search. In the
meantime, kindly pardon me."

His form vanished through the curtains and she could hear him ascending
the steps. To her ears there came a short colloquy between the detective
and the servant, but the words were indistinct and she was unable to
gather their meaning. Huddled in the chair, she waited while the minutes
dragged wearily, until at the end of three-quarters of an hour the
detective's welcome footsteps were heard on the stairs.

Britz entered the room carrying a huge pile of papers which he deposited
on a chair. From the top of the pile he took a letter, and, advancing
toward her, asked:

"Is this the note?"

At sight of the letter her exhaustion vanished and she held out a
trembling hand.

"It isn't that I don't trust you," said Britz, withdrawing the missive,
"but under the circumstances I prefer to retain possession of it."

It required no formal acknowledgment from her to assure him that he held
the right note. Her face, her eyes, her very aspect proclaimed her
anxiety concerning it. Retreating to a position directly beneath the
cluster of electric lights, Britz read the letter. It was dated the
previous day and was as follows:

"_Dear Whitmore_: Mr. Beard has informed me that I may communicate
with you through him. For nearly six weeks I have waited anxiously
for your return, but I am in such sore straits that I can no longer
delay communicating with you.

"I require for use in my business the sum of one million, two
hundred thousand dollars. Unless I am able to obtain the money at
once, I am ruined. Were I the only one to suffer by the crash I
should not mind. But it means the loss of my sister's fortune, as
well as that of her husband. Grace, too, could bear the loss. But
the thought of plunging Collins into poverty, under the present
circumstances, is what impels me to appeal to you.

"To avert this catastrophe my sister joins in the appeal I am
making. I hope, in the course of the next six months, to be able to
repay the loan. But it is absolutely necessary to obtain the money
at once, for my creditors are threatening immediate bankruptcy
proceedings. And that means the end.

"Sincerely,
LESTER WARD."

"So your brother is in a bad way financially?" said Britz, more in the
way of an audible comment than as a question.

Evidently the subject was too painful for discussion, for she averte