see me?" exclaimed Viola, in some surprise.

"Yes. She is in the library, waiting. I said I did not know how long
you would be away, but she said she was a friend of the family and would
wait."

"Who is she?" asked Viola.

"I don't know. But she is a large, blonde lady."

"I can't imagine," murmured Viola. "Won't you come in, Colonel Ashley?
It may be some one I would want you to see, also."

As Viola, followed at a little distance by the colonel, entered the
library, a large, blonde woman arose to meet her.

"I am so glad to see you, my dear Miss Carwell," began the woman, and
then Colonel Ashley had one of his questions answered. The voice was
the same as that of the shawled woman LeGrand Blossom had met on the
ferryboat the night before, and it was the voice of Annie Tighe, alias
Maude Warren, alias Morocco Kate, one of the cleverest of New York's de
luxe crooks.

"So you have a hand in the game, have you, my dear?" mused the colonel,
as he caught the now well-remembered tones. "Well, I guess you don't
want to see me right away, and I don't want you to."

He had kept behind Viola during the walk down the hall, and the large
blonde had not noticed him, he hoped. He whispered to Viola, who stood
just at the entrance to the room:

"Learn all you can from her. I'll be back pretty soon--as soon as she
has gone. Find out where she's stopping. Don't mention me."

The hall was dimly lighted, and he had a chance to say this to
Viola without getting into full view of the caller, and without her
overhearing. Then, turning quickly, Colonel Ashley hurried out of the
house.

"Morocco Kate," he mused as he got into the car again, and told Jean
to drive to Captain Poland's. "Morocco Kate! I wonder if she is just
beginning her game, or if this is merely a phase of it, started before
Mr. Carwell's death? Another link added to the puzzle."

He was still pondering over this when he reached the captain's home. It
was a rather elaborate summer "cottage," with magnificent grounds,
and the captain's mother kept house for him. But there was a curious
deserted air about the place as Jean drove up the gravel road. A man was
engaged in putting up boards at the windows.

"Is the captain here?" asked the colonel.

"The place is being closed for the season, sir," answered the man,
evidently a caretaker.

"Closed? So early?" exclaimed the colonel, in surprise.

"The captain has gone away," the man went on. "I got orders yesterd