t she
should end it. Poor dear old Cutty--to fancy he could pull the wool over
Kitty Conover's eyes! Cutty, the most honest man alive, had set his foot
upon an unethical bypath and now found himself among nettles. To keep
Johnny Two-Hawks prisoner in that lofty apartment while he hunted for
the drums of jeopardy! Hadn't he said he had seen emeralds he would
steal with half a chance? Cutty, playing at this sort of game,
his conscience biting whichever way he turned! He had been hunting
unsuccessfully for the stones that night he had come in with his face
and hands bloody. Why hadn't he kissed her?

Johnny Two-Hawks--bourgeois? Utter nonsense! Of course it did not matter
now what he was; he had dug a bridgeless chasm with that smile. Sometime
to-morrow he and Stefani Gregor would be on their way to Montana; and
that would be the last of them both. To-morrow would mark the fork in
the road. But life would never again be humdrum for Kitty Conover.

The taxicabs were bumping over cobbles, through empty streets. It was
six by now; at that hour this locality, which she recognized as the
warehouse district, was always dead. The deserted streets, how ever, set
in motion a slight perturbation. Supposing Karlov grew suspicious and
turned aside from his objective? Even as this disturbing thought
took form Karlov's taxicab stopped. Kitty's stopped also, but without
instructions from her. She had intended to drive on and from the rear
window observe if Karlov entered that old red-brick house.

"Go on!" she called through the tube.

The chauffeur obeyed, but he stopped again directly behind Karlov's
taxicab. He slid off his seat and opened the door. His face was grim.

Tumpitum-tump! Tumpitum-tump! She did not hear the tocsin this time; she
felt it on her spine--the drums of fear. If they touched her!

"Come with me, miss. If you are sensible you will not be harmed. If you
cut up a racket I'll have to carry you."

"What does this mean?" faltered Kitty.

"That we have finally got you, miss. You can see for yourself that there
isn't any help in sight. Better take it sensibly. We don't intend to
hurt you. It's somebody else we want. There's a heavy score against you,
but we'll overlook it if you act sensibly. You were very clever last
night; but the game depends upon the last trick."

"I'll go sensibly," Kitty agreed. They must not touch her!

Karlov did not speak as he opened the door of the house for her. His
expression was