lied, quietly, turning and
strolling toward the window of his laboratory.

The moment his back was turned Zita picked up the photograph of Eva on
the desk. For a moment she stood glaring at it jealously.

Out of the window Locke smiled. For, down on the gravel path, walking
slowly toward the gate to the Brent Rock grounds, he could see Eva and
Davis.

The smile faded into a scowl. He had seen a young man enter the gate. It
was Paul Balcom, son of Herbert Balcom, and Paul was engaged to
Eva--thus giving Balcom a stronger hold over Brent.

Locke knew enough about Paul to dislike him thoroughly and to distrust
him. Had Locke been able to see over the hedge he would have confirmed
his suspicions. For Paul had actually driven up to Brent Rock in the
runabout of as notorious a woman as could have been found in the night
life of the city--one known as De Luxe Dora in the unsavory half-world
in which both were leaders. Had his dictagraph been extended to the
hedge he would have heard her voice rasp at Paul:

"Your father may make you pay attention to this girl, Paul, but
remember--you had not better double cross me."

Paul's protestations of underworld fidelity, would have added to Locke's
fury.

However, Locke had not seen or heard. Still, it was unbearable that this
fellow Paul should be engaged to a girl like Eva. Tall, dark, handsome
though he was, Locke knew him to be a man not to be trusted.

Paul hurried up to Eva, not a bit disconcerted at the near discovery of
his intimacy with Dora. And, whatever one may believe about woman's
intuition, there must have been something in it, for even at a distance
one could see that Eva mistrusted Paul Balcom, her fiance. Locke scowled
blackly.

Paul thrust himself almost rudely between Davis and Eva. Again Davis
shrank, as he had from the young man's father, then bowed, excused
himself, and hurried off, hugging his motor to him, while Paul took
Eva's hand, which she was not any too willing to give him. Locke
watched, motionless, as the couple turned back to the house.

Somehow Eva must have felt his gaze. She turned and looked upward at the
laboratory window. As she saw Locke her face broke into a smile and she
waved her hand gaily. Paul saw it and a swift flush of anger crossed his
face. He pulled Eva abruptly by the arm.

"Let's go into the house," he said, almost angrily.

Seeing the action, Locke also turned from the window to encounter Zita,
still watching. Without