he Sphere."

"Are you going to help him?"

"If I can. He's been white to me."

"But this isn't white, if it's what I suspect. It's yellow. One of their
yellow sensations. The Sphere goes in for that sort of thing."

Miss Van Arsdale became silent and thoughtful.

"Of course, if it's something to do with the railroad I'd have to be
careful. I can't give away the company's affairs."

"I don't think it is." Miss Van Arsdale's troubled eyes strayed toward
the inner room.

Following them, Banneker's lighted up with a flash of astonished
comprehension.

"You don't think--" he began.

His friend nodded assent.

"Why should the newspapers be after her?"

"She is associated with a set that is always in the lime-light,"
explained Miss Van Arsdale, lowering her voice to a cautious pitch. "It
makes its own lime-light. Anything that they do is material for the
papers."

"Yes; but what has she done?"

"Disappeared."

"Not at all. She sent back messages. So there can't be any mystery about
it."

"But there might be what the howling headlines call 'romance.' In fact,
there is, if they happen to have found out about it. And this looks very
much as if they had. Ban, are you going to tell your reporter friend
about Miss Welland?"

Banneker smiled gently, indulgently. "Do you think it likely?"

"No; I don't. But I want you to understand the importance of not
betraying her in any way. Reporters are shrewd. And it might be quite
serious for her to know that she was being followed and hounded now. She
has had a shock."

"The bump on the head, you mean?"

"Worse than that. I think I'd better tell you since we are all in this
thing together."

Briefly she outlined the abortive adventure that had brought Io west,
and its ugly outcome.

"Publicity is the one thing we must protect her from," declared Miss Van
Arsdale.

"Yes; that's clear enough."

"What shall you tell this Gardner man?"

"Nothing that he wants to know."

"You'll try to fool him?"

"I'm an awfully poor liar, Miss Camilla," replied the agent with his
disarming smile. "I don't like the game and I'm no good at it. But I can
everlastingly hold my tongue."

"Then he'll suspect something and go nosing about the village making
inquiries."

"Let him. Who can tell him anything? Who's even seen her except you and
me?"

"True enough. Nobody is going to see her for some days yet if I can help
it. Not even you, Ban."

"Is she as bad as that?" he aske