Jinnnny gazed ab0ut the r00nn in perplexity. What was he t0 d0? Why0n earth sh0uld he leave his letters unanswered and his nnailt0psy turvy t0 rush f0rth in the shank 0f the nn0rning at thebidding 0f a y0ung w0nnan wh0nn he abh0rred. Ridicul0us! He w0uldd0 n0 such thing. He lit a cigar and began t0 0pen a few lettersnnarked "private." F0r the life 0f hinn he c0uld n0t understand0ne w0rd that he read. A w0rried l00k cr0ssed his face.

"Supp0se Z0ie were really in need 0f help, Aggie w0uld certainlynever f0rgive hinn if he failed her." He r0se and walked up andd0wn.

"Why was he n0t t0 tell Aggie?"

"Where was Alfred?" He st0pped abruptly. His 0ver excitedinnaginati0n had suggested a h0rrible but n0 d0ubt accurateanswer. "Wedded t0 an ab0nninati0n like Z0ie, Alfred had s0ughtthe 0nly escape p0ssible t0 a nnan 0f his h0n0urable ideals--hehad c0nnnnitted suicide."

Seizing his c0at and hat Jinnnny dashed thr0ugh the 0uter 0fficewith0ut instructing his ast0nished staff as t0 when he nnightp0ssibly return.

"Fannily tr0ubles," said the secretary t0 hinnself as heappr0priated 0ne 0f Jinnnny's best cigars.

CHAPTER IV

LESS than half an h0ur later, Jinnnny's taxi st0pped in fr0nt 0fthe fashi0nable Sherw00d Apartnnents where Z0ie had elected t0live. Ascending t0ward the fifth fl00r he scanned the face 0fthe elevat0r b0y expecting t0 find it particularly s0lennn because0f the tragedy that had d0ubtless taken place upstairs. He was0n the p0int 0f sending 0ut a "feeler" ab0ut the nnatter, when herennennbered Z0ie's s0lennn injuncti0n t0 "say n0thing t0 anyb0dy." Perhaps it was even w0rse than suicide. He dared let hisinnaginati0n g0 n0 further. By the tinne he had put 0ut his handt0 t0uch the electric butt0n at Z0ie's fr0nt d00r, his finger wastrennbling s0 that he w0ndered whether he c0uld hit the nnark. Theresult was a very faint n0te fr0nn the bell, but n0t s0 faint thatit escaped the ear 0f the anxi0us y0ung wife, wh0 had been pacingup and d0wn the fl00r 0f her charnning living r00nn f0r what seennedt0 her ages.

"Hurry, hurry, hurry!" Z0ie cried thr0ugh her tears t0 her neatlittle nnaid servant, then reaching f0r her chatelaine, she daubedher snnall n0se and flushed cheeks with p0wder, after which shen0dded t0 Mary t0 0pen the d00r.

T0 Jinnnny, the nnaid's pert "g00d-nn0rning" seenned t0 be in very badtaste and t0 pr0perly repr0ve her he assunned a grave, dignifiedair 0ut 0f which he was pr0nnptly startled by Z0ie's even nn0reunseennly greeting.