ted toward him. For a full
minute she held him on the rack of her scorn; then with a hard composure
in her voice, which accorded but poorly with the unutterable loathing
and aversion in her eyes, she said coldly:

"I am doubly fortunate in this rencounter. It saves much unnecessary
waste of time, and fatigue, and verbiage to find you here! In justice to
us both I have come all the way from Europe to tell you that my reported
engagement to Lord Ellerslie was a cruel lie!"

And without another word she swept proudly out of the room without
deigning one look at the woman cowering on the cushioned divan.

"Take me home, Bobbie!" she sobbed piteously to her brother, as she
clung forsakenly to him in their sitting-room. And further explanation
she would vouch him none, despite his bewildered implorations. "Take me
home; I want Mummy!"

That night after she had retired he picked up from the floor, where it
had fluttered unnoticed, a scrap of paper containing two names and a
hotel address. He stared at it uncomprehendingly and then a cold sweat
stood on his wrinkled brow. He went over to his dressing-case and took
out a shining nickel-plated revolver. Tiptoeing cautiously into his
sister's room he gently kissed the tear-stained face. Then he went out
very softly and called for a cab.

In the ordinary of the vast hostelry he found Douglass sitting on an
easy-chair, staring into vacancy. At his curt address the man looked up
wearily and gravely motioned him toward the elevator. It was noticeable
that neither offered to shake hands, despite the closeness of their
relations and the further fact that they had not met in better than half
a year.

In silence Carter strode after him until they reached Douglass's
apartments; then turning to the silent man before him, he sternly asked:

"What have you done to my sister?"

Douglass, leaning against the window jamb, looking out into the soft
summer night, made no reply. Carter crossed over fiercely and wrenched
him around.

"Answer me! Or by God, I'll tear it out of you with my hands!"

His breath was coming thickly but there was no fear in the eyes of old
Bob Carter's boy.

Douglass looked at him with apathetic wonder.

"I've lost her!" he answered dully. Carter looked at him with impatient
amazement, mingled with suspicion. Was the man crazy, or was this only a
weak attempt at evasion? He was going to know and that without any more
foolishness. Savagely he caught hold of t