t I call Mr. Lawton up on the
private wire in his office, but the matter was so delicate that as
long as he had not come to me in person I did not care to telephone
him. Mr. Mallowe showed me a letter which he had recently received
from Pennington Lawton corroborating his statement. But in the matter
of the amount desired we could not definitely distinguish the figures.
Mr. Mallowe was sure that it was three hundred and fifty thousand
dollars. Mr. Carlis was equally certain that it was three hundred and
eighty-five thousand. To make certain of the matter they called Mr.
Lawton up from my office here in my presence, and he stated that the
sum desired was three hundred and fifty thousand dollars. There was
only one odd thing about the entire transaction, and that was a remark
Mr. Mallowe made as he was leaving. After the negotiations had been
completed he turned and said, 'You understand, Mr. Moore, that Mr.
Lawton is so careful, so secretive, that he does not wish this matter
ever mentioned to him personally, even if you think yourself
absolutely alone with him.'"

"Mr. Lawton was a very peculiar man in many ways," Ramon said
meditatively. "His methods of conducting his affairs were not always
easily understood. The negotiations were then completed shortly
thereafter?"

"Yes, within a few days. I turned the amount required over to Mr.
Mallowe and Mr. Carlis, and accepted Mr. Lawton's note. I will show it
to you if you care to see it."

"That will not be necessary, Mr. Moore, but I am going to make a
request that may seem very strange to you. Should it be necessary,
would you be willing to show that note to some one whom I may bring
here to you--some one who may prefer not to see you personally, but
merely to be permitted to examine the note in the presence of some
responsible people of your own choosing?"

"Certainly, Mr. Hamilton. I think I can safely promise that. But what
does it mean--is there anything wrong with Pennington Lawton's note?"

"Not that I am aware of, Mr. Moore," Ramon answered, laughing rather
shortly. "I am unable to explain just now, but I think the name of
Pennington Lawton carries with it a sufficient guarantee that the note
will be honored when it is presented."

An hour later, at the close of the busiest day he had experienced
since his graduation from the law school, young Hamilton presented
himself at Henry Blaine's office. The detective listened in silence to
his story, and at its conc