more of sickening suspense than ever did any young playwright on
the opening night of his first play. For she was more than merely
playwright. In her desperate, overwrought determination Maggie had
assumed for herself the super-mortal role of dea ex machina. And in
those moments of tense waiting Maggie, who so feverishly loathed all she
had been, was not at all sure whether she was going to succeed in her
part of goddess from the machine.

At five minutes to nine there was a ring. She gave a little jump at the
sound. That was Barney. Though generally when Barney came he used the
latch-key which his assumed dear cousinship, and the argued possibility
of their being out and thus causing him to wait around in discomfort,
Miss Grierson's sense of propriety had unbent far enough to permit him
to possess. The truth was, of course, that Barney had desired the key
so that he might have most private conferences with Maggie, at any time
necessity demanded, without the stolidly conscientious Miss Grierson
ever knowing what had happened and being therefore unable to give
dangerous testimony.

Maggie crossed and opened the door. But instead of Barney Palmer, it was
Larry who stepped in. He quickly closed the door behind him.

"Larry!" she cried startled. "Why--why, I thought the police had you!"

"They did. But Hunt was with me, and he got hold of a magistrate who
would have made Hunt a present of the Tombs and Police Headquarters if
he had owned them."

"Then you're out on bail?"

"Got out about ten minutes ago. Hunt didn't have any property he could
put up as security, so he 'phoned my grandmother. She walked in with an
armload of deeds. Why, she must own as much property in New York as the
Astor Estate."

"Larry, I'm so glad!" And then, remembering what, according to her plan,
was due to begin to happen almost any moment, she exclaimed in dismay:
"But, Larry, oh, why did you come here now!"

"I wanted to know--you understand--what you had decided to do after
learning about your father. And I wanted to tell you that, after all my
great boasts to you, I seem to have failed in every boast. Item one, the
police have got me. Item two, since the police have got me, my old pals
will also most likely get me. Item three, when I was arrested at Cedar
Crest Miss Sherwood learned that I had known you all along and believes
I was part of a conspiracy to clean out the family; so she chucked
me--and I've lost what I believed my big cha