r best to run this matter down. You know it
because you have courteously given them every assistance in your
power. But the police have also been very ably assisted by every
newspaper in town. I am fortunate to be acting in the interests of
one of these--the _Sentinel_. This clue was put in my hands. I came
to you confident of your cooeperation."

Mrs. Hastings threw up her hands with a gesture that caught away the
chain of her eye-glass and sent it dangling in her lap, and her
side-combs tinkling to the tiled floor.

"Mercy!" she said, "a reporter!"

St. George bowed.

"But I never receive reporters!" she cried, "Olivia--don't you
know? A newspaper reporter like that fearful man at Palm Beach, who
put me in the Courtney's ball list in a blue silk when I never wear
colours."

"Now really, really, this intrusion--" began Mr. Frothingham, his
long, unclosed hands working forward on his knees in undulations, as
a worm travels.

Miss Holland turned to St. George, the colour dyeing her face and
throat, her manner a bewildering mingling of graciousness and
hauteur.

"My aunt is right," she said tranquilly, "we never have received any
newspaper representative. Therefore, we are unfortunate never to
have met one. You were saying that we should send some one to
McDougle Street?"

St. George was aware of his heart-beats. It was all so unexpected
and so dangerous, and she was so perfectly equal to the
circumstance.

"I was asking to be allowed to go myself, Miss Holland," he said
simply, "with whoever makes the investigation."

Mrs. Hastings was looking mutely from one to another, her forehead
in horizons of wrinkles.

"I'm sure, Olivia, I think you ought to be careful what you say,"
she plaintively began. "Mr. Hastings never allowed his name to go in
any printed lists even, he was so particular. Our telephone had a
private number, and all the papers had instructions never to mention
him, even if he was murdered, unless he took down the notice
himself. Then if anything important did happen, he often did take it
down, nicely typewritten, and sometimes even then they didn't use
it, because they knew how very particular he was. And of course we
don't know how--"

St. George's eyes blazed, but he did not lift them. The affront was
unstudied and, indeed, unconscious. But Miss Holland understood how
grave it was, for there are women whose intuition would tell them
the etiquette due upon meeting the First Syndic of And