breakfast-table, as
fresh and rosy as though he had had a full night's sleep. But even I
felt better by the time the meal was over. It is wonderful what a cup
of coffee can do for a man!

"I 'phoned a message to Swain, as soon as I was up," Godfrey said,
"telling him, in your name, that we had the evidence to clear him, and
that Miss Vaughan was safe."

"I must go down to him," I said, "and start proceedings to set him
free. I'll get Simmonds to go with me before Goldberger, and then
before the magistrate. We ought to get an order of release at once."

"You've got something to do before that," Godfrey reminded me. "We're
to hear Miss Vaughan's story at ten o'clock. I'm taking it for
granted," he added, with a smile, "that I'll be welcome, as well as
Hinman."

"That doesn't need saying," I retorted, and ten minutes later, we
were on the way to Elmhurst.

There was a man on guard at the library door, but he allowed us to
pass when we gave our names, having evidently had his instructions
from Simmonds. In answer to Godfrey's question, he said that, so far
as he knew, no trace had been found of Silva.

We went on into the room, and found that some one, Simmonds
presumably, had closed the safe and swung the section of shelving back
into place before it. It was not locked, however, and I opened it and
went through its contents carefully, with the faint hope that the
money might have been thrust into some other compartment. But I found
no trace of it, and was replacing the contents, when a voice at the
threshold brought me to my feet.

"Mr. Lester!" it said, and I turned to behold a vision which made me
catch my breath--a vision of young womanhood, with smiling lips and
radiant eyes--a vision which came quickly toward me, with hands
outstretched.

"Miss Vaughan!" I cried, and took the hands and held them.

"Can you forgive me?" she demanded.

"For what?"

"For treating you so badly! Oh, I could see what you thought of me,
and I longed to tell you it was only make-believe, but I didn't dare!
I could see your grimace of disgust, when I fell on my knees beside
the chair yonder...."

"Miss Vaughan," I broke in, "whatever my sentiments may have been--and
I was an idiot not to suspect the truth!--they have all changed into
enthusiastic admiration. You were wiser and braver than all of us."

A wave of colour swept into her cheeks.

"I might add," I went on, "that I thought white robes becoming, but
they were not n