and out of a
rear door. Then she came around to the front piazza just as the door
opened to let Tuller out.

"Mamie, who is this?" she asked, looking at the servant girl meaningly.

"Are you Mrs. Bangs?" asked Jasper Tuller, quickly, and, as she nodded,
he continued: "I am glad you have come. I am Jasper Tuller, one of the
stockholders in the iron works. Perhaps you have heard your husband
mention my name."

"I have, Mr. Tuller. What can I do for you?"

"I would like to see you in private"--this with a side glance at the
servant girl.

"Very well, step into the library, Mr. Tuller," and the fashionable
woman led the way to that apartment. Then the door was carefully
closed.

"Something is wrong," said the servant girl to herself. "I wonder what
it can be?"

She was of a decidedly inquisitive nature and not above playing the
eavesdropper. She tiptoed her way to the library door and listened
intently, while at the same time applying her eye to the keyhole.

"Now, what is it, Mr. Tuller?" asked Mrs. Bangs, after the door to the
library was shut.

"Briefly, it is this," said the visitor. "Your husband has certain
papers in his safe--papers which belong to another man,--Philip
Bartlett."

"Proceed."

"I warned him to destroy the papers but he has not done so. Now Mr.
Bartlett is going to come here, force open your safe, and take the
papers away."

"Come here--force our safe!" gasped the fashionable woman. "He dare not
do it."

"He is going to do it legally, I presume."

"You mean he will bring an officer of the law here?"

"Yes. If those papers are found it will look black for your husband,
for he has no right to have them in his possession."

"Oh, Mr. Tuller, what shall I do?"

"It is easy enough. Open the safe, take out the papers, and put them
where they cannot be found."

"Yes, but I do not know how to open the safe!"

"Don't you know the combination? Your husband said something about
that, but I felt there must be some mistake."

"I did know the combination once, but I believe I have forgotten it,"
went on the fashionable woman. She knitted her brows. "Let me see. It
was three 9's, I remember--9, 18, and 27."

"Yes! yes! And what else. See if you cannot think. It is so very
important--not alone for your husband, but also for myself and others."

"I am trying to think. Let me see--yes, there was a 2 and a 3 and then
another 2,--I mean so many times around."

"I believe I understand, Mrs.