to either of us, however. We had both been told that he
went west as a young man and was never heard of afterward."

Mr. Shellaby nodded soberly.

"Mr. Bankhead was a rather peculiar character in some respects; quite
eccentric, in fact. He accumulated a great deal of property in British
Columbia--in mining enterprises--and it was only in his latter years
that he came here to live. We drew his will, as I have said. He was
without family, and he left the bulk of his estate--something over two
millions--to various charities and hospitals. There were other legacies,
to be sure, and among them one which was to be divided equally between,
or among, the direct heirs, if any could be discovered, of Clarissa
Millington and Roger Prime."

"And if no such heirs could be found?" Prime inquired.

"Our client was quite sure that they wouldn't be found. It seems that he
had previously had some inquiries made on his own account. For that
reason he placed a comparatively short time limit upon our efforts and
prescribed their form. We were to advertise in certain newspapers, and
if there should be no answer within six months of the date of his death
the legacy in question was to revert to his private secretary, a young
man who had served him in many capacities, and who was, by the by,
already generously provided for in a separate bequest."

Lucetta's gray eyes lighted suddenly and she spoke with a little
catching of her breath.

"The name of that young man, Mr. Shellaby, is Horace Bandish, isn't it?"
she suggested.

"Quite so," nodded the little man; and then, with the amused twinkle
returning to point the bit of dry humor: "I am sorry to have to spoil
your estimate of Mr. Grider's capabilities as a practical joker; yes,
very sorry, indeed; but I'm afraid I must. Bandish was your kidnapper,
you know, and it is owing entirely to Mr. Grider's energetic efforts
that the fellow is at present safely lodged in the Ottawa jail awaiting
indictment and trial. In order that he might be certain of adding your
legacy to his own, he meant to deprive you both of any possible
opportunity of communicating with us before July thirty-first. The young
woman who calls herself his wife was his accomplice, but she has
disappeared. Mr. Grider can give you the details of the plot better than
I can."

"Then Grider didn't--then the legacy is ours?" Prime stammered,
clutching manfully for handholds in the grapple with this entirely new
array of things in