is never
really clever. He always leaves some loophole which leads to
detection. He thinks he is secure, that his disguise is impenetrable,
but there is always someone watching him, closely observing his every
move. And, the first thing he knows, he has walked into a trap, the
handcuffs are snapped, and the electric chair looms grimly before
him----"

_Crash_!

All looked up to the end of the table, where their host had broken a
glass. In the act of raising the champagne to his lips the glass had
slipped and broken into a thousand pieces. Helen, frightened, started
from her seat.

"Are you hurt, dear?" she asked. "There is blood on your hand."

"No--no, it's nothing. I cut myself with a bit of glass. It's
nothing."

Ray was eager for more anecdotes.

"Do tell us more, Kenneth," she exclaimed, interrupting her chat with
her left-hand neighbor.

"Give him a breathing spell," laughed Dick. "We've kept him at it ever
since the dinner began."

Handsome, his face pale, his hand trembling, filled another glass with
the foaming golden wine, and drained it at a draught. What the lawyer
just said had been somewhat of a shock. Was there more meaning in it
than appeared in the chance words? He eyed Steell narrowly, when he
was not looking, but the lawyer's face was inscrutable. Again he
filled his glass and again emptied it.

That her husband had been drinking heavily all evening had not escaped
Helen's attention, and it worried her. Nudging her sister she
whispered:

"Ken's drinking more than is good for him. He never used to drink like
that."

At that moment, the host looked up and caught Helen's eye. Raising his
glass he offered a toast:

"Here's to the prettiest, the sweetest, the most desirable little woman
in the world! Gentlemen and ladies--my wife!"

They all drank except Helen who, confused and annoyed, tried to turn it
off with a laugh.

Noticing her embarrassment, Ray made a signal to Mr. Steell and they
both rose from the table. Helen and Dick quickly followed their
example and the hostess led the way into the drawing-room, leaving
Handsome and Mr. Parker alone to their cigars.

The president of the Americo-African Mining Company was not sorry of
the opportunity which this tete-a-tete afforded for a quiet business
talk.

"By the way, old man," he began, "we haven't had a chance to talk
business yet. You've got the diamonds, of course."

His host was silent. Mr. Parker though