boratory. He shouted when he saw Lambert standing before him.

"So you got him," he cried. "Where was he hidin'?"

His eyes fell upon Madge Crawford, then, and he exclaimed in
satisfaction. "You found her, eh?"

"No," said Phillips. "They came back. They suddenly appeared out of
nothing, Doherty."

"Don't kid me," growled Doherty. "They were hidin' in a closet
somewhere. Maybe they can fool you guys, but not me."

Lambert spoke to Phillips. "I'm starving to death and I think Miss
Crawford must be, too. Will you tell Felix to bring us some food,
plenty of it?"

One of the sleuths went to the kitchen to give the order. Lambert
turned to Morgan.

"How did you manage to bring us back?" he asked.

* * * * *

Morgan shrugged. "It was all guess work at the last. I at first could
check the apparatus by your notes, and this took some time. You know
you have written me in detail about what you were working on, so when
I was summoned by Detective Phillips, who said you had mentioned my
name to him as the only one who could help, I could make a good
conjecture as to what had occurred. I heard the stories of all
concerned, and realized that you must have dematerialized Miss
Crawford by mistake, and then, unable to bring her back, had followed
her yourself.

"I put on your insulation outfit, and went to work. I have not left
here for a moment, but have snatched an hour or two of sleep from time
to time. Detective Phillips has been very good and helpful.

"Finally, I had everything in shape, but I reversed the apparatus in
vital spots, and tried each combination until suddenly, a few minutes
ago, you were re-materialized. It was a desperate chance, but I was
forced to take it in an endeavor to save you."

Lambert held out his hand to his friend. "I can never thank you
enough," he said gratefully. "You saved us from a horrible fate. But
you speak as though we had been gone a long while. Was it many hours?"

"Hours?" repeated Morgan, his lips parting under his black beard.
"Man, it was eight days! You have been gone since a week ago last
night!"

Lambert turned to Phillips. "I must ask you not to release this story
to the newspapers," he begged.

Phillips smiled and turned up his hands in a gesture of frank wonder.
"Professor Lambert," he said, "I can't believe what I have seen
myself. If I told such a yarn to the reporters, they'd never forget
it. They'd kid me out of the department."