through the pockets of her jacket. The girl swiftly crossed the room,
and flung coat and skirt onto the bed. She remembered now thrusting
the telegram from Farriss into a pocket on the morning of its receipt.
It was gone!

CHAPTER XVI: CAPTURED

Her first thought was to search elsewhere, although she immediately
realised the uselessness of any such attempt. The message had been in
her pocket as she recalled distinctly; she had fully intended
destroying it at the same time she had torn up the letter of
instruction, but failed to do so. Now it was in the hands of the La
Rue woman, and would be shown to the others. Stella blew out the light
and sat down by the open window endeavouring to figure out what all
this would mean. It was some time before she could recall to memory
the exact wording of the telegram, but finally it came to her bit by
bit:

If any clues, advise immediately. Willis digging hard. Letter of
instruction follows.

FARRISS.

There was no mention of names, yet these people could scarcely fail to
recognise that this had reference to the Cavendish case. Their fears
would lead to this conclusion, and they could safely argue that nothing
else would require the presence in Haskell of a New York newspaper
writer. Besides, if the man Enright had recognised her and knew of her
connection with the _Star_, it was scarcely probable that he would be
wholly unfamiliar with the name of Farriss, the city editor. No, they
would be on guard now, and she could hope to win no confidence. The
thought of personal danger never once entered her mind. Timidity was
not part of her nature and she gave this phase of the matter no
thought. All that seriously troubled her was the knowledge that she
was handicapped in the case, unable to carry out the plans previously
outlined.

From now on she would be watched, guarded against, deceived. That
these people--Enright particularly--were playing a desperate game for
big stakes, was already evident. They had not hesitated at murder to
achieve their ends, and yet the girl somehow failed to comprehend that
this discovery by them, that she was on their trail, placed her in
personal peril.

There were two reasons causing indifference--a carelessness engendered
by long newspaper experience, and a feeling that the telegram told so
little they would never realise how far the investigation had
progressed. All she could do then, would be to remain quiet, watch
c