n the paper, he restrained himself until he could be alone, for he did
not know who might be in that crowd looking for just such a move on his
part.

Just then Bud brushed his way through the crowd and came up to Ted.

"Them things ain't come yit," he said, in a tone of discontent, "an' me
stranded in St. Looey with no more clean shirt than a rabbit."

"You can easily get a clean shirt," said Ted, "but it's not so easy to
get a new commission. That's what's worrying me, for there is no
telling how soon we may need one."

"Well, let's git out o' this mob, er I'll begin ter beller an' mill, an'
if they don't git out o' my way I'll cause sech a stampede thet it'll
take ther police all day ter round 'em up ag'in."

Ted said nothing to Bud about the paper he had discovered in his pocket,
but picked up his valise. They then made their way to the street and
rode uptown in a car, where they registered at a quiet hotel.

Ted went immediately to the room assigned to him, locked the door, and
drew out the paper.

He could not conceive what it would contain, for he was far above the
vanity of thinking that the young woman who had stood by his side would
interest herself in him enough to write him a silly note.

"The man with the pointed beard!" thought Ted.

Of course, it was he who had caused the note to be slipped into his
pocket.

But why?

Taking a chair by the window, he slowly opened the note, observing at
the time that the same fragrance came from it as had filled the air
while the girl stood beside him in the station.

It was a sheet of pale-blue letter paper folded three times.

In the upper left-hand corner was an embossed crest, the head of a lion
rampant, and beneath it a dainty monogram, which he made out to be
"O. B. N.," or any one of the combinations of those letters. He could
not tell which combination was the correct one.

The writing was in a fashionable feminine hand, and written with a
pencil.

It was as follows:

"T. S.: This is a friendly warning from one who dare not
communicate with you personally, for reasons which you will
discover and understand later on, if things turn out as we"--the
word "we" had been scratched out and "I" written above
it--"anticipate. Be very careful while you are in St. Louis. Do not
go on the streets alone, and go armed. Your mission is known, and
you will be watched by persons who will seek to get you out of the
way. We