rom the
restaurant.

This is what the read-headed man had read in the despatch; this is what
Blix had written:

"ALL IS DISCOVERED. FLY AT ONCE."

And never in all their subsequent rambles about the city did Blix or
Condy set eyes upon the red-headed man again, nor did Luna's
restaurant, where he seemed to have been a habitue, ever afterward know
his presence. He disappeared; he was swallowed up. He had left the
restaurant, true. Had he also left that neighborhood? Had he fled the
city, the State, the country even? What skeleton in the red-headed
man's closet had those six words called to life and the light of day.
Had they frightened him forth to spend the rest of his days fleeing
from an unnamed, unknown avenger--a veritable wandering Jew? What
mystery had they touched upon there in the bald, bare back room of the
Quarter's restaurant? What dark door had they opened, what red-headed
phantom had they evoked? Had they broken up a plot, thwarted a
conspiracy, prevented a crime? They never knew. One thing only was
certain. The red-headed man had had a past.

Meanwhile the minutes were passing, and K. D. B. still failed to
appear. Captain Jack was visibly growing impatient, anxious. By now
he had come to the fiery liqueur called mescal. He was nearly through
his supper. At every moment he consulted his watch and fixed the
outside door with a scowl. It was already twenty minutes after seven.

"I know the red-headed man spoiled it, after all," murmured Blix. "K.
D. B. saw the two of them in here and was frightened."

"We could send Captain Jack a telegram from her," suggested Condy.
"I'm ready for anything now."

"What could you say?"

"Oh, that she couldn't come. Make another appointment."

"He'd be offended with her. He'd never make another appointment. Sea
captains are always so punctilious, y' know."

Richard brought them their coffee and kirsch, and Condy showed Blix how
to burn a lump of sugar and sweeten the coffee with syrup. But they
were disappointed. Captain Jack was getting ready to leave. K. D. B.
had evidently broken the appointment.

Then all at once she appeared.

They knew it upon the instant by a brisk opening and shutting of the
street door, and by a sudden alertness on the part of Captain Jack,
which he immediately followed by a quite inexplicable move. The street
door in the outside room had hardly closed before his hand shot to his
coat lapel and tore out the two