what you know, help me to fight! Bah! I'm disgusted with
you!"

He hurled George Lerton away from him, curled his lips in scorn of the
man.

"I've tried to warn you," Lerton whimpered.

"I don't understand this and I'm sure you could explain a lot, if you
would. Perhaps I've got more dollars than the customers you are so
afraid of losing. Suppose I hand my million to you for investment. Will
you talk, then?"

"I--I wouldn't dare touch it," Lerton whimpered.

Prale looked at him closely. "It must be something pretty bad to make
you toss aside the chance to handle a million in investments," he said.
"I know you, George! You'd sell your soul for money! You got anything
more to say to me about this?"

"I--I dare not say anything more."

"Very well. If you are afraid to be seen in my presence, kindly keep
away from me hereafter and don't worry about me looking you up at your
office. I'll not take the trouble!"

Sidney Prale said nothing more; he whirled around and walked rapidly up
the Avenue, enraged, wondering what it all meant, determined to find out
as soon as possible.

Lerton ran after him.

"Won't you go away, Sid?" he whimpered.

"No. I'll stay here, and if I have enemies I'll fight them!" Prale told
him. "Why are you so eager to have me run away?"

"I don't want to see you in trouble, Sid."

"That's peculiar. In the old days you used to gloat whenever I got in
trouble. You seem to have a wonderful and sudden regard for my welfare,
and I can't explain it to myself."

Once more, Prale whirled around and started up the Avenue. His brain was
in a tumult. What did George Lerton know that he refused to tell? Why
should there be powerful enemies? He knew of no reason in the world.

"He's dead eager to get me out of town," Prale mused. "There's something
behind it, all right."

CHAPTER VI

MURK--AND MURDER

Instinct, intuition, or some similar faculty caused Prale to turn off
the Avenue eastward toward the river. He was not angry now. His mind was
in action. He had convinced himself that there was something behind all
this, and he was eager for the solution.

Those mysterious warnings had begun on board ship, he remembered. The
piece of paper Kate Gilbert had dropped, and which he had picked up, had
writing similar to the messages he had received. He would have to engage
Jim Farland, he told himself, and learn a few things concerning Miss
Kate Gilbert.

Had the journey because of ill hea