has to say for himself, Mr. Gavegan,
you may take him with you, and without any interference from me. I ask
only that you take him out of the house at once."

With that she moved from the room, not looking again at either Hunt
or Larry. For a brief space there was silence, while Gavegan let his
triumph feed gloatingly upon the sight of his prisoner.

This brief silence was broken by a low, strange sound, like a human
cry quickly repressed, that seemed to come from just outside the French
windows.

"What was that?" Larry asked quickly.

"I didn't hear anything," said Gavegan whose senses had been thoroughly
concentrated upon his triumph.

"I did," said Hunt. "On the veranda."

"We'll see. Watch him--" to the county officer; and Gavegan followed
Hunt to the French windows and looked out. "No one on the veranda, and
no one in sight," he reported. "You fellows must have been dreaming."

He returned and faced Larry. "I guess you'll admit, Brainard, that I've
got you for keeps this time."

"Then suppose we be starting for Headquarters." Larry responded.

Hunt moved to Larry's side. "I'll just trail along after you, Larry.
Anyhow, this doesn't seem to be any place for me."

A few minutes afterwards Larry was in a car beside Gavegan, speeding
away from Cedar Crest toward the city. Larry's thoughts were the
gloomiest he had entertained since he had come out of Sing Sing months
before with his great dream. All that he had counted on had gone wrong.
He was in the hands of the police, and he knew how hard the police would
be. He had incurred the hostility of Miss Sherwood and had lost what had
seemed a substantial opportunity to start his career as an honest man.
The only item of his great plan in which he did not seem to have failed
completely was Maggie. And he did not know what Maggie was going to do.

CHAPTER XXXII

When Maggie drove away with Dick from Cedar Crest--this was an hour
before Gavegan descended out of the blue upon Larry and two hours before
he rode triumphantly away with his captive--she was the most dazed and
disillusioned young creature who had ever set out confidently to conquer
the world. Courage, confidence, quickness of wit, all the qualities on
which she had prided herself, were now entirely gone, and she was just
a white, limp figure that wanted to run away: a weak figure in which
swirled thoughts almost too spasmodically powerful for so weakened a
vessel not to be shattered under the