tel! Let's hurry, man--let's fly!"

CHAPTER XII

FOGERTY

At the Waldorf Arthur's own limousine was standing by the curb. The
street was nearly deserted. The last of the Kermess people had gone
home.

Weldon ran to his chauffeur.

"Did you take Miss Merrick home?" he eagerly enquired.

"Miss Merrick? Why, I haven't seen her, sir, I thought you'd all
forgotten me."

The young man's heart sank. Despair seized him. The detective was
carefully examining the car.

"They're pretty nearly mates, Mr. Weldon. as far as the brown color and
general appearances go," he said. "But I'm almost positive the car that
carried the young lady away was of another make."

"What make was it?"

The man shook his head.

"Can't say, sir. I was mighty stupid, and that's a fact. But my mind was
so full of that assault and battery case, and the trickery of that
fellow Mershone, that I wasn't looking for anything else."

"Can you get away?" asked Arthur. "Can you help me on this case?"

"No, sir; I must remain on duty at the hotel. But perhaps the young lady
is now safe at home, and we've been borrowing trouble. In case she's
been stolen, however, you'd better see Fogerty."

"Who's Fogerty?"

"Here's his card, sir. He's a private detective, and may be busy just
now, for all I know. But if you can get Fogerty you've got the best man
in all New York."

Arthur sprang into the seat beside his driver and hurried post-haste to
the Merrick residence. In a few minutes Mrs. Merrick was in violent
hysterics at the disappearance of her daughter. Arthur stopped long
enough to telephone for a doctor and then drove to the Doyles. He routed
up Uncle John and the Major, who appeared in pajamas and bath-robes, and
told them the startling news.

A council of war was straightway held. Uncle John trembled with
nervousness; Arthur was mentally stupefied; the Major alone was calm.

"In the first place," said he, "what object could the man have in
carrying off Louise?" Arthur hesitated.

"To prevent our marriage, I suppose," he answered. "Mershone has an idea
he loves Louise. He made wild love to her until she cut his
acquaintance."

"But it won't help him any to separate her from her friends, or her
promised husband," declared the Major. "Don't worry. We're sure to find
her, sooner or later."

"How? How shall we find her?" cried Uncle John. "Will he murder her, or
what?"

"Why, as for that, John, he's safe locked up in jail for the