. "

"You ought to have caught him yourself, Del, " some one said. "The birdnever would have known the difference. "

She laughed, quickly restored to good humour. 

"You're about right there, Dave, " she answered. "That was anothermistake; the only chance I ever had of marrying in high social circles. But hell, I'll be a lady tomorrow, so let's let the poor devil go. Wraphim up, and lay him away out in the garage. The walls are two foot solidstone; he'll stay buried there all right. "

Hogan growled in derision, yet it was evident that she and Hobart wouldhave their way. Some one brought a rope, which was deftly wound abouthim, West continuing to feign unconsciousness. He secretly hoped thiscondition might result in some carelessness on their part, in eitherspeech or action. Anyway it would undoubtedly save him from furtherbrutal treatment. He had no reason to suspect that his ruse wasquestioned. The fellows spoke freely while making him secure, but hegained very little information from their conversation--not a hint as towhere Natalie was confined, or how long it was proposed to hold themprisoners. Then "Red" and Dave lugged his limp body through severalrooms, out upon a back porch, finally dragging him down the steps andalong a cement drive way, letting him lie there a moment in the dark, while one of them unlocked a door. The next instant he was carelesslythrown inside, and the door forced back into place. He could hear Hoganswear outside, and then the sound of both men's feet on the drive asthey departed. 

With a struggle West managed to sit up, but could scarcely attempt more, as his arms were bound closely to his sides. The darkness about him wasintense, and, with the disappearance of the two men up the steps, alloutside sounds had ceased. He knew he had been flung into the garage andwas resting there on the hard cement floor. He could neither feel nor seeany machine, nor was there probably the slightest prospect of his gettingout unaided. Those fellows would never have left him there without guard, had they dreamed any escape was possible. The girl had affirmed thebuilding was constructed of stone, two feet thick. He stared around atthe impenetrable black wall completely defeated. Undoubtedly they had himthis time. He was weak from hunger, tired nearly to death; bruised andbattered until it seemed as though every muscle in his body throbbed withpain. Yet his mind was not on these things, only incidentally; histhought, his anxiety centred altogether on Natalie Coolidge. What hadbecome of her; where was she now? He had no reason to believe her in anygreat personal danger. If this gang, satisfied of success, were disposedto spare his life, it was hardly probable they would demand her's. Nowboth the desire for murder, and the necessity, had passed. The fellowsfelt supremely confident the spoils were already theirs, and that allthat was needed now to assure complete success was sufficient time inwhich to drop safely out of sight. Murder would hinder, rather than helpthis escape. 

But what a blind fool he had been; how strangely he had permitted thisgirl to lead him so easily astray. Why really, to his mind now, shepossessed no real resemblance to Natalie; not enough, at least, todeceive the keen eyes of love. She had the features, the eyes, the hair, the voice, a certain trick of speech, which, no doubt, she hadcultivated--but there were a thousand things in which she differed. Herlaugh was not the same, nor the expression of her lips; she was like acounterfeit beside a good coin. It was easy to conceive how others mightbe deceived by her tricks of resemblance--servants, ordinary friends, even the old lawyer in charge of the estate--but it was inexcusable forhim to have thus become a plaything. Yet he had, and now the mistake wastoo late to mend. He had left Natalie alone on the cliff, and thenblindly permitted this chit to lead him straight into Hobart's set trap. Angered beyond control at the memory, West swore, straining fiercely inthe vain endeavour to release his arms. Then, realizing his utterhelplessness, he sank back on the floor, and lay still. 

What was that? He listened, for an instant doubtful if he had reallyheard anything. Then he actually heard a sound. He doubted no longer, yetmade no effort to move, even holding his breath in suspense. There wasmovement of some kind back there--a cautious movement; seemingly the slowadvance of something across the floor, a dog perhaps. West's heartthrobbed with apprehension; suppose it was a dog, he had no means ofprotection from the brute. Cold sweat tingled on his flesh; there wasnothing he could do, no place where he could go. The thing was movingnearer; yet surely it could not be a dog; no dog would ever creep likethat. He could bear the strain no longer; it was beyond endurance. 

"What's moving back there?" he asked in a hoarse whisper. 

There was a moment of utter silence; then, a man's voice said in low, cautious tone. 

"The fellow ain't dead, Mac; anyhow he seems able to talk yet. "

"All right, we'll find out what he's got to say--go on along. "

West sat up, his heart bounding with sudden remembrance. 

"My God! McAdams is that you?"

"You have the name--who's speaking?"

"Matt West. Good God, but this is like a miracle. I'd played my lastcard. Come here, one of you, and cut these strings. I cannot even move, or stand up. Is it really you, Mac? Yes, yes, I am all right; theybruised me up a bit, of course, but that is nothing. Now I have a chanceto pay them out. But who are with you? and how did you come to be here?"

McAdams ran his knife blade through the lashings, feeling for them in thedark. Neither could see the other, but West realized that another man hadcrept up on the opposite side of him, and crouched there silently in theblackness. 

"Need any help, Mac?" the latter questioned in a whisper. 

"No, I've got him cut loose. This is the lad I told you about, Carlyn. You go on back, and, as soon as West gets limbered up a bit, and I hearhis story, we join you out there. Then we'll know how the ground lies. "

The fellow crept away unseen, and McAdams gripped West's hand. 

"Say, but this is mighty good luck, old boy, " he blurted out. "I wasafraid you'd gone down in that yacht last night. "

"You were! How did you know about it?"

"Stumbled on to the story, the way most detectives solve their mysteries. That is, I stumbled on some of it, and the rest I dug out for myself. Itwon't take long to explain and perhaps you better understand. They toldme at the office when I got back about the _Seminole_ being tied up atthe Municipal Pier, and that you had gone down there. Well, I made it asquick as I could, but the yacht was three hundred yards out in the lakeby the time I arrived. There wasn't a damn thing to take after it in, and, besides, just then, I didn't really know any good police reason forchasing her. First thing I did was to try and find you, so we could getour heads together. But you wasn't there, and so I naturally jumped tothe conclusion you must have got aboard someway. Say I combed that pier, believe me, West, and finally I ran across a kid who put me wise. He sawyou go across the deck, and into the cabin with two other guys. They cameout again, but you didn't. I pumped him until I got a pretty gooddescription of both those fellows, and I decided one of them must be'Red' Hogan, about the toughest gun-man in Chicago. "

"It was Hogan. "

"I made sure of that afterwards. Then I got busy. If you was in the handsof that guy, and his gang, the chances was dead against you. But therewasn't a darn thing I could do, except to hunt up Hobart, wire every townalong the north shore to keep an eye out for the yacht, and pick up athread or two around town. I got a bit at that to wise me up. We foundHobart hid away in a cheap hotel out on Broadway, and put a trailer onhim. The girl had disappeared; she'd been to a bank, and then to theCoolidge lawyer and signed some papers; after that we lost all trace ofher for awhile. Your man Sexton, out at 'Fairlawn, ' reported that shehadn't returned there. Then I got desperate and decided I'd blow thewhole thing to the Coolidge lawyer, and get him to take a hand. I wasafraid they were already for the get-a-way--see? I couldn't round 'em upalone; besides I'm a Chicago police officer, and have to keep more orless on my own beat. "

"And you told the lawyer?"

"Everything I knew, and some I guessed at. I thought the old guy wouldthrow a fit, but he didn't. He came through game after the first shock. But say, that dame had sold him out all right. He never had an inklinganything was wrong; no more did the banks. We went over, and talked tothe president of one of them--a smooth guy with white mutton chops--andthe girl had signed up the preliminary papers already, and tomorrow thewhole boodle was going to drop softly into her lap. Say, I felt betterwhen I learned they hadn't copped the swag yet. But just the same Ineeded help. "

"And you got it?"

"Sure; those two duffers coughed up money in a stream. Called in adetective agency, and gave me three operatives to work under me. Got thechief on the wire, and made him give me a free hand. Then I had a cinch. "

CHAPTER XXXII

A BRIDGE OF LOVE

He paused, listening, but all remained quiet without, and he resumed hisstory. "There is not much else to it, West. A little after one o'clockthe shadow phoned in from the Union depot that Hobart had just purchasedtwo tickets for Patacne. We hustled over, but were too late to catch thattrain, but learned the girl had accompanied him on the trip. We caughtanother rattler two hours later, and got off at Patacne, which is aboutthree miles west of here. It is not much of a job to gather up gossip ina small burg, and, inside of ten minutes, I had extracted all I neededfrom the station agent. It seems this outfit was the summer sensation outhere. We hoofed it for reasons of our own, and came around by way of thelake shore, aiming to keep out of sight until after dark. That is how wediscovered that _Seminole_ boat hauled up on the beach, but with no yachtin sight. One of the fellows with me said Hogan did a boat-sinking jobbefore and got away with it, and that is how I figured that maybe youwas at the bottom of Lake Michigan--see? Well, we crept up here throughthe woods, but nothing happened. Didn't look as if the place had a soulwithin a hundred miles of it--no smoke, no light; not a damn sound. Welaid out and waited, not sure what we were up against. Finally we jimmiedopen the back door of this garage, just to find out whether those guyshad a car out here, or not. They had, but we no more than located it whenthose two fellows came dragging you out of the back door of the house, and flung you in here like a bag of old linen. We lay still, and let themgo back, but we hadn't any notion whether you was dead or alive--orwhether it was really you; so we crawled up to find out. That's thestory. Now what do you think we better do?"

West moved his arms in an effort to restore circulation. 

"How many with you?"

"Four altogether--hard boiled, too--five with you. Is there any fightleft in you, old man?"

"I'll say there is; I'd certainly like to get in one clip at 'Red' beforethe fracas is over. "

"That sounds vicious. Now who is inside?"

"I saw five, and there may be others. If the crew of the _Seminole_ arehere also, that would make quite a bunch. "

"I don't think they are, Captain. The station agent said several menbought tickets to Chicago early this afternoon. It is the real gang we'vegot cornered. Do you know just who they are?"

"Those I saw were Hobart, 'Red' Hogan, the girl, a big fellow they calledMark who was on the yacht--"

"Mark Sennett; he's Hogan's side-kick, and tough as they make 'em. "

"And a wiry little black-haired devil by the name of Dave. "

"Hell, is he in this too? that must be 'Dago Dave. ' That guy would cutyour throat for fifty dollars. Any others?"

"Those were all I saw. No doubt Hobart's wife is in the house somewhere, guarding Natalie Coolidge probably. "

"Six altogether, counting the women. "

"Yes, and you better count them, for they will fight like tigers. Thegirl held me up at the point of a gun. "

"We've got to get the drop first, that's all. They're yellow, the wholeoutfit is yellow. Shootin' in the back is their style. Now, you know thelay inside the house; what is our best chance?"

West studied over the situation, his eyes staring into the darkness, andMcAdams waited. 

"Well, Mac, " he said finally. "This is a new job for me, but I'd put aman out in front, and then take the others in through the back door. We'dhave to rush it, of course. I know the front door is locked, and itcouldn't be broken down quickly. I listened when those fellows went back, and I heard no click, as though they had locked the door behind them. They don't know anybody has been after them except me, and they believe Iam done for. They feel so safe out here, they are a bit careless. I'llwager something we can walk straight in on the outfit; how does thatstrike you?"

"As the only feasible plan. Let's crawl out of here. "

The arrangements were quickly perfected; a short, whispered conferencein the dark; then one man crept silently away through the night towardthe front of the house. McAdams added a few more words of instruction tothe others, and, with West slightly in advance, revolvers drawn andready, the five stole forward in the direction of the rear porch. Thewindows were either heavily curtained, or covered by outside shades, forno gleam of light was anywhere visible. West mounted the back stepssilently, with McAdams close at his heels. A second later the entirebunch of officers were grouped before the door, poised breathless, listening for any sound from within. Nothing broke the impressivesilence, and McAdam's hand closed over the knob, which he turned slowly. The door opened quietly into a darkened interior. For an instant he bentforward, peering through the narrow crack, endeavouring to learn whatlay hidden beyond, the others quivering behind him. There was scarcelythe sound of a breath audible. The detective hesitated; such luck, suchcarelessness on the part of criminals seemed almost uncanny; he halfsuspected some trap. Then he became convinced that this was only theresult of recklessness--the fellows felt so safe in this hidden hole inthe woods as to neglect all precaution. He stepped cautiously inside, leaving the door ajar for the others to follow. Then theypaused--straight ahead a double swinging door divided the kitchen inwhich they were from another room beyond. Through the centre crack shonea single bar of light, barely visible, and forth through that sameorifice came the sound of a voice speaking. McAdams flung up his hand insignal, and then crept silently forward. 

It was apparently a quarrel among thieves over the spoils, each fearfullest the other was double-crossing. Hobart and "Red" Hogan were doingmost of the talking, although occasionally others chimed in, and oncethere was a woman's voice added to the debate. Seemingly the whole gangwere present; a strong odour of tobacco smoke stole through the crack inthe door, and both Hobart and Hogan swore angrily. Who was to remain outthere on guard while Hobart and the girl returned to Chicago for themoney was evidently the question, Hogan wishing to accompany them to makesure of his share. The woman sided with Hobart, the other men apparentlyranged up with "Red, " and some very plain talking was indulged in. 

McAdams listened grimly, the light through the crack showing his lipscurled in a smile of appreciation. He lowered his head, and with one eyeat the slight opening gained a glimpse of the lighted room beyond. Amoment, motionless, he stared in on the scene; then straightened up, and, with revolver in hand, signalled to the others to close in closer. Theystood there for a tense instant, poised and eager; then the doors wereflung crashing back, and they leaped recklessly forward, out of thedarkness into the light. It was a furious fight--sharp, merciless, uncompromising. The thieves, startled, desperate, were hurled back by thefirst rush against the further wall, tables and chairs overturned, theshrieking woman pushed headlong into one corner, and one of the fellowsdowned by the crashing butt of a revolver. But the others rallied, maddened, desperate, rats caught in a trap, fighting as animals fight. Hobart fired, catching an assailant in the arm; Hogan snatched up a chairand struck viciously at West, who leaped straight forward, breaking thefull force of the blow, and driving his own fist into the man's face. Itwas all over within a minute's fierce fighting--the surprise turning thetrick. Hobart went down cursing, the gun kicked out of his hand, his armbroken; Hogan, struggling still, but pinned to the floor by three men, was given a blow to the chin which left him unconscious, while the othertwo threw up their hands and yelled for mercy. McAdams wiped hisstreaming face, and looked around. 

It was a shambles, the floor spotted with blood, the table overturned andbroken, a blanket over one of the windows torn down, a smashed chair inone corner. The detective who had been shot was still lying in front ofthe door, "Red" lay motionless, a ghastly cut over his eye, and Hobart, his arm dangling, sat propped up against the wall, cursing, malevolent, but helpless. On the other side stood Sennett and "Dago Dave, " theirhands high above their heads; each looking into the levelled barrel of agun. The woman had got to her knees, still dazed from the blow which hadfelled her. The ex-service man smiled grimly, well satisfied. 

"Some surprise party, eh, Jim?" he asked pleasantly. "This rather puts acrimp in your little game, I would savy, old boy. Going to cop the wholeboodle tomorrow, was you?"

"Who the hell are you?"

"Well, if I answer your questions, perhaps you will answer mine. I amMcAdams of the City Hall Station, Chicago, and I know exactly what I amhere after. So the best thing you guys can do, is cough up. Who's thatgirl who has been working with you?"

Hobart glared sullenly, but made no response. 

"You'll not answer?"

"Oh, go to hell!"

"All right, old top. She is in this house somewhere, and can't get out. Somers, look around a bit; try behind those curtains over there. "

The officer stepped forward, but at the same instant the draperiesparted, and two girls stood beside each other in the opening, framedagainst the brighter glare of light beyond--two girls, looking so alike, except for dress and the arrangement of their hair, as to be almostindistinguishable--Natalie white faced, frightened, gazing with wide-openeyes on the strange scene before her; the other smiling, and audacious, her glance full of defiance. It was the voice of the latter which brokethe silence. 

"Am I the one you want, Mr. Bob McAdams?" she asked clearly. "Very well, I am here. "

McAdams stared at them both, gulping in startled surprise at the visionconfronting him, unable to find words. Then his eyes fixed themselves onthe face of the speaker. 

"What!" he burst forth. "You, Del? Great Scott! your name was Hobart, wasn't it? Why I never once connected you two together. Is--is this guyyour father?"

"I don't know about that, " she returned indifferently. "It is a matter ofargument I believe. However, Bob, what's the odds now? I am the oneyou're after, Mister fly-cop; and here I am. "

She walked forward, almost proudly, her eyes shining, and gazingfearlessly into his. He stepped back, one hand extended. 

"No, Del, this must be a mistake. I--I can't believe it of you, you--youare not a crook. "

"Oh, yes I am, " she insisted, but with a tremor in the low voice. "I've never been anything else, Bobby boy--thanks, thanks to thatthing down there. "

Natalie still remained poised uncertainly in the door-way, scarcelyrealizing what was occurring before her; she saw suddenly a familiarface, and held out her hands. 

"Oh, Matt, what is it?" she cried. "Is--is it all over?"

"Yes, all over, dear; these are police officers. "

"And that--that girl? She looks so much like me. Who is she? doyou know?"

West clasped her hands tightly, his voice sunk to a whisper. 

"She is your sister, Natalie, " he asserted soberly, "Your twin sister. "

Her unbelieving eyes swept to his face. 

"My sister; my twin sister? But I had none. "

"Yes, but you did, " he insisted gently. "You never knew it, but PercivalCoolidge did. This was his devilish scheme, plotted years ago when youwere born. Now here is the end of it--the girl is your sister. There isno doubt of that. "

"No doubt, you say! My sister!" Her head lifted, and there was a flame ofcolour in her cheeks. "My sister!" she repeated, as though she would thusmake it seem more true. "Then I will go to her, Matthew West. "

She loosened the clasp of her fingers and walked forward, unseeing hersurroundings, her eyes misted with tears. Straight across the room shewent, her hands outstretched to where the other shrank back from her inembarrassment--between them still the gulf which love must bridge. 

THE END