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diff --git a/43298.txt b/43298.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 0c2f730..0000000 --- a/43298.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,7353 +0,0 @@ - THE RIDDLE AND THE RING - - - - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost -no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it -under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this -eBook or online at http://www.gutenberg.org/license. - - - -Title: The Riddle and the Ring - or, Won by Nerve -Author: Gordon MacLaren -Release Date: July 24, 2013 [EBook #43298] -Language: English -Character set encoding: US-ASCII - - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE RIDDLE AND THE RING *** - - - - -Produced by Al Haines. - - - - -[Illustration: Cover] - - - - - The Riddle and the Ring; - - OR, - - WON BY NERVE - - - - BY - - GORDON MACLAREN - - [From _TOP-NOTCH MAGAZINE_] - - - - STREET & SMITH, PUBLISHERS - 79-89 SEVENTH AVE., NEW YORK CITY - - - - - Copyright, 1911 - By STREET & SMITH - - The Riddle and the Ring - - - - All rights reserved, including that of translation into foreign - languages, - including the Scandinavian. - - - - - *CONTENTS* - -CHAPTER - - I. THE LITTLE MAN IN BLACK. - II. AN AMAZING OFFER. - III. PANIC. - IV. THE EMERALD RING. - V. THE POWER OF AVARICE. - VI. AS IN A DREAM. - VII. NEW GRACE AND DIGNITY. - VIII. THE GATES OF CHANCE. - IX. A WOMAN IN DISTRESS. - X. SHIRLEY RIVES. - XI. HIDE AND SEEK. - XII. PUZZLED. - XIII. THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE. - XIV. FOLLOWED. - XV. THE GIRL WHO VANISHED. - XVI. ANOTHER WOMAN. - XVII. BEYOND BELIEF. - XVIII. CHAOS. - XIX. PROTECTIVE MEASURES. - XX. THE MAN WHO LOST. - XXI. IN THE NEXT COMPARTMENT. - XXII. THE TOUCH Of COLD STEEL. - XXIII. BY FORCE OF ARMS. - XXIV. THE EMPTY HOUSE. - XXV. THE FACE IN THE CANDLELIGHT. - XXVI. THE HAND OF FATE. - XXVII. THE LETTER. - XXVIII. THE HOUSE ON THE AVENUE. - XXIX. LAWRENCE PLEADS. - XXX. THE TANGLED WEB. - XXXI. DESPAIR. - XXXII. AN EXTRAORDINARY INTERVIEW. - XXXIII. GONE! - XXXIV. THE PUZZLE GROWS. - XXXV. THE ASTONISHING MRS. WILMERDING. - XXXVI. TAKING UP THE TRAIL. - XXXVII. TWO SHEETS OF PAPER. -XXXVIII. IN CAPITALS OF RED. - XXXIX. HAMERSLEY TAKES A HAND. - XL. THE OPEN DOOR. - XLI. AT CROSS-PURPOSES. - XLII. THE MAN IN THE MIRROR. - XLIII. HIS SECOND HALF. - XLIV. THE RIDDLE SOLVED. - XLV. THE GIFT OF THE RING. - - - - - *THE RIDDLE AND THE RING.* - - - - *CHAPTER I.* - - *THE LITTLE MAN IN BLACK.* - - -It was the second time the man had passed the bench, and, as their eyes -met for an instant before the stranger swiftly averted his head and -walked on, Barry Lawrence frowned with quick suspicion. Was it possible -that the intolerable persecution had begun again? For more than three -weeks he had been left in peace, and it seemed the irony of fate that -now, at a moment when he was tasting the bitter dregs of life, the -harassing should begin again. - -The next moment he shrugged his shoulders resignedly. After all, what -did it matter? They could get nothing from him now--he had nothing to -give. If they had indeed returned, they must soon discover that. - -The massive facade of the Pennsylvania Station had caught his eye, and -brought new hope to his numbed brain. Here at least would be -comparative warmth, and they could not very well turn him out. He could -pretend that he was waiting for a train, and might sit for hours in the -waiting room. After that---- Well, he did not wish to think of -afterward. - -He was only just beginning to recover from the stupefying cold which had -numbed and chilled him to the marrow, and driven him into the great -station to keep from dropping in the icy, wind-swept street. - -He fancied that the passing porters looked at him curiously. When the -announcer strolled near him, he felt impelled to turn toward the news -stand in the corner. At least he could afford a paper. It was about -the only thing he could buy now, and with it he could retire to the -waiting room with some semblance of naturalness. - -It was as he turned away from the stand that his eyes met, for the first -time, those of the little man in black. Lawrence did not notice his -appearance particularly then, but averted his eyes, and strode toward -the men's waiting room. Here it was much warmer. The benches were well -filled, but he found a seat facing the door, spread out his paper, and -began to read. - -Perhaps five minutes later he happened to glance up in time to see that -same short, slim, precise figure pass the bench on which he sat. Of -course, there might have been nothing more than a coincidence in -it--people are constantly walking about a station while waiting for a -train, and one frequently notices the same face half a dozen times in -the space of a few minutes. - -Still, Lawrence felt annoyed. His recent experience of having been -followed and spied upon had so worn on his nerves that he constantly -found himself suspicious of even the most casual glance. A frown -furrowed his wide forehead, and, though his eyes dropped again to the -printed sheet before him, he could not seem to dismiss the commonplace -stranger from his mind. - -Thus it happened that, when the man passed the bench again, Lawrence -threw back his head swiftly, and caught the pale, grayish eyes fixed on -his face with a stealthy, but unmistakably intent, scrutiny. The lids -drooped instantly, and the stranger continued his pacing without a -pause, Barry's glance followed him suspiciously. - -This man did not look at all like the others who had made his life -miserable for months. He seemed so insignificant, with his slight, -spare form, his pale eyes, and rather weak face. He looked more like a -bookkeeper or clerk, grown old and sedate in the service of some -long-established banking house, than anything Lawrence could think of; -though that did not seem to fit him exactly. - -Now the man had turned and was coming back, and Barry, noticing his face -intently, found himself wondering whether he was really old or not. -After all, he might easily have been thirty-five or so; it was his -iron-gray hair and curiously set expression which made him seem older. - -The young fellow's eyes dropped to the paper, and he waited for the -stranger to pass on. The latter did not pass, however. Instead, he -approached the bench, and quietly took the seat on Barry's left. There -was a momentary pause, during which Lawrence wondered what under the sun -was coming next. Then the unknown cleared his throat, shot a quick -glance at the stout man dozing at the end of the bench, and spoke. - -"I beg pardon," he said sedately, "but would you have any objection to -earning a thousand dollars?" - - - - - *CHAPTER II.* - - *AN AMAZING OFFER.* - - -Lawrence dropped his paper, and flashed a startled, bewildered glance at -the man beside him. For a moment he was silent, unable to credit his -senses. - -"What did you say?" he gasped at length. - -"I asked if you would care to earn a thousand dollars," the stranger -repeated, in a quiet, precise voice. - -Lawrence stared for a second longer, and then suddenly burst into a -harsh, mirthless laugh. For an instant he had been thrilled to the very -core. A thousand dollars! Good Lord! - -In that fleeting space there flashed through his brain a dozen -pictures--clear, vivid, and distinct. He saw restaurants such as he used -to patronize, with food--real food, and not the gross, coarse stuff one -ate simply to fill that gnawing, aching void. He saw theaters, with -their glittering lights and stirring music. He saw his old rooms, -cheery and homelike in the lamplight and the red glow of the grate fire. -He saw an overcoat, well cut, and lined with thick, warm fur, into which -he might snuggle and defy the bitter blasts which had sapped his -vitality and tortured him almost beyond endurance. He saw everything -that a thousand dollars would bring to him. - -And then he came to earth with a thud. Of course, the man was mad! - -"I can understand that this may seem a little odd to you," the stranger -went on, in that same dry, unemotional tone, "but the circumstances -themselves are somewhat out of the ordinary. I had hoped that you might -consider the matter favorably." - -Something in the other's calm, sedate, business-like manner made -Lawrence eye him again keenly. There was nothing in the least savoring -of insanity about the stranger. His whole personality fairly exuded -respectability. His pale eyes were quiet and steady--the eyes of a man -who might be utterly unemotional and lacking imagination, but scarcely -the eyes of a maniac. - -Somehow the glance steadied Barry, and brought him new hope. After all, -it would do no harm to inquire further into this extraordinary matter. -He could scarcely be worse off than he was now. - -"You can hardly blame me for being surprised," he said, with a faint, -whimsical smile. "I beg your pardon for laughing, but I couldn't help -it. If you will be a little more definite, and explain what I shall -have to do to earn this money, I'll be very glad to consider it." - -The stranger did not smile in answer. He simply nodded in a manner -betokening his satisfaction, and turned more directly toward Lawrence. - -"Good!" he said briefly, in that same low tone, which made it impossible -for any passer-by to hear him. "The matter is very simple. It will -take exactly one week of your time, at the end of which the thousand -dollars I shall hand you now will be yours, without further obligation -on your part." - -"You mean to pay me in advance?" Lawrence exclaimed incredulously. - -"I am obliged to. I think, however, that I may safely leave it to your -honor to fulfill the conditions I impose." - -Barry frowned. The situation was growing more and more puzzling, and -verging on the absurd. - -"And those conditions are?" he questioned. - -"Simply this," the unknown explained: "If you accept my proposition, you -will at once provide yourself with an ample wardrobe, including proper -evening clothes--provided, of course, that you are not already so -equipped." - -Barry's lips twitched as he remembered that empty hall bedroom over near -Tenth Avenue, but he made no comment save an understanding nod. - -"There are shops where a man of taste can obtain these things -ready-made," the stranger continued quietly. "I should prefer to have -them cut by a good tailor, but there is no time. Having secured the -wardrobe--you understand that there must be no stinting in either -quality or quantity--I will give you an additional sum for expenses. -You will go to the St. Albans Hotel, and engage a suite of rooms. You -know the house?" - -Lawrence shook his head. It seemed that he could not speak. His brain -was whirling, and he was beginning to wonder whether it might not be he -himself who had taken leave of his senses. One or the other of them must -be mad; there could be no doubt of that. - -"It is on Forty-fifth Street, just west of the avenue." The precise, -matter-of-fact tone of his companion's voice penetrated to Barry's -disordered brain, and again he felt that odd, reassuring sense he had -noticed before. "A quiet, high-class house. You will remain there for -just one week, beginning to-day. During that week you will dine every -night at the Waldorf; lunch each day at the Plaza, the Knickerbocker, -Shanley's, or restaurants of equal standing, and next Tuesday afternoon, -at three o'clock, the thousand dollars will be earned." - -Lawrence sat staring at him, open-mouthed, waiting for him to continue. -When it became evident that the little man had nothing more to say, -Barry's eyes threatened to pop out of his head. - -"Is that all?" he managed to stammer. - -"Yes." - -"You don't want me to do anything but that?" - -"No." - -"He is daffy!" Lawrence said to himself decidedly. "There can't be a -doubt of it. He's probably given his keeper the slip, and is having the -time of his life with me." - -For an instant his heart sank, for, in spite of everything, he had been -thrilled by the prospect opened up by the stranger's words. Then he -shrugged his shoulders. After all, it would be rather diverting to see -how the fellow would get out of the affair, and Barry was sadly in need -of something to take his mind from his own difficulties. - -"My time, then, except for lunching and dining and sleeping, will be my -own?" he inquired seriously. - -"Exactly." - -"You wish me to register at the St. Albans under my own name?" - -"That's a matter for you to decide. It's quite immaterial to me." - -"I suppose it would be a waste of time to inquire why you are willing to -pay such a sum for anything so very simple," Lawrence remarked -tentatively. - -"Quite so!" the stranger returned emphatically. "That is altogether my -affair. Well, what do you say?" - -Barry kept his face serious with difficulty. "Say?" he repeated. "Why, -I accept, of course. I'd be a fool not to." - -The unknown arose briskly. - -"Good!" he said. "Suppose we take a stroll outside. This place is -getting close." - -Without question, Lawrence followed him out into the great vaulted -space. What was the fellow going to do? How was he going to escape -carrying out his side of the bargain with any plausibility or grace? Of -course, he would get out of it somehow, for he was mad--mad as a March -hare. - -But, in spite of this conviction, Barry felt the blood tingling in his -finger tips as they walked past the news stand, past the ticket offices, -and on to the deserted extremity of the enormous marble hall. - - - - - *CHAPTER III.* - - *PANIC.* - - -Clear of the last passer-by, the little man paused, and thrust one hand -into the pocket of his inner coat. "There is one other condition," he -said, drawing out a thick leather wallet. "Under no circumstances must -you explain to any one where you obtained this money. You must be -silent regarding every particular of our meeting here, and the terms of -our bargain. I have your promise?" - -Lawrence, his eyes fixed incredulously on the bulging wallet, felt -something grip his throat. It could not be true--it simply could not! -And yet---- - -"I promise," he said, in a queer, hoarse voice. - -The stranger opened the leather flap, and showed the wallet crammed with -crisp bank notes. - -"I have your word to carry out faithfully every condition I have -mentioned?" he questioned briskly, fixing Barry with a keen glance. - -The latter tore his eyes from the bills, and returned the look. - -"I give you--my word--of honor," he stammered. - -His brain was whirling. He could not believe his senses. It was all a -mad illusion--a dream from which he must soon awake. His heart, -thudding loudly and unevenly, drove the blood into his face, a crimson -flood. He was trembling, but not with cold. The stranger's voice -seemed to come from far, far away; it had fallen to a mere whisper, -which Lawrence could barely catch. - -"There is a matter of another thousand dollars here for expenses," he -was saying. He held out the wallet, and Barry's fingers closed around -it instinctively. "That is all, I think. You know what you are to do, -and I can trust to your word of honor." - -Without another word, he turned and walked away. - -Lawrence sprang after him. "I haven't thanked you!" he exclaimed -incoherently. "You don't know--what you have done for me. I--I----" - -"I want no thanks," the stranger returned impatiently, his eyes fixed on -the great clock. "You can best show your gratitude by carrying out my -conditions to the letter. I am pressed for time. I can wait no longer. -Good-by!" - -As he hurried away, Lawrence stood staring after him, as if in a dream. -He saw the slim, somberly clad figure bustle past the waiting rooms and -through the doors into the train shed. A moment later the announcer -bellowed out the last call for a certain train, and his raucous voice -aroused Barry from the trance. - -He had thrust the wallet into his pocket, but now he took it out, and -opened it with trembling fingers. The bills were still there--new, -crisp, and yellow. His fingers touched them, and they did not crumble -into dust, as he almost expected them to do. Scraps of long-forgotten -fairy stories, read as a child, danced through his dazed brain, in which -benefactors in strange guises gave unexpected largess to starving, -freezing people. Nothing could be stranger than the appearance of the -little man in black. - -He laughed aloud. Then a thought came to him which swept the smile from -his lips and the color from his cheeks in the twinkling of an eye: The -bills were counterfeit! - -With blanched face and trembling fingers, he thrust the wallet back into -his pocket like a flash. What a fool he had been--what a bonehead! The -bills were counterfeit, and the stranger, followed closely, no doubt, by -detectives, had taken this way of getting them off his person. This -accounted for the stealth, the secrecy, of the transaction. This -explained everything which had been inexplicable. - -With a swift-drawn breath, Lawrence looked nervously around, to meet the -glance of a thin, wiry man standing in the center of the rotunda. Cold -chills began to course up and down Barry's spine. What should he do if -he were caught with the stuff in his pocket? If he could only escape -from the station there might be a chance of throwing it away unobserved. -If only he had not dropped his paper, he might, even here, tuck the -incriminating wallet in its folds, and fling both carelessly into the -rubbish can. What a fool he had been! - -Presently the man who had been watching him turned slowly away, and -walked toward one of the ticket windows. That was only a pretense, of -course. Lawrence realized that perfectly, and yet, relieved of the -stranger's scrutiny, he ventured to move toward the broad flight of -steps leading up to that long corridor, and thence to the street. - -The man did not turn, and Barry's speed increased. If he could only get -out of the station it would be all right. As his foot struck the bottom -step, his eyes, glancing backward, told him that the man was buying a -ticket. He could scarcely see through the back of his head. Perhaps -there was a slim chance, after all. - -Less than a minute later he flung himself out into the icy street, with -a gasp of thanksgiving. Hurrying past the long front of the building, it -seemed to him that every one must be staring after him. Through his -thin coat the wallet bulged horribly. How could any one fail to guess -what was in it? - -Under normal conditions he was not a fellow to act in this fashion, but -conditions were far from normal. He was half starved, and half frozen. -He had lost his job four months before, under circumstances which made -it almost impossible to get another, and he was desperate. On top of -this, the extraordinary situation in which he found himself was enough -to make any man lose his head. - -But Lawrence did not quite do that. - -He was flustered, nervous, almost terrified; but through it all he clung -to one idea--to get back to his miserable room he had thought never to -see again. There, at least, he would have security for the moment, and -a chance to pull himself together. - -So he sped on, dodging through cross streets and down wide avenues, the -wind whistling in his ears unheeded, the cold penetrating anew his -flimsy garments. As block after block was set behind him without the -expected happening, a shaky sort of confidence began to take possession -of him. And when at last he ran up the steps of the dilapidated rooming -house on Twenty-fourth Street, he gave a long sigh of relief. - -"I'm glad I didn't throw it away, after all," he muttered, feeling for -his key with fingers blue with cold. "There's just a chance it may be -good." - -But in his heart he felt that the chance was slim indeed. - - - - - *CHAPTER IV.* - - *THE EMERALD RING.* - - -In the absorption of the greater trouble, Lawrence had quite forgotten -one of his lesser worries--his landlady. That argus-eyed female was on -the watch, however, and darted up from the basement just in time to -catch him in the hall. - -"I s'pose you're comin' to pay me the three weeks' rent you're owin'?" -she said, with sarcasm. - -Lawrence winced at her tone. He was not yet hardened to that sort of a -thing. - -"I hope to have it for you this afternoon, Mrs. Kerr," he returned -quietly. - -"You hope, do you?" shrilled the woman caustically. "Well, let me tell -you right here, I ain't livin' on hopes. If that money ain't paid down -by three o'clock, out you go. I don't care if it is below zero. I've -stood your triflin' long enough, an' if you can't pay you can beat it -an' find another lodging place. I hear they're letting loafers sleep in -the churches these nights. That might suit you, bein' it's free." - -Barry's face flushed, and his hand strayed toward the wallet in his -pocket. For a second he was sorely tempted to hand her one of those -crisp twenties, and tell her to keep the change. She would never find -out its worthlessness until he was safe away. He stifled the impulse, -however, and, repeating briefly that she should have her money that -afternoon, passed on up the stairs. - -The instant his door was shut and the key turned, he jerked the wallet -out and opened it with trembling fingers. As he shook out the mass of -yellowbacks on the bed, the sight of them was like a stab of a knife. -They looked so real it seemed impossible that they could be counterfeit. - -He took up a fifty, and, carrying it to the light, examined it closely, -feeling the texture and scrutinizing every little detail with care. He -could see nothing wrong about it. Four months before, had such a bill -been offered him at the bank, he would have accepted it without -hesitation. - -He took up another, which seemed equally good. He examined half a dozen -without finding a single flaw, and then decided that the trouble was in -himself. His judgment was no longer what it had been, and he dared not -trust it. - -"They look good, but they can't be," he muttered, frowning down at the -beautiful bits of yellow paper strewn so carelessly over the bed. "What -the mischief can I do?" - -For fully ten minutes he stood there, his eyes thoughtful and his -forehead wrinkled. Then, gathering the bills up, he put them all back -in the wallet save one, a ten; after which he lifted the mattress, and -shoved the wallet well underneath it. - -"There!" he said, straightening up; "now, if I'm pinched, they won't -find but one on me. I hate to take this over to the bank, but that's -the only way I can be sure." - -Ten minutes later he entered the big Twenty-third Street National Bank, -and walked directly to one of the tellers. - -"Will you kindly tell me if this is all right?" he said quietly, -thrusting the ten-dollar bill through the window. - -The teller picked it up, and examined it intently. Then he glanced -keenly and with some suspicion at Lawrence. - -The latter bore the scrutiny well, however, and the official looked the -bill over carefully again, drew it through his fingers, and finally -tossed it back. - -"Certainly it's good," he said, rather brusquely. "What made you think -it wasn't?" - -For a second Barry was silent. He could not have spoken to save his -life. Then he stammered something about "just wanting to make sure," -and turned away, quite heedless of the impatient exclamation of the -teller at having his time wasted in that manner. - -Lawrence had no distinct recollection of how he got back to his room. -His brain was in a whirl, and the only thing which stood out vivid and -clean-cut was the realization that the money was real. - -Real! Ye gods! The thought intoxicated him like champagne. He forgot -the cold and wind, his thin clothes, his ravenous hunger. He gave no -thought to who the donor might be, or how he had acquired those crisp -yellow bills. They were his, every one of them. All he had to do was -to buy clothes, to take an apartment at the St. Albans, to dine for a -week at the Waldorf! He laughed aloud, and a shivering, frosty-nosed -citizen turned and stared after him suspiciously as he hurried down the -street. - -Lawrence did not see this; nor, seeing, would he have cared. He flew -through the snowy streets, and on the doorstep of his lodging house was -smitten with a sudden fear for the safety of his treasure. Racing up -the two flights of stairs, he darted into his room and tore up the -mattress. - -The wallet was safe, but what might have been made him tingle all over -with a sickening sensation, for he had gone out without even locking his -door. - -Having turned the key, he sat down on the bed, and opened the wallet. -Slowly, deliberately, and with a delicious thrill, he counted the bills. -There were fifteen one hundreds, eight fifties, and an odd hundred -dollars in twenties and tens. - -Evidently the little man in black had been prepared for his acceptance -of the extraordinary offer, and the realization brought into Lawrence's -mind a swift wonder as to what it could all be about. What reason--what -possible reason--could the stranger have for making those astonishing, -seemingly absurd, conditions? What purpose would be accomplished by -Barry's appearing at the places mentioned for the short space of a week? - -Urged on by a fresh curiosity, Lawrence took up the wallet again, to -examine it for some mark of identification. - -It was of heavy pigskin, finely made, and bearing the stamp of a -well-known English firm. That much told nothing; but, in turning it -over, Barry noticed something which had escaped his attention before. -One corner was bulkier than the rest. His inquiring fingers told him -that there was undoubtedly a hard object in one of the numerous -compartments of the case. - -Eagerly he searched, and at last, slipping his fingers into a slit in -the back of the wallet, drew forth a ring. - -For a moment he sat staring at it in wonder and admiration, for it was -one of the strangest jewels he had ever seen. - -A great, square-cut emerald was in the center, and twined about it were -two serpents in dull, exquisitely chiseled gold, with tiny flecks of -emerald for their eyes. Their heads were slightly raised, and the -unknown craftsman had wrought them in amazing similitude to life. With -patient cunning he had carved each tiny line of flat, broad head and -sinuous, undulating body, until it seemed to Barry as if the things must -actually wriggle presently, and dart out forked tongues. - -"By Jove!" Lawrence exclaimed aloud. "I never saw anything like it in -all my life. That emerald's a perfect whopper, and must be worth a -fortune. He forgot to take it out, of course; and, hang it all, I don't -see how the mischief I can get it back to him. I don't even know his -name." - -He slipped it on his finger, and found that it fitted well. Then, as he -sat admiring its perfect, almost uncanny, beauty, the thought flashed -into his mind that, by its means, he might solve the mystery of the man -in black. - -"Of course he'll come for it," he thought. "I have only to keep it, and -he'll show up before long to claim it. Then perhaps I'll find out -something." - -He began to gather up the bills and stow them carefully away, his -fingers trembling with excitement. There was much to be done if he were -to carry out the stranger's conditions. - - - - - *CHAPTER V.* - - *THE POWER OF AVARICE.* - - -In the hall of the lodging house, Lawrence stood by the door, holding a -crisp yellowback in his hand. Mrs. Kerr was panting up the basement -stairs, from which came the odor of cooking cabbage to join the ghosts -of a thousand boiled dinners that lingered in the stuffy, airless place. - -Barry was not yet used to it. He felt stifled, breathless, almost -nauseated, and he longed to get away. He did not look at the ferretlike -face of the slovenly woman as he handed her the bill. There was -something about her he could not abide. - -"Here's your money," he said brusquely. "I am leaving at once." - -She grasped the bill, and examined it closely. Then she flashed a swift, -sidelong glance at Lawrence. There was something about his face and -bearing which she had never seen before, and it aroused her curiosity. - -"I ain't got a bit of change in the house," she said, in a very -different tone from the one she had used an hour before. "Mebbe you -want it to count on this week." - -Barry's fingers had closed around the knob. - -"You can keep the change," he returned shortly. "I said I was leaving -at once. I am not coming back." - -"Lord save us!" she gasped. "Don't say that, Mr. Lawrence. Don't say -as you're leavin' on account of them hasty words I spoke this mornin'. -Fergit it. I'm a lonely widder woman as has to work my fingers to the -bone to make both ends meet." Her voice took on a whining tone. "I has -to count every penny, an' sometimes I'm most distracted, an' says what I -don't mean. You----" - -She broke off abruptly as the door slammed, and instantly a venomous -expression leaped into her face. Like a flash, she had yanked the door -open, and run out on the little stoop, to peer around the corner. - -For a moment or two she stood shivering in the cold, her small, -close-set eyes fixed intently on the back of the man hurrying toward -Ninth Avenue. When he had disappeared she came back into the hall, her -face thoughtful. - -"Now, what's come to him, I wonder," she muttered, making her way slowly -back to the basement stairs. "It's somethin', I'll be bound. I never -seen him look that way before. He was excited, too, when he come in -before. If I'd had any sense I'd 'a' looked around his room whilst he -was out." - -An instant later she was pounding up the stairs to the top floor. The -door of the hall bedroom was ajar, and, pushing it open, she walked in. -For a moment she stood there, her sharp eyes taking in every detail of -the miserable place. The scantily covered bed showed signs of having -been sat upon, but that was nothing unusual. Most of Mrs. Kerr's -lodgers found the bed more comfortable than the straight, hard chair she -supplied. The woman noticed something else, however, which brought a -swift frown to her face, and made her step quickly forward, and jerk up -the cornhusk mattress. - -"He's been hiding something away here," she snapped aloud, peering -closely at the rusty springs. "I knowed it! What a fool I was not to -look before! but who'd 'a' thought it, after the times I've went through -his----" - -She broke off with a queer, choking sound, and in a second every trace -of color had left her face. For a moment she stood as if turned to -stone, staring at the floor with a look of utter incredulity in her -narrowed eyes. Then, with a guttural sound, half groan, half -exclamation of joy, she dropped on her knees and snatched up a crisp -twenty-dollar bill that lay under the bed. - -"Good Lord!" she gasped. - -Stumbling to her feet, she held it out, devouring it with her eyes. -Then, fumbling in her dress, she drew forth the money Lawrence had just -given her, and compared the two. Both were crisp and new and yellow; -both were uncreased, as if they had lain together in the same long -wallet or package. And Mrs. Kerr's eyes lit up with a horrible sort of -cupidity. - -"An' I let him go!" she muttered, through clenched teeth. "I let him -step out of the house with his pockets full of dough, leaving a twenty -behind he never knowed he'd lost! I'm a dope! But mebbe it ain't too -late. Mebbe---- Jim! Jim!" - -Her face flushed and mottled, her hands trembling, she flung herself -into the hall and down the stairs, calling the name at intervals. - -She had reached the second floor, and was panting toward a door in the -rear, when it was jerked open, and a man appeared on the threshold. - -"Shut your face, you fool!" he snarled. "What're you yowling round like -that for? You'll bust yer pipes!" - -She caught her breath with a queer gurgle, and, putting out both hands, -pushed him back into the room. - -"Wait till you see what I found," she gasped. "Wait till you hear----" - -Then the door slammed shut, and the sound of her voice ceased abruptly, -leaving the hall dark and silent, save only for the rapid, indistinct -murmur rising and falling in the room beyond. - - - - - *CHAPTER VI.* - - *AS IN A DREAM.* - - -It was not until he had reached Broadway that Lawrence remembered his -failure to turn over the latchkey before leaving the miserable lodgings -for good. For a moment he hesitated, wondering whether he ought to go -back. Then he remembered the extra money he had given the woman, and -the small cost of a new key. - -"She can get another for a quarter," he murmured. "Besides, I simply -couldn't go back there now. I wonder I was able to stand the old -harridan as long as I did." - -Dismissing the matter from his mind, he turned down Broadway, and a few -minutes later entered the big clothing store of Butler & Bloss. - -"I wish to look at some fur-lined coats," he said quietly to the -gray-haired man who stepped up to him. - -Whatever surprise the latter may have felt at this request from a man -wearing no overcoat at all, and a thinnish suit, at that, none showed in -his face. Besides looking the gentleman, Barry had an undeniable air -about him which commanded respect. No doubt he might have stepped in -from some near-by building without stopping to put on his overcoat. At -any rate, the customer had the appearance of one used to instant -consideration, so a salesman was summoned without delay, and Barry was -committed to his care. - -Lawrence had decided that about five hundred dollars of the expense sum -should be reserved for hotel, restaurants, and incidentals. The -remainder, therefore, was left to be spent on his wardrobe, for he had -determined to carry out the conditions of the strange bargain to the -very letter. - -For a full hour he was busy in the various departments of Butler & -Bloss, and though in that time he ran up a bill of close on to four -hundred dollars, the fur-lined coat was his only extravagance. Even -that was not expensive, as such things go, but he had been so cold for -so many days that he could not resist the handsome garment, with its -luxurious lining and wide collar of unplucked otter. - -In addition to this, he bought another, lighter overcoat, of soft dark -cheviot, two sack suits, and a Tuxedo. There were also, of course, -several pairs of shoes necessary, shirts of various sorts, collars, -neckties, underwear, gloves, and a quantity of various odds and ends, -which added materially to the total of the bill. When he had paid it, -and ordered the things delivered at the St. Albans before six o'clock, -he slipped into the fur coat, drew on a new pair of gloves, and went out -into the street. - -There he did not hesitate an instant, but made a bee line for the -nearest Broadway restaurant. The interest and excitement of spending -money after such a long deprivation had kept him from realizing how -ravenously hungry he was, but at the first lull the fact smote him with -renewed force. - -The glamour of that first real meal in weeks will linger long in the -memory of Barry Lawrence. He ordered lavishly, luxuriously, and yet -with the instinctive good taste which had characterized him in the days -when that sort of thing was a part of his regular life. And, as the -courses followed one another, he ate slowly, enjoying every mouthful, -reveling in the hum and buzz of conversation, the animated faces of the -people about him, and the plaintive murmur of violins playing the latest -popular airs. - -It was during the progress of the meal that he suddenly solved the -problem of the evening clothes which had been troubling him. A dress -suit had always seemed to him the one thing it was impossible to get -ready-made, and for that reason he had refrained from looking at them in -the shop. A sudden remembrance came to him, of the suit which Tyson, -his tailor, up on Thirty-eighth Street, had been making for him when the -crash came. He had never shown up for the final fitting, and it was -just possible that the man had held the garments, awaiting some word -from him. - -Having paid his bill and left the restaurant, Barry walked through to -Fifth Avenue and turned up that thoroughfare toward the tailor's rooms. -One might have supposed he would have taken a stage or taxi, but no such -thought entered his head. Walking, when one is well fed and well -clothed, is a very different thing from the exhausting struggle of that -morning, when the cold seemed to freeze his very marrow. - -He reveled in the warm comfort of his fur-lined coat and heavy deerskin -gloves. The passing crowd pleased him, and the very contents of the -shop windows interested him as they had never done when he had been -penniless. There were few things among the myriads displayed in such -tempting array which he could not step in and buy if he chose. The fact -that he did not choose made no difference whatever. - -Past the brick facade of the Waldorf he walked briskly, glancing in at -the dining-room windows with a smile. He would dine there later. It -was a pleasant thought. - -The tailor welcomed him heartily, gave the suit of evening clothes a -final fitting, and promised to have it completed and delivered at the -St. Albans by evening. - -Presently Lawrence crossed the avenue, and purchased a handsome stick. -A little farther on he remembered the need of cuff links and studs. A -firm of famed goldsmiths was near at hand, and without hesitation Barry -entered. - -As the tray of cuff links was lifted out and set on the glass case, -Lawrence naturally stripped off his gloves to examine the articles more -closely. He gave no thought to the fact that the serpent ring was still -on his finger, where he had placed it for safe-keeping, but he was -speedily reminded of its presence there by the behavior of the salesman. - -The man could scarcely keep his eyes off it. He stared and stared, -fidgeted about, and stared again. Finally, unable to contain himself -longer, he spoke. - -"I beg your pardon, sir," he said, in a quick, nervous manner, "but you -have a wonderful ring there." - -Lawrence did not lift his eyes from the tray. - -"I think it rather good myself," he admitted. - -His tone was intended to quell this unwelcome display of interest, but -it quite failed of its effect. - -"I have never seen anything like it before," the salesman went on -rapidly. "Would you mind if I--looked at it more closely?" - -Barry glanced up with a faint frown, alert for the hidden meaning in the -man's words. What he saw reassured him. The wide brow, the vibrant, -tapering fingers--above all, the soft brown eyes, shining with -enthusiastic interest--all pointed toward an expert in his line, to whom -a thing of beauty was a source of joy, no matter where he found it. - -Without a word, Lawrence extended his hand, and the salesman bent over -it, his eyes devouring the ring. - -"Extraordinary!" he murmured, half to himself. "The stone is perfect, -and worth a small fortune, but the workmanship is even more unusual." -He sighed a little, and went on in a rapt tone: "Eastern, of course. -Probably Indian, but not the stuff they make there now. I should place -it in the reign of Shah Jahan, the golden age of Delhi--over three -hundred years ago. But of course you know all this. I must beg your -pardon for letting my interest get the better of me." - -"You needn't," Barry returned. "I am very glad to know what you have -told me. The former owner of the ring gave me little or no information -of its history." - -Having, concluded his purchases, to which he added a silver cigarette -case, he continued his walk up the avenue in a rather thoughtful mood. - -So the ring had come from India! Still, that proved nothing. He could -not picture the little man in black having anything to do with that -country, and it did not really follow that he had. No doubt the emerald -had passed through numberless hands since leaving the loving fingers of -its creator. - -It was foolish to waste time puzzling over a problem the solution of -which was beyond his reach. Besides, Lawrence had a curious feeling of -irresponsibility, a conviction that he was in the hands of fate. What -was to be, would be. There was nothing left for him to do but float with -the current. Since that current promised at the moment to take him into -pleasant places, he made no effort to struggle out of it, or swim away. - - - - - *CHAPTER VII.* - - *NEW GRACE AND DIGNITY.* - - -It was half past six, and Lawrence stood in the bedroom of his -attractive suite, taking a last critical look at his reflection in the -long mirror. - -Mrs. Kerr would scarcely have recognized in that tall, distinguished -figure in evening dress her former lodger. Somehow, it was not the -clothes alone which made the difference, though they had, of course, -much to do with it. Few men there are who do not feel the influence of -well-cut, perfectly fitting evening clothes. - -With Barry, however, the transformation was something deeper and far -more encompassing. His face seemed actually fuller, and it glowed with -color. His eyes sparkled with excitement. He carried himself with a new -grace and dignity. His whole expression was that of a man in love with -life, and determined to extract from it the last drop of enjoyment. - -Naturally he was quite unconscious of all this as he stared into the -glass. He was occupied in noting the fit of the coat about his broad -shoulders, and the effect of the barber's shears upon his wavy blond -crop. Both seemed satisfactory. - -"Tyson never did a better piece of work in his life," he said aloud, -with satisfaction. - -Turning from the glass, he reached for his fur-lined coat, and slipped -it on. The room was cluttered with parcels and boxes, opened and -unopened. Clothes were strewn over bed and chairs. It was too late now -to put them away. He could do that later. - -Taking up the pigskin wallet from the dressing table, he extracted a -hundred dollars, and slipped the bills into an inner pocket. Downstairs -he handed the wallet to the clerk, asking him to put it into the safe, -and sallied forth to where a taxi waited by the curb. - -The corridors of the Waldorf were agleam with lights, and resounded with -a buzz of talk, the swish of skirts and gay laughter of pretty women, -not a few of whom turned for a second glance at Lawrence as he made his -way slowly to the dining room. - -Here the head waiter met him, and ushered him deferentially to the table -which had been reserved by telephone. Another man, deft and -silent-footed, took his order. - -Barry leaned back with a barely perceptible sigh of pleasure. It was -good to be back in his own world again; good to watch the many faces, -with their swiftly varying expressions, to hear the chance remarks that -filtered to his ears through the soft music from the orchestra. - -Resolutely he thrust all thought of the future from his mind. There -were to be six more nights like this, and when the last one had passed -it would be quite time to turn to serious things. - -The oysters had passed, and the soup. Barry was just finishing his -entree when, happening to glance around at a table standing somewhat -back of him and on his right, he experienced a shock. - -Two men were dining there alone. The one who faced him, and whose -expression was almost ludicrous in its mixture of startled surprise and -outraged anger, was short and stout and rather pompous. He was Robert -Tappin, president of the Beekman Trust Company. His companion, -black-haired and ruddy-cheeked, with full lips, and the blue tinge of a -heavy beard showing on his clean-shaven face, was Julian Farr, the -cashier. - -Lawrence disliked them both with the intensity which only a man can feel -for those who have wronged him deeply. A little over four months before -he had been one of the tellers in that institution. A defalcation was -discovered. Several thousand dollars was missing from the cash, and -Barry was accused of theft. There was no real proof against him, but -the money had been in his charge; and, though Lawrence vehemently -protested his innocence, he was summarily discharged. - -Not only that, but for weeks he had been followed by detectives set on -by Tappin for the purpose apparently of finding out what he had done -with the loot. Day and night they dogged his footsteps. Half a dozen -times Barry had landed a position, only to lose it the next day, certain -that these men had gone to his new employers with their lying tale. - -Now these two who had nearly wrecked his life must turn up here to spoil -his new-found pleasure. With sudden fierce determination, Lawrence -resolved that they should not. Pulling himself together, he met -Tappin's amazed look with a cool stare of utter blankness which -staggered the man. Then he turned back and went on composedly with his -dinner. - -It was impossible to forget them, however. Though he did not turn again, -he felt that their eyes were fixed upon him, and he knew as surely as if -he had heard the whispered words that they were talking about him. - -Nevertheless, he finished his meal leisurely. When the check had been -paid, he arose and made his way slowly toward the door, without a -backward glance. - -His preoccupation prevented his noticing a rather odd incident which -happened on his way out. Near the door, sitting alone at a small table, -was a short, thickset man of forty odd, with a rather full, round face, -helped out to some degree by a pointed Vandyke beard, tinged with gray. - -During the progress of the meal he had been not a little interested in -Lawrence, if one could judge by the frequent keen glances he shot across -the room. But now, as Barry came toward him, he swiftly dropped his -head, seemingly absorbed in the menu which lay before him. Not until -the younger man had disappeared did he raise his eyes, and then a close -observer might have noticed in them a curious, enigmatic expression. - -Within three minutes the table by the door was empty. - - - - - *CHAPTER VIII.* - - *THE GATES OF CHANCE.* - - -At the Fifth Avenue corner Lawrence paused, leaning on his stick, and -glancing up and down the brilliant thoroughfare. Though it was too late -for the theater, the night was still young, and he was wondering just -how he would put in the hours before bedtime. - -In the old days, before his disgrace, he would have headed straight for -the Harvard Club, on Forty-fourth Street, and been sure of a pleasant, -lazy evening; but now the thought did not appeal to him. In some ways -Barry was unusually sensitive, and it had happened that the few -acquaintances he encountered shortly after leaving the bank seemed cool -and offish in their manner. - -Whether that was really so, and chance had thrown the caddishly inclined -in his way, or whether he had simply imagined it all, did not matter -now. The result had been to embitter the young man, and make him -determined to take no further chances of snubbing from those he had -supposed his friends. - -The club was, therefore, impossible. It was equally out of the question -to look up any one else he had known in his prosperous days. As for -relatives--well, Barry was singularly deficient in that respect. Save -some cousins in Boston, and an aunt living in Providence, he was quite -alone in the world. - -In spite of this, the pause at the corner was not a long one. Lawrence -wanted to walk. The fascination of the great city still held him in a -vise. The novelty of seeing it in this wonderful new light had not even -begun to wear off. He wanted to watch the people, look into the shop -windows, smoke his cigar, secure in the knowledge that he was safe -against cold and hunger and distress. - -Wondering which way to turn, Barry's eyes fell upon an approaching -Thirty-fourth Street car, and whimsically he determined to take the -opposite direction to that of the first alighting passenger. With a -faint smile curving his sensitive mouth, and lurking in the pleasant -gray eyes, he saw a man bustle off the front platform, dart across the -tracks, and hurry on up the avenue. Then, without hesitation, Lawrence -wheeled about, and walked briskly downtown. - -There was a certain fascination in walking thus at random, having no -fixed plan, no definite destination. He had done exactly the same thing -in the weary weeks which now seemed so dim and nebulous and far away; -but this was quite different. He was well fed and immaculately garbed. -There was money in his pockets, and a fine cigar between his teeth. -When he tired of rambling he had simply to hail a taxi or step on a car -and be whirled back to the luxurious apartment which belonged to -him--for a week, at least. - -And so it pleased him to feel again that he was in the hands of fate; -that the gates of chance had opened to his touch, admitting him to a -strange, fantastic city where anything might happen, and nothing was -beyond the bounds of probability. - -As he walked briskly southward, he amused himself for a time by watching -the passers-by, and inventing stories to fit their appearance. But this -soon palled. They were all so bundled up, and hurried past so swiftly -through the bitter air, that all Barry could think of was how cold they -were and how anxious to get home. - -Then he took to regulating his course by means of odd devices. If a -certain man crossed the avenue at Twenty-eighth Street, he would follow -the example. If the next kept on downtown, Lawrence would turn eastward -on Twenty-seventh Street, and the like. - -It happened that the man turned into the side street, and Barry -continued straight ahead until, high above the icy branches of the naked -trees, the glittering Metropolitan Tower, ethereal and fairylike, in -spite of its colossal bulk, loomed before his eyes. - -He paused an instant, while the silvery chimes rang out the hour of -nine. There were many directions in which he might turn his steps, but -at the moment the square seemed singularly deserted. At length his -glance shifted to the bright, open space beyond him, where three streets -joined, and he smiled. - -"If that Broadway car is a Lexington," he murmured, "I'll cut across the -square." - -The car approached, swerved off, and turned east on Twenty-third Street; -and Lawrence promptly wheeled into the winding walk, and briskly -followed the diagonal course. - -The benches, usually so full of loungers, were deserted now. The -fountain in the center was filled with dingy snow, while ice glittered -on the iron railing about it. The wind, whistling across the open -space, penetrated even the thick fur of Barry's coat a little, and made -him half wish that guiding street car had not led him thither. He did -not turn back, however; he was too much interested in this game of -chance to give it up just because it had so far failed to bring him -anything out of the ordinary. - -Rounding the desolate fountain, he slipped on a treacherous bit of ice. -When he recovered his equilibrium, he saw that a woman was coming toward -him along the cement path. She walked hurriedly, yet there was an odd -touch of indecision in her movements which puzzled Barry. - -As they approached each other, she passed under the glare of an electric -light, and Lawrence noticed for the first time how slim and girlish she -was. She seemed little more than a child. Certainly she ought not to be -on the streets at that hour and in such bitter weather. - -As she came nearer he saw that she had no muff or neck-piece, and that -her little suit seemed woefully inadequate. Her face was invisible -under the wide brim of the black hat, but she did not pause or falter or -even glance up at him. - -Then came a sound which turned Barry's sigh into a quick gasp of pain, -and made him whirl around to stare after the slight, retreating figure. -It was a stifled sob, carried to his ears by the vagrant wind, until it -seemed as clear and pitiful as if she had stood close beside him. -Another followed, and another still. The girl was crying as if her -heart would break. - - - - - *CHAPTER IX.* - - *A WOMAN IN DISTRESS.* - - -For a second Lawrence stood rooted to the pavement. His first impulse -was to follow her. She was in trouble, and perhaps he could help her. -He took a few quick steps back toward the fountain, and stopped still. -How could he speak to her? How could he offer to do her a service? She -would misconstrue his motives, and be terrified. She would---- - -A faint cry, which was little more than a startled exclamation of -terror, cut short Barry's mental reasonings, and in a second he was -running forward with long, lithe strides. As he approached the fountain -he saw another figure scurrying away across the snow toward Madison -Avenue. The girl was crouching against the ice-covered railing, -steadying herself with one small, gloved hand, and, as Lawrence came -straight toward her, he saw that she was trembling violently. - -"You called me," he said quietly. - -For a second she made no response. Her fingers still clutched the iron -railing; her whole attitude was that of one driven into a corner and -standing at bay. From under the shadowy hat brim Barry could see that -her lips were pressed tightly together. Her eyes, wide with a desperate -sort of fear, were fixed upon his face. - -"I heard you call out," Barry said gently. "I thought you were -frightened at something." - -Something in his voice, or perhaps his face--the light was very bright -around the snowy fountain--reassured her. Her eyes lost a little of -that look of terror, and her fingers relaxed their grip on the iron -railing. - -"I was," she answered, in a low, uneven, and charming voice, "terribly -frightened. That--man----" - -Suddenly she put up both hands to her face, and swiftly turned from him. -Scarcely a sound came from her, but the sight of that bowed head and the -convulsively heaving shoulders, showing but too plainly through the thin -cloth of her short coat, hurt Lawrence desperately, and brought a lump -into his throat. She seemed so young and frail and girlish, so utterly -unfitted to cope with the world, that a quick impulse came to the man to -take her in his arms and comfort her exactly as one does a child. He -realized instantly, of course, that such a thing would be impossible. - -"Please don't," he said softly, after a moment's silence. "It's all -right now." He watched her trembling hands searching for a -handkerchief, and then he went on, with deliberately forced -cheerfulness: "I tell you what we'll do. If you'll let me, I'll walk -along with you, so there won't be a chance of anything like this -happening again." - -She ceased dabbing her eyes, and, turning slowly, looked long and -searchingly into his face. "You are very kind," she said at length, and -Barry caught again that faint, Southern intonation which he had not been -quite sure of before; "but it is a long distance, and I think I can -manage by myself. I--am used to going about alone." - -"But you really wouldn't be taking me out of my way--if that's what you -were thinking," Lawrence expostulated. "I haven't a thing to do. I'm -out for a walk, and one direction is just as good as another for me. I -hate to think of your taking any more chances." - -For a second the girl hesitated. Then her lids drooped a little, and -she swayed the least bit, putting out one hand blindly to steady herself -against the railing. - -Barry stepped swiftly forward, and took her arm. - -"Come!" he said, with a whimsical sort of positiveness. "You really -must! I know it's unconventional, and all that, but we'll probably -never see each other after to-night. I'll leave you wherever you wish, -and say good night. You were heading toward Broadway, weren't you? -Well, we'll go together." - -The girl made no protest. Perhaps it was because she had come to the -end of her rope, and had no strength left. Perhaps she sensed -intuitively the motives which governed this frank, straightforward -stranger who had come to her aid so opportunely. At all events, she let -her hand rest upon his arm, and walked with him back through the square, -across Twenty-fifth Street, into the dazzling stretch of Broadway. - -The touch of her hand brought again to Barry that odd desire to protect -and comfort her. By this time he knew that she was almost perishing -with cold. In spite of her effort to control herself, he felt she was -shaking violently, and every now and then the unconscious weight of her -hand on his arm made him wonder whether some other thing than cold had -not contributed to her weakness. - -He wanted desperately to do something, yet somehow he could not think of -any way. He had not asked her where she wished to go, and the girl -herself volunteered nothing. - -And so they walked on up New York's great artery, he talking carelessly, -lightly, and frequently at random as his brain worked in another totally -different direction, she answering him briefly now and then in her soft, -tired voice, but more often silent--out of sheer weariness, he guessed. - -Suddenly the electric sign of a well-known restaurant blazing before his -eyes gave Lawrence the clew he had been seeking, and he stopped -abruptly. - -"Are you in very much of a hurry?" he asked. - -She glanced up at him swiftly, and he was struck anew by the charm of -her-wonderful eyes, the delicate beauty of her mouth and chin. - -"Not very," she said, in an odd, restrained tone. "Why?" - -"I was wondering whether you'd do me a favor," Barry returned glibly. -"I meant to get a bite of supper here, and I hate to eat alone. If -you'd only take pity on me, and keep me company, I'd be everlastingly -obliged. After that we can take a car to where you're going, so's to -make up time." - -Again she sent a long, searching glance into his candid, level gray -eyes. Then suddenly she laughed, a curious laugh, which had no mirth in -it, but rather held an undercurrent of intense pathos. - -"Very well," she said quietly, with an odd gesture of her hands. - -Her manner brought the color into Barry's cheeks, and made him wonder -whether she saw through his clumsy subterfuge. He did not hesitate, -however, but stood aside for her to enter the turnstile door, following -close behind. - -The dining room was almost empty, for it was the quiet interval which -comes between dinner and the after-theater supper crowd. They were -ushered at once to a table against the wall. - -While Barry was slipping out of his coat he noticed the girl glancing -into a mirror beside her, touching her hair here and there, and giving -the frilly lace thing at her neck an unconscious pat. She was still -shaking a little, and when she drew off her gloves he saw that she was -gently chafing her hands together beneath the shelter of the white -cloth. - -Her hair was brown, thick, and dark, with glints of copper in it, and -waved attractively above her brow. Her eyes were almost of the same -shade, with long, curling lashes, which made them seem almost too large -for the delicate, oval face. Her mouth was sensitive, and infinitely -appealing with its pathetic downward droop at the corners. There was an -unmistakable refinement in everything about her; and, in spite of the -fact that she was very tiny, she held herself with an air which made -Barry quite forget her forlorn condition. - -"How the mischief could I have ever taken her for a child?" he thought, -with a faint flush of embarrassment, as he reached for the card. "I -suppose it was because she seemed so little and helpless." - - - - - *CHAPTER X.* - - *SHIRLEY RIVES.* - - -Having ordered two portions of a nourishing bouillon to be served at -once, Lawrence picked out several dishes, then leaned back in his chair. - -"I quite forgot to introduce myself," he said, with quick, boyish -impulsiveness. "My name is Lawrence--Barry Lawrence." - -A faint, shadowy smile curved the girl's lips. The warmth of the room -was beginning to touch her cheeks with color, and make her even more -lovely than before. - -"It will be easier," she conceded gravely. "I am Shirley Rives." - -"From Virginia?" Barry inquired quickly, then bit his lips. "I beg your -pardon," he added contritely. "I forgot for a second that I meant to -ask no questions." - -"That one doesn't matter," she said quietly. "I am from Virginia. -Since you've asked it, though, I'll venture one myself: Do you happen, -by any chance, to be a Harvard man?" - -Barry stared. "Why, yes!" he exclaimed. "How in the world did you -guess?" - -"You seem rather like other Cambridge men I've known," she answered -slowly. "I had a cousin there, and his friends used to visit----" - -She broke off abruptly, as if regretting that she had been so frank, and -for a moment there was silence as she touched one of the forks -nervously. - -"I don't know that it makes much difference," she went on at length. -"His name is Philip Calvert. Perhaps you knew him." - -Barry laughed boyishly, and then bent forward with sparkling eyes. "Of -course I did!" he exclaimed. "He was a junior the year I was graduated. -To think of my meeting Phil Calvert's cousin in New York! I knew chance -was going to bring me something pleasant when I started out this -evening." - -There was a moment's pause while the waiter placed the soup before them. -Somehow, Barry had a feeling that the girl was more than hungry, and, -though he did not see how he could take a mouthful after his luxurious -dinner at the Waldorf, he did his best to seem ravenous himself, talking -all the while, so that she might not see how little he was really -eating. - -The girl sipped the bouillon slowly and leisurely, listening to her -companion's whimsical account of his progress down Fifth Avenue that -night, and occasionally making a light comment of her own. One would -never have guessed, to watch her, that she could have drained the cup at -a single swallow. - -Lawrence's surmise as to her desperate condition was more the result of -intuition, helped on a little by details he observed from time to time, -rather than anything he saw in her manner. - -Little by little it was borne upon his consciousness that the -extraordinary trimness which had puzzled him at first was nothing more -than the painful neatness of extreme poverty, combined with innate good -taste. The wide black hat was simply trimmed, and showed signs of wear. -The perfectly fitting suit was of good material, but had been brushed -and sponged until it was almost threadbare. The shirt waist of fine -cambric looked as if it had been washed time and again with jealous care -by the girl's own hands. On one sleeve a tear had been repaired with -painful neatness. - -All this Barry noticed as he talked on, wondering to himself how under -the sun a cousin of his fastidious, seemingly wealthy, college mate -could possibly have been reduced to such straits. But he asked no -questions, nor did he in his manner betray the slightest touch of -curiosity. He was only too thankful to see, under the influence of -warmth and comfort and nourishing food, the color coming back into the -girl's face, the sparkle to her eyes, and that tired droop of her mouth -growing less and less noticeable. - -As the meal progressed, however, his curiosity was gratified. It was -inevitable that the discovery of a mutual friend should make some -difference in the girl's attitude toward Lawrence. From discussing -Calvert--who, it appeared, had been in Manila for over a year--the -girl's story came out bit by bit. - -More than likely Shirley Rives would never have thought of starting out -to tell it to any one from beginning to end. But, while he did not -express it by a single word, she seemed to feel Barry's sympathy, and be -comforted by it. She had been bearing her troubles alone for so long -that the temptation to talk a little about them to some one else was -irresistible. And, last of all, she, too, seemed to feel that night -something of Barry's attitude toward fate. She had come to the end of -her rope, and was desperate. When one is in that pass conventions seem -very petty, and life is stripped to the bones. - -The story Lawrence gathered from a chance word here, a sentence there, -was very old and hackneyed. It was really threadbare, yet the -personality of the girl across the table lent it a vivid, enthralling -interest. - -Orphaned a year before, and left in straitened circumstances, Shirley -Rives had taken the few hundred dollars remaining after the settlement -of the encumbered estate, and come to New York to earn her living. -Having no particular talent, and no influence, stenography seemed the -only thing left her. She took a course in a correspondence school, and -then obtained a position. Three months later the firm changed its -organization, and she was cast adrift. She got another place, after -eating into her diminishing capital, but the wholesale company was -presently absorbed by a trust. Another period of enforced idleness -ensued before she was taken on in a broker's office, only to be forced -to leave by the unwelcome attentions of a junior partner. - -That was three weeks ago. Since then she had failed to find anything. -Her money became exhausted, and the board bill remained unpaid. The -landlady gave her notice to pay or leave. The room had been rented late -in the afternoon to another woman. Since then she had walked the -streets, dazed, bewildered, not knowing what to do or where to go. - -It was all told in snatches, but the thought of this girl, delicate and -refined and well-bred, thrust out into the streets at such a time, -without a penny, and with no place to go, made Barry's blood boil. -Again came that intense desire to do something for her, accompanied by -that same maddening sense of helplessness he had felt before. - -"You were hurrying when I saw you first," he said at length. - -She moved her shoulders a little. "It was partly to keep warm," she -explained quietly, "and partly because I had just thought of a sort of -forlorn hope." - -"And that was----" - -"A girl who used to work with me in the wholesale house; she was very -nice, and we got to be good friends. She used to live on Forty-eighth -Street, and I thought she would take me in to-night." - -"How long is it since you've seen her?" Barry asked. - -"Some months. I was tired, and it's a long way to Forty-eighth Street." - -She tried to speak lightly, but Lawrence could see that old look of -desperation, banished for a time, again lurking in her eyes. - -"But what if she's moved?" he asked. "What if you shouldn't find her at -the old address?" - -She tried to smile, but her lips only quivered. And though she held her -head high, like the thoroughbred she was, the expression in her eyes cut -Barry to the quick. - -"I--hadn't thought," she answered, in a low tone. - - - - - *CHAPTER XI.* - - *HIDE AND SEEK.* - - -For a second Lawrence was silent, as a thought flashed through his brain -as to the pathetic plight of the girl. The next instant he bent forward -across the table, his clear gray eyes fixed upon hers, and holding her -wavering gaze. - -"I want to tell you a little story, Miss Rives," he said, in a hurried, -almost jerky, tone, "and then I want you to do me a favor. Wait, -please! Don't say you won't until you've heard me. This morning I left -a miserable hall bedroom over on the West Side to walk the streets, -because I could not face the woman I owed three weeks' rent." - -She caught her breath quickly, and, as her eyes flashed to the wonderful -emerald ring on his finger and back again to the pearls gleaming in his -immaculate shirt, an expression of bewildered incredulity came into her -face. - -"I know," Barry went on hastily; "it seems impossible, but it's true. -I'd had little to eat for days. My last nickel went for a cup of -coffee. I had only a single penny left. I was cold and hungry and -desperate. I had been out of a job for months, and there wasn't the -slightest prospect of getting one. You see, there's scarcely a person -in New York who could understand as I do what you have been through--and -what may be before you now." - -He paused an instant, but she made no comment. Her eyes were fixed -intently on him as if his story held her entranced. - -"For hours I walked the streets, then took refuge in a railway station -to keep from freezing," Lawrence continued presently. "And there, when -everything was blackest, when it seemed as if not a single hope -remained, the wheel of fortune turned. From the lowest depths I was -hoisted in a moment to a height I had come to believe impossible." - -A faint, puzzled line had come into her low forehead. For a moment she -waited, expecting him to continue. When he did not, she raised her -eyebrows a trifle. - -"But how----" she began. - -"I can't tell you," he put in swiftly. "I've promised to keep silent. -I can only say that I was given a very large sum of money to carry out -certain conditions, and that those conditions carry with them no loss of -self-respect. What I want you to do is to take a little--just a -little--of this money to tide you over this period of hard luck." - -A sudden color flamed into her face, and her lips parted. Before she -could utter a word Barry went on pleadingly: - -"Please don't say no, Miss Rives. The situation is desperate. If this -girl friend of yours has moved, what will you do? Even if she is still -there, I don't suppose you would keep on accepting hospitality from one -who probably couldn't afford it. I can, you see, and if you'll only -look upon me as Phil's friend, acting in his place, I'm sure you won't -refuse." - -For a long minute the girl sat staring into his frank, kindly face with -eyes which seemed to plumb his very soul. Perhaps it was what she saw -there that made her give in; perhaps it was the thoughts which flashed -through her mind of the awful streets, wind-swept and dark and bitter -cold, with even more poignant terrors lurking in the shadows. At all -events, she sighed faintly, and reached for her gloves. - -"Very well, Mr. Lawrence," she said quietly. "You may lend me--ten -dollars." - -"But that isn't----" - -"It is quite enough," she put in decidedly, "to make me grateful to you -as long as I live. Would you mind--if we go now? It's getting late." - -Without further protest, Barry paid the bill at once, and helped her on -with her coat. As they reached the street he handed her a ten-dollar -bill, which she slipped into her worn glove with another brief word of -thanks. - -The ride uptown was a rather silent one. Barry did most of the talking, -for he felt that the girl would rather say little. - -At Forty-eighth Street they got out, and, turning westward, walked -briskly through the chilly street. As they approached a certain -shabby-looking house midway in a block, Miss Rives, glancing upward, -gave an exclamation of satisfaction at the sight of a light in the front -room on the top floor. - -"I'm sure Sally's still there," she said, turning to Lawrence. "She -used to sit up reading till all hours." She hesitated an instant, and -then went on more slowly: "I think I'd better go to the door alone. The -woman who keeps the house is very kind, and, even if Sally's gone, -she'll take me in. Good-by, Mr. Lawrence, and--thank you--a thousand -times, for what you have done. Will you--give me your address so that I -can send back the money--when I have it?" - -Barry's fingers closed firmly over the hand she held out. - -"I'm at the St. Albans just now," he returned. "But I probably won't -stay there long. Wouldn't it be better if I looked you up to see how -you're getting on?" - -For a bare second Shirley Rives hesitated. Then she turned away, and -began mounting the steps. - -"I should be very glad to see you again, Mr. Lawrence," she answered. -"Good night!" - -From a little distance Barry watched her ring the bell, saw the door -open with almost no delay at all, and heard a brief murmur of -conversation. When the girl finally stepped into the house and the door -closed, he turned away with a sigh of satisfaction, and started back -toward Broadway. - -He had not gone more than a few steps when he saw approaching the lights -of a rapidly moving carriage, and a moment later a well-appointed -private brougham passed him, the iron-shod hoofs of the spirited horses -striking sparks from the icy street. A vague, languid curiosity stirred -him as to what a conveyance of that sort was doing there at that hour, -but it swiftly vanished in the interest of another discovery. - -Reaching the corner of Eighth Avenue, he happened to glance swiftly to -his right, and noticed a man standing silently in the corner of a -darkened doorway. There was nothing very extraordinary in this, save -for the fact that it was a night which offered no temptations for -loitering in the street; but there was something about the powerful, -square-shouldered figure, accentuated by the heavy ulster which -enveloped it, that struck Lawrence as oddly familiar. The coat collar -was turned up and buttoned close; the brim of the soft felt hat was -pulled well down, so as to conceal the face, but in spite of that a bit -of grizzled beard was visible, which stimulated Barry's memory. - -In that momentary hesitation on the curb he remembered that just such a -man had been standing in another doorway near the restaurant as they -left it less than an hour before, and he wondered at the curious -coincidence which should bring about this second meeting. - -Before he reached Broadway Lawrence began to have doubts as to whether -it really was a coincidence or not. Another man would have thought -nothing of the matter; but Barry had lately been through an experience -of shadowing which taught him many things about the methods of private -detectives and others of their ilk, which had produced in him a habit of -being constantly on guard. - -At least it would do no harm to be sure, he thought, and, rounding the -corner of Broadway, he hastened forward a few steps to the entrance of a -moving-picture theater. Once within its shelter, he swiftly found a -spot where the plate-glass windows of the ticket booth acted as an -admirable reflector. Then, back squarely to the street, and eyes -riveted on the improvised mirror, he leisurely undid his fur coat, as -leisurely produced a cigarette from his case, and hunted for his match -box. - -It was just as he struck a light that his patience was rewarded. In the -glass he saw the stranger steal silently into view around the corner, -hesitate for the fraction of a second, then, catching sight of Barry's -back, as softly withdrew out of sight. - -"So that's your little game, is it?" Lawrence reflected, with a grim -smile, as he lighted the cigarette with care, and flicked the match into -the street. "Looks as if there might be a bit of fun in this." - -Buttoning his coat, he started briskly down Longacre Square, swinging -his stick with the air of a man who was just beginning a constitutional. -In front of the Astor he paused a second, as if half minded to enter the -brilliant hostelry. Then, without warning, he turned abruptly, stepped -into the street, and headed for the Times Building. As he did so he -caught a glimpse, out of the corner of his eye, of his pursuer, half a -block in the rear. - -With a chuckle of amusement, Barry passed the outdoor subway entrance, -and walked swiftly into the lower floor of the building. The instant he -was inside, he hastened his steps, hurried past the stairs leading down -into the underground road, pushed his way through the throng which -crowded the big drug store that occupied the ground floor, and emerged -on Forty-second Street. - -A crosstown car was just getting up speed as he dashed across the -street; and with some difficulty he raced forward and swung himself -aboard. A backward glance showed that his bearded friend was nowhere in -sight, and Lawrence smiled again. - -Nevertheless, he did not relax his vigilance. Making his way through to -the front of the car, he sat down on one of the little seats just behind -the motorman, and made no attempt to alight until Madison Avenue had -been reached. Here he slipped off, dodged around the front of the car, -slid across the slippery pavement, and was engulfed in the comparative -shadow of the Manhattan in an instant. - -The three blocks to Forty-fifth were passed in as many minutes. Around -the corner of the cross street, however, he sought a secluded doorway, -and waited patiently for as much as five minutes, with the pleasant, -ever-growing conviction that his man had been eluded. - -"Not quite clever enough, my friend," he murmured, as he crossed the -dark and rather silent street, heading for the bright entrance of the -St. Albans near Fifth Avenue. - -Part way down the block stood a pair of old-fashioned brownstone houses, -and, as he passed the shadowy bulk of the first high stoop, Barry -chuckled again. - -"Not quite clever enough," he repeated amusedly. "You'll have to get up -a trifle early to----" - -Crash! From behind, something struck his head with a crushing force -that sent him to his knees, stick flying one way, top hat the other. - -With a hoarse cry of anger, he strove dazedly to turn and grapple with -the unknown assailant. Before he could do so the heavy weapon descended -for the second time. There was a shower of stars, a sickening sense of -faintness, and, with a groan, Lawrence toppled forward on his face, to -lie still and silent on the icy pavement. - - - - - *CHAPTER XII.* - - *PUZZLED.* - - -How long Barry Lawrence lay there unconscious he did not know. -Afterward he realized that it could have been no more than a minute or -two, but at the moment he was too occupied with what was occurring near -him to waste time on that score. - -Even before he opened his eyes he was vaguely aware that a struggle was -going on close at hand. The thud of feet, the heavy breathing, mingled -with occasional oaths, subdued, but fervent, told him that, and acted as -a spur on his dazed senses. - -A moment later, as he pulled himself to a crouching position on the -pavement, he discerned through the darkness two figures swaying in close -embrace a dozen feet away. - -What did it mean? Who were they? He could not understand why they were -fighting there, instead of carrying out the object of their attack on -him. Then, as his sight cleared, he suddenly discovered that one of -them was the bulky man in the soft hat whom he had lately been pluming -himself on having given the slip so completely. The other was taller -and wore no overcoat; beyond that Lawrence could make out no -distinguishing features. - -Suddenly, out of the bewildering chaos of Barry's mind, came the swift -realization that one of these men was apparently on his side. There -could be no question that one was fighting in his behalf to prevent the -other from carrying out the object of the cowardly attack, whatever that -might be. - -Of reason or motive for that attack, Barry knew none, but he was -strongly moved for a moment to join in the mix-up, and get in a blow or -two he was aching to deliver. He even secured his hat and stick, and -was on the point of struggling to his feet, when he remembered that he -had no idea which was the friend and which the enemy. He was not even -sure that either of them was a friend. - -What could he do? - -The answer came on the very heels of the unspoken question. The gate in -the low, old-fashioned iron fence close beside him was partly open. -Beyond loomed the friendly shadow of the high stoop. - -Instinctively, with his brain still a little muddled from the blow he -had received, Barry crept silently through the gate, casting a swift, -sidelong glance at the struggling pair. He saw that the taller man was -evidently getting the worst of if, and apparently trying his best to -break away. In another moment the fellow with the beard would be -free--free to return and complete his work; for by this time Lawrence -had come to the conclusion that he was the one responsible for the -assault. - -Without a second's delay the Harvard man slipped through the gate and -closed it softly behind him. Rising to his feet, but stooping low, he -felt his way forward, went down a couple of steps, and pushed against -the iron grille which gave access to a space under the stoop, and thence -to the basement door. - -To his surprise it yielded to his touch, and a moment later he was -ensconced in the little square, dark space, the grille closed and -latched, peering through the openings in the ornate wrought ironwork. - -He was no more than safe before he heard the beat of running feet on the -pavement, and saw a tall, thin figure dart past his hiding place, and -disappear toward Madison Avenue. An instant later another, bulkier -shadow appeared more slowly, and paused by the low fence. - -It was the mysterious person with the beard, and Barry shrank swiftly -back, wondering what he meant to do. - -There was a moment's pause; then the low gate was pushed open, and the -stranger stepped toward the grille. Reaching it, he shook it briskly, -but the latch held. From where he had retreated in the shadow, with one -arm thrown up to prevent his face from being seen, Barry heard the -unknown give a guttural growl of mingled surprise and impatience. A -brief pause followed, during which his irregular breathing sounded clear -and distinct. Then he turned and walked back to the sidewalk, the gate -clicking behind him. - -For a minute or two Barry did not move, but at length, unable to -restrain his curiosity, he stole to the grille and peered through. The -stranger was still standing near the fence, gazing intently up and down -the street. Presently he disappeared toward Madison Avenue, and Barry, -after waiting a few moments, undid the grille and stole out. - -Peering over the fence, the Harvard man watched the mysterious stranger -move slowly down the street, staring keenly into every doorway as he -passed it. Finally, at the corner, he paused, glanced swiftly back, -stood for some time undecided, then vanished from sight. - -The instant the man was gone, Barry emerged, and made his way straight -back to the hotel. He managed to brush his top hat into some semblance -of decency, and rid his coat of the bits of ice and snow which clung to -it. Happily the elevator boy was half asleep, and did not notice -anything unusual in his appearance, so that Lawrence reached his rooms -without attracting undue comment. - -His first move was to examine the lump on his head, which felt about the -size of a billiard ball. He had a feeling that his hair must be smeared -and clotted with blood, and was agreeably surprised to find that the -skin had scarcely been broken. The weapon, whatever it was, had -evidently struck just the right spot to produce momentary -unconsciousness, without doing any very permanent damage. - -Stripping off his clothes, and getting into pajamas and a loose dressing -gown, Barry bathed the bump carefully with warm water, then with cold, -placed a wet towel against it, and sat down to think over the night's -experiences. - -They had certainly not lacked interest and excitement. When he started -out in that whimsical manner from the Waldorf he had expected nothing -quite like this. - -The last adventure naturally received his attention first. Who was the -bearded man, and why had he such an interest in Lawrence? Remembering -the distasteful encounter with Tappin at the Waldorf, Barry wondered -whether it were possible that the bank president had set his detectives -again on the trail. - -Swiftly he thrust the idea aside. Though he realized that the sudden -display of affluence on the part of one who had so short a time ago been -in abject poverty was sufficient reason for Tappin to make another -effort to find out what had become of the missing funds, Lawrence did -not see how there could possibly have been time to get into -communication with the agency, and summon a detective to the hotel. - -"I left them at table," he murmured aloud, his forehead wrinkled in a -puzzled manner. "No one could know where I was going--I didn't even -know myself; yet that fellow was waiting outside the Broadway -restaurant." - -With Tappin eliminated, what motive remained? Was the bearded man a -common thief who had marked him down as a profitable undertaking? Had -he by any chance caught a glimpse of the serpent ring? Barry had not -been oblivious to the fact that the unique jewel had attracted attention -in many quarters that evening; and now, as he lifted his hand, and -surveyed the great, square, dully gleaming stone, with its strange -setting, he wondered suddenly whether there was anything uncanny about -the thing. He had read before of jewels like this coming out of the -mysterious East, and leaving a trail of violence in their wake. Perhaps -there was something about it---- - -"Pshaw!" he exclaimed aloud, springing to his feet. "I'm getting dippy! -This is New York City, and the twentieth century. Such things can't -happen here. I'm going to bed." - -But after the lights were out, and he had stretched himself luxuriously -between the fine sheets, the puzzle returned to torment him. How long it -might have kept him restlessly awake he did not know. Fortunately his -mind suddenly jumped to the more restful and infinitely more attractive -subject of Shirley Rives. - -She affected him in a way no girl had ever done before. There was an -impalpable charm about her which he could not define, but which was very -powerful; a curve to her lips that fascinated him even to think of now. - -If he only had a little influence in the proper quarters it might be -possible to find her a position. But, no! That wouldn't do at all. He -realized suddenly that hateful gossip and slander had started from -slighter beginnings than that. - -Still, something must be done. It was intolerable to think of her being -placed again in the horrible position from which he had rescued her that -evening. Something should be done. He must think up a scheme. -Probably one would come to him in the morning, when he was fresh, and -not so utterly fagged out as he was this minute. - -So he dropped asleep, the last thing before his eyes a vivid mental -picture of the girl's face as he had last seen it, turned back to glance -at him over her shoulder; the last thought in his mind a little paean of -thanksgiving to the god of chance who had directed his footsteps that -evening to such wonderful and wholly unexpected purpose. - - - - - *CHAPTER XIII.* - - *THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE.* - - -Barry slept late, and, having brought some order out of the chaos in his -rooms, descended to breakfast with luxurious ease in the St. Albans -restaurant. The subdued lights, the gleam of silver and glass and -delicate white napery, the silent, swift-footed attention of his waiter, -were all very pleasing to Lawrence, and combined to make last night's -adventure seem more remote than ever, more the sort of accident which -might happen to any one rather than a plot directed especially toward -himself. - -He spent little time considering it, for his mind was almost entirely -taken up with thoughts of Miss Rives, and how it would be possible for -him to serve her. - -It would not be an easy matter; he realized that. The charming Southern -girl was not the sort to accept favors from any one and every one. The -utmost tact would have to be exercised in hitting upon just the right -kind of thing, and Barry finished his leisurely breakfast without the -shadow of an idea striking him. His only consolation was that the ten -dollars he had given her would keep poverty at bay for two or three days -at least. - -"And before the end of that time I'll surely devise a way," he -reflected, as he strolled out into the hotel lobby. - -"A letter for you, Mr. Lawrence," the clerk said deferentially, as he -passed the desk. - -Barry took the missive with outward indifference, but with not a little -inward curiosity. He stared at the unfamiliar hand, then tore open the -flap hastily. The contents were brief, merely two lines of -undistinguished writing without superscription or signature: - -For the week agreed upon, you will be good enough to lunch and dine -entirely alone. - -Barry frowned. Somehow, the communication brought bitterly to his mind -a recollection of his self-imposed isolation. He was not likely to have -company at luncheon or dinner. For months he had gone his way alone, -shunning his old friends, avoiding their usual haunts, and crossing the -street on the rare occasions in which he saw them approaching. After -all this trouble to avoid cold snubs or equally abhorrent pity, he could -not imagine himself inviting them now. The request was rather -unnecessary. - -As he strolled toward the door he looked the note over curiously. The -writing was irregular, almost to precision, and yet it had a certain -pleasing individuality about it. The envelope was postmarked "Madison -Square, 6 a.m." Evidently it had been taken up in the first collection. -The little man in black was apparently still in town. - -Reaching the street, Lawrence thrust the communication into his pocket, -and turned toward the avenue. Beyond the purchase of a few small things -he had forgotten the day before, he had nothing whatever to do before -luncheon, and, strangely enough, the fact was not an unadulterated -pleasure. Time was--and not so very long ago--when he would have looked -upon this condition with unfeigned envy. To be well dressed and well -fed, with money in his pockets and unlimited leisure at his command, had -seemed a state beyond which there was little to desire. He knew now how -wrong he had been, and the unsigned note had driven home that knowledge. -What good were his money and his leisure if there were no one to enjoy -them with him? - -"Of course, I'm not prohibited from seeing my friends outside of working -hours," he muttered, with a whimsical sort of sadness. "But the trouble -is I haven't any friends left to see." - -From force of habit, he glanced up Forty-fourth Street toward the club -as he passed; but he made no attempt to cross the avenue, and continued -on his way downtown. The day was cloudless, and, though it was still -bitter cold, the wind had died down to some degree, and made walking -possible. - -At Forty-second, Lawrence paused a moment or two, waiting for the stream -of crosstown traffic to pass. He had just stepped from the curb when a -hail from behind made his heart jump, and brought him to a standstill in -the middle of the car track. - -"Barry!" came in a familiar voice, raised in protest. "Oh, you Barry! -Hold up!" - -He turned swiftly, and the blood flamed into his face as he saw hurrying -after him the great, almost hulking figure of Jock Hamersley, the famous -Yale full back of two seasons ago. - -The two fellows had chummed it at Groton. They had kept up their -friendship to a certain degree ever since, in spite of the fact that -they had different Alma Maters, and had more than once fought fiercely -against each other on the gridiron. There was no one, perhaps, whom -Lawrence would rather have seen just at this moment than big, lumbering, -good-natured, soft-hearted Jock; yet his face flushed and grew tense, -and his eyes held a touch of nervous fear as he waited for the other's -first words. - -Hamersley, his big mouth stretched in a wide grin, fairly flung himself -at Barry, and gripped his hands with a force which made the bones crack. - -"You blamed old quitter!" he roared. "Where have you been keeping -yourself? Haven't got my lamps on you in months--nobody has! What do -you mean by dropping all your friends as you have?" - -The blood began to tingle in Barry's finger tips, and his eyes sparkled. -The sound of that booming voice was sweeter in his ears than the most -ravishing music. The sight of that great, muscular figure, clad in a -loose, woolly coat of English frieze, was a pleasure greater than the -most world-famous masterpiece of painting had ever produced. Of a -sudden he was smitten with a doubt as to whether his course had been -right or not. He stammered something vague about the trouble at the -bank, but Hamersley promptly cut him short. - -"Rot!" he bellowed. "Bosh! I'd punch your head, only I'm afraid of the -concussion all that gas would make rushing out. What have you done with -the sense the Lord gave you when you think the boys paid any attention -to that stuff? You're more a fool than I thought you, and that's saying -a lot." - -He had linked his arm through Barry's, and the two proceeded briskly -down the avenue together. - -Within three minutes Lawrence had a feeling that nothing had ever -happened. After that first outburst, Jock slipped back into his old -manner, quite as if they had parted only the night before. He asked no -questions, even by inference, seeming content with what his companion -volunteered; and by the time they paused before the building where the -Yale man had offices, Lawrence felt as if he had come into his own -again. - -"You'll lunch with me, of course," the big fellow said. - -Barry's face fell. "I'm beastly sorry, Jock," he returned slowly, "but -I've an engagement. I'm booked for luncheon and dinner both." - -"Humph! Well, drop in at the yacht club around five, and we'll have a -good talk. Yes? Right! Don't forget, now." - -He started into the building, but was back in an instant. - -"Say," he exclaimed. "There's a dance at Sherry's to-night, and I've -got an extra card. Don't start till eleven or so. How about it?" - -Barry's mind was made up in a flash. That would give him time for -dinner and a call on Miss Rives. His meeting with Hamersley had set -stirring within him an intense desire to mingle with his kind, to be one -of the passing show, instead of a mere onlooker, no matter how -spectacular a part the latter was. He wanted to go to that dance. He -would go. - -"That hits me all right," he said; "nothing I'd like better." - -As he walked on down the street the smile still lingered on his lips. -He was thinking of what he had been twenty-four hours before. Already -the pain and suffering and sordidness of that phase of his life seemed -nebulous and unreal. At times he caught himself wondering if it had not -been an amazingly vivid and horrible nightmare. - -The wheel of fortune was whirling him higher with every passing moment. - - - - - *CHAPTER XIV.* - - *FOLLOWED.* - - -Having completed his purchases at several shops along the avenue, -Lawrence finally emerged from the last one near Thirty-first Street, and -paused on the sidewalk to consider how he should put in the time before -lunch. It was not long after twelve, and he did not feel as if he could -possibly lunch before half past one or two o'clock. - -He glanced back at the dull-red facade of the Waldorf. He might go back -there and take his place among the loungers in one of the corridors or -smoking rooms, but he had an instinctive dislike for that sort of thing. - -His eyes, ranging swiftly in the other direction, suddenly encountered -the shifting glance of a man who stood looking into a window of the shop -Barry had just come from; and at once Lawrence's mind, for some reason -or another, reverted to the mysterious fellow with the beard. - -There was no resemblance between the two. This one was young and tall, -smooth-shaven, and very blond. His clothes, while inconspicuous, bore a -certain foreign touch which Barry had learned to recognize in that year -he had spent abroad, directly after leaving college, as secretary to -Doctor Grenfell, wealthy scientist and Harvard lecturer. - -Nevertheless, there was something in that hastily averted glance he had -surprised which made Lawrence wonder whether the unknown stranger was -anything more than an ordinary lounger, and decided him to put into -operation a little test he had found extremely effective during his late -unpleasant experience with Tappin's detectives. - -Still swinging his stick gently back and forth and humming a tune under -his breath, he turned and began to survey the man critically. Slowly -his gaze wandered from the narrow-brimmed, precisely dented felt hat, -down the length of belted overcoat to the narrow, flat, rather clumsily -shaped shoes. Then he reversed the process. And when his eyes came to -rest upon the strong, rather rough-hewn profile presented to him, Barry -was interested to observe that the stranger was fidgeting nervously, and -that a dull red was slowly stealing upward from the high, close-fitting -collar. - -All this proved nothing, for any man was likely to be embarrassed by -being stared at in such a pointed way. But when, as the scrutiny -continued, the fellow finally turned from the window, and walked slowly -on down the avenue, without so much as a glance at Barry, the latter -felt that his suspicions were more than justified. An ordinary -individual would have glared at him, or shown other signs of ill temper. - -The affair was only beginning, however, and, as Lawrence moved leisurely -toward Thirty-first Street, he decided that he would have no difficulty -in being entertained until luncheon time. - -Rounding the corner, he hurried toward Broadway for a hundred feet or -so, then stopped abruptly to look into a shop window. - -As he expected, the blond individual appeared almost instantly, crossed -the street, and came briskly along on the opposite side. - -From that moment the game progressed merrily for nearly an hour. Barry -did not exert himself at first. He wanted to test the stranger's -cleverness, so he confined himself to entering one door of a department -store or hotel, and hastily departing by another; leaping on a surface -car just as it was starting, only to alight as swiftly a few blocks -farther on, and take one going in the opposite direction. - -These, and half a dozen other tricks of a like nature, he tried, only to -end up at Fourteenth Street and Sixth Avenue with the blond fellow -sticking to him like a leech. - -"He's no slouch," Barry reflected, as he turned slowly eastward. "I -reckon I'll have to be a little spryer." - -Turning uptown at Fifth Avenue, he kept a sharp lookout for a solitary -taxi. When one finally came along behind him, he hailed it swiftly, ran -out into the street, and leaped in almost before the car had come to a -stop. - -"Metropolitan Building--Madison Avenue entrance," he said quickly. -"Hustle!" - -The chauffeur did hustle, and Lawrence, glancing back through the little -window, was pleased to see his pursuer swiftly lost in the crowd of -noon-day pedestrians. - -There was a short delay at the Flatiron Building, then the car sped up -the west side of the square, on account of traffic regulations, east -along Twenty-sixth, and thence into Madison. It was just as they -rounded the last corner that Lawrence spied another flying taxi which -seemed to be following them. - -He had a bill ready, however, and, as the car slowed down, he leaped -out, thrust it into the chauffeur's hand, and darted into the building. - -The arcade was full of people moving in both directions, and Barry, -hurrying through them, slipped suddenly into a little cigar store midway -to Fourth Avenue, which had another entrance on Twenty-third Street. -Less than a minute later he was diving into the subway entrance. - -Fortunately a local was just drawing into the station, and, as he took -his seat, he chuckled a little to himself. - -"You'll have some trouble in following that trail, my friend," he -murmured. - -He got out at Fourteenth Street, and took an uptown train, but long -before reaching Fifty-ninth Street the smile had vanished, and a puzzled -frown furrowed his forehead. - -There seemed no doubt now that his encounter with the bearded man last -night had not been the result of chance. He was being followed -deliberately, and there were at least two men who seemed tremendously -interested in every move he made. What was their object? What motive -governed this inexplicable pursuit? - -Try as he would, Barry could find no answer to the questions. If they -had been attracted by the emerald ring, and were following him for the -purpose of robbery--and last night's experience certainly pointed -strongly toward that solution--what earthly sense was there in the -actions of the blond stranger? Did he expect to sandbag and rob a -victim in broad daylight, amid the crowds which swarmed the city -streets? It was absurd, Barry told himself, yet what else was there to -think? - -The problem occupied him on his way over to the Plaza, and made him -somewhat absent during the progress of the simple luncheon he ordered. -He did not, in fact, really pay much attention to his surroundings until -an odd event effectually brought him to himself. - -He had arisen from his table, and was making his way slowly to the door, -his progress somewhat impeded by the simultaneous departure of a large -luncheon party. As he trailed along behind the laughing crowd of girls, -he happened to glance casually to the left, and encountered the gaze of -a woman sitting at a table near the wall. - -She was not young, but there was a stately distinction in her looks and -manner which impressed Lawrence. Her face was a perfect oval, showing -remnants of great beauty, and Barry had a vague impression that he had -seen her before. She was perfectly gowned, and wore no jewels, save a -single strand of wonderful pearls. Her companions were much younger, -and wholly charming. The head waiter hovered obsequiously about the -table. - -As their eyes met, Barry saw her start slightly and stare for a second, -a look of puzzled astonishment on her face. The next instant she smiled -and bowed in a manner which was even more than cordial. - -Automatically Lawrence returned the bow with what grace he could assume, -and passed on. At the door he turned for a backward glance. and was -surprised to see that the lady had moved a little in her chair, and was -following him with her eyes. - -"I suppose I've met her somewhere," he thought, pausing in the doorway. -"I wish I could remember her name. She's certainly somebody." - -An instant later he caught the eye of the head waiter, and summoned him -with a slight gesture. - -"Who is the lady at the fourth table from the door?" he asked briefly. -"I seem to have forgotten her name." - -The haughty functionary followed the direction of Barry's glance, and -then turned back, an odd expression in his eyes. - -"That is Mrs. Winslow Courtney, sir," he answered stiffly. - -For a second Lawrence was almost feezed. Then, with a short nod, he -passed on into the corridor. - -Mrs. Winslow Courtney! No wonder he could not recall meeting her -before. He doubted whether he had ever even seen her, save, perhaps, in -her box at the opera; for it was she, more than any other woman, who -ruled New York society. With family, vast wealth, and a charming -personality, she had taken her place in that innermost circle around -which the social life of the entire country revolved. One of her -daughters was the wife of Prince von Lauenberg, the wealthiest nobleman -in Prussia; another was the Duchess of Wilton. - -Decidedly Barry had no right to that charming smile from Mrs. Winslow -Courtney. - -"I suppose she took me for some one else," he murmured, as he left the -Plaza. "I wouldn't mind knowing her, though. Her friends, her -acquaintances, have to be somebody." - - - - - *CHAPTER XV.* - - *THE GIRL WHO VANISHED.* - - -Having grown a little weary of dodging people, Lawrence decided not to -give those who seemed so interested in his movements a chance to pick up -his trail again that afternoon. He was fond of motoring, so he -proceeded at once to hire a good car, and, with only a chauffeur for -company, went spinning out over the snowy, level roads of Westchester -County. - -In spite of the cold, he enjoyed it so much that it was nearly a quarter -past five before he entered the yacht club, and sent up his name to -Hamersley. - -The latter descended at once, and, when he had finished upbraiding -Barry, they went up to the famous model room, and, settling down in a -corner with cigars, chatted, and joked each other for over an hour. - -Two or three times Lawrence was on the point of asking his friend -whether he had an opening for a good stenographer in his office, but -each time he could not seem to bring himself to make the inquiry. And -so they parted without Miss Rives and her very pressing necessities -being mentioned. - -"I'll talk it over with her to-night, and ask her if she won't let me -find her a position," Barry decided, as he walked around to the hotel. - -Having dressed with unusual care, he took a taxi to the Waldorf and -dined there again in solitary state. - -Though he kept his eyes open throughout the meal, he saw nothing of the -blond fellow he had outwitted that morning, or of the bearded man. There -was apparently no one in the dining room or about the hotel corridors -who paid any more attention to him than would be accorded to any -handsome, well-dressed, prosperous-looking chap. Instead of being -relieved at this, Barry was affected in quite the opposite manner. The -sudden cessation of interest struck him as being decidedly unnatural, -and made him wonder whether it was not a bluff to hide the real -intentions of the unknown spies. - -After he had dined, he had a taxi summoned, and not until it was at the -door did he leave the lighted corridor for the street. - -Giving the Forty-eighth Street address, he stepped in and took up a -position that would enable him easily to glance through the back window -every now and then, and see whether he was being followed. - -Until they turned out of Longacre Square it was impossible to tell this -with any certainty. The streets were full of taxis and motor cars, -carrying people to theaters or the opera or coming away empty. But, -having turned into the comparatively deserted cross street, Barry kept -an extra sharp lookout. Before the taxi reached Eighth Avenue he was -rewarded by seeing another car skid around from Broadway in their wake. - -With a slight frown of annoyance, he wondered how they had managed it. -It is always more or less trying to miss a trick of any sort, and -Lawrence rather prided himself on his keenness of observation. - -The slowing down of his car as they approached the house made him thrust -the matter from his mind in favor of more agreeable things. After all, -his pursuer could accomplish nothing here. - -Stepping out on the sidewalk, Barry told the chauffeur to wait, and ran -up the steps. After a prolonged wait, a rather untidy-looking maid -answered his ring, holding the door only partially open, and peering -doubtfully through the crack. - -"Is Miss Rives at home?" Lawrence inquired. - -The girl stared. "Miss--who did you say?" - -"Miss Rives--Miss Shirley Rives!" Barry's tone was slightly impatient. -Out of the corner of his eye he saw that the second taxi had crawled -past, and come to a stop a few doors beyond. "She arrived last night, I -believe." - -The maid sniffed. "It's news to me," she remarked pertly. "Mebbe -you've got the wrong house. There ain't no Miss Rives, nor anybody like -it, stopping here just now." - -Lawrence's eyes flashed, but he restrained his anger with an effort. He -had never seen quite such a stupid creature in his life. - -"I have made no mistake in the house," he retorted abruptly. "Kindly -ask your mistress to see me for a moment." - -"She ain't in." The girl's tone was plainly triumphant. Evidently she -sensed the irritation in Barry's voice, and was glad of a chance to -retaliate. - -For an instant Lawrence was stumped. It was intolerable that he should -be cheated out of something he had been looking forward to all day by -the stupidity of a saucy maid. Whether it was anything more than -stupidity he did not know, but he was determined not to give in yet. - -"Then take my card to Miss Sally, the young lady who has your top floor -front," he said tersely, slipping one hand into his pocket, and drawing -forth a cardcase. - -The maid hesitated, frowning. For an instant it seemed as if she meant -to close the door in his face, and Barry was all ready to thrust a foot -into the crack. Then something in his determined expression must have -decided her, for she grudgingly stood aside for him to enter. - -Taking out a gold pencil, Lawrence hastily scrawled a few words on his -card, and handed it to her in silence. - -The girl took it and glanced insolently at the hatrack. Finding that -there was nothing there or anywhere else in the hall of an easily -portable nature, she tossed her head and flounced to the stairs. - -It seemed an eternity to the impatient Lawrence before a door closed -hastily above, and he heard the sound of light footsteps hurrying down -from the top floor. Presently a girl came in sight on the stairs, a -rather nice-looking girl, with trim black hair and fresh coloring. As -she saw Barry, she slackened her pace, and made the last few steps very -slowly, indeed, pausing at the foot with one hand still resting on the -balustrade. - -"I'm very sorry, indeed, to have troubled you," Lawrence said, with a -pleasant smile, "but I came to see Miss Rives, and the girl insists she -isn't here." - -The blank stare of amazement she gave him struck Barry with a chill -sense of foreboding. - -"Miss Rives!" the girl repeated slowly. "You can't be talking about -Shirley Rives?" - -"That's just who I mean. She came here last night. She had--er--left -her boarding place rather suddenly, and when I--met her downtown she was -on her way to see you." - -For a second the girl looked keenly into his eyes, without speaking. -Then she gave her head an odd shake. - -"You don't look like a person who is joking," she said quietly, "so I -s'pose you've made a mistake some way. I haven't seen Shirley Rives in -two months, and more." - -Barry's jaw dropped, and some of the ruddy glow left his cheeks. The -thing was impossible. He had left Shirley on this very doorstep not -twenty-four hours before--had even seen her enter the house on her way -to this friend's room. And now they had the audacity to tell him that -she had never been here. There was something queer about the whole -matter, and he meant to find out what it was before he left the place. - -"I haven't made a mistake," he said sternly. "I brought Miss Rives to -this door myself a little before eleven last night. She looked up at -your window, and when she saw it lighted she said it was all right; that -Sally must still be here, because she used to read till all hours. She -rang the bell, and I waited till the door opened and she went inside. -And now you want me to believe that you never----" - -He broke off abruptly, startled at the look on the girl's face. She had -grown pale, and her eyes were dilated until they looked like holes -burned in a white sheet. Her hands--slender, well-kept hands they -were--were clenched tightly, and as Barry stopped she flung them up with -an odd, eloquent gesture. - -"It's the truth!" she gasped, in a frightened voice. "I haven't seen -her--I swear it!" Her lips were trembling, and she caught them swiftly -between her teeth. "Something's happened to her--it must have! Was she -down in her luck? Had she lost her job?" - -Barry nodded miserably. He was dazed--bewildered. But overtopping every -other sensation was cold, deadly fear; fear for another one cares for, -which is infinitely more gripping and powerful than an emotion involving -self alone. - -"Yes," he stammered. "She'd lost her job. She'd been turned out of her -room--turned into the street last night. Do you know what that might -have meant if I hadn't found her?" - -The swift, horrified intake of her breath told him that she knew only -too well. For a second she stood absolutely still, her mouth working. -Then suddenly she put up both hands swiftly to her face, and began to -sob. Almost as swiftly, she snatched them away again, and stared at him -out of eyes filled with tears. - -"What's come to her?" she demanded fiercely. "Why'd she leave this house -without seeing me? What made her go, and where's she gone? Tell me -that! She didn't vanish into air, did she? Where's she gone, -and--where--is she--now?" - -Lawrence did not answer her. For some seconds that same question had -been pounding through his brain with the dull, rhythmical iteration of a -hammer on an anvil. - -Where was she now? - - - - - *CHAPTER XVI.* - - *ANOTHER WOMAN.* - - -As Barry departed a little later he was conscious of a maddening -sensation of helplessness. There seemed no question in his mind that -Shirley Rives had left the house of her own accord. The fact that she -had made not the slightest attempt to see her friend, Sally Barton, -proved that conclusively. It was possible, of course, that the head of -the establishment, a Mrs. Weston, could throw some light upon the -mystery; but she had gone over to Long Island, and was not expected back -until the following morning. - -Barry's first impulse had been to go at once to the station house, make -inquiries there, and possibly send out a general alarm; but he realized -almost at once that such a step would be unwise. Miss Rives had given -him no right to interfere in her affairs. She was a perfectly free -agent to come and go as she liked, and where she chose; but the fact -that she had disappeared in this utterly inexplicable manner drove -Lawrence distracted. - -Wild thoughts of suicide, under the burden of her troubles, flashed -through his mind. Girls, even of her high mental caliber, had been -driven to such desperate acts. Mrs. Weston's reception of her might -have been the last straw to an already staggering load, and driven her -impulsively forth into the street again. Worse yet, it might not have -been Mrs. Weston at all who opened the door. There was quite as good a -chance of its being some lodger on his way out. And Sally Barton's -estimate of some of the lodgers was far from reassuring. - -The maid had been summoned again, and interrogated sharply by the girl, -but to no purpose. She had gone to bed about half past nine, leaving -her mistress making up accounts in the back room. She knew nothing -further, had heard nothing out of the way; and in the morning there had -not been the slightest sign of any stranger having been in the house. - -And there Lawrence was obliged to leave the matter. Think as he would, -he could hit upon nothing else he might do. The stenographer promised -to telephone him the instant she learned anything from Mrs. Weston; but -Barry had already determined to call at the house directly after -breakfast next morning. How he was going to remain in suspense for even -that length of time he did not understand. - -It was barely nine as he left the house, and for a moment or two he -hesitated on the curb, wondering where he should go. Then a whimsical, -absurd notion came to him, and, having ordered the chauffeur to drive to -the northwest corner of Madison Square, he stepped into the taxi. - -There was not the slightest hope in his mind of thus finding any clew. -The vagaries of chance were strange and improbable enough, to be sure, -but they could scarcely be expected to bring about such an utterly wild -coincidence as that. He simply had a feeling that he wanted to return -to that spot where he had first met her, and anything in the way of -action was better than moping alone in his rooms. - -As the car jerked forward and sped across town, Barry paid little -attention to the second taxi, except to notice that it was following -about half a block behind. At the corner of the square he got out, told -the chauffeur to wait, and walked slowly down the winding walk. - -As before, the place was deserted. The great, glittering tower still -loomed high above the branches of the gaunt trees. The fountain had -that same look of dreariness and desolation. The cold was as bitter; -but the wind had died away, and everything was still. - -As he rounded the ice-rimmed basin, Barry's heart leaped into his -throat. Entering the square, just as she had entered it last night, was -a slight, slim figure, who came toward him hurriedly, yet with that same -odd sense of hesitation in her movements. As they approached each -other, Lawrence's heart was thudding so loudly that he fancied he could -hear the beats. It was impossible--utterly impossible; and yet he -hoped. - -She came on hurriedly, and his pace slackened the barest trifle as he -tried to penetrate the shadow beneath the black hat brim. Then he saw -that it was not Shirley Rives. It was a girl, pinched and worn with -fatigue and hunger. - -Half a dozen steps he took blindly, fairly sick with disappointment, -before he stopped abruptly and turned around. The girl was hurrying on; -she had almost reached the fountain. - -"Stop!" Barry cried impulsively. "Wait a minute." - -Instinctively she obeyed, twisting her head backward to watch his -coming; and the thin, white wedge of face, ghastly in the pitiless -electric light streaming down upon it, smote Lawrence with a new pang. -By the time he reached her he held a thin leather case with gold corners -in his hand. - -"Here!" he said harshly, yet with a certain throbbing undercurrent of -pity in his voice. "Take this and get something to eat. Do you -understand?" - -She stared at the bill he held out, then her fingers closed over it -convulsively. - -"Thanks," she said hoarsely. She stood for a second or two, gazing into -his face. Then she shivered. "Thanks," she repeated, and this time it -seemed as if a whole world of despair and misery was in that little -word. - -Barry made no answer. There was nothing more to say, and he knew it. -Still he lingered for a second before he uttered a brief good night, and -turned toward his waiting taxi. - -It was the old, old tragedy, but somehow the strange coincidence of time -and place filled Lawrence with an awful, unreasoning dread, and made his -ride back to the hotel a torture. - - - - - *CHAPTER XVII.* - - *BEYOND BELIEF.* - - -At first Barry was tempted to phone Hamersley, and tell him he could not -come to the dance. He had never felt less like such a thing in his life, -but, as he slowly approached the instrument, trying to think up a -plausible excuse, he realized that anything would be better in his -present state of mind than sitting alone in his room. - -So he ordered a taxi to be ready for him at ten. When that time came he -descended, and was driven to the Hamersley house, just off upper Fifth -Avenue. He saw that the other car was still trailing him persistently, -but somehow he did not care. That seemed no longer a very important -matter. - -There was a considerable delay in getting started, for Jock's mother and -sister were going along, and, as the big chap expressed it: "To be ready -in time for a dance, a woman ought to start dressing when she gets up in -the morning." - -They came down at length, however, and, after a little conversation, all -four got into the limousine, which had been waiting nearly an hour, and -were soon bowling down Fifth Avenue. - -It was after eleven when they entered the great ballroom at Sherry's, -and the dance was apparently in full swing. The glittering lights, the -flowers, the wonderful, intoxicating music, the gleam of jewels and -bright eyes, could not but arouse Barry from his abstraction and make -him glad that he had come. - -Large as the room was, it seemed crowded with dancers, while about the -walls and in the anterooms sat patronesses, chaperons, and other -non-participants, watching the brilliant scene, chatting among -themselves, or here and there indulging in a rubber of the inevitable -bridge. - -"It's very mixed, of course," Miss Hamersley was saying, as they glided -over the perfect floor. "That's always the way with a big affair like -this. If there's any one you want to meet just make Jock introduce you. -He knows everybody. Yes, surely, Peter. Thanks, very much, Mr. -Lawrence." - -Before the latter could collect his wits, she was whirled away on the -arm of the young fellow who had cut in; and Barry backed up against the -wall, diverted by the kaleidoscopic scene, his eyes roving about the -room in search of possible acquaintances. - -For a time he saw no one he knew. There were plenty of charming faces, -beauties of every type, and not a few of whom glanced curiously in his -direction. There were many girls whom he would have liked immensely to -meet twenty-four hours before; but, somehow, now that he had seen -Shirley Rives, he ceased to be enthusiastic over others. - -The thought of her, leaping back into his mind after a brief -distraction, brought a faint pucker into Barry's forehead. Presently, -still thoughtful, he moved slowly from his place, drifting toward the -end of the room where the line of ladies stood to receive the belated -guests who still dribbled in at intervals. - -Presently his eyes fell upon a group at some distance from him, and he -gave a great start. The group consisted of a girl surrounded by five or -six men. Her back was squarely toward Lawrence, but there was something -about her slim, graceful figure, tiny but exquisitely proportioned, and -the tilt of her head, with its wonderful crown of coppery hair, which -was so like Shirley Rives that it almost hurt. - -She wore a close-fitting gown of shimmering golden tissue, in which -sequins gleamed and winked with every movement. A gorgeous string of -pearls was wound twice about her neck. On her arms were several costly -bracelets. - -Apparently she had only just arrived. It would seem, also, that she was -having some difficulty in choosing a partner from the number of men -hovering about her. Barry, watching her with unconscious curiosity, -could see her laugh and shake her head several times. Once, when a -youth stepped forward with lifted arms, as if the matter were settled, -she slipped away from him, holding up the big spray of orchids she -carried with a gesture of admonition. - -At length, with a sudden display of dignity, she lifted her head, and -nodded to a tall, handsome fellow who stood, apparently unmoved, on the -outer edge of the circle. - -As he came swiftly forward, the others fell back with shrugs and -disappointed looks. The girl caught up her skirts, and placed one tiny -hand upon her partner's shoulder; and Lawrence, who had been watching -the little comedy with more interest than he realized, decided that in a -moment she would turn, and he would see her face. - -An instant later she did turn--full upon him; and Barry's heart almost -ceased to beat. In that brief second, before she was whirled away into -the crowd, he saw the wonderful brown eyes, the tender, shapely mouth, -the graceful curve of cheek and chin which had so fascinated him the -night before, and which had scarcely left his mind for a moment since. - -The girl was Shirley Rives! - - - - - *CHAPTER XVIII.* - - *CHAOS.* - - -Never in all his life had Barry Lawrence been so staggered. For a -moment or two he refused to believe the evidence of his senses. The age -of miracles was passed, and it was nothing less than a miracle to see -this girl, who had been penniless, friendless, desperate the night -before, now clad in silks, glittering with jewels, and apparently -absolutely at home amid these luxurious surroundings. - -It was more than absurd; it was utterly impossible. He had been -deceived by some chance resemblance, coupled with the fact that her face -remained so vividly and constantly in his mind, into fancying for a -second that this stranger was Shirley Rives. - -Recovering his composure with an effort, Barry moved swiftly along the -wall until he reached a nook banked with palms and ferns. Slipping -through them, he let the trailing green curtain fall into place behind -him. Then he waited, his eyes, fixed upon the gliding throng, for the -girl to reappear. He meant to satisfy himself that he had made no -mistake. - -Subtle, seductive, almost intoxicating in its rhythmic sweetness, the -wonderful waltz music, while it fell upon unheeding ears, seemed, -nevertheless, to stir his being with vague unrest. Couples flashed -swiftly by his corner or glided past more slowly. Some were the epitome -of graceful motion; others romped about the hall in modifications of the -uncouth turkey trot and other dances of the same sort which had, of -late, been attracting so much unfavorable comment. There were tall -girls and short, beautiful and plain; but Barry's eyes passed over their -faces with the utmost indifference. Not one of them was the girl he -sought. - -Suddenly his heart began to thud, and his figure stiffened as he bent -forward and parted the leaves a little more. She was coming toward him -down the polished floor, moving with that inimitable grace which seems -born in most Southern girls. - -There was a gleam of jewels on her corsage and in her hair. The diamond -buckles on her absurdly tiny satin slippers winked and sparkled as her -feet kept perfect time with the music. The swish of her gown sounded -clearly to the strained senses of the man behind the palms. - -Just as the couple glided so close that he could almost have touched -them, the girl looked up into her partner's face, and laughed, a low, -soft, bewitching laugh, which sent the blood boiling into Barry's face, -and brought his teeth together on his under lip. - -He had not made any mistake. She was Shirley Rives beyond any question -or doubt. She was the girl whom he had found half frozen, perishing -from cold and hunger, without a roof to cover her--without a single -friend, apparently, in that whole vast city, save a stenographer in a -cheap West Side lodging house. - -The look in her eyes, the curve of her half-smiling lips as she glanced -up into the face of her tall partner, the very sound of her laugh, drove -Lawrence almost mad. He hated the fellow with every atom of hatred in -his being; hated his graceful dancing, his polished manner, his air of -proprietorship; detested, above all, his dark, handsome face with its -expression of captivating melancholy. It was only a pose, he told -himself bitterly, to gain attention and sympathy. - -But swiftly that feeling was displaced in the realization that his idol -had been shattered. The girl had deliberately deceived him from the -very first. She had never been friendless and homeless and desperate at -all. As to what reason she could have had for playing with him as she -did he had not the remotest conception, but the bitter, intolerable, -fact remained that she had made a fool of him. - -How she must have laughed to herself when he fell into the trap, like a -great booby! How entertained she must have been in the restaurant, and -later, when he practically forced the money upon her. No doubt it had -been a merry play to her, over which she would probably laugh herself -weary whenever it came back into her mind. Very likely she had already -amused her friends by telling them of her little adventure, and what an -easy mark she had found. - -Barry shivered at the thought. Then he laughed mirthlessly. The -trouble with him was that he had taken the jest with deadly seriousness. -It was up to him to think of some way to play up to her. She must never -know how much the thing had hurt him. He must make her think that he, -too, had been playing a part all the time, instead of being the goat. - -Unfortunately such a thing was much more easily thought of than put into -execution. Barry was sore and hurt beyond measure, and not at all in -condition for playing a game of that sort. The lights and music, the -laughter and gayety, suddenly palled. He felt as if he wanted to get -away from it all, yet he did not want to go as long as she was here. - -The result was that he kept his place behind the palms for fifteen or -twenty minutes, during which Miss Rives circled past him time after -time. The handsome, melancholy youth had disappeared, and given place -to a tawny-haired giant with a strong, pleasant face and infectious -laugh which Lawrence disliked unreasoningly. Then followed a slim, -graceful chap with a delicately penciled mustache, who showed an -inclination for the most sensational dances, and was evidently -restrained only by his partner's preference for the more sedate Boston. - -To one and all of them Shirley Rives seemed equally pleasant and equally -fascinating. Instead of relieving Lawrence, as this should have done, -it simply aggravated him the more; and presently, unable longer to -contain himself, he left his corner, and made his way straight to the -retirement of the smoking room. - -He had scarcely entered it, and was taking out his cigarette case, when -a tall, smooth-shaven fellow, very ruddy and very blond, sprang from a -chair in which he had been lounging, and, rushing forward, gripped -Barry's hand. - -"By Jove, Oscar, old chap!" he exclaimed heartily. "Why, this is -ripping, don't you know! To think of seeing you in this bally place!" - -Lawrence frowned, and withdrew his hand as soon as the other's fingers -relaxed their pressure. He was in no mood for talking to strangers, even -if they did labor under an innocent case of mistaken identity. - -"I think you must have made a mistake," he returned coldly. "I don't -remember ever having seen you before." - -The Englishman's face took on an expression of incredulous astonishment, -and he fumbled for the monocle depending from his neck by a broad black -ribbon. - -"But, I say!" he objected, in a plaintive tone. He had screwed the glass -into his left eye, and was regarding Barry inquiringly. "You don't mean -you've really forgotten the ripping times we had at Cambridge? You're -just chaffing, old chap! You couldn't forget the bloomin' rackets we -used to pull off in your rooms--eh, what?" - -"I really have," Barry retorted shortly. "You are evidently taking me -for some one else." - -The other's jaw dropped, but the monocle remained firmly in its place. - -"Fancy, now!" he gasped helplessly. "Extraordinary lapse of memory!" -He shrugged his shoulders, and went on, with heavy sarcasm: "I dare say, -then, you don't even remember Cambridge?" - -"I remember Cambridge perfectly," Lawrence retorted sharply, goaded -beyond endurance; "but I have no recollection of you whatever." - -Turning on his heel, he flung away his unlighted cigarette, and left the -room without giving the other a chance to speak. - - - - - *CHAPTER XIX.* - - *PROTECTIVE MEASURES.* - - -"Fool!" muttered Lawrence, as he passed down the corridor toward the -ballroom. "If that was meant as a joke, it was a poor one." - -Reaching one of the entrances to the ballroom, he hesitated. He had not -the faintest desire to return and take part in that scene of festivity. -He was tired of being pestered and having to talk and make himself -agreeable. He wanted to get away and be let alone, so very swiftly he -resolved to hunt up Mrs. Hamersley, and take his leave as gracefully as -he could. - -He found the lady after some trouble, told her that he was not feeling -very fit--which was quite true--and said good night. Securing his -things in the coat room, he made haste to take the elevator downstairs. - -But, once on the steps of the building, with the cold wind blowing -against his heated face, he paused, irresolute. - -Where should he go? What could he find to take his mind from the -disappointment he seemed unable to shake off? It was scarcely half past -twelve, and he had never felt less sleepy. The idea of going back to his -rooms and tossing restlessly about for hours, with only his thoughts to -keep him company, was intolerable. - -As he waited, undecided, the doors behind him were thrust suddenly open, -and two young fellows issued forth precipitately. One of them was -singing a popular song, to which the other beat time on the marble -pavement with his stick, laughing boisterously at frequent intervals. - -As Lawrence drew aside to let them pass, the song ceased instantly, and -a pair of arms were flung about his neck with an unexpectedness and -force which made him stagger back a pace or two. - -"Li'l' Barry!" exclaimed the youth, with maudlin joyousness. "M' -long-los' college chum! Lemme give you good hug!" - -The flash of annoyance which Lawrence had felt at first gave place -instantly to a thrill of pleasure as he recognized Reggie Minturn, one -of his classmates, whom he had not seen in months. - -"Hel-lo, Reg!" he cried, removing the arms gently, but firmly, from his -shoulders, and shaking the chap's hand heartily. "What in the world are -you up to, leaving the dance so early?" - -Minturn, still gripping his hand, teetered gently back and forth on his -heels, regarding Lawrence with a wide stare of preternatural gravity. - -"Child's play," he presently announced solemnly. "Jack 'n' I want some -'citement. You know Jack? No, course not. Jack, this's my -frien'--very dear frien'. Wantche know--Mister--er--Barry. Shake -han's." - -The other individual, still chuckling inanely, took Barry's hand, and -shook it until Minturn forcibly intervened. - -"That's 'nough," he said, linking his arm with Lawrence's. "You're -comin' with us, Barry. We goin' to have some 'citement. Dean's, you -know." - -Barry started slightly, and a faint frown furrowed his forehead. Dean's -was one of the most select and high-class gambling houses in the city, -and he pictured to himself the alacrity with which these two helpless -chaps would be stripped of their last cent. - -"What do you want to go there for?" he asked quietly. "Why don't you -come around to my place and have a game of poker? It's much nearer." - -Minturn shook his head stubbornly. "Do' want poker," he announced. -"Wan' roulette. Come on!" - -For a second Lawrence hesitated. Then, realizing his helplessness, he -gave a resigned shrug, and allowed himself to be dragged out to where a -taxi waited at the curb. If he could not keep the two away from the -gambling joint, at least he might prevent their losing very much. - -They piled into the car, with much laughter, and, when Minturn had given -a certain address to the chauffeur, and settled down for a second, Barry -proceeded to put his plan into operation. - -"Look here, Reggie," he said suddenly, "I can't go into Dean's without -any money." - -"No money!" exclaimed the inebriated one jocosely. "Ha, ha! Tha'sh -easy. We'll lend you some--eh, Jack? Show your roll." - -Still chuckling, he reached his pocket with some difficulty, and -produced a crumpled handful of yellowbacks which he thrust at Barry. - -"Take all you want, ol' man," he announced. "Lot's more where that came -from, eh, Jack?" - -That Barry could readily believe. The elder Minturn was almost sinfully -wealthy, and his only son had hitherto led an existence as carefree and -lacking in responsibility as the proverbial lily of the field. A swift -glance told Barry that there was close to seven hundred dollars in the -roll, mostly in fifties and twenties, with the single exception of one -five-hundred-dollar bill. Without hesitation Lawrence took the latter, -and slipped it into his waistcoat pocket. - -"This'll do for me," he said carelessly, handing the remainder back. - -From the other youth's generously extended bill case he extracted two -one-hundred-dollar yellowbacks, leaving less than half that amount. -After that he settled back, much more relieved. Of course, it was really -none of his business, but he hated to see them simply throwing all that -money away, even if they could afford it. - -On a cross street, not far from Park Avenue, the chauffeur drew up -before an unpretentious-looking brownstone front, and the party rolled -out of the taxi. While his two companions were fumbling in their -pockets, Lawrence paid the man, who drove off at once. - -There was an instant expostulation, which Barry silenced, -good-naturedly, following with a last attempt to dissuade the other two -from their purpose. As he expected, it was quite useless. Both were -fixed in their resolve to have some excitement, and Minturn led the way -up the steps with firm, but somewhat swaying, gravity. - -After a considerable delay, and a very careful inspection of them by an -attendant, they were admitted to the lower hallway, which differed not a -whit from the hall of any ordinary private house. Here Minturn and his -companion were recognized, and, both vouching for Lawrence, they were -allowed to proceed upstairs. - -The second floor consisted of two large rooms furnished with great taste -and luxury, and provided with all sorts of gambling paraphernalia. They -were both fairly well filled with men, mostly in evening clothes; and, -as he followed his companions into the one containing the roulette -wheels, Barry smiled a little at the realization of how completely his -mind was being distracted. - -In spite of Minturn's insistence that he chance his money with them, -Lawrence managed to put it off by saying that he preferred _rouge et -noir_. He waited until they were well started at the wheel, and quite -oblivious to everything save the excitement of betting, then he strolled -off into the other room. - -Here quite a crowd was gathered about the board. Evidently the playing -was of a sort to attract unusual attention, and Barry made his way -forward to a place from which he had a fair view of the table. - -Half a dozen men were sitting there, betting at irregular intervals, but -the attention of the onlookers seemed given entirely to one individual, -whom Lawrence could not quite see from where he stood. A bit of smooth -black hair, a portion of a low forehead, and now and again a hand -stretching out to place his bets, was all that came within the Harvard -fellow's vision. - -It was enough, however, to show him very swiftly that the man, whoever -he was, was plunging heavily. He was also having a spell of the most -persistent ill luck, for in the few minutes that Barry stood there he -saw something like six hundred dollars swept in by the expressionless -dealer. - -"Wonder who he is?" Lawrence thought. "Some millionaire, I suppose, -throwing away his car fare." - -Then, more because he had nothing else to do than from any real -curiosity on the subject, he strolled around to the other side of the -table, and glanced over another man's shoulder. - -In a second he had stiffened slightly, and his features seemed suddenly -to become tense and alert and eager. The individual who was betting as -if a hundred-dollar bill was so much trash to be thrown away without a -qualm, was no millionaire, or anything like it. - -He was the man who, more than any other, had been active in bringing -disgrace upon Barry Lawrence--Julian Farr, the cashier of the Beekman -Trust Company. - - - - - *CHAPTER XX.* - - *THE MAN WHO LOST.* - - -For a second Barry stood with eyes riveted on the florid face, with its -blue-black shadow of heavy beard darkening the clean-shaven cheeks and -chin. Then he stepped swiftly back out of sight, and, turning, -pretended to examine a painting hanging on the wall near by. - -He scarcely saw the wonderful Corot landscape, however, for his brain -was fairly seething with the discovery he had just made, the -significance of which he realized in a flash. - -Julian Farr received, to his positive knowledge, a salary of ten -thousand dollars a year, and the manner in which he lived must use up -every penny of it. Yet here he was gambling recklessly in a place like -Dean's. - -In an instant Lawrence knew where those missing funds had gone as surely -as if the proof in every smallest detail lay before him. - -Farr had stolen them! He was the thief who had so cleverly foisted the -blame upon an innocent man's shoulders. - -For a moment Barry was furiously angry. He wanted to catch the fellow -by the scruff of his neck and thrash him within an inch of his miserable -life. It was impossible, of course, and Barry knew it; but he wanted -terribly to do it, just the same. - -A passing wonder came into his mind as to how Farr could have had the -nerve to show himself in such a place. Of course, Dean's was patronized -mostly by the very wealthy members of the younger sporting set, and the -Beekman Trust Company had a clientele made up almost altogether of -shopkeepers, proprietors of lofts and the like, on the lower East Side. -Two such extremes were scarcely ever likely to come together, but there -was always a chance of discovery, as had been proved in this very -instance. - -But Barry did not waste much thought on how his enemy happened to be -here. His presence in the rouge et noir game was the important thing, -and Lawrence instantly began to cudgel his brains as to how he might -take advantage of this discovery. - -His own unsupported word as to Farr's doings would not be enough to -convince Tappin or any of the directors. He must have a witness wholly -above the charge of bias. - -Barry glanced swiftly around at the men near the table, and his heart -sank. He did not know a single one of them, and without a previous -acquaintance it would be time wasted to ask any of them to do such a -favor. - -His eyes ranged over the faces for the second time, and stopped at a -tall, lean, slightly dissipated-looking chap who sat opposite Farr, -watching him with a languid interest, between whiles placing a bet -himself of no small amount. - -"By Jove!" Lawrence said to himself. "I'll be hanged if that isn't -Charlie Biddle. It is!" he went on positively, after a careful -scrutiny. "I wonder if he wouldn't help me out?" - -Biddle was a man of means, with extremely rapid tendencies, and a type -of mind which caused his photograph to blaze forth frequently in the -metropolitan papers, while columns were devoted to his divertingly -eccentric escapades. He was a thoroughgoing, out-and-out sport, however, -and it struck Barry that he might possibly consent to become the very -desirable witness in the present case. At all events, he was the young -man's only hope. - -Having reached this conclusion, Lawrence went back to the other room, -eager to get away. He did not wish to have Farr see him. - -The matter proved easier than he expected. Minturn greeted him with a -pathetic wail that he was busted, and so was Jack, and begged for a -loan. Barry managed to put him off by intimating that he also had been -cleaned out, and, after a somewhat prolonged argument, succeeded in -persuading the two fellows to depart with him. - -Suppressing their tendencies to play tricks with the officer on the -corner, Lawrence managed at length to find a taxi, into which they -piled, and started for the Minturn mansion. His companions pleaded for -a "joy ride" through Central Park, and were moved to tears when he said -it was too cold for an early-morning plunge in the reservoir. There was -almost a fight at the Minturn house, but, with the unexpected and -welcome assistance of a footman who had been waiting up, Barry managed -to get them both inside, having first slipped the borrowed money into -their waistcoat pockets. - -It was just four o'clock when Barry reached the St. Albans, and he was -feeling tired and sleepy. Reaching his rooms, he lost no time in -flinging off his clothes and diving into bed. - -In the interest and excitement of the past few days he had almost -forgotten that in less than a week he would be free to live his own life -as he chose. He had been going about in a sort of dream, but the sight -of Julian Farr's face that night, bent over the gaming table, and the -realization of everything it might mean to him, had awakened him -effectually. To-morrow he would seek out Charlie Biddle, and enlist his -cooeperation. - -After that--well, he had an idea that things would be doing. - - - - - *CHAPTER XXI.* - - *IN THE NEXT COMPARTMENT.* - - -Lawrence intended to be up early, but it was late in the morning before -he was awakened with a start by the tinkle of the room telephone. -Leaping out of bed, he hastened into the sitting room, and, unhooking -the receiver, recognized Jock Hamersley's booming voice at the other end -of the wire. - -"You're a deuce of a fellow, you are! What in thunder did you go and -quit last night for?" - -"I wasn't feeling a bit fit, Jock," Barry explained, "so I lit out -before supper. I'll bet you didn't notice I was gone till it came time -to go home. Say, can't you meet me in the Belmont cafe about five this -afternoon? I want to talk to you about something." - -"I'm going to be mighty busy. Why not lunch together?" - -"Can't. I've got a date for luncheon." - -Hamersley's snort made the wires buzz. "Hang you and your dates!" he -exploded. "That's what you said yesterday. You're such a popular guy I -s'pose you've got every lunch and dinner taken for a week ahead." - -Lawrence's lips twitched at the unconscious closeness with which his -friend came to the truth, but he only laughed. - -"Sure, I have!" he returned lightly. - -"Well," retorted Hamersley sarcastically, "seeing you're such an -unaccommodating grouch, I'll meet you at the Belmont, only just blame -yourself if you cool your heels for half an hour." - -Barry hung up the receiver, chuckling. Then his face grew suddenly -serious, and he reached for the telephone directory. Having found the -number of Biddle's apartment, he called it without delay, and a man's -voice answered. - -"No, sir, this is not Mr. Biddle," came in response to Barry's swift -question. "Mr. Biddle has gone to Baltimore, and will not be back till -Sunday afternoon. Do you wish to leave any message, sir?" - -"No; I'll call again." - -Barry clicked the receiver into place with an impatient movement, and -sat frowning for a moment on the arm of his chair. Presently his face -relaxed. Sunday afternoon was not so very far away, and nothing changed -the fact that he had Julian Farr in an exceedingly awkward position. - -He dressed leisurely, and it was after twelve when he left his room. -Breakfast and luncheon were combined that day in one, and he took the -meal at the Ritz-Carlton, enjoying the music, entertained by the crowd, -and altogether in a more peaceful mood than he had been for some time. - -Now and again the thought of Shirley Rives--if that were really her -name--returned to torment him and make him unhappy, but he did his best -to thrust the recollection from his mind, and fancied he had succeeded. -He could not help pondering, however, on the one apparently inexplicable -feature of the affair. If she were not in the desperate straits she had -pretended to be, how was it that she had known anything of Sally Barton? - -It was possible, of course, that she had taken the name of another -person with whom the black-haired stenographer had once been on friendly -terms; but still the matter puzzled Barry until he finally gave up -thinking of it, and turned his attention to the question of whether or -not it would be wise to confide his affairs to Jock Hamersley. - -He had reached a point where he longed desperately to talk things over -with some one, and Jock had seemed, that morning, the only person -available. But now, in the light of second thoughts, he began to have -grave doubts as to the wisdom of such a step. - -The Yale man was good nature personified, and had a heart as large as -his big body. He had also a total absence of tact in his make-up, and -the more Lawrence considered the matter, the more he became certain that -he had better keep the nature of Julian Farr's behavior to himself. - -This made it necessary, of course, to hit upon something else to take -its place, but that was not difficult. After his friend's kindness of -the night before, Barry felt that it was decidedly up to him to do -something in return; and, with dinner out of the question, a theater -party, with supper afterward, seemed the only alternative. - -Having come to this decision, Lawrence finished his luncheon slowly, and -left the restaurant. He had been too occupied the night before to -notice whether the mysterious men had continued to trail him after he -left Sherry's, but they were certainly on the job to-day, and the fact -began presently to wear a little on his nerves. A person may be ever so -innocent, and still become exasperated when a persistent taxi or an -equally persistent man dogs his every movement. - -Having nothing special to do between two and five, Barry decided to pit -his wits against those of the two pursuers. The little game was -interesting, not to say exciting, and consumed considerable time, the -maneuvers taking Lawrence from the Battery to Fifty-ninth Street. It -ended, however, with comparative satisfaction, and a few minutes before -five Barry entered the Belmont on Forty-second Street with the pleasant -conviction that he was unobserved for the first time in over twenty-four -hours. - -The cafe was rather full as he entered it, but one or two of the -cushioned wall seats were empty, and Lawrence promptly settled down -comfortably, and proceeded to take things easily until his friend's -arrival. - -Instinctively he noticed that on his left was a party of three men, -talking over the cloak-and-suit industry with an interest which left no -room for any other thought in their minds. The compartment on the other -side was occupied by a typical broker, absorbed in the financial page of -an evening paper. - -Jock arrived about ten minutes late, and thumped down beside Lawrence -with a force which shook the seat, and made the broker start nervously. - -"Hope you've got something to talk about that'll pay for the way I tore -over here," he grunted. "Never worked so hard in my life as I did this -afternoon." - -"You don't know what work is, you old bluffer," Barry laughed, as he -tapped the bell. "What'll you take?" - -Hamersley gave his order, and by the time it arrived Lawrence had -broached the subject of the theater party. - -"Suits me fine," the big chap returned. "Better get seats for 'The Blue -Moon,' if you can. First night, you know, and that's always more fun." - -"I'll phone for seats as soon as I get back to the hotel," Barry agreed. -"Suppose I ask Reggie Minturn and that chap he had with him? That makes -a good number." - -"Good!", chuckled Hamersley. "Reckon Reg has sobered up by now. He was -pie-eyed last night, though. See him?" - -Barry nodded with twinkling eyes. He was wondering what Reggie's -thoughts had been on discovering the five-hundred-dollar bill in his -waistcoat pocket. - -"Yes, I ran across them," he returned. "They'd had about all they could -hold, sure enough. Well, I'll try and rope them in. I'll have a car -meet me at the Waldorf at a quarter to eight. That'll give me time to -pick you fellows up. Show doesn't begin till eight-fifteen, I suppose?" - -"Nearer eight-thirty," Jock corrected, setting down his empty glass, and -tapping the bell. - -Lawrence declined further refreshment, however, and they presently arose -and made for the door. - -It would have been rather interesting for Barry to observe the behavior -of the nervous broker after their departure. Their backs were no sooner -turned than the financial page seemed to lose all interest for him. He -leaned forward a bit, and peered after their retreating figures. Then, -as they passed through the turnstile door, he sprang to his feet and -hastened after them into the street. - - - - - *CHAPTER XXII.* - - *THE TOUCH Of COLD STEEL.* - - -The two friends made their way briskly up Madison Avenue to Forty-fifth -Street, and thence turned to the left toward Fifth Avenue. At the -entrance to the St. Albans they paused a minute, while Jock finished the -diverting story he had commenced. - -"Good, ain't it?" he chuckled. "Jimmie Toler has the greatest raft of -'em you ever heard. Well, see you around eight or after, I s'pose. -S'long." He took a few long strides, and then wheeled around. "Say, -you missed the time of your life cutting away early last night, Barry," -he called back. "Greatest little queen you ever saw. Miss Rives was -her name--Shirley Rives, from Virginia." - -Lawrence caught his breath swiftly, and took a single, impulsive step -toward his friend. But Hamersley had already resumed his chuckling way, -and, with a sigh, Barry went into the hotel and up to his rooms. - -"So that was really her name," he murmured, in a puzzled way, as he was -dressing a little later. "I'll be hanged if I can understand it. The -whole business is one too many for me." - -The problem occupied his mind throughout his entire toilet; and -afterward, as he bowled down to the Waldorf, he quite forgot to keep his -eyes open for the persistent followers. So he failed to notice that the -trailing taxi was conspicuous by its absence. - -As he ate his oysters, the wonderful, deep eyes of the Southern girl -looked at him in spirit from across the table. It seemed impossible -that such eyes could be false, yet what else was there for him to -believe? Again he saw, as clearly as if he had been gazing on it in the -flesh, that bewitching mouth, with the tragic, little droop at the -corners of the sensitive lips. How could such lips have voiced the -things they had to him, if each word they uttered was a lie? - -He could not believe it. Suddenly there came to him a conviction that -he had been a fool to act as he had last night. There must be something -about it all which he could not understand; some mystery which could be -explained in a simple, logical way, if only he had the key. And, as he -remembered the things he had thought of her, he became ashamed. A flood -of crimson surged into his pleasant face at the realization of what a -cad he had been. No one had known, to be sure. Happily he had voiced -his feelings to no single soul, but he was a cad, nevertheless, unworthy -of her friendship. From this moment things would be very different. He -would have faith in her, no matter what happened, or how much -appearances were against her. When he saw her again---- - -His heart suddenly sank within him. That was the question. Was he ever -going to see her again? Would he ever be given a chance to show what he -felt for her? Perhaps his new-found faith had come too late. - -In this unenviable state of mind he finished his dinner, and left the -table. - -It was barely half past seven when he reached the corridor, and he -realized, with some slight impatience that he had a wait of nearly -fifteen minutes before the limousine he had ordered from the garage -would put in an appearance. - -Taking out his case, he extracted a thick Egyptian cigarette, and -lighted it. As he tossed the match aside, and took a first deep whiff -of smoke, he had the curious, instinctive feeling that some one was -looking at him. - -Slowly, leisurely, without any appearance of premeditation, he turned, -as if to stroll down the corridor, and found that his intuition had not -been at fault. - -Standing perhaps twenty feet away, in an attitude which indicated he had -been merely passing toward the elevator when something arrested his -attention, was a tall, rather elderly man in faultless evening dress. -He wore a top hat, and carried a heavy, fur-lined coat over one arm. - -But Barry barely noticed those details. He was occupied with the -handsome, distinguished face, smooth shaven, and with a subtle touch of -intellectual power in the brilliant dark eyes. Those eyes were fixed -upon the Harvard man with an expression at once so surprised and puzzled -that, in a flash, Lawrence was reminded of the look on Mrs. Winslow -Courtney's high-bred face the day before. - -And then--the parallel was amazingly like--a quick, genial smile flashed -into the stranger's face; he bowed pleasantly, hesitated a second, as if -tempted to cross the intervening space to Barry's side, then resumed his -progress across the corridor and disappeared. - -"Well, I'll be hanged!" Lawrence muttered, in a tone of whimsical -annoyance. Though taken by surprise, he had returned the older man's -salutation promptly. "Reckon I must have a double floating around town, -or else people like my looks a lot more than they used to." - -After a moment's hesitation, he crossed to the desk, and, giving a brief -description of the elderly gentleman, asked one of the clerks who he -was. - -"I think you must mean Mr. Grafton Fahnstock," the latter returned -promptly. "He passed through the lobby a moment ago." - -Barry thanked him, and walked away, puffing meditatively on his -cigarette. Presently he smiled, and shrugged his shoulders. Grafton -Fahnstock was the famous cabinet minister, who had just returned from a -diplomatic conference at the Hague. - -"Coming up in the world, my boy," he chuckled, as he strolled toward the -door. "First Mrs. Winslow Courtney, now Fahnstock. Next thing you know -you'll be chumming with his excellency at Wash----" - -"Your car is here, Mr. Lawrence." - -It was the carriage man who spoke, and with a start Barry realized that -he must have spent more time than he supposed dawdling about the lobby. - -Hurriedly slipping into his coat, which he had been carrying on his arm, -he walked rapidly out across the sidewalk to where a handsome limousine -stood by the curb. - -"Mr. Jacob Hamersley's house on Fifth Avenue," he told the chauffeur. - -"Yes, sir." The man saluted, without turning his head. - -Lawrence leaped in, the porter slammed the door, and the car started off -with a jerk. - -The next instant Barry realized that he was not alone. A shadow in the -farther corner of the wide seat had suddenly come to life. - -But before the surprised Harvard man could so much as lift a finger, the -cold barrel of an automatic revolver was pressed firmly against his -temple, and a cool, steely voice said in his ear: - -"Just sit tight, and don't let a yip out of you, my friend, if you want -to keep your brains where they belong!" - - - - - *CHAPTER XXIII.* - - *BY FORCE OF ARMS.* - - -For a moment Lawrence sat rigid, stunned with surprise at the unexpected -audacity of the thing. Then, as the car swung around the corner of -Fifth Avenue, a bright glare of light streamed in through the front -window, full upon the face of the individual beside him. To Barry's -intense astonishment, and not a little to his chagrin, he recognized the -supposed broker who had occupied the next compartment that afternoon in -the Belmont cafe. - -"So it's you!" he exclaimed aloud. - -The man reached forward with his left hand, and jerked down the front -curtain, plunging the interior of the limousine into almost utter -darkness. - -"It sure is," he returned coolly, but with an undercurrent of -satisfaction in his voice. - -The hand which held the automatic against Barry's head did not relax. -Lawrence had an odd impression that, even through the length of -immovable steel, he could feel the fellow's muscles tensed, and his -whole being alert for the slightest stirring on the part of his -prisoner. He did not really believe that the man would actually pull -the trigger, no matter what happened, but under such circumstances one -does not feel anxious to put beliefs like that to a test. - -As the car whirled southward without a single pause or even slowing -down--at that hour traffic regulations were very much relaxed--Lawrence -strove desperately to bring some order to the chaos of his mind. - -Who was the audacious unknown, and what could possibly be his purpose in -acting in this high-handed manner? He recalled vividly the strange -attack which had been made on him several nights before. Was this a -natural sequence of that assault, and of the persistent shadowing which -had been going on ever since? Was this fellow hand in glove with the -bearded man and his gawky, foreign-looking confederate? Or was he -acting in behalf of Tappin and the bank officials? Where was he himself -being taken, and for what object? - -The car jolted over cross tracks twice, with a very brief interval -between, and Barry knew it was the Twenty-ninth and Twenty-eighth Street -surface lines. In a few seconds they would reach Twenty-third, where a -slowing down at least would be imperative. There were always policemen -about that corner. Should he plunge forward at the right moment, smash -the glass of the door near him, and risk a shot from the revolver, or -should he quietly let things take their course, in the hope of finding -out something which would help to clear the mystery? - -He finally decided on the latter course, at least until he could have -time to sound his captor, and, relaxing in his corner, he promptly -proceeded to that end. - -"I suppose you know what you're doing?" he remarked suddenly. - -"I generally do," the unknown drawled. - -"Really?" murmured Lawrence. "Then you must realize that you're running -a considerable risk, taking the law into your own hands this way." - -The other chuckled. "Law!" he exclaimed. "You're a great one to talk -about the law, when you're----" - -He broke off abruptly, much to Barry's disappointment, and the latter -retorted swiftly: - -"Nabbed, am I? Will you be good enough to tell me what crime I am -charged with?" - -"Ha! ha! That's good. As if you didn't know without any telling! -You'll find out soon enough, my friend." - -"You think so?" Barry retorted sharply. "I hope you're taking me to a -station house or before a magistrate, where this matter can be -straightened out at once." - -"You want----" the man began incredulously, then paused. - -"Of course that's what I want," Lawrence put in swiftly. "What's more, -I demand it. I've done nothing to be ashamed of--nothing I'm afraid of -having the whole world know. Just take me before a magistrate, and see -how long your flimsy charges, whatever they may be, will hold me." - -There was an instant's pause, then the man laughed. "Ha! ha! Sounds -good, but you can't fool me that way. I've heard that line of talk -before, many a time." - -Superficially his tone was confidence itself, but Barry's alert senses -caught a faint note of hesitancy in his voice which was at once puzzling -and encouraging. - -"Very likely," the Harvard chap retorted. "Perhaps you've also observed -the consequences of holding up an innocent man at the point of a gun, -and carrying him off against his will. I recall one instance where the -judge was hard-hearted enough to define it as kidnaping. The -perpetrator was sent up for six years, as I remember." - -This time the stranger's laugh was decidedly forced. - -"You're wasting your breath," he said, with some curtness. "You may be -slick enough to put it over that foreign bunch across the pond, but, we -ain't so easy over here." - -Lawrence started ever so slightly, and drew a quick, noiseless breath. -He had not the most remote idea what the man was talking about, but the -fact was instantly apparent that it had nothing whatever to do with -Tappin and the Beekman Trust Company. - -In spite of his bewilderment at this discovery, Barry was decidedly -relieved. He was not at all anxious for a revival of the old affair -before he had taken the steps he planned in regard to Julian Farr's -exposure. He was absolutely innocent, of course, and felt that it would -be impossible for them to prove anything against him. Still, the bank -people might make things annoying, and perhaps ruin the plans he had -made about the cashier. - -The car bumped over the Twenty-third Street tracks, and went speeding on -down Fifth Avenue. After a time another slight jolt told Lawrence that -Fourteenth Street had been reached and put behind, but still the course -was held straight southward. - -Barry tried to sound his captor a little more, but the latter had grown -taciturn, and shut him up without revealing another scrap of -information. - -Eighth Street was crossed, and, a moment or two later, the car swerved -sharply to the right. - -"Washington Square," Barry thought, with every sense alert. "Now, where -the mischief are they taking me?" - -The twists and turns which followed were so bewildering that Barry soon -ceased trying to keep track of his whereabouts. The car sped on, -whirling around corners, taking long, straight stretches with a rush, -and darting back and forth, up and down, in such a manner that Lawrence -finally lost even his sense of direction. - -Evidently the detective--Barry was sure by this time of his captor's -occupation--was headed for some rendezvous where possibly he would meet -the persons who had employed him in this lawless undertaking. Between -leaving the car and entering the building, wherever that might be, there -would surely be some slight chance of breaking away, and Lawrence -determined to be ready to take advantage of it the instant the car -stopped. - -Thus it was that, when the automobile began to slow down and swerve in -toward the curb, Barry held himself tense, with feet braced in such a -manner that he was ready to launch himself straight at his companion in -the twinkling of an eye, snatch the automatic, and fling himself from -the car to freedom. - -"No monkeyshines, now!" admonished the unknown suddenly, as if reading -Lawrence's very thoughts. "You try to make a get-away, and you'll wish -you hadn't." - -"Why should I?" Barry returned, with light indifference. "I'm too -anxious to see you get yours, to leave just now." - -The only answer was an inarticulate grunt. The car skidded a little, -then stopped with a jerk. Lawrence was waiting breathlessly for the -pressure of the revolver to be removed, when suddenly his heart sank -into his boots. - -From the sidewalk came the low murmur of voices, followed almost -instantly by the jerking open of the door. In a single swift glance he -took in the shadowy forms of three men grouped around the car--four, if -he counted the chauffeur, who was slipping out of his seat to join them. - -It would be folly to try to break away against such odds as this. He -would do better to submit without resistance and bide his time. - - - - - *CHAPTER XXIV.* - - *THE EMPTY HOUSE.* - - -The instant Lawrence stepped out of the car he was surrounded by the -four men, and hurried across the icy sidewalk. There was a brief -glimpse of a row of squalid-looking buildings, unfamiliar in their -monotonous regularity, then he was pushed into the shadowy doorway, -through the door, which yielded to a touch, and thence to the pitchy -blackness of a hall where the echo of their footsteps sounded hollow and -ringing, as in an empty house. - -A brief pause followed, broken only by low whispering. Then the door -closed, and, as the purring of the motor car died away in the distance, -a round, brilliant spot of light suddenly flashed out of the darkness, -showing Barry the uncarpeted stairs near which he stood, the dingy -railing, and, more dimly, the figures of the men grouped about him. - -"Ed, you and Jim stay down here," the detective ordered tersely. "Beat -it upstairs, Billy, and light the lamp. Now, Mr. Lawrence," he went on, -with a sort of mocking politeness, after his man had disappeared into -the darkness above, "I'll have to ask you to follow. Your room is all -ready for you." - -With a slight shrug of indifference, Barry obeyed. From his manner one -would have supposed him quite resigned to the unpleasantness of the -situation. He seemed to look neither to the right nor left, but, as he -reached the second floor, with the detective close behind, he shot a -swift, comprehensive glance around, without turning his head. - -In that brief instant, aided by the feeble yellow light streaming out of -the back room, he saw that there were but three doors opening on the -narrow hall. One led into the lighted room; another, close beside it, -and also standing partly open, seemed to give access to a small back -bedroom or bathroom, while the third was at the other end of the hall, -close to the shadowy outlines of the stairs leading up to the third -floor. - -Having taken in this, much without apparently noticing anything, -Lawrence walked directly into the lighted room, and stood in the middle -of it, staring around with a disgusted expression. - -The place was absolutely bare, and filthy to a degree. Opposite the -door was a rough wooden mantel above a boarded-up fireplace, on which -stood a common glass lamp. Not another stick of furniture was visible. -The paper hung in strips from the dingy walls, and the floor seemed -covered with the dust of ages. There was a door which led apparently -into the front room, and a single, uncurtained window, the panes of -which were so incrusted with dirt as to make a shade unnecessary. - -Barry's lips curled scornfully as he met the keen, dark eyes of the -detective. - -"A nice hole!" he commented disgustedly. "And how long do you propose -keeping me here?" - -The man whom he addressed shrugged his shoulders slightly, and glanced -at his subordinate. - -"That'll do, Billy," he said. "Just wait in the hall outside." - -When the fellow had departed, he closed the door, and turned again to -the Harvard man. He still held the automatic in his hand, but Barry -observed that it was no longer covering him. - -"Now, don't get in a stew," the detective said. "An hour or so of this -ain't going to hurt you any." - -"It's outrageous!" Lawrence exclaimed angrily. "Here I'm giving a -theater party to-night, and have the tickets in my pocket. What do you -suppose my friends will think when I don't show up? If you don't smart -for this, it won't be my fault, I can tell you!" - -"Keep your shirt on," drawled the detective. "Losing your temper won't -help you." - -He strolled over to the wooden mantelshelf, and leaned one elbow -negligently on it, idly snapping the switch of the pocket flash light on -and off. - -"So you really don't know what you're wanted for?" he went on, in a -semijocose tone. - -"I haven't the faintest idea," Barry answered. - -"That's rich," chuckled the other, laying the pocket battery on the -mantel. "Not a thing lying heavy on your conscience, I s'pose?" - -"There is not!" Lawrence retorted sharply. "And I'll tell you this: -You've made one big mistake, and I should hate awfully to be in your -shoes when I tell my story in a station house or courtroom. If you're -on the regular force--which I doubt very much--you'll be broken into -little bits. If you're just a private citizen from one of these -bureaus, you'd better make plans for skipping the country, for I give -you my word I mean to push this to the limit." - -The flash of worried doubt which swept across the detective's face, and -was gone in an instant, was all Barry needed to confirm the suspicion -which had been growing in his mind for the past few minutes. The fellow -did not know what his prisoner was wanted for. That was one of the -reasons why he had remained in the room. What was the motive of these -apparently casual hints and questions. He did not know, and he was -beginning to be very anxious to find out. - -Probably he had been hired to kidnap Lawrence, and bring him to this -house without being told anything definite as to Barry's supposed -misdoings, beyond a vague tale of some lawlessness said to have been -committed abroad. - -It would be simply a waste of valuable time to linger longer here trying -to learn the impossible, and Lawrence had no wish to stay until the -arrival of his real enemies. He was intensely curious to meet them face -to face, and find out something of the cause of the extraordinary -persecution, but he much preferred choosing his own time and place. - -"I think before this time to-morrow," Barry went on swiftly, "that -you'll be mighty sorry you ever undertook the case." - -The detective shrugged his shoulders in an affectation of bravado, which -did not deceive the captive for a second. The latter had not stirred -from the middle of the room, but now his muscles were tense and ready -for action, and every nerve quivered as he awaited the slightest -opening. - -"I ain't worrying a whole lot," the dark-haired man returned. "I reckon -you're the one who'll be sorry you ever bumped up against me. There -ain't a doubt in----" - -In his attempt to show how little he was disturbed by his prisoner's -threats, he had been swinging the automatic negligently back and forth -on one crooked finger. Either his suppressed nervousness got the better -of him, or his mind was so busy with other things that he did not -realize how careless he had become. At all events, the weapon slipped -off his finger and struck the floor with a thud. - -Like a flash he stooped to snatch it up. But Barry was even quicker. -With a single lithe spring he had leaped across the intervening space. -One hand, the muscular fingers tightly clenched, caught the detective on -the chin, and sent him backward with a crash which made the floor shake. -The other arm, outstretched, swept the glass lamp from the mantel, and -caught up the pocket flash light in one and the same motion. - -There was a yell of fury from the man on the floor, a splintering of -glass, then darkness--inky, pitchy, smothering darkness--dropped like a -heavy pall over the room, and blotted everything. - - - - - *CHAPTER XXV.* - - *THE FACE IN THE CANDLELIGHT.* - - -A second later the hall door was burst open, and a voice sounded from -the opening: "What's up, Joyce? Has he got away?" - -A flood of imprecations answered him as the detective scrambled -painfully from his feet. - -"You fool!" he roared. "Strike a light, quick! Don't stand there like a -dummy. Strike a light! He's in this room--he can't get away! Where in -blazes is that gun of mine? A-h!" - -The tiny, wavering flame from a match clove the inky blackness, and -showed Joyce crouching near the mantel, the recovered automatic ready in -one hand, and his keen, dark eyes roving swiftly about the barren place. - -For a moment he did not move a muscle; then, with an oath, he sprang to -his feet. The flickering flame made odd, grotesquely dancing shadows in -the corners of the room, but aside from the detective and his assistant -by the door, there was no one else there. Lawrence had disappeared. - -"He's slipped into the front room!" snapped Joyce. "He can't get out of -the house--that's impossible! Where's my flash light? Yell down to the -boys to be on the lookout. They mustn't stir from the foot of the -stairs. You go down and get that lantern out of the kitchen. We've got -to have light, and my blooming battery's gone." - -He had scarcely spoken when the match burned out, and darkness infolded -them again. - -It was during this second period of eclipse that Barry softly pushed -open the door of the front room, and emerged into the hall. He heard -the detective's angry voice roaring out orders from the back room, and -was conscious, also, of excited talking in the hall below. Escape that -way was quite impossible, and, since there was no time to hunt up a -convenient fire escape, the only thing left was the roof. - -With nerves tingling, and a certain exhilaration possessing him at the -thought of outwitting this fellow who had been so annoying, Barry slid -over to the stairs, and began to feel his way up them with extreme -caution. He was not more than halfway up before the fellow clattering -down for the lantern gave him a chance to take the remainder of the -flight in two jumps without risk of being overheard. The next instant, -however, he was halted in his tracks by the appearance of Joyce at the -foot of the stairs. - -As long as the fellow stood there it was impossible to move without -being discovered, so Barry possessed his soul with patience, trusting -that, when the light arrived, they would enter the front room first, and -give him a chance to find a way to the roof. - -Meanwhile, he stretched out one hand, and began to explore with his -fingers everything within reach. The stairs curved sharply about three -steps from the top, and just around the corner Lawrence touched the -handle of a door. From its position he knew that it could lead into -nothing more than a shallow closet. On the other side of the narrow -hall was nothing but smooth wall, with here and there a sagging strip of -moldy paper. Underfoot the floor was as bare, carpetless as the rest of -the house. - -Presently the sound of thudding footsteps came to Barry's ears again, -and a moment later the fitful, dancing gleams of light below told him -that the man was hurrying back with the lantern. - -"Hustle up, Billy!" Joyce cried impatiently. "You come along, too, Jim. -Don't need more than one to stay by the door. He can't get past us." - -Under cover of the noise below, Lawrence gripped the knob of the closet -door, and wrenched it open. It came with a reluctant screech of rusty -hinges which sent his heart into his throat, but apparently the sound -passed unnoticed. Joyce was giving rapid directions to his men, and, -when one of them finally had been stationed at the door of the back -room, the other two advanced to the front of the lower hall. - -"Better come out peaceable, Lawrence," Barry heard him say. "You're -cornered, and can't possibly get away." - -There was no answer, of course. With a muttered exclamation, the -detective thrust open the lower door, calling to his men to look sharp, -and leaped into the room, followed closely by his companion with the -light. - -Instantly Barry pressed the switch of the pocket light, and flashed it -swiftly around the hall. There was no sign of any ladder, or even a -skylight. Was it possible there was no way to the roof? Desperate, he -whirled around, and turned the shaft of light into the closet. His eyes -fell on the lower rungs of a ladder, and he gave a sigh of relief. - -There was not an instant to lose, for they would soon find that he had -left the second floor. He meant to be more cautious than ever, but, -supposing the closet to be as empty as the rest of the house, he gave no -thought to the possible presence of obstacles. The result was that he -struck an unseen shelf with his head and shoulders, and the next moment -an empty can of some sort clattered down, and rolled out into the hall -with noise enough to wake the dead. - -There was a shout of surprise and triumph from below, followed by the -sound of running feet, but Barry waited to hear no more. Slamming the -door behind him, he darted up the ladder, one hand outstretched before -him. When the fingers encountered a rusty bolt, he struck it out of the -socket with one blow of his clenched fist. Then, with lowered head, he -brought his powerful shoulders against the skylight with all the force -of his trained muscles. - -Bang! bang! bang! Three times he flung himself against something as -immovable as rock. Bang! bang! The wooden covering creaked ominously, -but scarcely gave at all, and Barry groaned inwardly at the sudden -recollection of the ice and snow which must be spread over it, sealing -it most effectually. - -Scrambling up another step, he placed his shoulders against the boards -and heaved strenuously. As he struggled in desperation he heard his -pursuers reach the hall below, and a hand rattled the knob of the closet -door. - -"He's in here, fellows," came in a muffled voice, then, just as the door -was jerked open, admitting a stream of light to the dark hole, Lawrence -gave a final heave, and tumbled his way out on the flat, snowy roof, -white and gleaming in the brilliant starlight of the cloudless night. - -Like a flash he had whirled around and slammed the cover back on the -skylight. In another second he was running with long, lithe, silent -strides across the roof. - -Recklessly he leaped a low parapet to the next roof, raced across its -narrow, white expanse, cleared the second parapet, and had almost -reached the third when the lifting of the skylight behind him made him -stop like a flash and huddle down behind a chimney. - -For a second he crouched there, breathing hard. Barely six feet beyond -was an abrupt descent to a lower roof. Just how much of a drop it was -he could not tell, but it could scarcely be too great for him to make -it. The houses all seemed much the same general height. - -He wished that he had kept on to the parapet, and risked their seeing -him. It would be much harder to do it now unobserved, yet he could not -stay where he was. The minute they found his footprints in the snow -they had only to follow the trail, and nab him by the chimney. What a -fool he was not to have thought of that before! - -A stealthy glance around the brick chimney showed him that two of the -pursuers had emerged onto the roof, but were apparently waiting for the -others. He had a moment more of grace, and instantly he began to back -noiselessly toward the dividing wall. - -He reached it safely; then, just as he was lowering himself over, some -one sighted him, and sounded the alarm. - -Barry dropped like a flash, and, landing, somewhat shaken, up, about six -feet below, spun around, and started across the roof. Even in his haste -he noticed that the snow here had been cleared away in a square space, -about which were hung lines for drying clothes. There was no ice on the -scuttle, either, and without a moment's hesitation he dropped on his -knees and pulled hard at the wooden frame. - -It was unlatched, and, with a gasp of joy, Lawrence jerked it up, and -slid into the opening. In his haste his foot missed the ladder, and the -scuttle, descending with cruel force on his fingers, very nearly sent -him tumbling into the hall below. - -He managed to keep his grip, however, till his feet were planted on the -ladder. Then, with a grunt of pain, he released his hands, and fairly -flung himself down the remaining rungs. - -At the bottom he paused a second, fumbling for the flash light. He -realized that he was not much better off than he had been on the roof. -Joyce and his gang would certainly suspect where he had gone, and, ten -to one, would follow. He could not linger, therefore, and the instant -he found the location of the stairs he hurried down them, praying -inwardly that he might meet no one before he reached the door. - -The thought had scarcely passed through his mind before he realized that -some one was coming up from the hall below. He stopped and listened. -It was a slow, heavy tread, but the sound of skirts brushing against the -wall told him that it was a woman. She held a candle in her hand, and -the wavering light, flickering against the wall, kept pace with her slow -ascent. - -Would she stop at the second floor, or come on to where he stood in a -curve of the next flight of stairs? That was the question which pounded -monotonously through Barry's brain as he watched that spot of light -creep higher and higher. If she did not have to pass him, there was a -good chance of his escaping after she had gone into her room. If not-- - -As she climbed the last step and stood there, panting heavily, Lawrence -scarcely dared take a breath. Then, with infinite thankfulness, he saw -her step forward, and turn the knob of one of the doors opening off the -passage. The latch clicked, and in a moment more she would have been -out of the way, had not there come to her ears the unmistakable sound of -the scuttle being raised. - -With a sharp ejaculation of surprise and fear, she turned about, and -took a quick step straight toward where Lawrence was crouching. For a -second the latter stood as one paralyzed, staring at the face now -plainly visible in the light of the candle. - -It was the coarse, evil face of Mrs. Kerr, his old landlady. He had -stumbled into that very house on Twenty-fourth Street which had been the -scene of so much despair and misery, and which he had never expected to -see again. - - - - - *CHAPTER XXVI.* - - *THE HAND OF FATE.* - - -The woman did not come forward immediately, but stood staring upward, in -the attitude of one listening. It was a very brief space of time, to be -sure, but it gave Barry a chance to pull himself together and recover -from the petrifying amazement that had stricken him at the discovery -that he was actually in his old lodging house. - -When at length another sound from above started her toward him again, -Lawrence had recovered his wits, and seized upon the only possible -chance which was left him. - -"Good evening, Mrs. Kerr," he said blandly, leisurely descending the -remaining few steps. "I left a few small personal belongings in my -room, and----" - -The expression on the woman's face as she staggered back against the -railing was so extraordinary that it fairly took Barry's breath away. -There was amazement, of course, and a quick gasp of fear escaped her -lips, but in a second every other emotion was swallowed up in a kind of -triumphant gloating which was horrible to see. - -"So you're back," she said, in an odd, suppressed voice. "I begun to -think I wasn't never goin' to see you, an' here you are of your own free -will Luck, I calls it--nothin' but luck." - -Lawrence's first thought was that she had been drinking, and a moment -later he saw that she was creeping closer to him, with a crablike -motion, at the same time maneuvering so as to block the narrow passage. - -What her idea was he could not conceive, but he had no desire to be -detained a second longer, especially as the sounds from above told him -that Joyce and his men were already descending the ladder from the roof. - -"Isn't it luck?" he agreed, smiling genially. "Of course, I never -thought I'd find you up at this hour, but, since I have, I may as well -give you what you want right now." - -He thrust one hand into an inner pocket, as if to produce something, and -the next instant had leaped forward, snatching the candle from her as he -did so. As he darted past her in the darkness, he felt a futile clutch -of hands on his coat, and then her voice was raised in a series of -piercing shrieks: "Help! Murder! Jim! Jim!" - -Taking the stairs in great leaps, Lawrence thought he had never heard -such bedlam in his life. The woman continued to scream at the top of -her voice. Somewhere a door was jerked open, and a man's harsh voice, -adding to the tumult, accelerated Barry's flight. - -He flung himself at the door, one hand instinctively touched the spring -lock, while the other yanked it open. He had the wit to remember a -second antiquated catch, seldom used, and ponderous to undo, and -promptly snapped it down before slamming the door behind him. - -Without an instant's hesitation, he ran straight toward Tenth Avenue. -Fortunately the street was dark and deserted, and he reached the corner -without encountering any one. - -As he whirled around into the avenue, he looked swiftly backward, and -saw the door of Mrs. Kerr's house burst open, throwing a shaft of light -out across the icy sidewalk. Into that path of light two figures -hurried--one tall, thin, and wearing a slouch hat; the other chunky and -shapeless. - -"My dear landlady and Jim, whoever he may be," Lawrence murmured, as he -started briskly south on the avenue. "I wish 'em the joy of their hunt -for me. What an old harridan that woman is! She positively made my -flesh creep when she was coming at me in the hall. Wonder what she was -after?" - -He did not waste much thought on the matter, however. Very likely the -woman was drunk, and it was rather startling for her to encounter a man -who did not belong in the house. At all events, it was immaterial. He -had managed to get out of the scrape successfully, so he devoted himself -to brushing off his coat and hat, and putting on his gloves, while -hastening toward the car line on Twenty-third Street. - -He was more than thankful for the whim which had caused him to wear a -soft hat of black velour. It had stayed with him through all the -excitement of the evening, and now needed only a deft touch or two to -make it quite presentable. - -As the car bowled eastward at a good clip, Barry chuckled one or twice -at the thought of Joyce's discomfiture when driven back to the roof by -those piercing shrieks from Mrs. Kerr. - -"He'll be mad as a wet hen," he thought amusedly. "Serves him right, -though, for trying such a game." - -Altogether, Barry was very much pleased with the way things had turned -out. While he had come no nearer to solving the mystery which seemed to -surround him, he had at least learned the lesson of caution, and it -would be an extremely difficult matter to catch him unawares as he had -been caught to-night. - -He was very much annoyed, of course, at having been forced to break his -engagement with Jock and the others, but that had not been his fault, -and his explanation must appease them. It was only half past ten now, -and perhaps he could get hold of the Yale man that night. Hamersley -would certainly be entertained by a recital of the evening's -experiences. - -Entering the lobby of the St. Albans a little later, he was hurrying -toward the telephones with that idea in mind, when one of the clerks -stopped him. - -"Just a moment, Mr. Lawrence," he called. "Here's a letter for you, -which should have been delivered yesterday. It was sent to the St. -Athol by mistake, and reached us after you went out this evening." - -Barry took the letter, and stared at the unfamiliar writing in a puzzled -way. Then he tore open the envelope, and hastily took out the several -sheets of closely written note paper it contained. The next instant, as -he caught sight of the inclosure, his heart began to beat loudly and -irregularly, flooding his face with flaming crimson. - -It was a crisp, new ten-dollar bill, and, though he turned the pages -with slightly trembling fingers to find the signature, it really was not -necessary. Deep down in his heart he knew that it was from Shirley -Rives. - - - - - *CHAPTER XXVII.* - - *THE LETTER.* - - -For a moment or two Lawrence stood there staring at the name. Then, -pulling himself together, he turned on his heel, and made for the -elevator. Whatever the letter contained, it was impossible to read it -down there. - -Once in his sitting room, he switched on the lights, and, flinging -himself into a chair without even taking time to remove his coat, -plunged into a perusal of the letter: - - -MY DEAR MR. LAWRENCE: As I sit here in a perfectly charming boudoir, -done in blue, with lovely old mahogany furniture, the things you said -last night about the strangeness of chance come irresistibly back to me. -I could not help but feel then that fate or destiny, or what you will, -must have had something to do with bringing us together, and perhaps -that was why I let myself drift with the current in a manner which was, -to say the least, decidedly unconventional. Really, you know, I'm not -in the habit of taking supper and favors from men I've never seen -before! - -The story you told of what had happened to you was unreal enough in all -conscience, but never for an instant did I imagine when I left you that -something infinitely more extraordinary, something a thousand times more -impossible, was coming to me. - - -Lawrence started and frowned with perplexity; but he reflected that -scarcely anything could be unbelievable after what had already -transpired. He went on reading eagerly: - - -It is much too long to put into writing. Besides, I have a notion that -I'd like to tell it to you, so I'll only give you enough to whet your -appetite and stir your curiosity. - -I went into that house on Forty-eighth Street despairing, -hopeless--perhaps not quite so hopeless as I had been two hours before; -but, still, I had little enough to hope for. I tried my best to keep -you from seeing how utterly miserable I was and how completely at my -wits' end, but I think you guessed something of it in spite of my -efforts. - -I was there for less than ten minutes, then I came away in a private -brougham with a woman I had never seen before. There were two men on -the box. Inside there were furs--soft, luxurious furs--into which one -could snuggle down and be warm at last. There was some sort of electric -heating apparatus, and I could smell the perfume of roses clustered in a -hanging vase. Do you wonder that I thought of Cinderella and the -pumpkin coach, and was afraid it would all vanish into nothing? - -We drove to a splendid house on the avenue, and there I was made to go -to bed at once in a wonderful, carved, four-poster, with silk hangings. -This morning it was still there; it had not vanished in the night. I -had not dreamed it, or, if I had, I am dreaming still. - - -Lawrence laughed aloud; but he wondered if he himself were not dreaming. -But he finished the letter with no lessening of interest: - - -At first I went about in a sort of daze, but, little by little, I'm -becoming convinced that it is real. We have been shopping all morning, -and somehow the quantities of lovely clothes which are constantly -arriving are not like dream clothes. There is a dance, to-night, too. -Fancy going to a dance again! That's almost the most impossible thing -of all. It isn't really so long since the last one, but I feel as if I -had lived a thousand years since then. - -Isn't it stranger than any fairy tale? Do you wonder that I feel as if -this wasn't Shirley Rives at all, but some one else? And, stranger than -anything else is the fact that I owe it all to you and your helping me -through the "Gates of Chance" last night. If I had come straight to -Sally's, as I meant to, nothing would have happened. If we had not met -in the square, if we had not lingered at the restaurant, even, nothing -would have happened. If one single thing had occurred to vary the time -of my reaching the house by five short minutes, there would be nothing -to tell you now. - -I know I'm perfectly hateful not to give away the secret--you see, I'm -taking it for granted that you are a little curious about it--but I have -a selfish desire to tell it to you; to try and show you something of how -strange and wonderful and utterly staggering it has all been to me. I'm -sure you'll let me, won't you--soon? Sincerely yours, SHIRLEY RIVES. - - -Below the girl's signature was written the address of a house in the -most exclusive section of Fifth Avenue, a section where dwelt only -people of great wealth, and usually of equally great social position. - -Lawrence stared at it, his face dazed and bewildered. Then he turned -back to the first sheet, and read the letter slowly through to the very -end again. It was utterly baffling and incomprehensible, yet through it -all there ran a strain of perfect truth and high-minded sweetness which -was unmistakable. The realization of this, coupled with a remembrance -of what he had once tried to make himself believe about Shirley Rives, -brought a rush of color to his cheeks, and an expression of shame into -his pleasant face. - -"She's true-blue to the very core," he murmured at length. "I can't -imagine what sort of luck it is that's come to her; the whole business -sounds like a tale from the 'Arabian Nights.' But I know one thing--I -was the biggest fool in all creation ever to have doubted her for a -second." - -He glanced again at the end of the letter, and a swift smile curved his -sensitive lips. - -"Will I come and let her tell me all about it?" he said aloud. "Will I? -And soon? Well, I guess yes!" - - - - - *CHAPTER XXVIII.* - - *THE HOUSE ON THE AVENUE.* - - -Though he tried his house and one or two other places where Jock -Hamersley was likely to be at this hour, Lawrence was unable to get his -friend on the phone. Somehow, he was not altogether sorry. He -certainly owed an apology and some sort of reparation to the men he had -been forced to leave in the lurch in this abrupt, seemingly ill-mannered -fashion, but he was just as well pleased to have it all put off until -to-morrow. With a mind full of Shirley Rives and her extraordinary -letter, he did not particularly fancy the idea of doing anything but -just sit there in his room and think it all over. - -Having taken off his things, and made himself comfortable, he read her -letter over for the third time, gaining nothing from this perusal save -an intense desire to see the girl as soon as he could, and hear from her -own lips the details of the amazing good fortune which had come so -opportunely. - -Of course, it could not be stranger than his own experiences during the -past three days; but the manner in which it had followed so close upon -the heels of that, brought again to Barry that odd feeling of being in -the grip of circumstance, the conviction that fate was molding her life -as well as his, without consulting either of them even in the smallest -detail. - -"I suppose it wouldn't be at all the thing to call there in the -morning," he thought impatiently, as he was getting into bed, long after -midnight. "Hang it all! I don't see how I'm going to restrain myself -until the conventional hour." - -While he was breakfasting the next morning, however, he resolved to set -convention at defiance for this once, at least. Almost as fervent as -his desire to hear Miss Rives' story was his eagerness to set himself -right with her. He did not wish her to labor an hour longer than was -absolutely necessary under the impression that his failure to call in -answer to her letter was due to any possible lack of interest on his -part. He must see her this morning, and so he determined to send up -some flowers with his card, and the intimation that he would follow -himself in an hour or so. - -On his way out he stopped at the desk to obtain some more money from the -wallet he had left in the safe. He had done this every morning, but -now, as he opened it, the realization came to him for the first time -that his supply was growing low. The thousand dollars had been placed -in one compartment, leaving his expense money in another, and, as he -took out about a hundred dollars, he was astonished to find how -comparatively little was left. He was not conscious of having been -especially extravagant, but he had obeyed the unknown donor's -injunctions to the letter, and had not spared expense. - -"By Jove!" he muttered, as he left the hotel and walked toward Fifth -Avenue. "I'll have to go slow, or I'll be dipping into my capital. -It's astonishing how money melts away on comparatively little things. I -must begin to economize." - -Evidently he did not mean to begin quite at once, however. He made his -way directly to an expensive flower shop on the avenue, where he -selected a huge box of very costly roses, wrote a line on his card, and -ordered them sent at once to Miss Rives. As he left the shop he -consoled himself for the flatness of his bill case by the reflection -that this was a private matter, which could be paid out of his own -money. - -The hour and a half which followed seemed to pass on leaden wings. -Barry had never known a period of time to drag so boringly. He could -not enjoy his morning walk, and, though he had several errands to do, -which ordinarily would have consumed the better part of an hour, it -seemed as if the salesmen were conspiring to attend to his wants with -positively supernatural briskness. - -"If I were in a hurry," he thought crossly, "I'd cool my heels in each -store for fifteen or twenty minutes. That's always the way when you -want to kill time." - -At length, when the hands of his watch had crept around to eleven, Barry -squared his shoulders with a determined gesture, and, making his way -swiftly through from Broadway to the Waldorf cab stand, procured a taxi -which deposited him less than ten minutes later before a very imposing -residence up in the seventies, facing the park. - -And, now that he was actually here, and the taxi dismissed, a sudden, -curious timidity began to besiege Lawrence. The marble front, with its -heavy, ornamental carvings, was almost oppressive in its atmosphere of -wealth and exclusiveness. The wonderfully wrought bronze grille which -guarded the imposing approach, even though one of the doors was flung -back, revealing the elaborate mosaic of the square entrance, seemed -fashioned for the sole purpose of excluding the presumptuous stranger -who sought admission. - -The amazing contrast between this palatial residence and the desperate, -homeless girl he had encountered in Madison Square little more than -forty-eight hours before, struck Barry anew with startling force, and -made him hesitate at the foot of the broad, shallow sweep of marble -steps. - -A dozen doubts and questions flashed through his mind in that brief -pause. Then, with a swift, characteristic flinging back of his head, he -thrust them from him in a flash. - -"What a fool I am!" he muttered angrily. "I swore I'd never doubt her -again, and I won't." - -A second later he reached the entrance, and firmly pressed the electric -button. - - - - - *CHAPTER XXIX.* - - *LAWRENCE PLEADS.* - - -Almost on the instant of Lawrence's ringing the bell, the door was swung -open by a footman in rich, quiet livery, who stood aside while Barry -entered, and, having closed the door, led the way down the paneled hall. - -"Is Miss Rives at home?" Lawrence asked briefly. - -"This way, if you please," said the footman noncommittally, indicating a -tiny elevator hidden behind hangings of rich damask. - -The car ascended noiselessly, and Lawrence stepped out into a wide hall, -the walls of which were lined with tapestries, while underfoot were -heavy Persian rugs, laid upon some sort of matting which made them thick -and soft as velvet. The footman took Barry's card, and, crossing -noiselessly to a doorway, drew aside the hangings. - -"Will you wait in the drawing-room, sir?" he murmured. - -The room which Barry entered was long and lofty, and almost oppressive -in its wealth of furnishings. The richly carved mantel of mellow Caen -marble looked as if it might have been transported entire from some -French chateau. The walls were hung with tapestries, while here and -there a wonderful painting gave relief with its gorgeous coloring and -the richness of its carved frame. The chairs, tables, cabinets, and -other pieces of furniture which filled the great room were antiques of -rare beauty and value; while scattered everywhere were carved ivories, -miniatures, exquisite old silver, and wonderful porcelain in such -bewildering array that Barry decided it would take weeks properly to -examine and appreciate each separate piece. - -The room was filled with flowers in great bowls and vases, and the air -was heavy with their fragrance. Lawrence was wondering whether his -roses were among the masses of lilies and violets, when the soft swish -of trailing garments brought him hurriedly to his feet just as the -velvet hangings were parted and Shirley Rives stood on the threshold. - -"It was very nice of you to come, Mr. Lawrence," she said as he sprang -forward to greet her; "and your roses are charming." - -"It's you who are nice to receive me at such an hour," Barry returned -quickly. "I know I should have restrained my impatience until this -afternoon, but your letter only came last night--it was sent first to -the St. Athol--and I simply couldn't wait." He hesitated, looking down -into her eyes, and a slow flush crept into his face. "You see," he went -on bravely, "I was at Sherry's myself on Tuesday night." - -For a second she stared at him in astonishment. "At the dance?" she -exclaimed. "Why, I never----" - -"Of course you didn't," Lawrence returned swiftly. "I came away very -soon." - -"But you saw me?" - -Her tone was perplexed, and a tiny, puzzled wrinkle had leaped into her -smooth, low forehead. Then, as Barry nodded, a sudden gleam of -comprehension flashed into her dark eyes. - -"You saw me!" she exclaimed, in an odd voice. "And my letter never -reached you until last night! What must you have thought? But come; -let's sit down and talk comfortably." - -She moved gracefully across the room to a great carved chair near one of -the windows. Lawrence drew up another chair and sat down. For a second -or two neither of them spoke; then the girl bent forward a little, her -chin resting on one hand. - -"Well," she questioned, "tell me what you thought?" - -The flush had deepened in his face, and his muscular, well-shaped -fingers were lacing and interlacing, an unconscious key to the -perturbation of his mind. Now that he had seen her again, his folly at -having doubted her seemed more utterly absurd and idiotic than ever. He -hated desperately to tell her the truth, yet he knew he must. The -sooner it was over the better. - -"I was a fool!" he said brusquely. "I thought you had been making sport -of me. I thought you had made up that whole story for a lark. I -realized long before your letter came that such a thing was impossible; -but at the dance I was simply stunned. I had just come from the house -on Forty-eighth Street, where they told me you had never been there. -Your friend, Miss Barton, said she had not seen you in months, and, -after what you----" - -The girl started slightly. "Of course!" she murmured. "I forgot all -about Sally. But surely Mrs. Weston must have----" - -"She was away. I didn't see her. The maid said you weren't there, and -certainly hadn't been there overnight. Miss Barton knew nothing -whatever about you. It looked as if the earth had opened and swallowed -you up, so you can imagine my feelings when I caught sight of you at the -dance. When I left you the night before, you hadn't a friend in the -city but this stenographer, or a cent----" - -"You forget the ten dollars," she murmured demurely, her long lashes -sweeping her cheeks as she played with a jeweled chain hanging from her -neck. - -"That didn't count," he retorted. - -"Not in the way you mean, perhaps," she supplemented. "And so you went -from Mrs. Weston's to the dance, and saw me there?" - -"N-not directly. It was too early, and I was troubled and worried to -know what had become of you. I drove around a little, and walked -through the square----" - -Her lids suddenly lifted, and she looked oddly at him. - -"Madison Square?" she questioned swiftly. - -He nodded. "Yes. I--er--just wanted to walk a little where it was -quiet and I could think. Then I joined my friends, and drove with them -to Sherry's. I hadn't been there half an hour before I saw you." - -"I suppose it did seem a trifle odd," she remarked, glancing out of the -window. - -"Odd doesn't quite express it. There you were in a wonderful gown with -pearls and things, and talking to three or four men at once as if you'd -known them all your life. Of course, I couldn't believe my senses at -first; and when at last I was sure, I--well, it was all so bewildering -and impossible that I couldn't seem to stay there." - -"You mean you couldn't stay because you thought I'd been deceiving you?" -she said quietly. - -"There didn't seem to be any other explanation," he pleaded. "Next day -I came to my senses, and knew that there must be some other reason. Of -what it could be I hadn't the most remote conception; but I knew that -you weren't the sort to make believe to that extent; and it was a big -relief, I can tell you." - -He hesitated a second, and bent forward slightly, his forehead wrinkled -and his eyes fixed intently on her lovely face. - -"Please forgive me," he begged, "and admit that there were extenuating -circumstances." - - - - - *CHAPTER XXX.* - - *THE TANGLED WEB.* - - -The girl's lids had drooped again, hiding the expression in her eyes, -while the rest of her face told Barry nothing. He was just beginning to -wonder whether she was very angry, when suddenly she threw back her -head, and her lips parted in a peal of low laughter. - -"Of course there were!" she exclaimed. "How absurd you are to take it so -seriously, Mr. Lawrence! If I'd been in your place, I should have hated -a girl I thought had played me such a trick. I think you're very nice, -indeed, not to have thought worse things about me than you did, and I -really haven't anything to forgive." - -"You're sure of that?" he asked eagerly, his face glowing. - -"Perfectly! And now that's over," she went on briskly, "don't you want -to hear my fairy tale?" - -"You bet I do!" he asserted, with more force than elegance. "I've been -eaten up with curiosity ever since your letter came. It sounded as -wildly impossible as an Arabian Night." - -She laughed. "It was--it is yet. I'm really not quite certain that it -isn't all a wonderfully vivid dream; though, as I wrote you, the clothes -do seem awfully convincing. You know, a person never by any chance -dreams the sort of dresses one would like to have. They're always -utterly impossible." - -She clasped one knee with both hands in a boyish way, and fixed her -dancing eyes upon his face. - -"I was a little frightened when I said good-by that night," she began. -"So many horrid things had happened that I wasn't even sure of Mrs. -Weston, or Sally, or anything. I rang the bell, and the door was opened -so suddenly that I jumped." - -"I wondered at the time how any one could get up from the basement so -quickly," Lawrence commented interestedly. - -"You waited?" she questioned. "That was good of you. Well, Mrs. Weston -was already in the hall with a lady who seemed on the point of going -out. I didn't pay much attention to her except to notice that she was -beautifully gowned and had quantities of wonderful jewels. You see, I -wanted to find out whether Sally was still in the house, so I turned -directly to Mrs. Weston, and started to ask her. I'd spoken scarcely -half a dozen words before the other woman caught me by the arm and drew -me over to the light. If she hadn't stared at me so strangely, I -suppose I'd have wondered what in the world she was doing in such a -place; for her pearls were really extraordinary, and the house--well, -you know there was nothing especially high class about it. But she just -stared and stared in the oddest way imaginable; then suddenly she cried -out: 'Who are you, child?' - -"The queer way she snapped out the words--it reminded me of bullets shot -out of a gun--almost took my breath away; but I managed to tell her my -name. It was fortunate she still held my arm; otherwise I'm sure I -should have collapsed in sheer astonishment. - -"'I knew it!' she exclaimed, in that extraordinary choppy manner. 'I -knew it the minute I set eyes on you. I'm your aunt.'" - -"Your aunt!" gasped Barry. - -"Yes, my aunt. Fancy! Whenever I think of it now I laugh. It was -really screamingly funny, you know, to be told by a perfect stranger, -who looks rather like a drum major, that she's an aunt you have never -heard of. I didn't laugh then, though. I thought she was crazy, and -was wondering how in the world I should get away from her, when all at -once I remembered that mother did have a sister very much older than -herself who had lived abroad almost all her life. She was eccentric to -begin with, and married unhappily; and finally, when mother was engaged, -she was terribly opposed to it; and the result was a quarrel which kept -them apart all the rest of their lives. All this went through my mind -like a flash; and I was so taken back that I could only stammer: -'You're--not--Aunt Beverly?' - -"'Of course I am!' she snapped back. 'What other aunts have you got, -I'd like to know?' - -"And then she began to ask me questions as fast as she could talk. She -wanted to know what I was doing in New York, why I was wearing such -dreadful clothes, how I dared be out on the streets alone at such an -hour, and a dozen other things. I suppose you'll think I'm hateful, Mr. -Lawrence, but all at once I felt perfectly furious that she should have -all those wonderful diamonds and pearls and lovely clothes, and probably -quantities of money, while I hadn't even a coat to wear. And so I told -her everything she wanted to know, without mincing matters in the least; -and for once she had nothing to say. - -"She dropped the gold bag she was carrying; and, though she was quick -enough in bending over for it, she was a long time straightening up -again; and, when at last she did speak, there was something in her voice -which hadn't been there before. - -"'Come, my dear,' she said quietly. 'It's time we were starting home.' - -"The things which happened after that were much more like a dream than -any real dream I ever had. She called Mrs. Weston Janet when she said -good night; and, when we went out, there was a private brougham waiting -in the street, exactly as if it had been conjured up by a magic wand. -There was no carriage in sight when we came through the street, was -there?" - -Barry shook his head. "No, but one passed me near Eighth Avenue," he -answered, struck by a sudden recollection. - -"Really? That must have been it, then. Well, we came here, and I've -been in this miraculous walking dream ever since. At breakfast next -morning, Aunt Beverly announced, in that gruff way of hers, that she -intended to adopt me. She said she was a sour old woman who for years -had tried to be happy by spending her money on herself alone. She -hadn't been happy, so now she was going to see if making other people -happy would be any different. It seems that Mrs. Weston was an old -friend whose husband died leaving her nothing but debts; and Aunt -Beverly's visit there last night was to do something for her. That's -all, I think. Of course, there are surprises every minute, for Aunt -Beverly is incredibly wealthy, and seems to delight in making my eyes -pop out. There doesn't seem to be anything one can wish for that she -doesn't conjure up in a minute or two." - -She paused, her deep, wonderful eyes fixed intently on Barry's face. - -"Isn't it amazing?" she queried. "Have you ever known anything quite so -strange in all your life?" - -"Never!" agreed Lawrence. "It's simply corking! And I can't tell you, -Miss Rives, how glad I am. Beside your experiences, my little strike of -luck shrinks into nothingness." - -"But yours was the first," the girl replied, with an odd earnestness. -"Yours was the turn of destiny's wheel which started all the other -mechanism into motion. But for you, I should be--well, I don't know -where." She made an expressive gesture with her hands. "I shudder -whenever I think of it." - -"You mustn't think of it, then," said Barry. "The future holds too many -pleasant things for you to waste time upon the past." - -"Controlling one's thoughts is not so easy as you seem to imagine," -Shirley retorted, glancing out of the window toward the snowy stretch of -park across the avenue. "Besides, I am not at all sure that I wish to -forget the past--at least, all of it." - -Barry felt the blood rising into his face. What did she mean by that, or -did she mean anything? His hands closed tightly over the arms of the -carved chair, and, by a great effort, he restrained the impulse to -speak. - -"Aunt Beverly is really splendid, and I'm becoming fonder of her every -day," the girl went on, turning back. "At first I was a little afraid -of her, until I found out that her brusque, snappy manner was only an -affectation to hide what she really thinks and feels. I want you to -know her, for I'm sure you'll like each other. You'll stay to luncheon, -won't you?" - -"I should be delighted," Barry returned impulsively, then bit his lips -as he remembered. "But, unfortunately, I've an engagement," he went on -after that momentary pause. "I hope you'll let me call soon again, -though, when she is at home. I haven't heard what the rest of her name -is yet." - -"How stupid of me! She's Mrs. Ogden Wilmerding. Her husband has been -dead about ten years, I believe, and this house and----" - -But Lawrence heard no more. At the mention of that name, the smile -seemed to freeze upon his lips, and something like a red-hot iron seared -through his brain. - -Mrs. Ogden Wilmerding! The eccentric widow of the traction magnate, who -was said to be one of the five wealthiest women in New York! This -accounted for the imposing house crammed with priceless works of art. -This accounted for that sudden taking home of her niece and loading the -girl with costly clothes and more costly jewels. It was more than -likely that she would carry out her plan of adopting Shirley; it was -just the sort of thing she would delight in doing. But stranger than -anything else was the incredible fact that the girl should be ignorant -of a name which was famous in New York. - -With a tremendous effort Lawrence managed to pull himself together and -nod understandingly as Miss Rives finished. - -"That's very interesting," he said inanely. "But--er--had you never -heard anything about this aunt before you saw her?" - -"Almost nothing," she confessed. "She quarreled with father, you know, -and he wouldn't allow her name to be mentioned in his presence. I -suppose it got to be a sort of habit about the place; and, by the time I -was old enough to take notice, the others had stopped talking about her, -even when they were alone." - -With a brain which seemed heavy and dead, Barry tried to carry on his -part of the conversation naturally and lightly; but presently the effort -became more than flesh and blood could stand, and he rose to take his -leave. - -"You'll come soon when Aunt Beverly is here?" Shirley questioned as she -held out her hand. "I want very much to have you meet her." - -Barry's fingers closed around hers, and he smiled naturally, heroically. - -"Of course," he returned quickly. "I should be delighted to come any -time you want me. You can call me at the St. Albans, and, if I'm not -there, leave your number with the clerk, and I'll get your message when -I come in." - -"That's splendid," she said. "I'll call very soon. Good-by, and thank -you for the flowers." - -With head high, Lawrence stepped through the doorway and let the velvet -hangings fall into place behind him. But in the tapestry-lined hall he -stumbled blindly, then, spurred by the presence of the footman, pulled -himself together, and entered the elevator. - -When at last he had donned his things and issued forth into the street, -he turned instinctively southward without the slightest idea where he -was going, and without a single backward glance at the upper window -where a graceful, girlish form stood half revealed against a background -of old rose damask. - -His face was set and rather pale; his gray eyes showed dumbly a little -of the despair which filled his soul at the presence of this tremendous, -insurmountable barrier which had suddenly reared itself between him and -the girl--he loved. - - - - - *CHAPTER XXXI.* - - *DESPAIR.* - - -As Barry walked down the avenue, aimless and unseeing, he thought of -many things; but the one which loomed up biggest was the colossal -fortune controlled by Mrs. Ogden Wilmerding. It seemed to hang over him -like some awful monster, hovering in the air ready to fall and crush -him. It filled Lawrence with despair. He disliked the woman he had -never seen because of her money, because she was Shirley's aunt, and, -lastly and most intensely, because she had taken it upon herself to cast -the mantle of her wealth and position around the girl she had neglected -and ignored for so many years. - -Barry realized perfectly the selfishness of this point of view; but he -could not help it. If only Mrs. Wilmerding had kept out of it things -would have come right somehow. At least, there would have been left him -the feeling that he and Shirley Rives were on equal terms. He would -still have had the delight of knowing that there were many things he -could do to help the girl, instead of having her transported to a plane -so infinitely above him, and so inaccessible. - -Bitterly he contrasted the untold millions belonging to this new-found -relative of hers with his own miserable pittance. His very name was -tarnished, though through no fault of his; and it would be utterly -impossible for him ever to harbor again the thoughts and hopes which had -possessed him during the early part of his call. - -Barry's abstraction was so great that he quite failed to notice the taxi -which moved slowly out of a side street and trailed along the avenue -about half a block behind. He walked straight on until, at length, -happening to glance up, the looming front of the St. Regis reminded him -of the terms of his bargain; and he promptly entered, though he did not -feel at all like eating. - -He had scarcely disappeared before the taxi drew up beside the curb, and -a slim, dark fellow, immaculately dressed, stepped out. He paused by -the open door, talking in an undertone with a man who remained inside; a -man with broad, thick shoulders, a round, full face, and a Vandyke beard -slightly tinged with gray. - -For perhaps a minute they conversed in low tones. Then the door was -slammed, and the taxi whirled on down the avenue, while the slim, dapper -individual made his way promptly into the St. Regis, languidly surveyed -the dining room from the doorway, and presently took his seat at a table -just back of Lawrence. - -The latter finished a very simple luncheon without so much as turning -round, then made his way to the telephone operator. There was some -delay in getting Hamersley's office; but, when the connection was made -at last, he stepped into the booth, quite oblivious to the fact that the -tall, dark fellow occupied the next one. - -As Barry had half expected, Jock was out, so he left word for the Yale -man to meet him at the Knickerbocker at five if he possibly could, and -sauntered out of the hotel. - -Listlessly he turned downtown, wondering what under the sun men of -leisure did with their time. Somehow, the glamour which had enveloped -him for the past few days was beginning to wear away. Once more he was -desperately tired of doing nothing but lunch and dine and evade -detectives. He wondered pettishly whether the man in black had been -captured yet and taken back to his asylum, for it seemed impossible that -any sane person could have acted in such an extraordinary manner. There -were the detectives, to be sure; but perhaps they were all of a piece -with the rest of the bewildering jumble. There seemed to be no reason -or sense to what anybody did. They were probably all mad. - -Lawrence was, in short, at odds with himself and the world. He would -have given a lot to come face to face with some one he could sail into -and pummel with all his might. It would be such a relief now to run -into that smart Alec who had decoyed him to the house on Twenty-fourth -Street last night. - -Happily the mood did not long continue. An hour's brisk, almost -feverish, walking brought with it a more sane outlook on life. When -Barry strayed into a cafe on Times Square about half past three, more -for lack of any other method of passing the time than from any real -desire for refreshment, he had quite recovered his poise. - -He was making for a little table in the corner, when suddenly a hand -clutched his coat and a vaguely familiar voice sounded in his ear. - -"I say, Oscar, sit down here, unless you're too bally proud to be seen -with me." - -It was the Englishman who had puzzled him so at the dance at Sherry's, -and for an instant Barry frowned. Then, struck by a sudden impulse, he -smiled and dropped down in a chair opposite the other. The fellow -didn't look like a bad sort, and he was sorely enough in need of -diversion. - -"Why should I be ashamed to be seen with you?" he asked lightly. "Where -did you ever get that idea?" - -The tall man's blue eyes widened. "Where'd I get it?" he echoed, in -surprise. "Why, at that blooming dance, to be sure. You wouldn't speak -to me then, old chap." - -Lawrence tapped the bell. - -"I beg your pardon, then," he said. "I was worried, and not really -myself. What'll you have?" - -When the waiter had taken their orders and departed, the Englishman -screwed his monocle into his eye and sat regarding his companion for a -minute in silence. - -"Jolly glad of that," he said solemnly, at length. "Didn't seem like you -to throw an old friend down. I couldn't understand it. Sure you -weren't thinking of the bally rotten way I was forced to leave -Cambridge, old chap?" - -"Positive," Lawrence returned promptly. "I'd forgotten all about it." -He hesitated an instant, and then went on at random: "Of course, that -wasn't your fault, you know." - -"Should say not!" The Englishman's tone was indignant; and Barry -suddenly had a suspicion that, if the fellow had not taken too much -already, the limit was not far off. While his enunciation was perfect, -there was an expression about his eyes which was unmistakable. - -"Should say not!" the other repeated. "You know jolly well John Brandon -would never disgrace the old name. A plot against me--a beastly plot; -that's what it was!" - -He took a long drink, and sat staring oddly at Lawrence. - -"Say, Oscar," he burst out abruptly, "you must have been in the States a -bally while, by Jove!" - -"I have," Barry smiled. "How did you guess it?" - -"You talk just like these blooming Yankees; 'pon my soul, you do! I've -been listening for that bit of an accent you used to have, old chap; and -I give you my word, it's gone--you've lost it. Funny thing; eh, what?" - -For a second Barry sat silent, his interest thoroughly aroused. Was it -possible that he was on the point of finding the key to the enigma which -had so puzzled him. - -"Accent!" he repeated the next moment. "Did my accent used to be so -bad?" - -Brandon laughed. - -"Not bad," he chuckled. "Just enough to notice now and then. By Jove! -Have you forgotten how we always said you'd be taken for a foreigner -sooner or later? You wouldn't now, old chap. Give you my word, I'd -think you were a blooming Yankee if I didn't know you so well." - - - - - *CHAPTER XXXII.* - - *AN EXTRAORDINARY INTERVIEW.* - - -It was at least three-quarters of an hour later when Lawrence left the -hotel and walked slowly toward Forty-second Street. He was puzzled, -perplexed, and rather piqued; for, in spite of all his efforts, he had -been unable to extract from the Englishman a single additional fact -which would help him solve the problem which vexed him. - -Brandon evidently took him for some one else, and the resemblance must -have been astonishingly great; for it was evident that the Briton had -spent a year, if not more, with Barry's double at Cambridge. - -It was the famous English university, of course, and not the equally -well-known Massachusetts college. Lawrence had realized that very early -in the talk; but, in spite of his repeated efforts, he had been unable -to elicit a single additional particular concerning his double, save the -fact that Oscar Nordstrom had evidently spent some years as a student in -England. While Brandon had plainly been on the most friendly terms with -Nordstrom, he seemed curiously ignorant regarding the man's antecedents. - -"It's a queer thing from beginning to end," he murmured as he pushed -through the whirling doors of the Knickerbocker. "I wish I could find -out who I'm supposed to be. I'll wager anything that this would solve -the whole mystery." - -For a moment he stood in the lobby glancing mechanically around. It was -much too early to expect Jock, and he had just made up his mind to pass -the time comfortably in the smoking room, when suddenly his eyes strayed -to the face of a woman moving slowly and gracefully toward him from the -elevator. She was tall and slim and very blond; and there was something -about her attractive face which touched a chord in Barry's memory. -Somehow the sight of her seemed to bring with it visions of a smooth, -sandy beach, with the ocean stretching out beyond it, of merry sailing -parties and clambakes, of drives and automobile excursions, and a host -of other summer pleasures. - -"Southampton, of course," he muttered. "But what the mischief is her -name?" - -The next instant their eyes met, and he saw that the recognition was -mutual. She gave a sudden start, and stood for a second staring -incredulously at him, a wave of color flaming into her face. Then, as -he moved forward, she seemed to recover herself, and came slowly to meet -him. - -"How do you do?" she said, in a low, soft voice, which had in it an odd -note which Barry could not quite fathom. "This is a very, very great -surprise." - -Hat in hand, Lawrence clasped the slender fingers she extended to him, -and smiled. She was even more beautiful than he had remembered her. - -"Isn't it?" he agreed pleasantly. "But here in New York one is -constantly having surprises like this." - -She raised her eyebrows a trifle. "Surely not quite--like this," she -murmured. - -He laughed, racking his brain desperately for the forgotten name. "No, -of course I didn't mean just that," he returned. "This is an -exception." - -He hesitated a second, wondering if she would help him out; but she made -no effort to speak. Leaning against the back of one of the crimson -velvet chairs, she seemed content simply to look at him. - -"Do you know," Lawrence exclaimed, forced to say something, "that when I -saw you, my mind went back instantly to that wonderful, smooth beach, -with the cloudless blue sky above and the waves dashing up almost to -where we sat on the sand." - -She smiled faintly. "I thought of that, too," she murmured; "but I saw -it all in the moonlight. With that flood of silver dancing on the water, -making everything almost as bright as day, except where the shadows of -the trees behind were denser than ever." - -Lawrence did not remember any trees near the Southampton beach; but, -supposing this to be a sort of poetic license, he nodded agreement. - -"It was a wonderful summer," he added. "Somehow it doesn't seem possible -that three years have passed since then." - -A low, silvery laugh issued from her lips, and she tapped him lightly on -the arm. - -"Always the same flatterer," she said softly. Suddenly her face grew -pensive. "Does it really seem that long to you? I've often wondered. -Men have so many things to occupy them--especially such men as you. A -woman has only her remembrances to treasure zealously, and bring out now -and then to gloat over. And memories are rather barren things -sometimes." - -For an instant Lawrence stood aghast. What did she mean? Certainly he -could recall nothing of a tender nature having passed between them, and -her words were decidedly significant. He pulled himself together with an -effort; but, before he could speak, she broke the silence. - -"Your voice puzzles me," she said abruptly. "It doesn't seem possible -that you can have been long enough in America to have lost every trace -of accent. Of course, it was never very noticeable; but one who knew -you well could always tell." - -Barry's jaw dropped, and his face took on an expression of utter -astonishment. His accent--again! What in the world did it mean? Was it -possible that she was taking him for---- - -"You were talking about that summer at Southampton, of course?" he -managed to ask in an odd voice. - -"Southampton?" she exclaimed, her eyes fixed intently on his face. "I -don't understand. You don't mean that you've forgotten--Cannes?" - -Lawrence stood as one in a trance. "Cannes!" he muttered hoarsely, -wondering whether his brain was giving way. "I have never been in -Cannes in all my life." Then, as the belated memory came to him at -last, he gasped out: "Aren't you Miss Vera Pell?" - -The woman's face turned white, and one slim, gloved hand stole upward to -her lips. Her eyes, wide, almost black with the emotion which was -rending her, were fixed on his face with a look of absolute -bewilderment. - -"Are you jesting?" she managed to gasp at last. "You know that I am -Mrs. Walbridge Gordon. You could never forget--it is impossible." - -As Barry did not answer, a look of utter horror flashed into her face. -She swayed a little, and put out one hand to steady herself. - -"Who--are--you?" she asked, in a low, trembling voice. Then swiftly she -laughed an uneven, hysterical sort of laugh. "You are jesting with me. -It is impossible that there should be two men so absolutely alike on -earth. You must be----" - -She broke off abruptly, and her eyes flashed past Barry's shoulder to -the door. The next instant a spasm of fear ripped swiftly across her -face, and her white teeth came together over her lips with a cruel force -which brought forth a tiny fleck of blood to glisten there. - -"Go!" she whispered in a harsh voice. "My husband is coming. He must -not see you here." - -"But--who?" Lawrence managed to mutter. - -"Go, I tell you--quickly!" she repeated. She was trembling violently; -and that look of fear had come back into her face to stay. "You -must--for my sake." - -Without a moment's hesitation Barry obeyed, slipping around a big -pillar. With his back squarely toward the entrance, he passed quietly -and easily through the crowd toward the telephones in the narrow passage -behind the desk. - -His brain was in a seething turmoil; but overtopping every other emotion -was anger at the man who had arrived so inopportunely. If he could only -have delayed a single, brief minute longer, the name trembling on the -woman's lips would have been uttered, and Lawrence would have possessed -at last the key to the mystery which was driving him almost frantic. - -Who was he supposed to be? Who was the man he so resembled? Why had he -been given a thousand dollars to pass himself off for this unknown for a -single week? - -These and a dozen other questions passed swiftly through Barry's brain -as he perfunctorily fumbled the leaves of the telephone book to give -some excuse for lingering there. - -What did it all mean? Was he ever to know? - - - - - *CHAPTER XXXIII.* - - *GONE!* - - -Lawrence presently closed the book and ventured back into the lobby. A -swift survey of the place told him that Mrs. Walbridge Gordon was no -longer there; so he made his way to the cafe and settled down in one -corner to wait for Hamersley. - -He rather wished he did not have to talk to Jock just then. It would be -a difficult matter at any time to explain what had happened to him the -night before without breaking the pledge of secrecy he had made to the -little man in black. Besides, at the present moment his mind was so full -of the extraordinary experience he had just been through, and its -probable relation to the mystery which surrounded him, that there was -little room for anything else. - -Nevertheless, when the big bulk of the Yale man loomed up before him, -and that booming voice resounded in his ears, Barry was glad, after all, -that he had come. When one is perplexed and muddled and utterly at sea, -there is nothing like a good friend whose discretion can be trusted and -whose interest and sympathy is assured, even if he lacks the cleverness -to suggest a solution of the difficulty. - -The result was that Lawrence hailed Hamersley with pleasure, silenced -the upbraiding tirade Jock started, and began to pour into his ears an -account of the extraordinary things which had been happening for the -past few days. He made no mention of Shirley Rives, and he refrained -from saying anything about the man in black, the conditions the latter -had imposed, or the money which had changed hands. He simply told his -friend that he had undertaken certain trivial matters concerning which -he was sworn to secrecy. What had occurred after that strange interview -in the Pennsylvania Station, including mention of the Englishman and an -account of his interview with Mrs. Walbridge Gordon, he had no -hesitation in narrating; and, when the story was finished, the big -fellow's eyes were starting out of his head. - -"Whew!" he exclaimed, leaning back in his chair and staring at Lawrence. -"If I didn't know you better, old boy, I'd say you'd been hitting the -pipe. Shadowed, kidnaped, mistaken for another man, and---- Say! Did -you find out what that woman's name was?" - -"I did; but it wouldn't be quite right to mention it, would it? I only -brought her in because it bore on the case." - -"Hum! I suppose you're right. Awkward fix for a woman to be in, ain't -it? I reckon she and this double of yours must have known each other -pretty well." - -"I judged so," Barry returned grimly. "Do you know, Jock, I made the -mistake of my life in giving that detective the slip. If I'd only -stayed quietly there in that empty house until his employers showed up, -there isn't a doubt in my mind that by this time I'd be wise to the -whole shooting match." - -Hamersley nodded. "No doubt," he agreed. "Still, a fellow can't always -plan so far ahead. When a thug holds you up with a gun and carries you -off that way, the natural thing is to go him one better, and make a -sneak. Jove! I wish I'd been along. That chase over the roofs must -have been some time, all right." - -"It wasn't quite so entertaining while it was happening," Barry said. -"You could have taken my place, and welcome, if you'd been around." - -"Why don't you turn the tables on this gang of snoopers?" inquired -Hamersley suddenly. - -Barry started slightly. "You mean that----" - -"Turn around and follow them. Get after that duck with the beard. -Strikes me he's the head one of the push. Get him in a corner and make -him come over with the information. Two can play at the game, can't -they?" - -"By Jove!" Lawrence exclaimed jubilantly. "I believe you're right, Jock. -That's a whopping good idea of yours, old fellow!" - -"Didn't expect anything but good ones from me, I hope?" Hamersley -returned. "That's my specialty, you know." - -Filled with enthusiasm over the notion, they made haste to leave the -hotel. There seemed no time like the present for starting in, so they -leisurely paused on the sidewalk to give any spies who were about ample -opportunity to get on the job; then, turning eastward, sauntered along -the south side of Forty-second Street. - -Unfortunately, the scheme did not seem to pan out as they expected. -Though they kept the sharpest sort of a lookout around them, suddenly -turning to glance into shop windows, whirling about as if to retrace -their steps, and taking the most roundabout route possible to the Yale -Club, not a suspicious pedestrian or taxi did they see. - -"Too big a crowd, I reckon," Hamersley sighed as they paused before the -building on Forty-fourth Street. "We'd better take dinner here and -start out afterward when the streets aren't so full." - -"I can't dine with you, Jock," Barry said regretfully. "I've got a -date." - -"Part of the game you couldn't tell me about, I'll bet," the Yale man -returned shrewdly. "Well, meet me here at eight, then." - -Having left his friend, Lawrence returned at once to the St. Albans. As -he took his key, the clerk handed him a letter, the precise, -old-fashioned handwriting of which he recognized with a quick thrill. - -"Wonder what the old geezer has to say now," he said to himself as he -sailed up in the elevator. "If he's thought up any more conditions, I'll -balk, hanged if I won't." - -There were none, however. The letter contained five one-hundred-dollar -bills and a few lines of symmetrical writing on a single sheet of note -paper: - - -You are doing admirably. Keep on as you have begun, and use the -inclosed in case your expense money does not hold out. - - -Barry scratched his head, and sat staring at the note. - -"Well, I'll be hanged!" he exclaimed. "Don't want me to do anything but -spend money. It's the weirdest thing I ever ran across, sure. What in -creation does it mean? What does he get out of it? If I only----" - -The room telephone tinkled imperatively; and, cramming money and letter -into his pocket, Lawrence sprang up and took down the receiver. - -"Hello!" came in a woman's voice. "Is this Mr. Lawrence--Mr. Barry -Lawrence?" - -"Yes, what is it?" - -"Hold the wire, please. Mrs. Ogden Wilmerding wishes to speak to you." - -In the brief pause which followed, Barry stood there the picture of -amazement. What in the world could Mrs. Wilmerding want with him? He -did not know her--had never seen her. She was not the sort of woman to -give her personal attention to such trivial matters as an invitation to -call or to take dinner, anyway. Was it possible that anything had -happened to---- - -"Mr. Lawrence!" - -The name came snapping over the wires with the force of a pistol shot, -and made Barry jump. - -"Yes!" he gasped. "This is Mr. Lawrence." - -"Get a taxi and come to my house at once. Do you understand?" - -Barry flushed a little at the peremptory tone, coming as it did from a -woman he fancied he disliked so greatly. - -"But I am just dressing for dinner," he expostulated, trying with not -much success to make his tone cool and dignified. - -"Dinner!" snapped the voice. "What's that to me? Go without your -dinner, as I shall. My niece is gone!" - -Lawrence felt an odd pounding in his head which made him certain that he -could not have caught her meaning. - -"Gone?" he repeated dazedly. "Where?" - -"Don't be a fool! Should I be doing this if I knew? She went out after -lunch and hasn't returned. A letter was just delivered which---- But -we're wasting time. Are you coming?" - -"Yes. At once. I'll be there in five minutes." - -There was no response save a sharp click, and Barry turned from the -instrument, his face ghastly. Shirley gone--disappeared! For a second -he stood there, his lips moving. Then, with an exclamation of fury, he -snatched hat and coat, tore open the door, and ran down the hall toward -the elevator. - - - - - *CHAPTER XXXIV.* - - *THE PUZZLE GROWS.* - - -It seemed an eternity to Barry Lawrence before the taxi finally swerved -in toward the curb and stopped with a grinding jar before the -marble-fronted house facing the park. He was on the sidewalk in an -instant, and, telling the man to wait, ran up the curving steps to the -ornate doorway. - -Evidently the footman was on the watch, for the door swung open before -Barry had even time to press the bell, and, without a word, the servant -took the visitor's coat and hat and led the way at once toward the -elevator. - -The long drawing-room was filled with a soft radiance from shaded lamps -and ornate electric globes cunningly hidden in the heavy, carved -cornice; and the amazing richness of its furnishing showed now to even -better advantage than it had that morning. - -But Lawrence was not thinking of furnishings. As he stepped through the -wide doorway his eyes sought at once the single figure the great room -contained--the figure of a woman of middle age, richly dressed and -wearing many jewels, who had been pacing back and forth the length of -the apartment, but who stopped abruptly as the man entered, and turned -swiftly toward him. She was tall, a bit angular, sharp in her movements, -and the wildest stretching of the imagination could not have conceived -her handsome. But there was something about the way she carried her -head, and an expression in the rather rugged face, which gave one an -impression of bigness, mental and moral. Such a woman might be brusque -and sharp and domineering; she could never be unjust or petty. - -Barry took a few quick steps forward, and paused, a little embarrassed -by the way those keen, dark eyes were fixed upon his face, as if -searching the very depths of his soul. A faint touch of color came into -his cheeks; but his eyes never wavered, and he held his head high. -Presently, as the odd silence began to seem intolerable, his lips -parted, as if he meant to speak, only to close again without a sound -issuing. When at last the silence was broken, it was the woman who -spoke. - -"So you are Barry Lawrence," she said abruptly, with an oddly puzzled -undercurrent in her voice. - -He bowed. - -"Humph!" she commented. "Read that!" - -As she thrust her hand toward him, Barry saw that a letter was crumpled -between her fingers. Without a word, he took it eagerly and twitched it -open. It was written in a simple, running hand without any special -characteristics, and was unsigned: - - -DEAR MADAM: This is to let you know that your niece is all right as long -as you keep quiet and don't interfere. Very likely you think that money -and position can do everything, but in this case you're wrong. - -Nothing is going to happen to the girl unless you go running to the -police; but if you do, you won't be a bit better off, and there'll only -be a big scandal raised which will do irreparable harm to her and her -husband. - -This is just a tip to keep quiet and let things run their natural course -unless you want to do a lot of harm to all concerned. - - -Lawrence scarcely took in the meaning of the second paragraph. His -brain was reeling. Her husband! He could not believe that he had read -aright, and dazedly his eyes sought the paragraph and tried to focus -themselves upon the amazing, impossible, dastardly words. - -Before he could do so, however, an impatient movement came from the -woman beside him, and her voice broke the stillness. - -"Well?" she snapped. "Are you her husband?" - -Barry flung back his head and stared at her with blazing eyes. - -"No!" he replied sharply. "No, I'm not! I'd give anything under heaven -if there could ever be a chance for me to be." - -The words were scarcely out of his mouth before he realized, with a pang -of dismay, that he had been stung into saying something he never meant -to say. All day he had been telling himself over and over again that no -word concerning his feelings for Shirley Rives should ever pass his -lips, yet now he had blurted it out like a blundering fool. The color -flamed into his face, and his lids drooped before the curious expression -in Mrs. Wilmerding's eyes. - -"Indeed!" she said tersely. "And may I ask why you think there isn't?" - -Lawrence stared at her in astonishment. Then he pulled himself together -and glanced again at the crumpled letter. - -"If this is true----" he began. - -But Mrs. Wilmerding cut him short with a most emphatic snort. - -"Fiddlesticks!" she snapped. "You don't believe that, I hope? Haven't -you any faith at all in Shirley? It's all a lie from beginning to end." - -"But what----" - -"I don't know," she broke in, frowning. "I don't understand it yet, but -I know it's a lie." - -Barry's spirits began to rise. There was something about her tone of -positiveness which heartened him instinctively. He had not really -doubted Shirley; but the statement of the unknown writer was so -nonchalant and matter-of-fact that it bewildered him. - -"Still," he remarked more calmly, "you asked me----" - -"I had my reasons; but it wasn't because I thought it true." She stood -leaning against the side of a heavy, carved table, both hands resting -lightly on the dull, waxed surface, her shrewd, bright eyes holding his -in thrall. "What stands between you and Shirley?" she questioned -quietly. - -Lawrence threw out his hands in an impatient gesture. "Everything!" he -exclaimed. "Her money and my lack of it are enough, without wasting -time to go into any others." - -"Her money!" Mrs. Wilmerding repeated. Then, with a sudden frown, she -went on swiftly: "You're right. We are wasting time. Let us get down -to business at once. Shirley must be found to-night, and yet I don't -feel like putting the matter into the hands of the police." - -"You don't believe there can be a particle of truth in this letter?" -Barry questioned. - -"Of course not. I told you it was a lie. At the same time, you must -see that if the matter became public it might do my niece an irreparable -amount of harm. No. We must work it out ourselves. To be strictly -accurate, you must find her. Being a woman, I can't very well traipse -around town without causing all sorts of talk. You won't fail me, I -know." - -"Fail you!" Lawrence cried. "I should say not! I won't rest or sleep -until Miss Rives is found. I'll rake the city with a fine-tooth comb, -and if any harm has come to her----" - -He broke off abruptly, his face hard, almost cruel, his eyes narrowed. -The momentary silence which followed was more expressive than many -words. - - - - - *CHAPTER XXXV.* - - *THE ASTONISHING MRS. WILMERDING.* - - -Mrs. Wilmerding looked at him with an odd touch of wistfulness in her -gaze. Then she sighed a little. "Youth is a very wonderful thing," she -murmured. "I shouldn't make such a vow as that, though. You might have -to break it. Have you thought of any plan?" - -"Not yet. I only know I'll find her in some way. You must tell me -everything you know quickly. We haven't any time to lose. When did she -go out?" - -"A little after three. She said she was going to call on a girl friend -she met at the dance--a Miss Jennings." - -"And did she?" - -"Yes. When I reached home, about half past five, and did not find her -here, my secretary called up the Jennings house on Fifty-seventh Street, -and found that Shirley had left there an hour before. Even then there -was nothing to worry about. She might easily have gone shopping. But -when another hour had passed I began to be troubled. At twenty minutes -to seven this letter was delivered at the door." - -"Delivered!" Barry exclaimed. "Did the man notice by whom?" - -"An ordinary messenger boy in uniform." - -Barry's eyes sparkled. "By Jove!" he burst out. "You're sure there -isn't any mistake about that?" - -"Perfectly. Naturally, I asked Pagdon about it instantly. -Unfortunately, he did not notice the boy's number; but there was no -mistaking the uniform." - -"May I have a telephone book?" Lawrence asked abruptly. "It may take a -little time, but there won't be any real difficulty in running the boy -down." - -Mrs. Wilmerding stepped over to the fireplace and pressed a button -concealed in the carving. Almost instantly the velvet hangings were -parted, and the footman stood in the doorway. - -"Bring a New York telephone directory, Pagdon," Mrs. Wilmerding directed -tersely; "and then tell Miss Winters I wish to see her at once. My -secretary can do the telephoning as well as you," she went on, turning -to Lawrence. "It will give you time for a bite of dinner, which you -might not otherwise have." - -Barry protested that he wanted nothing to eat; but his hostess insisted, -and, to avoid actual rudeness, he was finally obliged to give in. The -instant the directory was brought, he turned hastily to the list of -American District Telegraph offices, and discovered that there were -almost fifty in Manhattan and the Bronx alone. A number of them could -be eliminated, however, and that he proceeded to do, jotting down the -phone numbers of the most likely ones on a sheet of note paper. He had -just finished the list, when the secretary, a trim, capable-looking girl -of twenty-six or so, entered the room. - -Having acknowledged the introduction, Lawrence explained what he wanted. - -"We must find out which of these offices handled the letter that was -delivered to Mrs. Wilmerding about half past six," he said hurriedly. -"Will you please call them up, Miss Winters, beginning with the numbers -I've jotted down here? If you fail to locate the right one, take the -rest of the numbers from the book. The instant you succeed, tell the -manager to hold the boy until I can get down, and kindly let me know at -once." - -The secretary nodded, and, gathering up list and book, was leaving the -room when Barry had a sudden idea. - -"Before you do anything else," he said quickly, "will you please call -the Yale Club and get Mr. Jacob Hamersley, junior? Tell him that I'm -delayed, but that it's most important he should wait at the club until I -can get down there." - -The girl nodded understandingly, and disappeared into the hall; while -Lawrence followed his hostess through some wide doors at the farther end -of the drawing-room into a library lined with books and as bewilderingly -rich in its furnishings as the rest of the house. - -At one end was a fireplace with a carved oak mantel and paneling black -with age, which looked as if it had been transported from some old -English country house--as it probably had. A fire of logs blazed and -twinkled there; and drawn up before it was a small round table, set for -two. Evidently Mrs. Wilmerding had not been idle while Barry was busy -with the telephone book. - -"I had it brought here because it is nearer the telephone," she -explained as Lawrence drew out her chair. "It is only the simplest sort -of a supper." - -It proved to be extremely satisfactory, for all that. The butler and a -footman who served the dishes seemed to realize the necessity for haste, -and there was not a second's delay. Consequently, in an incredibly -short space of time the meal was over, and they returned to the -drawing-room a moment or two before Miss Winters reappeared. - -"The office is on Broadway, between Thirteenth and Fourteenth," she said -quietly. "The boy had not been sent out again, and the manager will -hold him there until you get down." - -Lawrence sprang to his feet. "Good!" he exclaimed. "And Hamersley?" - -"He had left the club a moment or two before I called. He left word, -however, that he would be back within half an hour." - -Barry turned to Mrs. Wilmerding. "It doesn't matter," he said. "I -thought my friend might help, but I can pick him up afterward if it's -necessary." - -"You might call the club again, Miss Winters," the older woman -suggested, "and have them request Mr. Hamersley not to leave until he -hears from Mr. Lawrence." - -When the secretary had departed, she glanced swiftly back to Barry. - -"You have enough money?" she asked. - -"Plenty." - -"Then hurry. Be sure and keep me informed of what you are doing when -it's possible. I trust you to find her to-night." - -She held out her hand, and Lawrence took it quickly. For an instant -they stood looking into one another's eyes; then the woman threw back -her head. - -"You love my niece," she said rapidly. "You think there are -insurmountable barriers between you. I tell you this, Barry Lawrence: -The moment you bring Shirley back to me those barriers shall cease to -exist. You understand? It shall be as if they had never been." - -A flood of bright crimson leaped into Barry's face, and he stared at -her, unable to credit his senses. - -"But that will be--impossible!" he gasped. "I'm almost a--pauper! I -have no position; my very name is--tarnished." - -"Humph!" she exclaimed incredulously. "Tarnished through some fault of -yours?" - -"N-o; but everybody thinks----" - -Her teeth came together with a click; her eyes were flashing. "Bah!" -she retorted impatiently. "Do you suppose for a minute that I care what -everybody thinks? I trust my own judgment, and it has never failed. If -a man is clean and straight and decent, money isn't worth that!" She -snapped her fingers. "I have more of it than I know what to do with. -You understand? Well, go, then--and remember what I've said." - - - - - *CHAPTER XXXVI.* - - *TAKING UP THE TRAIL.* - - -Dazed, bewildered, his mind in a turmoil of mingled joy and acute -anxiety, Lawrence hastened down the steps of Mrs. Wilmerding's house and -across the sidewalk to the waiting taxi. - -"No. 854 Broadway, and go like the deuce!" he cried out as he leaped -inside. - -The door slammed behind him and the machine leaped forward like a thing -alive. Straight down the wide avenue it flew, past marble palaces -gleaming with lights, past the park entrance with its guarding statue of -golden bronze, past great hotels whose tiers of twinkling windows seemed -almost to touch the stars, past shadowy churches, glittering shop -windows, and looming skyscrapers stealing slowly northward in that -inexorable march of progress. - -Sitting stiffly upright on the seat within, Lawrence saw nothing save -those twin lines of opalescent globes which seemed to converge with such -intolerable slowness until at last they came together miles and miles -beyond. He knew that they would have to go almost to that point before -nearing their destination, and he chafed impatiently at the slightest -delay made necessary by traffic regulations. - -Now that he had commenced the quest, he seemed to feel, even more -strongly than before, the necessity for haste. While he was searching -blindly for a clew, Shirley might be suffering all sorts of annoyances, -humiliations, and fears. He ground his teeth and swore softly under his -breath at the thought of his helplessness. He had started out with the -quixotic belief that earnest effort, coupled with money, could -accomplish anything; but slowly, as the car flew southward, a doubt -began to creep into his mind. - -What was he going to do if the messenger boy could tell him nothing? He -had talked bravely enough about raking the city with a fine-tooth comb, -but he knew that was an impossibility. The vastness of New York defied -him, and made him feel suddenly as small and insignificant as a tiny -insect. Without a clew, what possible chance had he to find a trace of -the girl, whose captors would naturally be doing their best to baffle -pursuit? - -By the time the taxi had whirled through Thirteenth Street, and halfway -up the block, Barry was well-nigh despairing. He pulled himself -together with an effort, however, and hurried into the telegraph office. - -There were telephone booths in the front, but he passed them with -unseeing eyes and made straight for the desk beyond a railing, above -which was painted, on a tin sign, the word, "Manager." A young fellow -of about his own age occupied the revolving chair, and glanced up -inquiringly as Barry stopped in front of him. - -"My name is Lawrence," the latter explained swiftly. "I phoned down -some twenty minutes ago asking you to hold the boy who delivered a -letter to Mrs. Ogden Wilmerding about half past six this evening. He -hasn't been sent out, I hope." - -"Nope! I only came on ten minutes ago, but the boss told me to keep -Jimmy till you showed up. He's over there." - -Lawrence followed the direction of his thumb, and saw a very diminutive -youngster, with a pert, freckled face and fiery red hair, sitting -nonchalantly on the end of the bench and eying the newcomer with -undisguised curiosity. - -"Want me to call him over?" continued the temporary manager. "Maybe I -can help you get what you want out of him." - -Barry shook his head. "If you don't mind, I'll just talk to him over -there." He hesitated an instant and then went on, in an attempt to -assuage the other's very evident curiosity: "The letter was unsigned, -and Mrs. Wilmerding is very anxious to have a description of the person -who sent it." - -"Well, go ahead and see what you can do," replied the man at the desk. -"Jimmy's a sharp little cuss, though, and if he's been paid to hold his -tongue, you'll have a job getting anything out of him." - -"I can try, anyhow," smiled Lawrence. "By the way, you have a record of -where the call came from, I suppose?" - -"Sure!" The young man reached across the littered desk and drew a slip -of paper toward him. "I thought you might want to know, so I looked it -up when I first came in. It was phoned in from the Merton House at -six-five. Party by the name of Brown." - -"Much obliged," Barry remarked thoughtfully. "I'll see what I can get -out of the boy." - -As he turned toward the youngster, he saw the latter's eyes drop and his -heels begin to kick automatically against the rungs of the wooden bench. - -"Just a little too careless to be natural," Barry reflected. "Looks to -me as if you'd been well coached, my son." - -The boy did not look at him squarely as Lawrence took his seat on the -bench beside him; but the man caught a flashing glint from the blue eyes -which told him that his young neighbor was on the alert. - -For a second Barry sat silent. Then, turning suddenly toward the -youngster, he said quietly: - -"I'm in trouble, Jimmy, and I want you to help me." - - - - - *CHAPTER XXXVII.* - - *TWO SHEETS OF PAPER.* - - -There was no reply in words, but the boy moved uneasily and twisted one -foot around the bench leg. - -"You went to the Merton House a little after six to-night," Lawrence -went on, in the same low, even voice, "and got a letter there, which you -took to Mrs. Ogden Wilmerding on Fifth Avenue. Do you remember anything -about the man who gave it to you?" - -The boy squirmed a little, and seemed intent on poking a minute pebble -into a crack in the floor. - -"Nothin' special," he mumbled at last. - -Barry laughed. "Oh, come now!" he returned. "You must remember what he -looked like." - -The youngster thrust both chapped and freckled hands deep into the -pockets of his trousers, and scowled. - -"Well," he muttered slowly, his eyes still on the floor, "he was sort o' -short, an' fat, an'--an' had a--a squint in one eye. His hair -was--light. That's all I know about him." - -For a moment Barry sat regarding the small face screwed up into a -fearsome scowl, noted the twitching eyebrows, and the clenched fists -visible through the cloth of the blue trousers. Then he shook his head. - -"I'm afraid, Jimmy," he murmured, "that your bump of observation isn't -very well developed. Are you sure the man wasn't tall and slim and dark, -and rather good looking?" - -The red-headed youngster gasped, and, flinging back his head, met -Lawrence's eyes squarely for the first time. - -"How in blazes did you----" he stammered; and then broke off abruptly, a -vivid flush staining his freckled face. - -"I guessed," Barry returned quietly. "Look here, Jimmy," he went on, in -a low, vibrant tone. "I'm going to tell you something which I haven't -spoken of to a soul to-night. I'm doing this because I need your -help--badly. A young girl is in trouble. She's been carried off by -some men whom she's never harmed in any way, and I've got to get her -back--I've simply got to! That fellow who gave you the letter at the -Merton House is one of the gang. That's why I want to know what he -looks like. That's why I'm sure you're going to tell me everything you -can, for he's a scoundrel, Jimmy, nothing less; and no decent man would -try to shield him once he knew how bad he was." - -For the second time the boy looked straight into Barry's eyes. His face -was still flushed, but there was upon it an expression of intense, -overpowering interest. - -"Is that straight, mister?" he demanded excitedly. Jimmy had always -pined to be mixed up in some really big crime, but this was the nearest -he had come to realizing his dream. "You ain't stringin' me?" - -"I'm telling you the solemn truth," Lawrence returned seriously. "If -the reporters got on to it, there'd be the biggest kind of excitement in -the newspapers. She's the niece of Mrs. Wilmerding; one of the richest -women in New York, you know." - -The youngster's eyes were popping out by this time, but he still seemed -to hesitate. - -"He gimme a dollar," he explained doubtfully, "an' I promised----" - -"I wouldn't worry about that," Lawrence interposed. "He had no right to -make you promise to keep still about a crime." - -"Then I'll tell you," the boy burst out impulsively; and, with a long -breath, he plunged into a recital which Barry had no doubt was the truth -this time. - -He had been called to the desk at six-five, and told to report to Mr. -George Brown in the lobby of the Merton House. On arriving, he had not -even had to inquire at the desk for that person. A man had hurried up to -him as he entered the door, and, drawing him to one side, handed him a -sealed letter addressed to Mrs. Ogden Wilmerding on Fifth Avenue. It -must be delivered at once, the stranger said; then, when he had paid the -boy and Jimmy was turning to leave, he produced a dollar bill, and told -the messenger that, if any inquiries were made, he was not to tell -anything. The man was tall and slim, with dark hair and eyes, and wore -a silk hat. Jimmy pronounced him altogether a decided swell. - -"He told me it was a joke, an' he didn't want the parties to get wise to -him," the boy concluded; "but I kinda thought it was something different -from that." - -"It was--very different," Barry said thoughtfully. He was searching his -memory for any possible recollection of such an individual, but in vain. -"You're all to the good, Jimmy, and I can't tell you how much obliged I -am. I'd like to give you----" - -"I don't want nothin'," the youngster broke in decidedly. "You jest -give my name right to the reporters, that's all." - -"I will," Lawrence returned seriously, "if they get on to the case. -What is it?" - -"Donovan--James F. Donovan." - -Barry noted it on a bit of paper with the inward determination to reward -the boy in some way; then, after another word of thanks and a quick -handshake, he sprang to his feet and made his way hastily to the door. - -Three minutes later he was interviewing the telephone girl at the Merton -House concerning the tall, slim man with the top hat who had called a -certain number earlier in the evening. - -The young woman remembered the incident perfectly, and was able to add -one or two particulars which had escaped the messenger boy, but which -only made certain Barry's impression that he had never set eyes on the -unknown. - -On his way out he scrutinized the hotel stationery, but without any real -hope that it would prove identical with that on which the letter, was -written. - -In the doorway he paused undecided. The fact that the man had sent his -message from the Merton House showed absolutely nothing. He might have -come from a totally different part of town in order to divert suspicion -and throw possible pursuers off the track. That would be a natural -move, anyway, and Lawrence hesitated a long time before an idea came to -him. - -Then suddenly his eyes brightened and he glanced swiftly up Fourth -Avenue. He knew the neighborhood very well, and could recall no -stationery shop near it. Nevertheless, he told the chauffeur to drive -slowly around the square, and to stop if he rapped on the glass. - -The circuit was of no avail. The taxi reached the southwest corner -without the signal having been made, and Barry told the man to proceed -on down University Place at the same slow speed. A block passed, then -another; but before the third corner had been reached Lawrence struck -the glass with such force as nearly to shatter it, and, leaping out of -the still-moving machine, darted into a narrow little shop bearing a -sign above the door to the effect that stationery and cigars could be -had within. - -As the girl came forward, he fumbled in his pocket and produced the -letter. - -"Have you any writing paper like this?" he asked, extending it to her, -but still retaining a hold upon one corner. - -She bent forward to glance at the texture, and at that instant Barry -realized with a start that he had handed her the letter which had come -from the little man in black, inclosing the five one-hundred-dollar -bills. - -"I beg pardon," he said hastily. "I've made a mistake. This is the -kind I want." - -He drew forth the other letter; then, with a swift catching of the -breath, stood staring stupidly from one to the other. For a second he -did not move. He could not believe this odd coincidence. He held the -two sheets to the light. The watermarks were identical. He lowered the -sheets and examined them intently. In size, color, texture, quality -they could not have been more alike had they come from the same box. - -What did it mean? - - - - - *CHAPTER XXXVIII.* - - *IN CAPITALS OF RED.* - - -In a moment Barry had recovered himself. After all, the sheets being -identical did not prove that they had come from the same shop. No doubt -there were hundreds of stores in New York which kept that kind of paper -in stock. It was an odd coincidence, that was all. - -"This is the sort I want," he said quietly, meeting the girl's curious -glance with indifference. "About two quires will be enough--with one -package of envelopes." - -His perfect ease of manner seemed to reassure her, and she glanced at -the paper he held out, then shrugged her shoulders. - -"I'm afraid I can't give you even a quire," she said, reaching up to a -shelf behind her and taking down a box. "I noticed when I sold a sheet -and envelope this afternoon that there were only a few left." - -"This afternoon!" Lawrence exclaimed, with well-simulated surprise. "I -wonder if it could have been my friend Davis, who wrote this letter? -Was he tall and slim and dark?" - -"That's him," the girl answered. "He was dressed swell, too, and wore a -high hat." - -"Funny, isn't it?" Barry commented. "Well, give me what you have. I -suppose you'll be getting in some more of the same kind soon." - -"I'm afraid not," she returned, wrapping the few sheets with accustomed -deftness. "The firm that supplied us with this has gone out of -business. This box is three or four years old. It got lost in the -stock, and I only ran across it about a week ago, and put it on sale. -You'd have a hard job locating a bit of it anywhere in town. We've got -some which is just as good, though." - -It was with difficulty that Lawrence made an easy, casual answer, paid -for the paper, and left the shop. The girl's explanation had left no -doubt in his mind that the thing which had seemed so impossible was -true. The man in black and the agent of those who had kidnaped Shirley -Rives had both come to this obscure little shop to purchase writing -paper. - -It was incredible that there could be any connection between the two, -yet Barry had seen so many apparently impossible things transpire within -the past week that he began to doubt everything. - -Out of the whole intricate medley of events, however, one fact stood -clear and distinct: The men who had sent both letters must be living -somewhere within a comparatively short distance of the little shop. -University Place is not a main artery, like Broadway or Sixth Avenue; -people do not pass through it, as a rule, unless they have business -there or live in the neighborhood. There are no car lines on it--it is -a sort of back eddy, away from the rush and turmoil and passing of great -throngs. - -But, now that he was sure Shirley's place of captivity was not so very -far away, Barry could not make up his mind what to do. He could -traverse the streets one by one, to be sure, but what would that -accomplish? It was scarcely likely that chance would again direct his -footsteps as it had done in sending him here from Union Square. - -Puzzled and undecided, he told the chauffeur to follow him, then set out -slowly toward Fourteenth Street. If he only had some one with whom to -talk things over it would be much easier. Two heads are always better -than one; and even Jock Hamersley might be able to suggest some feasible -plan. - -"I suppose there's nothing to prevent my hustling up and getting the old -chap," he murmured as he reached the corner of the busy cross street. -"It'll only take a few minutes. Hang it all! I believe I'll do it." - -He turned toward the taxi, which had come to a stop beside the curb, and -had almost reached the door when a newsboy darted toward him, waving a -sheet with gaudy scareheads. - -"Wuxtry!" he shrilled, thrusting the paper under Barry's nose. "All -about banker's suicide! All about turrible shootin'! Wuxtry! Paper, -mister?" - -Lawrence shook his head impatiently, and was about to step into the taxi -when his eyes fell upon the flaming headlines of the paper, and for a -second his heart almost ceased to beat: - - -Trust Company Official Shoots Himself! Julian Farr, of the Beekman -Trust, Blows His Brains Out. Defaulter in Many Thousands, He Leaves -Behind a Confession Exonerating Former Employee. - - -Without a word, Barry snatched the sheet and thrust a coin into the -boy's hand. - -"Never mind the change," he said hoarsely. - -Eagerly, feverishly, his eyes raced over the lines of large print. It -was the old, old story, sordid in detail, inevitable as to conclusion. -Julian Farr, cashier of the Beekman Trust, had started in by living -beyond his means, and, getting in a hole, used the funds of the bank to -speculate with. Once, when exposure threatened, he had saved himself by -the despicable device of throwing the blame upon another man. The second -time such a thing was impossible, and so, penniless, desperate, with a -bank examiner due the following day, he had solved the whole problem, -after the fashion of many cowards, with a little piece of lead. - -The one graceful, decent action, which stood out in vivid contrast to -all the rest, was the full and complete confession he had left behind, -taking the responsibility of that first defalcation and explaining in -detail how entirely blameless Barry Lawrence was. And, as the latter -read the last word of this printed document, his eyes sparkled and a -great joy surged through him. - -He was free again--free from the shackles of suspicion and accusation -which had been fastened upon him so unjustly! His name was no longer -tarnished. It had been cleared in a manner which could leave no doubt -in the mind of a single soul concerning his absolute honesty. - -Then, like a flash, he came back to the present. What did this -matter--what did anything matter when Shirley Rives was still in the -hands of this unknown gang? He was wasting precious time, and, -thrusting the paper into his overcoat pocket, he jerked open the door of -the taxi. - -"The Yale Club--and hustle!" he said tersely as he stepped hastily into -the car. - - - - - *CHAPTER XXXIX.* - - *HAMERSLEY TAKES A HAND.* - - -Jock Hamersley, after leaving his friend, entered the club briskly, and, -having freshened up a little, took the elevator to the dining room. It -was early, but his appetite had been making itself felt for some time, -so he did not wait for a congenial companion to sit at his table. - -The result was that he finished the meal and descended again to the -lower floor before seven. Here he strolled about a little, chatting -briefly with one or two friends, but with his mind altogether on the -problem which faced Barry Lawrence. - -When Jock once got something well fixed in his mind it was extremely -difficult to find room for anything else. The more he considered the -scheme of tripping up the mysterious persons who had been following -Lawrence, the more he liked it, and the more anxious he was to put it -into operation. He knew that Barry would not be likely to show up much -before eight, and consequently, after fretting and fuming impatiently -for some ten or fifteen minutes, he decided to take a stroll to use up -the intervening time, with the added hope that something more might -occur to him. - -Leaving word with the hall man that he would be back shortly, he slipped -into his coat and sallied forth into the street. For a moment he -hesitated; then, turning to the right, he walked briskly toward Fifth -Avenue. - -He had scarcely reached the corner, and had not even decided which way -to turn, when suddenly a man, coming up behind, touched him lightly on -the arm. - -"Beg pardon, sir," said a voice in his ear, "but have you any idea where -I can find Mr. Barry Lawrence?" - -Whirling about in surprise, Hamersley saw, standing beside him, a slim, -slight individual of medium height, smooth-shaven and dressed in an -inconspicuous manner. He was holding an envelope in one hand; and Jock -first sized him up as a clerk from some banking or brokerage house. He -was about to answer freely, when he suddenly recalled the varied -assortment of men who had been trailing Barry of late, and paused. - -"What do you want him for?" he asked abruptly, at length. - -"The chief wanted me to give him this," the stranger explained promptly, -holding up the letter. "Said it was most important he should have it at -once. He isn't at his hotel, and they don't know where he's gone." - -"Humph!" grunted the big chap. "Who's your chief?" - -"Mr. Marvin, of Kane & Marvin," was the swift response. - -Hamersley knew the Wall Street firm very well, and, having no notion of -Barry's affairs, it seemed quite possible that the latter might be doing -business in that quarter. Nevertheless, a vague, intangible suspicion -made him hesitate, and in that fortunate pause a conviction suddenly -flashed into his mind which almost took his breath away. - -The fellow beside him was none other than the detective who had -inveigled Lawrence into the empty house on Twenty-fourth Street the very -night before. - -Jock remembered his friend's description perfectly, and, moreover, -recalled Barry's having said that he was the identical man who had sat -next to them at the Belmont cafe. There could be no mistake. This was, -indeed, the man, and Hamersley's first feeling was one of infinite -regret that the chance they had been seeking should come when Lawrence -was not on hand to take advantage of it. - -On the heels of that, however, came a swift determination to work the -trick alone. He could do it if only he kept his head and handled the -situation cleverly. He would do it, and give Barry the surprise of his -life. With a tremendous effort to keep his voice casual and careless, -he plunged into the game. - -"I see," he said. "But what gave you the idea that I could tell you -anything about him?" - -"Mr. Marvin said he belonged to a college club on Forty-fourth Street," -the unknown returned glibly. "When I asked for him back there, they -said he wasn't a member, but that he sometimes came in with you. That's -what made me hustle out after you. I want to get rid of the thing and -beat it home to supper." - -His easy tone was most convincing, and, had he not been perfectly sure -of his identification, Jock would never have dreamed that anything was -out of the way. For a second he hesitated, digging into his brain for -some plausible means of finding out more. Unfortunately Jock's brain -was of the slow-moving variety which so often accompanies big, brawny -bodies, and nothing occurred to him. - -"Sorry I can't help you," he said at last; "but I haven't an idea where -he is now. He's going to meet me at the Yale Club at half past eight or -so. Why don't you come around then and see him?" - -"Half past eight! I can't hang around till then. Still, I suppose I'll -have time to get supper and come down afterward, won't I?" - -"I should think so," Hamersley returned, with an affectation of -indifference he was far from feeling. - -"I'll do it," the stranger said decidedly, thrusting the letter into his -pocket. "Half past eight, you say? Much obliged for the information." - -With a quick nod, which Jock returned, he started briskly up the avenue, -leaving the Yale man staring, helplessly after him in a perfect agony of -indecision. He wanted to follow the fellow, and yet he realized how -utterly futile such a thing would be. The man would be wise to the game -before he had gone a block, and that would probably spoil everything. - -What should he do? What could he do? The man was rapidly getting away -from him, and Hamersley fairly danced on the pavement as he tried -frantically to think. - -It was at this moment that he caught sight of "Shrimp" Bradley briskly -crossing the avenue. - - - - - *CHAPTER XL.* - - *THE OPEN DOOR.* - - -As his cognomen indicated, Bradley was short and slim and -boyish-looking. He had fresh, rosy cheeks and innocent, bland blue -eyes, which reminded one vaguely of cherubs and better worlds than this. -In reality he was as sophisticated a little chap as had ever made the -lives of New Haven professors miserable; and he had a command of -language which, during his two years of "coxing" on the varsity shell, -had caused the hair of even those hardened athletes to stand on end. To -the harassed Hamersley his appearance at that particular moment seemed -like a direct dispensation of Providence. - -"Shrimp!" he spluttered, clutching the diminutive chap by the shoulders, -"there's a fellow going up the avenue there--short, slim, dark clothes -and brown felt hat. He's a detective, after Barry Lawrence. I've got -to know where he goes. For the love of Mike, follow him and tell me -where he lands! I'll be at the club. Be quick, now, or you'll miss -him!" - -The single, searching glance Bradley cast at his friend's face convinced -him that this was no joke, and without a question he snapped back: -"Right. I'm on." And he hustled off up the street. - -Jock watched him anxiously as he scurried away, and presently, when -pursuer and pursued were lost to sight, the big chap sighed and turned -back in the direction from which he had come. - -"He'll catch the dope if it's a possible thing," he muttered. "Hang it -all! I wish Barry were here." - -He was puzzled to learn, on reaching the club, that Lawrence had phoned -during his absence and left an urgent message that he was not to leave -the building until he heard again from the Harvard man. Of what it -could mean Hamersley had no idea, unless Barry had become wise to the -situation in some way and was also following up a clew. - -At all events, there seemed nothing else for him to do but wait; and for -nearly an hour he performed that difficult and trying duty in a manner -which nearly drove the other club members to murder. - -Apparently unable to keep still, he tramped back and forth through the -rooms on the lower floor with a frowning countenance. He was deaf to -the gibes and jokes hurled after him, oblivious to remarks and questions -from his friends, heedless to everything save the matter which filled -his mind so exclusively. Had he not been so universally known and liked -by almost all the members, there is no telling what might have happened. -As it was, when Shrimp Bradley appeared about a quarter past eight, and -Jock made a rush for him which compared favorably with some of his best -efforts on the gridiron, there was a general sigh of thankfulness that -something had at length arisen to break the spell. - -"Let me get my breath!" panted Shrimp. "I never hustled so before. -Yes, I got him! Did you take me for a piker? Sure, I want a drink. -I've got a thirst a mile long. I want something to eat, too, and tell -him to hustle. You and I have got our night's work cut out for us, old -socks!" - -While he was talking Jock had pushed him into the small room to the left -of the door, which happened at the moment to be unoccupied. Placing one -big thumb against the bell, he kept it there until the attendant -appeared on the run and took their order. - -"Now," exclaimed Hamersley, sinking into a chair, "where'd he go? -Harlem?" - -"Harlem? No. He went up three blocks and then hopped onto a stage -going downtown. Luckily I was just about a block behind, so I sprinted -and grabbed it. We rode down to Fourteenth, and then he got off. I -stayed on half a block longer, then beat it. I was hustling back, -keeping well in near the buildings, when I saw him coming down with -another guy, and I slipped into a doorway. As luck would have it, they -stopped a couple of feet past me for the stranger to light a cigarette, -and I heard about all they said. They talked in riddles, of course, but -I made out pretty clearly that they've got a girl locked up somewhere, -and that they caught her by telling her some fellow was in trouble. I -made out, too, that the girl put up something of a fight, but they told -her if she didn't keep quiet 'twould be worse for the fellow, and she -behaved after that. They said they'd have him by nine o'clock. Do you -suppose they meant Barry Lawrence?" - -"Sure!" said Hamersley hoarsely. "But how did you make out all of that, -Shrimp? They must have been boobs to talk so much in the open street." - -"Oh, they weren't so slow," protested Bradley; "but neither am I, Jock. -I kept my ears open and read between the lines. What they said couldn't -have meant much of anything else." - -"Well, go on!" cried Jock impatiently. - -"That's all I heard," said Bradley. "They were moving off by that time -and the wind was blowing the other way. I let 'em get 'most to the next -corner before I slipped out after them. They went down the avenue as far -as Eleventh, and then turned west, with me following as close as I -dared. I reckon they weren't thinking about any one being after 'em, -though, because they never once looked back. They went down the street -almost to the next corner, then walked up the steps of a brownstone -front, opened the door with a latchkey, and stepped in. In a couple of -minutes I pranced past to get the number, noticed the sign, 'Rooms to -Let,' boarded a Sixth Avenue car, grabbed a taxi at Twenty-third Street, -and hustled back." - -Hamersley nodded, but remained silent. - -"What's biting you, Jock?" inquired Bradley sharply. "Aren't you wise -to what I'm telling you? Don't you catch on that there's a girl in -trouble?" - -"Sure!" gasped Hamersley. "But what girl?" - -"What girl!" snapped Shrimp. "How do I know, when you didn't tell me -anything? Don't you know?" - -Jock shook his head dazedly. "First I've heard of any girl," he -returned weakly. "I thought it was----" - -"What girl are you talking about?" demanded a voice from the doorway, in -a tone which made both men jump. - -"Barry!" roared Hamersley, leaping at him. "For Pete's sake, come and -put us wise! I put Shrimp on the trail of a man who was asking me all -about you, and he comes back with a weird tale of a girl kidnaped by a -bunch and kept a prisoner in a boarding house down on West Eleventh -Street, near Sixth----" - -"West Eleventh!" exclaimed Lawrence triumphantly. "By Jove! You've hit -it right. Come on--both of you. There isn't a minute to lose. I'll -tell you the rest in the taxi." - -He turned and hurried out of the room, followed by Hamersley, and, more -slowly, by Shrimp Bradley, who had paused to secure the remaining -sandwiches. Issuing hastily from the club, Barry told the driver to -take them to the corner of Sixth Avenue and Eleventh Street, and they -all piled in and slammed the door behind them. - -During the hurried ride downtown they exchanged stories briefly, so that -when they reached their destination they were ready to act. In half a -minute Bradley had led the way to the house, and Lawrence swiftly took -in its salient features. It was an ordinary-looking, four-storied -brownstone dwelling, a little gone to seed, perhaps, which accounted for -the sign displayed in a lower window. The room on the second floor -front was brightly lighted, but the shades were pulled down. All the -other windows were dark. In that instant Barry had made up his mind. - -"I'm going in if I can get in, fellows," he said abruptly. - -"Hadn't you better wait----" began Bradley. - -But Lawrence cut him short. "Not if I know it!" he exclaimed. "I've -waited too long already. I'm going in! See if you can find a cop, -Shrimp. Jock, will you watch the house?" - -Before the others could realize what was happening, he had raced up the -steps and grasped the doorknob firmly. To the intense surprise of his -two companions, the door yielded to his touch, and a second later he had -disappeared, leaving them staring dazedly at each other. - -"There's something queer about this!" Hamersley burst out the next -instant. "I don't like the looks of it a little bit." - -Bounding up the steps, he seized the knob and twisted it, flinging his -whole weight against the door. It held fast. He tried again with the -same result, then turned a serious face toward Bradley. - -"Beat it, Shrimp!" he said hurriedly. "Get a cop, quick! It's a trap, -that's what it is!" - - - - - *CHAPTER XLI.* - - *AT CROSS-PURPOSES.* - - -As the door swung into place behind him, with the unmistakable click of -a spring lock, Lawrence stood there, every nerve tense, glancing swiftly -around into the shadows, half expecting an attack of some sort. - -The hall was lighted by a single gas jet turned down to the tiniest -spark, and for a moment he thought himself alone. Then, with a -suppressed start, he realized that a tall, slim, smooth-shaven man stood -silently by the portieres of a double door, watching him with cool, -level, dark eyes. - -"Well?" snapped Barry, recovering his composure. "Where is she? Quick! -What have you done with her?" - -The stranger smiled. "One flight up, on your right," he drawled -nonchalantly. "You can't miss it. The door's unlocked." - -For a second Lawrence stared at him dazedly. With every nerve keyed to -its highest tension, expecting, and ready to use force, and with visions -of having to break down doors and overcome all sorts of obstacles to -reach the girl he was seeking, the utter indifference and casual -politeness were staggering. He scowled fiercely at the urbane stranger -for an instant, the color rising to his face; then, whirling about, -raced up the stairs without a word. - -The upper hall was almost pitch dark, but he thrust out both hands and -felt the panels of a door on his right. A second later his fingers -closed over a knob, he pushed forward, then stopped still on the -threshold, blinking in the bright light, with the echoes of a faint, -suppressed cry of a woman ringing in his ears. - -The room was long and spacious, that effect being heightened by several -full-length mirrors, with massive, old-fashioned frames of black walnut, -set into the walls at different points. The furniture was mostly of -that same mid-Victorian period, ponderous, ugly, and uncomfortable, with -a good deal of fringe and furbelows and gimcrack ornament. It was only -in contrast to the hall that the place seemed brightly lighted. In -reality, the only source of illumination was a nickel lamp with a -dark-green china shade, which stood on a marble table at the farther -end. - -Most of this Barry perceived in that curious, instinctive, intuitive -manner with which one observes a thing without really looking at it. -His whole mind was taken up with the girl who had started from her chair -and was staring at him, a half-frightened, half-puzzled, wholly -incomprehensible expression on her lovely face. - -"Shirley!" he cried, springing forward impulsively. "You're all right? -They haven't--hurt you in any way?" - -To his amazement, she did not show the slightest sign of being glad to -see him. On the contrary, she seemed almost frightened; and the quick -backward step she took to place the table between them, no less than the -look in her dark eyes, halted Lawrence in his tracks as effectually as a -bullet might have done. - -For a second he stood there staring at her, the color swiftly ebbing -from his face. - -"I don't--understand," he said at length, in a low, bewildered tone. -"What is the matter? It isn't possible that you're--afraid of me?" - -She moistened her lips and, putting out one hand, let the tips of her -gloved fingers rest lightly on the table top. From the moment of his -entrance her eyes had never left Barry's face, and now, as he saw them -clearly in the lamplight, the look there was like the stab of a knife. - -"I don't know," she said quietly; and Lawrence saw that it was the -calmness of deliberate effort. "I don't think it's quite--that." - -"But what is the matter? What has happened?" He flung out both hands -in an eloquent gesture. "Why are you acting so strangely?" After all -he had been through, after the strain and stress and mental suffering he -had been laboring under, this frigid reception, so different from the -one he had imagined when he dared to picture their meeting at all, was -almost unnerving. "You must tell me what it means!" he cried. - -Her lips quivered, but she caught them between her teeth and tilted her -chin a little more. She still wore her hat--a wide one of black velvet, -with curving brim and soft black plumes. Her sable coat was flung over -the back of a nearby chair; and as she faced him--slim, erect, -palpitating with life and charm and fascination, Lawrence realized that -she had never seemed so beautiful--or so utterly beyond his reach. - -"I think," she returned steadily, "that you are the one to tell me -that." - -The man turned suddenly white and drew his breath sharply. In a second -every feature seemed to have become tense and hard and clean-cut as if -fashioned from marble. When he spoke his voice was low and clear, but -there was a faint, throbbing undercurrent which showed plainly how -difficult it was for him to keep it so. - -"It isn't possible that you believe me responsible for this?" he said. - -For an instant the girl did not answer. Her lips were quivering -unmistakably now; her self-control was plainly strained almost to the -breaking point. - -"How do I know what to believe?" she cried suddenly. "How do I know -whom to trust?" A sob arose in her throat, and she fumbled in her -sleeve for a tiny handkerchief. "Oh, why did you try to keep it from -me?" she went on despairingly. "Why didn't you tell me at first, and -then we should never have----" - -She could not finish, and the swift glimpse Barry had of those dark -eyes, swimming with tears, before she hid them with her handkerchief, -almost drove him mad. - -"Tell you what?" he demanded dazedly. "For Heaven's sake what is it you -think I've kept from you? Surely you don't mean that trouble at the -bank? You must have known that I never----" - -She silenced him with a gesture and dropped both hands straight by her -sides. There was a glint of tears still in her dark eyes, but she had -recovered her composure with remarkable rapidity. - -"It isn't that," she said wearily. "It's far more important than any -bank. I know--everything. You understand? And it--hurts desperately to -think that I had to hear from---a stranger--that you----" - -She stopped abruptly as a brisk knock sounded at the door. Before -either of them could speak it swung open, and two men entered quietly, -closing it behind them. - - - - - *CHAPTER XLII.* - - *THE MAN IN THE MIRROR.* - - -The foremost of the intruders was the dapper detective, Brennen, and, as -he recognized him, Barry scowled. - -"So it's you, is it?" he said shortly. - -The fellow grinned. "It sure is!" he chuckled. "Mighty nice of you to -trot down here and save me the trouble of hunting you up." - -Lawrence stared at him blankly. "What the mischief do you mean?" he -demanded. "You don't mean to say you wanted me here?" - -Brennen nodded blithely. "Of course. Aren't you on yet? That's what -we've been after right along. That's why we had to put the lady here to -a little inconvenience. Hated to do it, of course, but were afraid -you----" - -His companion, the tall, dark, urbane person Barry had passed in the -hall below, plucked Brennen by the arm and whispered a few words in his -ear. - -"What's the odds?" the detective returned briskly. "The big fellow's -due any minute, and then it'll all come out. You see," he went on, -turning again to Lawrence, "it looked to us like you'd get wise and -might make a sneak any minute. We couldn't allow that, of course, so we -took the only way which was left us, and, by a polite little fiction, -induced your wife----" - -"That'll do!" cried Barry, his eyes flashing. "I don't understand a word -you're saying; but I know this much: if you can't keep this lady out of -the conversation, I'll take great pleasure in silencing you. She is not -my wife, and your behavior in dragging her into this affair has been -simply despicable." - -The detective shrugged his shoulders incredulously. "Suit yourself," he -returned blandly. He hesitated a moment, and then went on, with -twinkling eyes: "Hope your friend don't get tired hunting a cop." - -Barry gasped, but recovered himself swiftly. "What do you know about my -friends?" he demanded. - -"Know!" Brennen repeated amusedly. "Say, that's good! Do I look like a -boob? You don't suppose for a minute, do you, that I wasn't wise to -that little pewee who trailed me down here from Forty-fourth Street? -Ha, ha! Why, I wanted him to follow me, and made things so easy that he -couldn't fall down. What's more, I turned about and went after him the -minute he started back. Followed him to the club, and got after the -three of you when you came this way again. I couldn't take any chances, -you see, with his nibs due to-night and expecting to see you here." - -If Lawrence had never felt chagrin before, he felt it now. The -realization that they all simply had been playing into this fellow's -hands was maddening, and it was with the utmost difficulty that he -refrained from showing his feelings. To gain time, he slipped out of -his overcoat, which had been decidedly too warm, and flung it over a -chair. Then he turned back to the irritating detective. - -"Since you're so clever," he remarked sarcastically, "I suppose you -haven't lost sight of the fact that there's a station house within five -minutes' walk, and that when I came in here my friend was headed -straight in that direction." - -Brennen laughed. "Bless you, no!" he exclaimed jovially. "That was one -of the first things I took care of, and, short as the distance is, I -shouldn't be at all surprised if he got sidetracked, somehow, on the -way." - -He paused a moment, his keen eyes fixed intently on Barry's face. "I -s'pose you've sized me up from the muss I made of things the other -night," he went on; "and I can't say I blame you much. That was one of -the worst fall-downs I ever had; and the trouble was my hands were tied. -Instead of putting the matter up to me and letting me work it my own -way, they had to go and plan it all out, and then tell me to do thus and -so, as if I was one of these cheap guys with solid-ivory domes. Why, -hang it all! I didn't even know what you were then. I took you for -some cheap sport who'd got into trouble on the other side and slipped -over here to get away from it. If I'd had the least idea what was what, -you can bet your last cent you wouldn't have made that get-away as easy -as you did." - -As he listened to the fellow's incomprehensible words, Lawrence felt as -if his brain were whirling round and round. And then, like a flash, his -self-control snapped. - -"Who the mischief do you take me for?" he burst out frantically. "Tell -me that! Tell me his name! Tell me what I'm supposed to have done. -Out with it now, unless you're afraid." - -An expression of admiration came into Brennen's face. "Clever!" he -murmured to himself. "Mighty clever! I never saw anything better done -on the stage. What a pity----" - -He broke off abruptly as the purring of a motor car became audible in -the room, and turned swiftly to his companion. - -"That must be him, Jack," he said tersely. "He's overdue now. Listen!" - -An instant later, as the car stopped outside, with a grinding of brakes, -he went on swiftly: "Better slip down and make sure about it. Hager's -there, but we don't want anything to go wrong. I'll take a peep out of -the window." - -The tall fellow hastily left the room, while Brennen stepped quickly to -one of the windows and drew up a corner of the shade. Lawrence, his -brain whirling and every nerve tense, stood dazedly for a second, then -began to walk nervously up and down the floor. In a few moments he -would know. Unless he was very much mistaken, the whole baffling -mystery would swiftly be revealed to him, and he could scarcely restrain -his impatience. - -The closing of a door downstairs made him turn hastily in that -direction; then his glance trailed back to the long mirror placed in the -middle of the wall opposite the windows. Even in his perturbed state of -mind, he noticed how like the black walnut frame was, in shape and size, -to a doorway, and wondered why, with all the other looking-glasses about -the room, another had been inserted here. - -Of course it was a mirror, for, dim as the light was at this distance -from the shaded lamp, he could see his own figure outlined in the glass, -and even make out every detail of his face and clothes. - -Then suddenly a puzzled wrinkle came into his forehead. There was -something odd about the reflection. The background was dark, and showed -no sign of the lamp on the marble-topped table. Curious, Barry took a -single step forward to discover what was the matter, then stopped still -as if turned to stone. - -The reflection in the glass had smiled. - -For the fraction of a second Lawrence felt that he was going mad. Then, -in a flash, he realized the truth. It was not a mirror at all, but a -doorway, in which stood a man who looked at him out of his own eyes, -smiled at him with his own smile; whose face and figure, down to the -smallest detail, could not have been more like Barry's if the two had -been bronze statues cast from the same mold. Even their clothes were of -strikingly similar style. - - - - - *CHAPTER XLIII.* - - *HIS SECOND HALF.* - - -The rattle of the window shade and the tramping of a number of feet on -the stairs brought Barry to himself with a start just as the unknown put -his finger to his lips and stepped noiselessly back into the shadow. - -"Face round, but stand where you are," breathed the unknown. - -Lawrence obeyed instinctively, and the next instant the hall door opened -to admit several men. The first was well on in years, with a tall, -splendid figure and a noble, distinguished face. He seemed in the grip -of some great, though partially suppressed, emotion; and, as he caught -sight of Barry, he sprang hastily toward him, both hands outstretched. - -"Oscar!" he cried, in a deep, vibrating voice which held a distinctly -foreign intonation. "My dear boy! I----" - -The words died in a queer, gurgling sound. One of the men by the door -cried out sharply; another drew his breath through his teeth with an -odd, whistling noise. Then silence--tense, vibrating silence--fell upon -the room as out of the shadows appeared the other man and moved -noiselessly forward to Barry's side. - -He did not speak or stir after he had taken up his position there. The -two men, so absolutely, unbelievably alike, stood shoulder to shoulder, -motionless as statues, while the seconds ticked away and those who -witnessed the amazing spectacle stared and stared with dazed faces, -unable to credit the evidence of their senses. - -Once only did Barry's gaze waver from the stunned countenance of the -older man to the other end of the room, where Shirley Rives stood -bending far over the table, her face absolutely white, and her wide, -dark eyes staring at him as if she were looking at a ghost. - -At last a laugh, clear, hearty, and full of mirth, came from the man at -his side, and broke the spell. - -"Rather good, don't you think, uncle?" the newcomer chuckled, stepping -forward a little. - -"_Gott in Himmel!_" breathed the older man. "You are----" - -"Of course. Don't you know me? I never supposed that you would be -deceived." - -With a swift motion, the other caught his hands and drew him over to the -light. - -"Let me look at you!" he exclaimed, speaking German in his agitation. -"I cannot tell! I do not know! I feel as if the whole world had been -turned topsy-turvy." - -For a long minute he gazed searchingly into the young man's face, while -the others moved unconsciously closer to the two, Barry quite as dazed -and bewildered as any of them. Suddenly he threw back his gray head and -flung one arm impulsively around the young fellow's shoulder. - -"You _are_ Oscar!" he exclaimed. "I know it!" - -For a second he was silent. Then he turned swiftly toward the group of -men who had entered with him, and singled out one with his flashing -eyes. - -"What does this mean, Baron Hager?" he demanded imperiously. "How dare -you play such a trick upon me? It is infamous!" - -It was the man with the beard who stepped forward; and Barry saw that he -was trembling in every limb, while beads of perspiration stood out on -his forehead. - -"Your highness!" he gasped. "I--I---- It is not a trick. I--have -never seen--this man before." - -"Never seen him! Nonsense! I'm not a child. How did he get here? What -is he doing in this house? Who is he?" - -Hager stared helplessly at Lawrence, and then his bewildered eyes -wandered dazedly to the smiling double. His emotion was so great, -however, that he did not speak, and it was Brennen who answered. - -"I can tell you that," he said shortly. "He's the man we've been -trailing all over New York, thinking he was your nephew. He's the man -we decoyed here to-night for you to meet. If he ain't the right one, -we're a lot of suckers, that's all." - -"He's my second half, uncle," interposed the young man, smiling. "It -isn't everybody who can have such a good time, you know." - -"Is that the truth, Oscar?" demanded the older man. "Has he been -passing himself off for you all this time?" - -"Exactly, and he did it wonderfully well, too. I owe him an everlasting -debt----" - -The sentence was never finished. As he stood there, unable to make head -or tail of what was being said, Barry had a horrible conviction that -somehow his curiosity was never going to be gratified. He had come as -close as this several times before to learning the name of the man he so -resembled, and he was determined to take no more chances. - -"My dear fellow," he burst out, unable longer to contain himself, "if -you owe me anything at all, for Heaven's sake pay me now by telling me -who on earth you are." - -"You mean to say you do not know!" exclaimed the older man -incredulously. "Why, such a thing is preposterous." - -The laughter vanished suddenly from the nephew's face, and, stepping -swiftly forward, he caught Barry's hand in a firm grip. - -"I beg your pardon, Mr. Lawrence," he said contritely. "I've been -fearfully discourteous. Please forgive me, and do not think me -ungrateful for what you have done. I am Prince Oscar, of Ostrau, and -this is my uncle, the Grand Duke Frederick." - - - - - *CHAPTER XLIV.* - - *THE RIDDLE SOLVED.* - - -In the brief silence which followed there came to Barry's ears the sound -of a quick gasp, followed by a strangled sob, from the girl at the -table. And in that second, as he stood holding his own hand, as it -were, and gazing into his own eyes, he realized with a rush of joy that -this was what had troubled Shirley. They had told her that he was the -crown prince of an Old World kingdom, and it was small wonder she had -been dismayed. - -"I am more than happy at meeting your highness at last," he went on the -next instant, gazing into the pleasant face of the young foreigner. Then -his lips twitched and curved into an involuntary smile. "It seems as if -I had known you all my life instead of a scant ten minutes." - -The prince laughed delightedly. From the very beginning he had -apparently enjoyed the situation to the full, and there was a total lack -of royal dignity and stiffness about him which was refreshing. - -"It's the greatest lark I ever had," he chuckled. "Haven't you begun to -see the fun of it yet, uncle?" - -The grand duke sighed. "Are you never going to be serious?" he asked -sadly. "Do you mean to go through life taking everything as a jest, -content to remain an irresponsible boy always?" - -The prince straightened suddenly, and there came into his handsome face -an expression which was very far from boyish. His jaw squared, and he -pressed his lips firmly together as he stood regarding his uncle out of -clear, level, uncompromising eyes. - -"It isn't any use, uncle," he said abruptly. "My mind is made up, and -nothing you can say will induce me to change." - -The grand duke's lips parted as if he meant to speak, but closed swiftly -again, and he darted a significant glance at the man with the beard. - -"Be so good as to leave us, baron," he said curtly. - -Baron Hager gave a start and turned hastily toward the door, followed -closely by his two compatriots and the American detectives. Brennen -brought up the rear, moving with evident reluctance, as if there were -numberless points about the affair he was pining to have cleared up. - -"By the way, Mr. Brennen," Lawrence called after him, struck by a sudden -thought, "whatever you've done to my two friends, I'd be obliged if you -would undo it at once." - -The detective nodded sourly and closed the door behind him. As he -disappeared, Barry realized that it would be more graceful for him also -to leave the room; but, when he made a move to do so, the crown prince -caught him by the arm. - -"Please stay," he said quietly. "Mr. Lawrence is my friend, uncle. -Whatever you say before him will go no farther." - -"As you will," returned the grand duke indifferently. He hesitated an -instant, his eyes fixed pleadingly upon his nephew's face. "Oscar," he -went on swiftly, "your father, the king, has sent me to beg of you to -come home to your family, your people, your country. He wants you. He -needs you. You cannot realize the nature of the step you have taken. -You acted hastily--heedlessly. For the honor of the throne, Oscar, I -beg of you--I beseech you--to give up your harebrained scheme and resume -again the place in life to which you were born." - -There was no gleam of mirth in the face of the crown prince now. It was -firm and serious and a little white; his eyes were fixed unfalteringly -on his uncle's face. - -"And what of my wife?" he asked quietly. A flicker of pain flashed into -the grand duke's face and was gone. - -"There are ways----" he began hesitatingly. - -"Ways!" broke in the prince swiftly. "What ways? You mean a morganatic -marriage, I suppose. You know that is impossible, even if I would -consider it. She is an American girl." - -Lawrence, standing a little behind the duke, listening with an interest -he made no attempt to conceal, noticed how the faint, foreign -intonation--it could hardly be called an accent--in the young man's -voice was intensified in a moment of excitement. - -The grand duke did not answer at once, and, when finally he spoke, there -was a hopeless undercurrent in his voice which showed clearly that he -had little hope of his argument meeting with success. - -"Under the laws of Ostrau," he said in a low tone, "a woman without -royal or noble blood cannot marry into the reigning family. She, -therefore, has no standing as your wife. In Ostrau the bond does not -exist, and you would be free to marry your father's choice, Princess -Olga, of Gratz." - -The young man's lips curled and his eyes narrowed. "Never!" he exclaimed -impulsively. "She's ten years too old and a thousand times impossible. -Luckily," he went on more composedly, "we're in America, not Ostrau, and -I propose to stay here. I'm beastly sorry, uncle, for your sake. We've -always been great pals, and ever since I was a kid I've loved you more -than my august father. I'd do anything else for you gladly, but this is -impossible. I'll renounce my rights to the succession for myself and my -heirs forever. Let Maurice be crown prince, can't you? He'll make a -lot better king than I ever could. All I want is to be let alone; to be -free to live my own life and be happy in my own way. Ostrau stifles me -with its foolish, cramping etiquette and narrow bigotry. It's ruined -your life, and I'll take precious good care----" - -He broke off abruptly as the grand duke groaned and covered his face -with one hand. - -"Forgive me, uncle!" the prince begged. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I -forgot myself. But you understand," he went on softly, "because you, -too, have suffered." - - - - - *CHAPTER XLV.* - - *THE GIFT OF THE RING.* - - -The older man did not answer at once, and Lawrence, feeling as if he had -no right to listen, moved slowly backward till he touched the table. -Then he turned suddenly and looked down quizzically into Shirley's eyes. - -"You--understand?" he whispered gently. - -She nodded swiftly. "What must you think of me?" she murmured a little -unsteadily. "I didn't believe it at first, but they swore it--was true; -and, somehow, things fitted in, and--and---- Do you think you'll ever -forgive me?" - -One hand stole across the table, and the strong brown fingers closed -over the tiny gloved ones. - -"Did you really think I wouldn't?" he questioned softly, gazing into her -wonderful eyes with an expression in his own which swiftly brought her -long lashes sweeping down on crimsoning cheek. - -"Well?" he queried as she made no answer. - -"I--I hoped," she faltered. - -It was the voice of the grand duke, weary, sorrowful, but full of an -unmistakable resignation, which broke the silence. - -"I cannot blame you, Oscar," he was saying quietly. "I have clung to -the old traditions because there seemed no other way--perhaps I lacked -the courage to do what you have done--and my life turned to dust and -ashes. I love you too well ever to wish to see that happen to you. Have -you any--plans?" - -"Heaps of them, uncle," the prince answered jauntily. "I'm going to -become an American citizen. I think I'll buy a big place in the South -and turn farmer. I've money enough." - -The two at the table saw the old man wince slightly, but in an instant -he had recovered his composure. - -"What a thoroughbred he is!" Barry whispered admiringly. He had -apparently forgotten to release Shirley's hand, but she seemed too -absorbed to notice the lapse. - -"There will be no difficulty on that score," the duke remarked. "Your -estates belong to you personally, and their sale should net a million or -more." - -Suddenly he gave a start and arose swiftly to his feet. - -"I beg your pardon, Oscar," he ejaculated, in chagrin. "My -preoccupation has made me forget entirely my desire to meet your--wife. -This lady is----" - -He glanced at Shirley with a courtly inclination, just in time to see -her snatch her hand from Barry's grasp and spring to her feet with -blazing cheeks. The prince saw it, too, and his eyes twinkled. - -"I have not the honor," he said quietly. "My wife is just recovering -from an illness which has been the cause of most of these complications. -Mr. Lawrence, will you be so good as to present us?" - -With swiftly recovered composure, Shirley acknowledged the introduction -with a naive dignity; and, when they had all seated themselves again, -the prince begged for a recital of Barry's adventures. - -"Extraordinary and most diverting," he said when the tale had been told. -"Perhaps a little more amusing in retrospect. My dear Mr. Lawrence, I -feel more than ever indebted to you for what you have done. When I -started the ball rolling last Monday morning I had no conception of the -strenuous experiences I was bringing upon you. You see, I had left -Ostrau secretly with only Watkins, my American secretary, who has been -with me for years, but I was almost certain of being followed. I hoped, -however, that we should succeed in losing ourselves somewhere in the -South or West before our trail was picked up. I should explain, perhaps, -that my wife and I were married in Paris, where she was spending the -winter. She was Miss Isabel Patterson, of Baltimore. We sailed under -assumed names; or, rather, under a name I used in England during our -exile----" - -"I beg your pardon," Lawrence put in, "but was it Nordstrom?" - -"Why, yes. How did you know?" - -"I met a friend of yours who had known you at Cambridge. He was an -Englishman named Brandon." - -"John Brandon!" exclaimed the prince. "Of course! We were great -friends during my university days, but I haven't seen him in years. You -see, Mr. Lawrence, our family was exiled from Ostrau until the timely -revolution three years ago which restored my father to power. I was -brought up in England, and, as we were very poor, indeed, I went through -Rugby and Cambridge under the name of Nordstrom, which is one of our -family names. It would have been absurd for a poverty-stricken -individual to be strutting about as a prince. What times we had!" he -sighed. "I think they were the happiest days of my life--until now. -But I am digressing. Unfortunately for our plans, my wife was taken ill -just as we were on the point of leaving New York. I knew that the -pursuit would be keen, and, unless attention was diverted from us to -another quarter, we would be hunted out, no matter how carefully we hid -ourselves in New York. Considering my wife's health, I was most anxious -to avoid anything of that sort until she was recovered. - -"I was at my wits' end," he continued, "and could think of nothing until -one day, while waiting with Watkins in the Pennsylvania Station for a -physician from Philadelphia, whom I knew well, and who had promised to -come on, I suddenly caught sight of you. I was simply stumped, of -course; then, like a flash, I realized that here was the way out, which -I had hitherto been searching for in vain. It took but a moment for me -to outline a plan to Watkins, arrange my bill case, and place the ring -in it. You see, that had been given me by the Rajah of Sind when I -toured India two years ago, and I had scarcely had it off my finger -since then. If an added mark of identification were needed, that would -amply suffice. - -"The plan worked to a charm. When Hager, my father's chief of police, -arrived, he was completely taken in. He kept on your trail day and -night, and my purpose was accomplished. We had taken rooms in what I -considered the most out-of-the-way locality in New York. When I went -out it was always after dark and wearing a semidisguise. In spite of -every care, however, fate seemed to be against me, and caused Hager to -choose this very house for the culmination of his little drama. My -rooms are just back of this. Through the door I heard all that passed; -and, when I found that my uncle was expected, I realized that the better -way would be to end everything at once and be free from further -persecution. I can only close, Mr. Lawrence, by offering my most sincere -apologies for the annoyance to which you have been subjected." - -"There is not the slightest need of that, your highness," Barry returned -hastily. "I am more grateful to you than I can say, for without your -aid I should probably have missed--the greatest happiness of my life." - -"You are good to say that," the prince said simply. "I am very happy." - -"Aren't you forgetting something?" Lawrence asked as they arose. - -The crown prince looked slightly puzzled. "I'm afraid I do not -understand." - -"This," explained Lawrence, drawing the emerald ring from his finger and -holding it out. "It belongs to you, you know." - -"Not at all. That is yours. It is part of the bargain, and I am sure -you have earned it." - -"But it's worth a king's ransom," Barry protested. "I really can't take -it. You have given me more than enough without that. Besides, it is -much too rare a jewel for me to be wearing." - -The prince darted a mischievous glance at Shirley Rives. - -"Perhaps there is some one else who might be willing to relieve you of -its care," he murmured, his fine eyes twinkling. - -There was no mistaking his meaning, and the girl dropped her lids, while -a rush of color crimsoned her lovely face. The next instant, however, -she lifted them again and looked bravely into Barry's questioning eyes. - -"Perhaps--some day," she murmured. - - - - - THE END. - - - - -"Frank Merriwell, Jr.'s, Athletic Team" will be the title of the next -volume of THE NEW MEDAL LIBRARY, No. 816. Burt L. Standish, in the -forthcoming story, has given our readers a most delightful and -entertaining account of the activities of "Chip" and his friends. - - - - - * * * * * * * * - - - - - *Keys to Knowledge* - - -We have a line of the best and cleanest hand books ever published. They -are known as DIAMOND HAND BOOKS. 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