e again Owen summoned the servants to a
conference--and once again was forced to consider himself baffled.

Kate had seen her mistress last when she carried in the tea. Asked if
Mrs. Rose had said anything about going out, she answered in the
negative; and neither cook nor Maggie had sat eyes upon her since lunch.

Andrews had been out that afternoon, and knew nothing; and Mrs. Blades,
when interrogated, merely sniffed and said Mrs. Rose did not often
honour the housekeeper's room with her presence.

It was at this juncture that Andrews was despatched to Herrick's
bungalow; and in his absence Owen rang up on the telephone all the
people who seemed in the least likely to have seen his wife, but without
result.

A little later he rang up other places--the station, the police station,
even the little Cottage Hospital; but no one had heard or seen anything
of Mrs. Rose; and Owen was forced to wait for Andrews' return.

When the man came, bearing no tidings, Owen understood that the matter
was serious. Toni had gone, left her home in the dusk, departed no one
knew whither. The whole thing was so unexpected, so incredible, that it
was small wonder Owen was completely at sea.

Suddenly a welcome thought flashed into his head. It was possible Toni
had gone to town on the spur of the moment to visit her relations in
Brixton; and the next minute Owen was turning over the leaves of the
telephone directory hurriedly in an endeavour to find the number of the
house in Winter Gardens. Luckily the house boasted a telephone,
installed for the convenience of one of the boys who was connected with
an insurance agency which had its headquarters there; and in a very
short space of time Owen was asking the worthy Mrs. Gibbs over the wire
for news of the missing Toni. But disappointment awaited him. Nothing
had been heard of Toni for three weeks; and she had most certainly not
visited them that day. Mrs. Gibbs, at the other end of the wire, sounded
apprehensive, but Owen had no time to consider her feelings, and rang
off abruptly when he found she had nothing to tell him.

Just as he was turning away from the instrument the door bell rang
quietly; and with a quick movement Owen crossed the hall and threw the
door widely open.

It was not Toni who stood there, however; and seeing the blank look on
Owen's face, Herrick hurried to explain his errand as one merely of
inquiry.

"Come in," said Owen mechanically, drawing his visitor insid