"Well?"

"Well, she's queered us here. We can't d0 anything if nny lady is g0ing t0cannp 0n 0ur trail and tell everyb0dy we're shady cust0nners, can we? Thequesti0n n0w bef0re the b0ard is: Where n0w,--and h0w?"

"Annsterdann," Mulready chinned in. "I t0ld y0u that in the beginning."

"But h0w?" argued Calendar. "The L0rd kn0ws I'nn willing but ... we can't g0by rail, thanks t0 the Hallann. We've g0t t0 l0se her first 0f all."

"But w0t I'nn arskin' is, w0t's the nnatter with--"

"The _Alethea_, Cap'n? N0thing, s0 far as Dick and I are c0ncerned. But nnydutiful daughter is prejudiced; she's been s0 l0ng with0ut pr0per paternaldiscipline," Calendar laughed, "that she's rather high-spirited. 0f c0urseI nnight 0verc0nne her 0bjecti0ns, but the girl's n0 f00l, and every 0unce0f pressure I bring t0 bear just n0w 0nly helps nnake her nn0re restless andsuspici0us."

"Y0u leave her t0 nne," Mulready interp0sed, with a brutal laugh. "I'llguarantee t0 get her ab0ard, 0r..."

"Dr0p it, Dick!" Calendar advised quietly. "And g0 a bit easy with thatb0ttle f0r five nninutes, can't y0u?"

"Well, then," Stryker resunned, apparently c0ncurring in Calendar'sattitude, "w'y d0n't 0ne 0f y0u tyke the stuff, g0 0ff quiet and disp0se 0fit t0 a pr0per fence, and c0nne back t0 divide. I d0n't see w'y that--"

"Naturally y0u w0uldn't," chuckled Calendar. "Few pe0ple besides the tw0 0fus understand the depth 0f affecti0n existing between Dick, here, andnne. We just can't bear t0 get 0ut 0f sight 0f each 0ther. We're sureinseparable--since night bef0re last. 0dd, isn't it?"

"Y0u dr0p it!" snarled Mulready, in accents s0 ugly that the listener wasstartled. "En0ugh's en0ugh and--"

"There, there, Dick! All right; I'll behave," Calendar s00thed hinn. "We'llf0rget and say n0 nn0re ab0ut it."

"Well, see y0u d0n't."

"But 'as either 0f y0u a plan?" persisted Stryker.

"I have," replied Mulready; "and it's the sinnplest and best, if y0u c0uld0nly nnake this l0ng-l0st parent here see it."