g the lobby
caught sight of them, halted, then turned and walked back toward the
street door which they had just entered.

Brandes had not noticed them where he stood by the desk, scratching
off a telegram to Stull:

"All O. K. Just going aboard. Fix it with Stein."

He rejoined Rue as the boy appeared with their luggage; an under
porter took the bags and preceded them toward the street.

"There's the car!" said Brandes, with a deep breath of relief. "He
knows his business, that chauffeur of mine."

Their chauffeur was standing beside the car as they emerged from the
hotel and started to cross the sidewalk; the porter, following, set
their luggage on the curbstone; and at the same instant a young and
pretty woman stepped lightly between Rue and Brandes.

"Good evening, Eddie," she said, and struck him a staggering blow in
the face with her white-gloved hand.

Brandes lost his balance, stumbled sideways, recovered himself, turned
swiftly and encountered the full, protruding black eyes of Maxy Venem
staring close and menacingly into his.

From Brandes' cut lip blood was running down over his chin and collar;
his face remained absolutely expressionless. The next moment his eyes
shifted, met Ruhannah's stupefied gaze.

"Go into the hotel," he said calmly. "Quick----"

"Stay where you are!" interrupted Maxy Venem, and caught the
speechless and bewildered girl by the elbow.

Like lightning Brandes' hand flew to his hip pocket, and at the same
instant his own chauffeur seized both his heavy, short arms and held
them rigid, pinned behind his back.

"Frisk him!" he panted; Venem nimbly relieved him of the dull black
weapon.

"Can the fake gun-play, Eddie," he said, coolly shoving aside the
porter who attempted to interfere. "You're double-crossed. We got the
goods on you; come on; who's the girl?"

The woman who had struck Brandes now came up again beside Venem. She
was young, very pretty, but deathly white except for the patches of
cosmetic on either cheek. She pointed at Brandes. There was blood on
her soiled and split glove:

"You dirty dog!" she said unsteadily. "You'll marry this girl before
I've divorced you, will you? And you think you are going to get away
with it! You dog! You dirty dog!"

The porter attempted to interfere again, but Venem shoved him out of
the way. Brandes, still silently struggling to free his imprisoned
arms, ceased twisting suddenly and swung his heavy head toward Venem.
His ha