asked Mr. Montgomery, rather loudly, as they
stepped in.

"Not very well--not very well," said a wheezy voice. "You can go right
up to that room, sir--the sitting room. Ahem! You'll have to see the
doctor before you can speak with Mr.--Mr.----"

"Mr. Gordon," said the Senator, briskly. "All right, girls. Hurry
upstairs."

Nancy and Jennie were quite confused. They did just as they were urged
to do by Senator Montgomery. At the top of the flight he pushed open a
door and the chums went into the room. The curtains were drawn. One
feeble gas jet was burning. It was a fusty-smelling, cluttered room,
furnished with odds and ends of old furniture and hangings.

"I'll be with you directly," said Mr. Montgomery, and closed the door.

"Oh!" squealed Jennie.

"Did you hear it?" whispered Nancy, seizing her chum.

The key had been turned in the lock. They tried the knob--first one
shook it and then the other. The door could not be opened and there did
not seem to be another door leading out of the room.

"He's locked us in!" said Nancy, amazed.

"I knew he was a villain!" declared Jennie, with a vicious snap of her
teeth. "Isn't he just like Grace?"

"But--but how _dares_ he do such a thing?" gasped Nancy.

"He's a rich man--he can do anything. Or, he thinks he can," returned
Jennie. "But you wait till my father gets hold of him!"

"Do--do you suppose he'll dare do us any bodily harm?" queried Nancy,
anxiously. "Oh! I wish I hadn't got you into it, Jennie."

"Stuff and nonsense!" exclaimed the more reckless Jennie. "He only wants
to keep you from seeing Gordon."

"But--what for?"

"He's afraid Mr. Gordon will weaken and tell you all about yourself,"
responded her practical chum. "That's plain enough."

"Oh, dear, me! do you think so? And suppose poor Mr. Gordon _dies_?"

"Then you'll never know who you really are, Nance. At least, you can be
sure Grace's father will never tell you."

"If he knows."

"If he doesn't know, and isn't afraid of your finding out, what does he
bother with us this way for?" demanded Jennie, angrily.

"Maybe we can get out of the window?"

"It's at the back of the house. We couldn't get out of the yard."

"Let's scream."

"Who'd hear us here? Might as well save our breath," said Jennie.

"I--I wish Scorch was here," declared Nancy.

"So do I--with all my heart. Bless his red head! He'd get us out of this
in short order."

As she spoke there came a tapping on one of the win