dical way?"

"It's the only way out that I can see. I've stood this business till
it's almost killing me."

"Well, is that all?"

"No ... somehow--how, I do not know, the _New York Journal_ has gotten
hold of my wire ... it will be in all the papers to-night or to-morrow
... so I advise you and Hildreth to disappear quietly somewhere, if you
don't want to see the reporters,--who will all presently be on the way
to the flat."

"Damn you, Penton ... needn't tell _me_ about the news leaking out ...
you've done it yourself ... now I want you to promise me only one thing,
that you'll hold the reporters off for a couple of hours, till we have a
good start."

"I'll do my best," answered he, "but please believe me. How they got the
contents of the telegram I do not know, but on my honour I did not give
it out nor did I tell the reporters where you are."

* * * * *

Hildreth was so angry she could hardly speak.

"This is a fine to-do," exclaimed Darrie, "Penton distinctly promised
me--"

"I'd like to get a good crack at him!" I boasted, at the same time
enjoying the excitement.

* * * * *

Hildreth began packing her clothes in a large suitcase ... as we later
found she cast all her clean clothes aside, and in her excitement
included all her soiled linen and lingerie....

We had our last meal together. I brought in a large bottle of white
wine. All of us grew rather hilarious and made a merry joke of the
adventure. We poked fun at Penton.

We sallied forth at the front door, Darrie to go to the Martha
Washington. "I don't want to be mixed up in the coming uproar and
scandal," she exclaimed ... "so far, I'm clear of all blame, and I know
only too well what the papers would insinuate."

Hildreth and I took train for New Jersey ... two tickets for--anywhere
... in our excited condition we ran off first to Elizabeth. We had with
us exactly one hundred dollars, which I had borrowed of Darrie before we
parted on our several ways.

I registered for Hildreth and myself as "Mr. Arthur Mallory and wife,"
in the register of an obscure hotel hear the noise and clatter of a
hundred trains drawing continually out and in.

It made me happy and important to sign her name on the register as
something belonging to me.

Once alone in the room, Hildreth, to my consternation, could talk of
nothing else but Penton.

"--to think that he would do such a thing to me, o