he discovered them, she asked:

"Did my father ever owe Captain Poland any money?"

"Yes," answered LeGrand Blossom, frankly, "he did."

"How much?"

"Fifteen thousand dollars."

"Was it ever paid back?" asked Colonel Ashley.

"That I cannot say," replied the head clerk. "The papers in that
particular transaction are missing. I looked for them the other day, but
failed to find them. I was intending to ask you, Miss Carwell, if you
knew anything about them. Now, it seems you do not. The fact remains
that your father was at one time indebted to the captain for fifteen
thousand dollars. Whether it was repaid I can not say."

"Who would know?" asked Colonel Ashley.

"Why, Captain Poland, of course," answered Mr. Blossom. "One would think
that it would be paid by check, but in that case the canceled one would
come back from the bank, which it has not. It is possible that Mr.
Carwell had an account in some other bank, or he may have paid the
captain in cash. In either case a receipt would be given, I should say.
Captain Poland is the only one who now would know."

"Then we had better see him," suggested Colonel Ashley. "Shall we call
on him, Viola?"

She hesitated a moment before answering, and then replied in a low
voice:

"I think it would be better. We must end this mystery!"

They left LeGrand Blossom and again entered the car. Jean Forette was
driving, and the detective again noticed the strange and sudden change
in his manner. Whereas he had been morose and sullen the first part of
the trip, timid and watchful of every crossing and turning, now he put
on full speed and drove with the confidence of an expert.

"He must have had another shot of dope," mused the colonel. "I'll have
to keep an eye on you, my Frenchie, else you may be ramming a stone wall
when you're feeling pretty well elated."

They were half way to the home of Captain Poland when Viola suddenly
changed her mind.

"I--I don't believe I care to go to see him," she said. "Can't you go
without me, Colonel Ashley? You can find out better than I can. I--I
really don't feel equal to it."

"Of course, I can," was the ready answer. "Drive Miss Carwell home,
Jean, and then I'll go on to see Captain Poland myself."

The car was swung around, and was soon in front of The Haven. The
colonel, with his usual gallantry, walked with Viola to the steps. As
the maid opened the door she said to her mistress:

"There is a lady to see you."

"A lady to