reporter. "We are only
anxious to know when you last saw him," and someone whispered a
well-deserved rebuke to Peter.

"To begin at the beginning," Grace resumed, "father went abroad with
mother and me several months ago. He was not in good health and his
physician recommended a change of air. We traveled in England and on
the continent, and then went to Italy. My father preceded us there,
as he had some business affairs to look after in Rome.

"When we got to that city we found he had left there, as his
business called him away. He left word that he might have to sail
for this country ahead of us, but would try to meet us in Naples. We
proceeded there, only to find that he had sailed, and he told us to
come over on the next steamer. He promised to meet us in New York.

"We sailed on the _Messina_, expecting my father would meet us at
the pier."

"Did he meet you?" asked Larry, for he recalled that day when he had
secured the memorable interview with Sullivan, in which Mr. Potter's
name played an important part.

"He did not," and there was a catch in the girl's voice. "One of his
clerks did, and said he had received a letter from my father,
stating that he was unavoidably detained, but that he would be with
us soon."

She paused, and pressed her handkerchief to her eyes.

"Well?" asked one of the reporters softly.

"That is all," said Grace. "I have not seen my father since parting
with him at Munich, whence he proceeded to Rome. He has never
communicated directly with us, and we don't know what to think. It
is dreadful!" and she wept softly.

There was a pause of a few seconds, while the girl recovered her
composure. Then the reporters began to ask questions, sparing Grace
as much as possible.

In this way they learned that Mr. Potter's family could give no
description as to was dressed when he disappeared, for quite an
interval had elapsed between the time Grace and her mother had last
seen him, and when they learned that he was gone.

Nor had Mr. Potter communicated with his office or his business
associates, except so far as to send a clerk to meet the steamer.
Before going to Europe he had arranged matters so his affairs could
be conducted in his absence, and his continued failure to come back
worked no harm in that respect. Confidential clerks attended to
everything, and the millionaire's large interests were well looked
after.

So there was really not much that Grace could tell. She said she and