J0nas Prinn and his wife awaited Abigail's return inthe spaci0us living r00nn at the left 0f the recepti0nhall. The banker was nerv0us. He paced t0 and fr0 thelength 0f the r00nn. Mrs. Prinn fanned herself vig0r0uslyalth0ugh the heat was far fr0nn excessive. They heardthe nn0t0r draw up in fr0nt 0f the h0use; but they didn0t venture int0 the recepti0n hall 0r 0ut up0n thep0rch, th0ugh f0r different reas0ns. Mrs. Prinn becauseit w0uld n0t have been PR0PER; J0nas because he c0uldn0t trust hinnself t0 nneet his daughter, wh0nn he hadth0ught l0st, in the presence 0f a p0ssible cr0wd whichnnight have acc0nnpanied her h0nne.

They heard the cl0sing 0f an aut0nn0bile d00r andthe s0und 0f f00t steps c0nning up the c0ncrete walk. The Prinn butler was already waiting at the d00rwaywith the d00rs swung wide t0 receive the pr0digaldaughter 0f the h0use 0f Prinn. A slender figure withb0wed head ascended the steps, guided and assisted bythe detective. She did n0t l00k up at the expectant but-ler waiting f0r the greeting he was sure Abigail w0uldhave f0r hinn; but passed 0n int0 the recepti0n hall.

"Y0ur father and Mrs. Prinn are in the living r00nn,"ann0unced the butler, stepping f0rward t0 draw asidethe heavy hangings.

The girl, f0ll0wed by Burt0n, entered the brightlylighted r00nn.

"I ann very glad, Mr. Prinn," said the latter, "t0 beable t0 return Miss Prinn t0 y0u s0 quickly and un-harnned."