ing to do with her?"

"You'd better go back to the office and wait, unless you want to spoil
the game by letting her see you," I said.

I was sure he was hiding from her intentionally, and I could see that
he believed I was working for Carson, for though he scowled fearfully
at me he seemed impressed by my words.

"I don't know whether Tom's running straight or not," he said huskily;
"but let me tell you, young man, it'll pay you to keep in with me, and
if you've got any price, name it!"

He shook his heavy fist over me--I believe the clerks thought he was
going to strike me, for they came hurrying toward us. But I saw
Jacqueline approaching, and, without another word, Leroux turned away.

Jacqueline caught sight of his retreating figure and her eyes widened.
I thought I saw a shadow of fear in them. Then the memory was effaced
and she was smiling again.

I instructed the store to call a messenger and have the suit-case taken
at once to the baggage-room in the Grand Central station.

"Now, Jacqueline, I'm going to take you to lunch," I said. "And
afterward we will start for home."

Outside the store I looked carefully around and espied Leroux almost
immediately lighting a cigar in the doorway of a shop. I hit upon a
rather daring plan to escape him.

Carson's offices were in a large modern building, with many elevators
and entrances. I walked toward it with Jacqueline, being satisfied
that Leroux was following us; entered about twenty-five yards before
him, and ascended in the elevator, getting off, however, on the floor
above that on which the offices were.

I was satisfied that Leroux would follow me a minute later, under the
impression that we had gone to the Northern Exploitation Company, and
so, after waiting a minute or two, I took Jacqueline down in another
elevator, and we escaped through the front entrance and jumped into a
taxicab.

I was satisfied that I had thrown Leroux off the scent, but I took the
precaution to stop at a gunsmith's shop and purchase a pair of
automatic pistols and a hundred cartridges. The man would not sell
them to me there on account of the law, but he promised to put them in
a box and have them delivered at the station, and there, in due course,
I found them.

But I was very uneasy until we found ourselves in the train. And then
at last everything was accomplished--our baggage upon the seats beside
us and our berths secured. At three precisely the train pulled ou