million dollars--and that's why she left
when I came. She was afraid you would find her out. But you, you poor
fool, you thought she was perfect; and had left because her feelings
were hurt! But she couldn't fool me, I could read her like a book, and
I'll tell you what she has done."

"You'll do nothing of the kind!" broke in Rimrock savagely, "you'll go
and get me that stock. I won't believe a word you say----"

"What will you give me if I do?" she demanded coquettishly at the same
time backing away.

"I'll give you a nice, sweet kiss!" answered Rimrock, twisting his
mouth to a sinister smile. "And if you don't----"

"Ah, will you?" she cried as she started towards him and then she
danced mockingly away.

"You can keep it for her!" she flung back bitterly and passed out
through the inner door.

Like a lion held in leash Rimrock paced up and down and then he
listened through the door. All was silent and with a sudden
premonition he laid a quick hand on the knob. The door was locked
against him! He listened again, then spoke through the keyhole, then
raised his voice to a roar. The next moment he set his great shoulder
to the panel, then drew back and listened again. A distant sound, like
a door softly closing, caught his ear and all was still. He hurled
himself with desperate vehemence against the door so treacherously
locked and with a crash it leapt from its hinges and he stumbled into
the room. From where he stood Rimrock looked about in a daze, for the
room was stripped and bare. The table, the furnishings, all that had
made it so intimate when he had dined with the tiger lady before; all
were gone and with the bareness there came a chill and the certainty
that he had been betrayed. He turned and rushed to the outer entrance,
but as he laid violent hands on that door it opened of itself and with
such unexpected suddenness that he fell backwards on the floor. He
rose up cursing, for something told him whose hand had unlocked the
door; but she was gone and all that remained was a scribbled card in
the hall.

"Kiss your money good-bye," was written on its face and on the back:

"I hate a fool."

CHAPTER XXIII

SOLD OUT

What a fool he was and how much the tiger lady hated him Rimrock was
already in a position to judge, but the inner meaning of "Kiss your money
good-bye!" was still to be disclosed. As he dashed down the hall and out
into the street and into the first taxi that passe