ow why they are
telephoning you,--not casually,--but apparently on some important
matter."

"That's _my_ business. Oh, Patty, let me alone!"

Azalea was clearly overwrought, and in another moment would fly into an
hysterical tantrum. But Patty made one more effort.

"Just tell me the name," she said, gently.

"Well--Smith. There, _now_ are you satisfied?"

"I am not," said Patty, truthfully. "Good night, Azalea."

She went thoughtfully away, and communicated to Bill the whole
conversation.

"She's a queer girl," Farnsworth remarked, after he had heard all about
the afternoon telephoning. "Do you know, Patty, that letter which she
pretended came from her father,--she wrote herself."

"What?"

"She did; and on my own typewriter,--here in our library."

"What _do_ you mean?"

"Just what I say. I knew it, the moment I saw it, for the writing on my
machine is so familiar to me, I can recognise it instantly. The tail of
the y doesn't print, and there are lots of little details that make it
recognisable."

"Are you sure, dear? I thought all typewriting was just alike."

"Oh, no; it is as greatly differentiated, almost, as penwriting,--some
experts think more so. I mean, it can't be forged successfully, and
penwriting can. Well, anyhow, that letter Azalea showed me, as being
from her father, was written on my machine. She had no envelope, for of
course she couldn't reproduce the proper postmark on an envelope she had
herself addressed."

"But why,--what for? I don't understand."

"I haven't got it all straightened out yet, myself,--but I shall.
Another thing, Azalea is a poor speller, and she herself spells _very_
with two r's. She did in a dinner acceptance she wrote and referred to
me for approval. So, when I saw that word misspelled twice in the
letter we're talking of, I _knew_ she wrote it,--I mean, it corroborated
my belief. Now, Patty, we've a peculiar case to deal with, and we must
feel our way. This telephoning business is serious. Of course, Smith is
_not_ those people's name! She told you a falsehood. We know she is
capable of that! Now to find out what their name is. It isn't too late
to call up Gale."

Farnsworth took up the telephone and soon had Raymond Gale on the wire.
He asked him frankly for the name of the two people who were calling on
Azalea when he recognised them.

"Miss Thorpe asked me not to tell," said Gale, "I'm sorry, old chap, but
I promised her I wouldn't."

"But it's an i