y, manager. "Under no
circumstances allow me to be disturbed to-night."

"Very well, sir," responded Locke.

Just then the light step of Eva was heard on the stairs.

"What's the matter, father?" she asked, still upset by the events of the
afternoon. "Is there anything wrong?"

"No, my dear, nothing," hastily replied Brent. "In the morning I shall
have something to say to you. Now run along like a good girl."

Dutifully Eva turned. Brent watched her out of sight. Then with a keen
look at Locke he pulled out a paper from his pocket and handed it to the
young scientist, who read:

BRENT,--This is my last warning. If you persist in your course you
will be struck down by the Madagascar madness.
Q.

Locke looked up from the scrawl in alarmed perplexity.

"What does this mean?" he queried.

Brent merely shook his head cryptically.

"Study this message. I shall have something very important to tell you
in the morning."

As Brent turned back into the library he paused a moment and looked
after Locke, hesitating, as if he would call him back. Then he decided
not to do so, turned, and carefully locked the door from the dining-room
into the hallway.

Eva was waiting at the head of the stairs as Locke, perplexed by the
strange actions of his employer, came up.

"What _is_ the trouble?" she repeated, anxiously. "Please tell me. Is
there anything wrong?"

"No--nothing," reassured Locke, in spite of his own doubt. "Everything
is all right."

"I hope so." Eva lingered. "Good night."

Locke bowed admiringly. But there was the same restraint in his look
that had been shown in the afternoon.

"Good night," he murmured, slowly.

Eva quite understood, and there was a smile of encouragement on her face
as she turned away and flitted down the hall to her room.

Outside, Zita had hurried from the house to the nearest public
telephone-booth and was frantically calling Balcom at his apartment.

"Mr. Balcom," she repeated, breathlessly, as the junior partner
answered, "Flint has returned. I have seen him."

"The devil!" exclaimed Balcom, angrily, then checked himself before he
said any more. "Keep me informed."

Abruptly he hung up.

It was scarcely a moment later that Paul Balcom entered the Balcom
apartment, admitted by a turbaned black suggestive of the Orient.

Paul was surly and had evidently been drinking, for he shoved the
servant roughly o