is really anxious, I'll get
the car and take a scout around."

But he received no satisfaction from the Bullard girl, who, he reported,
listened stoically and then said she was sorry, but she did not remember
who had called. On his reminding her that she must have a record, she
countered with the flat statement that there had been no call for us
that night.

Willie looked thoughtful when he returned to the library. "There's a
queer story back of all this," he said. "I think I'll get the car and
scout around."

"He is armed, Willie," I protested.

"He doesn't want to shoot me, or he could have done it," was his answer.
"I'll just take a look around, and come back to report."

It was half-past three by the time he was ready to go. He was, as he
observed, rather sketchily clad, but the night was warm. I saw him off,
and locked the door behind him. Then I went into the library to wait and
to put things to rights while I waited.

The dawn is early in August, and although it was not more than half-past
four when Willie came back, it was about daylight by that time. I went
to the door and watched him bring the car to a standstill. He shook his
head when he saw me.

"Absolutely nothing," he said. "It was a ruse to get me out of the
house, of course. I've run the whole way between here and town twice."

"But that could not have taken an hour," I protested.

"No," he said. "I met the doctor--what's his name?--the local M.D.
anyhow--footing it out of the village to a case, and I took him to his
destination. He has a car, it seems, but it's out of order. Interesting
old chap," he added, as I led the way into the house. "Didn't know me
from Adam, but opened up when he found who I was."

I had prepared the coffee machine and carried the tray to the library.
While I lighted the lamp, he stood, whistling softly, and thoughtfully.
At last he said:

"Look here, Aunt Agnes, I think I'm a good bit of a fool, but--some time
this morning I wish you would call up Thomas Jenkins, on the Elmburg
road, and find out if any one is sick there."

But when I stared at him, he only laughed sheepishly. "You can see how
your suspicious disposition has undermined and ruined my once trusting
nature," he scoffed.

He took his coffee, and then, stripping off his ulster, departed for
bed. I stopped to put away the coffee machine, and with Maggie in mind,
to hang up his motor-coat. It was then that the flashlight fell out. I
picked it up. It