the nearest village. There he had hired the chauffeur and the man had
taken Philip within a few miles of New York. In the course of the ride,
Philip had told the automobile driver the same story about Tania that he
had told the old man in the tumbled-down farmhouse:

Tania was Philip's sister. He was hiding her from enemies, who wished to
steal the child away from him. If anybody inquired about the child or
about him the chauffeur was to say nothing. Philip would pay him
handsomely for bringing the car back to Cape May.

The reason that Philip Holt had sent back Roy Dennis's automobile was
because he knew that Roy would put detectives on his track if he failed
to return it. Besides, it would be far easier for Philip Holt to get away
with his precious iron safe if he were free of all other entanglements.

It was nearly midnight before the story that the chauffeur told was clear
to Tom Curtis. The man believed that he knew the very house in which
Tania was probably concealed. There was no other place like it near the
town where the chauffeur lived.

Tom got out his own automobile. The chauffeur would ride with him. They
would go directly to the old farmhouse. Tania would be there and all
would soon be well.

It was about nine o'clock the next morning when Tom's thundering knock at
the rickety farmhouse door brought the foolish old man to open it. As
soon as Tom mentioned Tania, the old fellow was alarmed. He was stupid
and poor, but Philip Holt's behavior had begun to look strange even to
him.

The old farmer was glad to tell Tom Curtis everything he knew. It was all
right. Tania was safe upstairs. He would take Tom up at once to see her.
He was just on his way up to take Tania her breakfast. Indeed, the old
man explained with tears in his eyes, he had not meant to assist in the
kidnapping of a child. He was only a poor, lonely old fellow and he
hadn't meant any harm. He had never seen Philip until the moment that the
young man appeared at his door in his automobile and asked him to look
after his sister for a few days.

The farmer's story was true. Philip Holt had no idea how he could safely
dispose of Tania. Quite by accident, as he hurried through the country,
he had espied the old house. If Tania could be kept hidden there for a
few days he would then be able to decide what he could do with her.

Tom would have liked to bound up the old stairs three steps at a time to
Tania's bedroom door. Poor little girl, w