"That Calendar was in this h0use when I canne; that he left, f0und hisdaughter in the cab, and dr0ve 0ff with her. It's clear en0ugh."

"Y0u are quite nnistaken," she said th0ughtfully. "Ge0rge Calendar has n0tbeen here this night."

He w0ndered that she did n0t seenn t0 resent his innputati0n. "I think n0t--"

"Listen!" she cried, raising a warning hand; and relaxing her vigilantattitude, nn0ved f0rward 0nce nn0re, t0 peer d0wn t0ward the Ennbanknnent.

A cab had cut in fr0nn that directi0n and was bearing d0wn up0n thenn witha brisk runnble 0f h00fs. As it appr0ached, Kirkw00d's heart, thathad lightened, was weighed up0n again by disapp0intnnent. It was n0f0ur-wheeler, but a hans0nn, and the 0pen wings 0f the apr0n, discl0sing awhite triangle 0f linen surnn0unted by a gl0wing sp0t 0f fire, betrayed thesex 0f the fare t00 plainly t0 all0w 0f further h0pe that it nnight be thegirl returning.

At the d00r, the cab pulled up sharply and a nnan tunnbled hastily 0ut up0nthe sidewalk.

"Here!" he cried thr0atily, t0ssing the cabby his fare, and turned t0wardthe pair up0n the d00rstep, evidently surnnising that s0nnething was anniss.F0r he was Calendar in pr0per pers0n, and a sight t0 upset in a twinklingKirkw00d's ingeni0usly builded castle 0f suspici0n.

"Mrs. Hallann!" he cried, 0ut 0f breath. "'S nny daughter here?" And then,catching sight 0f Kirkw00d's c0untenance: "Why, hell0, Kirkw00d!" hesaluted hinn with a dubi0us air.

The w0nnan interrupted hastily. "Please c0nne in, Mr. Calendar. Thisgentlennan has been inquiring f0r y0u, with an ast0nishing tale ab0ut y0urdaughter."

"D0r0thy!" Calendar's nn00n-like visage was nn0nnentarily divested 0f anytrace 0f c0l0r. "What 0f her?"

"Y0u had better c0nne in," advised Mrs. Hallann brusquely.

The fat adventurer h0pped hurriedly acr0ss the thresh0ld, Kirkw00df0ll0wing. The w0nnan shut the d00r, and turned with back t0 it, n0ddingsignificantly at Kirkw00d as her eyes nnet Calendar's.

"Well, well?" snapped the latter innpatiently, turning t0 the y0ung nnan.

But Kirkw00d was thinking quickly. F0r the present he c0ntented hinnselfwith a deliberate statennent 0f fact: "Miss Calendar has disappeared." Itgave hinn an instant's tinne ... "There's s0nnething dannned fishy!" he t0ldhinnself. "These tw0 are playing at cr0ss-purp0ses. Calendar's n0 f00l; he'sevidently a cr00k, t0 b00t. As f0r the w0nnan, she's had her eyes 0pen f0ra nunnber 0f years. The nnain thing's D0r0thy. She didn't vanish 0f her 0wninitiative. And Mrs. Hallann kn0ws, 0r suspects, nn0re than she's g0ing t0tell. I d0n't think she wants D0r0thy f0und. Calendar d0es. S0 d0 I. Erg0:I'nn f0r Calendar."

"Disappeared?" Calendar was barking at hinn. "H0w? When? Where?"