ag at eleven, Monday. We realize that you feel
you must be extra careful in regard to the old gentleman's health,
because you would profit so greatly by his death. You are so
conscientious! Personally we would be very glad to see you come in for
a great fortune; it would enable you to put so much more into the
enterprise in which we are jointly associated."

Said Evan: "Stripped of its humorous verbiage this means: 'Come across
or we'll croak the old man. And you needn't think you would profit by
his death because we'd come down on you harder than ever then!'"

"Isn't it awful! Isn't it awful!" gasped Deaves. "Was ever a man put
in so frightful a position? What am I to do?"

"Three courses are open to you," said Evan patiently; "the first, and
in my opinion the wisest, course is--to do nothing. Put it up to them."

"But my father! He will suffer for it! A rotting old house overrun
with rats, you said. And such an ordeal as you went through! It might
very well kill him. How can I risk it?"

"He will always have the option of freeing himself," said Evan.

"He would die rather than submit!"

Evan shrugged. "Well, we went over all that last night. Your second
course would be to take that letter to the police and put the whole
matter in their hands. A force of ten thousand men with the
information I can give them ought to be able to locate the clubhouse
before night."

"And find papa's body!"

"Well, your third course is to hang out the flag and open negotiations."

"I have nothing to negotiate with! I cannot raise a cent more!"

"Never mind; bluff them. Spin them along as far as you can, on the
chance of outwitting them in the end."

"What chance would I have of outwitting them?" cried Deaves mournfully.

Evan looked at the poor distraught figure and thought: "Not much, I
guess." Aloud he said: "Well, that's the best I can do for you."

"All three courses are equally impossible!" cried Deaves desperately.

"Yet you must follow one of them."

"You are no help at all!" cried Deaves. He turned like a demented
person, and ran down-stairs.

Evan thought he had seen the last of him.

But on the afternoon of the following day he returned once more. He
was still perturbed, but his desperate agitation had passed; there was
even a certain smugness about him. Clearly something had happened to
ease his mind.

"Well, what did you do?" asked Evan.

Deaves looked confused. "Well--I couldn